/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/30192261/20130321_jla_usa_201.0.jpg)
The 2014 NCAA Tournament bracket and schedule were released Sunday evening and the nation as officially entered its least productive month of the year. It's March Madness, and it's arrived with a bang.
2014 NCAA Tournament
2014 NCAA Tournament
As expected the Mid-American Conference has received just one bid to the big dance, marking the 14th straight year the MAC has failed to earn an at large bid. As winners of the 2014 MAC Basketball Tournament Championship, Western Michigan earned the conference's automatic bid and due to a weak RPI (poor non-conference schedule) the Broncos have earned a No. 14 seed in the South region. WMU's first opponent? No. 3 seed Syracuse. You know, the-once-undefeated-and-top-ranked-team-in-the-nation Orange.
The Broncos open play on Thursday, March 20 in Buffalo, with the winner advancing on to play the winner of Ohio State (6) vs. Dayton (11). The Broncos' division is loaded. Featuring the No. 1 overall seed Florida Gators, along with Kansas (2), VCU (5) and UCLA (4) among its ranks. For the Broncos to make any serious noise they'd first have to get past one of the best defensive teams in the nation (Syracuse) then work their way past some loaded squads. Of course all the top seeded teams are heavy hitters, but we're talking the top team in the country, one of the best freshman in the nation, and one of the best mid-majors in the nation all in one section.
How does the rest of the bracket shape up? Well it looks something like this:
Let's break it all down by seeds for each region, starting with the South:
SOUTH REGION:
- Florida
- Kansas
- Syracuse
- UCLA
- VCU
- Ohio State
- New Mexico
- Colorado
- Pittsburgh
- Stanford
- Dayton
- Stephen F. Austin
- Tulsa
- Western Michigan
- Eastern Kentucky
- Winner of Albany vs. Mt. St. Mary's
EAST REGION:
- Virginia
- Villanova
- Iowa State
- Michigan State
- Cincinnati
- North Carolina
- UConn
- Memphis
- George Washington
- St. Joe's
- Providence
- Harvard
- Delaware
- NC Central
- Milwaukee
- Coastal Carolina
MIDWEST REGION:
- Wichita State
- Michigan
- Duke
- Louisville
- Saint Louis
- UMass
- Texas
- Kentucky
- Kansas State
- Arizona State
- Winner of Iowa vs. Tennessee
- Winner of NC State vs. Xavier
- Manhattan
- Mercer
- Wofford
- Winner of Cal Poly vs. Texas Southern
WEST REGION:
- Arizona
- Wisconsin
- Creighton
- San Diego St.
- Oklahoma
- Baylor
- Oregon
- Gonzaga
- Oklahoma State
- BYU
- Nebraska
- North Dakota State
- New Mexico State
- Louisiana
- American
- Weber State