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Selection Sunday, March Madness Bracket: North Carolina Tar Heels In, Indiana Out

The March Madness bracket is being announced as Selection Sunday has arrived. The NCAA Tournament includes the North Carolina Tar Heels, but the Indiana Hoosiers are out. Elite teams like the Auburn Tigers, Houston Cougars, Duke Blue Devils lead. The USC Trojans are out, while Indiana, North Carolina, and Texas are on the bubble.

Charlie Viehl

Mar 15, 2025; New York, NY, USA; St. John's Red Storm forward Zuby Ejiofor (24) is greeted by St. John's Red Storm head coach Rick Pitino as the game ends against the Creighton Bluejays at Madison Square Garden.
Mar 15, 2025; New York, NY, USA; St. John's Red Storm forward Zuby Ejiofor (24) is greeted by St. John's Red Storm head coach Rick Pitino as the game ends against the Creighton Bluejays at Madison Square Garden. / Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images
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Selection Sunday marks the beginning of March Madness for men's college basketball as the bracket for the NCAA Tournament has been officially revealed.

The No. 1 overall seed is the Auburn Tigers, despite losing to the Tennessee Volunteers in the semifinals of the SEC Tournament. The Florida Gators, Duke Blue Devils, and Houston Cougars are the other No. 1 seeds in March Madness. The No. 2 seeds are Michigan State, St. John's, Tennessee, and Alabama.

Behind them, the No. 3 seeds are Iowa State, Wisconsin, Texas Tech, and Kentucky. Rounding out the top teams on the No. 4 seed line are Purdue, Texas A&M, Maryland, and Arizona.

Alabama Crimson Tide guard Labaron Philon (0) drives to the basket against the Florida Gators during the second half
Mar 15, 2025; Nashville, TN, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide guard Labaron Philon (0) drives to the basket against the Florida Gators during the second half at Bridgestone Arena. / Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

ESPN's Joe Lunardi projected No. 1 seeds for this year's March Madness bracket to be Auburn, Florida, Duke, and Houston. CBS Sports' Jerry Palm had the same four teams as No. 1 seeds.

Palm's projections seemed to factor in Michigan and Wisconsin's run in the Big 10 Tournament, placing both teams ahead of Iowa State on the No. 3 seed line. Ultimately, Michigan is a No. 5 seed and Wisconsin is a No. 3 seed with Iowa State.

On the other end, bubble teams like the Indiana Hoosiers, North Carolina Tar Heels, and Texas Longhorns will paid close attention to Sunday's proceedings. North Carolina and Texas were one of the last teams in, while the Indiana Hoosiers were on the outside looking in.

The USC Trojans spent some time on the bubble during the season, but they ultimately ended the year with a losing record. It was coach Eric Musselman's first year at USC as he looks to bring the Trojans back to the NCAA Tournament.

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Selection Sunday was rather uneventful ass George Mason could potentially have potential taken a bid if they can beat VCU in the Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament, but VCU won the conference title and automatic qualifier. Additionally, the UAB Blazers were unable to take a spot from a team on the bubble after losing to Memphis in the American Athletic Conference Championship on Sunday.

The Duke Blue Devils won the ACC Conference Tournament, playing a majority of the tournament without star forward Cooper Flagg after he suffered an ankle injury against Georgia Tech on Thursday. Still, he is expected to play in the NCAA Tournament.

Duke Blue Devils forward Cooper Flagg (2) and forward Maliq Brown (6) on the bench during the first half against
Mar 14, 2025; Charlotte, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Cooper Flagg (2) and forward Maliq Brown (6) on the bench during the first half against the North Carolina Tar Heels at Spectrum Center. / Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

St. John's won the Big East for the first time in 25 years under coach Rick Pitino, and they did it in Madison Square Garden, no less.

The first round of the NCAA Tournament begins on Thursday, March 20. The Final Four starts on April 5 with the final game of the tournament taking place on April 7.

Which team will be the final one standing at the end of the madness? Will there be any "Cinderella" runs in this year's tournament?

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Charlie Viehl
CHARLIE VIEHL

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