The field of 68 has been finalized and spreads are already set for the first round of the Men's NCAA Tournament.
March Madness begins Tuesday and Wednesday in Dayton with the First Four and continues Thursday and Friday when the Round of 64 gets underway across the country. Heavy favorites can be found all over the bracket but there are plenty of compelling first round matchups.
The defending national champion UConn Huskies earned the No. 1 overall seed as they look to become the first team since the 2006-2007 Florida Gators to win back-to-back titles. The Houston Cougars, North Carolina Tar Heels and Purdue Boilermakers also earned No. 1 seeds in their respective regions.
The Cougars and Boilermakers were No. 1 seeds in the 2023 tournament as well and while Houston advanced to the Sweet 16 last season, Purdue became the second No.