March 16, 2008

(AP & Staff Reports) - ACC Champion North Carolina joined Memphis, Kansas and UCLA in earning the top seeds in the NCAA tournament Sunday, and the top-ranked Tar Heels got the best deal of all: Their road to the Final Four won't veer more than two hours outside their Chapel Hill campus.

The Tar Heels (32-2) are the top seed in the East, with their first- and second-round games scheduled for Raleigh and the next two rounds in Charlotte.

"It's an advantage if you play well," said Carolina coach Roy Williams, trying to lead the Tar Heels to their second title in four years. "Just because the crowd's cheering for you, I've never had a crowd win a game. I know it sounds wacko."

The Final Four is set for April 5-7 in San Antonio.

In the East region, North Carolina will open against the winner of the Coppin State-Mount St. Mary's game, while No. 2 seed Tennessee will open against No. 15 American.

Other games in the region are: No. 7 Butler vs. No. 10 South Alabama; No. 3 Louisville vs. No. 14 Boise State; No. 6 Oklahoma vs. No. 11 St. Joseph's; No. 8 Indiana vs. No. 9 Arkansas; No. 4 Washington State vs. No. 13 Winthrop; and No. 5 Notre Dame vs. No. 12 George Mason, which will try to repeat its surprising trip to the Final Four two years ago.

Duke earned a No. 2 seed in the West, opposite No. 1 seed UCLA. The Blue Devils will face No. 15 Belmont in Washington, D.C. in the region that goes through Phoenix. It is Duke's 13th straight NCAA Tournament.

In the West, UCLA plays No. 16 Mississippi Valley State, No. 8 BYU plays No. 9 Texas A&M, No. 5 Drake plays No. 12 Western Kentucky and No. 4 Connecticut plays No. 13 San Diego. Other games are No. 2 Duke vs. No. 15 Belmont, No. 7 West Virginia vs. No. 10 Arizona, No. 6 Purdue vs. No. 11 Baylor and No. 3 Xavier vs. No. 14 Georgia.

Clemson returns to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1998, this time as the No. 5 seed to face No. 12 Villanova in the Midwest (its region in 1998 as well). The Tigers will return to Tampa Bay (host of the 2007 ACC Tournament) for the first two rounds and would then play in Detriot, should they advance to the Sweet Sixteen.

In the Midwest, Kansas earned the top seed and a first-round game against Big Sky champion Portland State. Other Midwest games pit No. 6 Southern California against No. 11 Kansas State; No. 8 UNLV against No. 9 Kent State; No. 4 Vanderbilt against No. 13 Siena; No. 2 Georgetown vs. 15 Maryland-Baltimore County; No. 7 Gonzaga vs. No. 10 Davidson; and No. 3 Wisconsin vs. No. 14 Cal State-Fullerton.

Miami returns to the NCAA Tournament as well, last earning a bid in 2002. The Hurricanes are the No. 7 seed in the South and will face No. 10 St. Mary's in Little Rock, Ark.

In that region, Memphis opens against No. 16 Texas-Arlington, No. 8 Mississippi State plays No. 9 Oregon, No. 5 Michigan State plays No. 12 Temple and No. 4 Pittsburgh plays No. 13 Oral Roberts. The other side of the bracket includes Miami's game, No. 2 Texas vs. No. 15 Austin Peay, No. 3 Stanford vs. No. 14 Cornell and No. 6 Marquette against No. 11 Kentucky.