1. VIRGINIA (28-6) Conference: ACC PPG: 65.9 | OPP: 55.3 Post-ing up: The Cavaliers won their first outright ACC regular-season championship since 1981, allowing the fewest points per game in the nation and the seventh-best field goal percentage against (38.4 percent).
AP
2 of 16
16. COASTAL CAROLINA (21-12) Conf.: Big South PPG: 72.7 | OPP: 68.4 Post-ing up: Coach Cliff Ellis is dancing with his fourth different school (Auburn, South Alabama, Clemson), after Coastal Carolina avenged Big South conference title-game losses in 2010 and 2011.
AP
3 of 16
8. MEMPHIS (23-9) Conference: AAC PPG: 77.6, OPP: 70.4 Post-ing up: The Tigers are back in the Dance for the fourth straight season and are capable of beating anyone — Louisville, Oklahoma State — with a fast-paced, well-balanced offense.
4 of 16
9. GEORGE WASHINGTON (24-8) Conf.: Atlantic 10 PPG: 75.2 | OPP: 66.3 Post-ing up: The Colonials don’t have a big star and aren’t a team many will ride in the tournament. But don’t overlook them. They rebound well and are stingy defensively, the kind of balanced team that can pull off a few upsets.
AP
5 of 16
5. CINCINNATI (27-6) Conference: AAC PPG: 68.7 | OPP: 58.3 Post-ing up: The Bearcats left the Big East and only got tougher. Cincinnati split the regular-season championship with Louisville, dominating its new league with the fourth-ranked defense in the nation.
AP
6 of 16
12. HARVARD (26-4) Conference: Ivy PPG: 73.6 | OPP: 60.5 Post-ing up: The Crimson are back in the Big Dance for the third straight year. The sweet-shooting school’s shocker against New Mexico in last year’s tournament was no fluke. Another upset, or two, could be on the way.
AP
7 of 16
4. MICHIGAN ST. (26-8) Conference: Big Ten PPG: 75.9 | OPP: 65.3 Post-ing up: The Spartans were a popular preseason pick to reach the Final Four, but battled numerous injuries this season. With his team now healthy, Tom Izzo could reach the final weekend for the seventh time.
AP
8 of 16
13. DELAWARE (25-9) Conference: CAA PPG: 79.5 | OPP: 75.1 Post-ing up: The Blue Hens’ guard-heavy attack led the team to five straight wins to end the season, escaping the shadow of Elena Delle Donne and the women’s team with their first tournament appearance since 1999.
9 of 16
3. IOWA ST. (26-7) Conference: Big 12 PPG: 82.9 | OPP: 73.9 Post-ing up: One of the premier offensive teams in the nation, the Cyclones are seventh in scoring and lead the country with 18.6 assists per game. They are riding high after their first Big 12 title since 2000.
10 of 16
14. N.C. CENTRAL (28-5) Conference: MEAC PPG: 74.0 | OPP: 58.8 Post-ing up: The Eagles, undefeated since Jan. 11, proved their worth with reliable play on both ends of the floor and a dominant regular season, which included a win at North Carolina State.
AP Photo/The Virginian-Pilot, Stephen M. Katz
11 of 16
6. NORTH CAROLINA (23-9) Conference: ACC PPG: 76.3 | OPP: 69.1 Post-ing up: It was unclear how good the Tar Heels could be this season, but the young group superseded expectations and rebounded from a 1-4 start in conference, winning 12 of their final 13 regular-season games.
12 of 16
11. PROVIDENCE (23-11) Conference: Big East PPG: 73.2 | OPP: 69.5 Post-ing up: Despite key early-season suspensions that reduced Ed Cooley’s rotation to only six players, the Friars achieved their first 20-win season in 10 years and won the Big East Tournament.
13 of 16
7. UCONN (26-8) Conference: AAC PPG: 71.9 | OPP: 63.1 Post-ing up: After missing last year’s tournament because of probation, the Huskies could be poised for a deep run, carried by conference Player of the Year Shabazz Napier.
14 of 16
10. ST. JOSEPH’S (24-9) Conf.: Atlantic 10 PPG: 71.3 | OPP: 66.9 Post-ing up: Staten Island native Halil Kanacevic stands 6-foot-8 and 255 pounds, yet you won’t see the big man in the paint often on the offensive end, instead directing the St. Joe’s offense from the perimeter.
15 of 16
2. VILLANOVA (28-4) Conf.: Big East PPG: 78.5, OPP: 66.6 Post-ing up: The Wildcats were better than anyone envisioned, running out to a 16-1 start and winning the regular-season conference title, while only dropping regular-season league games to Creighton.
AP
16 of 16
15. MILWAUKEE (21-13) Conference: Horizon PPG: 71.0 | OPP: 70.7 Post-ing up: The Panthers were picked to finish last in their conference and were seeded fifth heading into the conference tournament, but knocked off top-seeded Green Bay on the way to their first tournament berth since 2006.
AP
