UVa, UNC, Duke, Gonzaga get NCAA top seeds

Duke is the No. 1 overall seed in this year’s men’s basketball NCAA tournament, while the selection committee also gave top seeds to fellow ACC teams Virginia and North Carolina, as well as Gonzaga.

Earning the top seed is no guarantee of success for Zion Williamson and company. Since overall seeds began in 2004, only three went on to win the national title — Florida in 2007, Kentucky in 2012, and Louisville in 2013 (which was later vacated).

This year’s bracket marks the second time three teams from a single conference are No. 1 seeds, joining the Big East in 2009. That year, the only other top seed, North Carolina, won the tournament.

Belmont, and Temple were the last four at-large teams included in the 68-team bracket. They will play in the First Four in Dayton, Ohio, on Tuesday and Wednesday, before the tournament begins in earnest on Thursday.

Belmont is the first team from the Ohio Valley Conference to earn an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament since Middle Tennessee did so in 1987. The Bruins will take on Temple, with the winner to face Maryland in the East region.

Arizona State will take on St. John’s in the other game between at-large teams in Dayton. The winner will face Buffalo.

Receiving No. 2 seeds were Tennessee, which matched its highest-ever seed, Michigan State, Kentucky and Michigan.

LSU, Purdue, Houston and Texas Tech are the 3-seeds, while Virginia Tech, Kansas State, Kansas and Florida State were all seeded at No. 4.

Among the notable teams to miss out were TCU, Indiana, UNC Greensboro and Alabama.