2024 March Madness: Ranking the toughest regions for this year's NCAA Tournament ft. East Region

The entire cast for the 2024 NCAA Tournament was revealed on Sunday. The bracket featured the perennial powerhouses in UConn, Duke, Kentucky, North Carolina and Kansas and other teams that surprisingly excelled this season like James Madison, Samford, McNeese and Grand Canyon.

Each region has intriguing marquee matchups and possible surprises that college basketball fans would like to see. But let's take a deep dive into each bracket that's classified into regions and rank which group is the toughest down to the weakest.

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The 2024 NCAA Tournament bracket ranked from toughest to weakest

The Iowa State Cyclones have defeated AP and Coaches Poll No. 1 seed Houston twice this season.

#1 East Region

The East Region is considered to be the toughest region for this season's NCAA Tournament.

Topping the list is the defending champion UConn Huskies, who will gun for their second consecutive NCAA championship. UConn (31-3) is the Big East regular season and tournament champions and the team to beat in this bracket.

The Huskies will take on ASUN Tournament winners Stetson 22-12, who beat Austin Peay in the ASUN Championship final. The Hatters finished second in the regular season, behind Eastern Kentucky.

Iowa State (27-7) is seeded second and deserved to be in this spot, as they ran over AP and Coaches polls' top seed Houston, 69-41, in the final of the Big 12 tournament.

The T.J. Otzelberger-coached Cyclones were great in the 2023-24 regular season, as they beat Houston twice and ran past strong teams like Baylor, Texas A&M, Kansas and BYU.

Iowa State faces No. 15 South Dakota State (22-12), the 2023-24 Summit League regular season and tournament champions.

Third-seed Illinois (26-8) has played second-fiddle in the Big Ten Conference behind Purdue all season but stepped out of the Boilermakers' shadows by winning the Big Ten Tournament title over Wisconsin, 93-87.

The Brad Underwood-coached squad takes on No. 14 Morehead State (26-8), who secured an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament by winning the Ohio Valley tournament.

No. 4 Auburn (27-7) won the SEC Tournament by beating Florida in the final. The Tigers have beaten the likes of Alabama, South Carolina, Ole Miss and Mississippi State to make it through the NCAA Tournament and be considered one of the top teams in the league.

They will be up against No. 13 Yale (22-9), who received an automatic bid by winning the Ivy League Tournament.

No. 5 San Diego State (24-10) will make its fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance after finishing second to New Mexico in the Mountain West tournament. The Aztecs have been ranked in the AP and Coaches Poll several times this season, reaching as high as No. 17.

They will compete against UAB (23-11), who gained an automatic bid in the NCAA Tournament by winning the AAC Tournament.

No. 6 BYU (23-10) is ranked No. 17 overall and one of the best at-large teams in the nation. The Cougars are listed in the AP Top 25 for 15 weeks and made it through the NCAA Tournament by defeating Iowa State, Baylor, Kansas and San Diego State during the regular season.

BYU begins their NCAA Tournament bid against Duquesne (24-11), the Atlantic 10 Conference tournament winner, who beat No. 24 seed Dayton in the quarterfinal and VCU in the final.

Seventh-ranked Washington State (24-9) was a consistent force in the Pac-12 Conference this year and was ranked as high as No. 25 in the Coaches poll and 22nd in the AP poll. They placed second in the Pac-12 regular season, behind Arizona, and were a semifinalist in the conference tournament.

The Cougars play No. 10 Drake (29-5), who earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament by winning the MVC tournament final over top-seed Indiana State.

Florida Atlantic (25-8) and Northwestern (21-11) were ranked eighth and ninth in the East Region due to their consistent showing this season. The Owls placed second, behind South Florida in the AAC regular season, while Northwestern came in fourth in the tough Big Ten Conference.

They play each other in the East Region and meet the winner between UConn and Stetson.

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#2 South Region

The South Region is considered the second-toughest bracket in this year's NCAA Tournament, with perennial powers like Houston, Marquette, Kentucky, Duke and Florida, plus surprise teams James Madison, North Carolina State and Vermont competing for the top prize.

Top seed Houston (30-4) was ranked second overall by the Selection Committee and was consistently in the top five in the AP and Coaches Poll. The Big 12 regular season champions placed second in the Big 12 Tournament final, losing to Iowa State. They take on No. 16 Longwood Lancers in the first round.

The Lancers, ranked 63rd overall, captured the automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament, by demolishing UNC Asheville, 85-59, in the Big South tournament final.

No. 2 Marquette (25-9) is ranked seventh overall following their excellent showing in the Big East Tournament, where they settled for second place behind UConn. The Golden Eagles have been in the Top 10 of AP and Coaches Poll for several weeks and are one of the strongest teams in their conference.

They are pitted against Conference USA Tournament champions Western Kentucky (22-11), who is ranked 60th in the league. The No. 15-seeded Hilltoppers outplayed New Mexico State, Middle Tennessee and UTEP to bring home the C-USA title and an automatic bid for the NCAA Tournament.

No. 3 Kentucky (23-9) will make another appearance in the NCAA Tournament after ranking 11th in the 2023-24 season. The Wildcats, who won their eighth NCAA title in 2012, beat top-25 teams Tennessee, Alabama, Auburn and North Carolina in the regular season.

The John Calipari-coached squad takes on No. 14 seed Oakland (23-11), who topped the Horizon League tournament by beating Milwaukee in the final. The Golden Grizzlies are also the league regular season winners, so expect them to put up a tough fight against Kentucky in the opening round.

No. 4 seed Duke (24-8) finished second in the ACC regular season, behind North Carolina and is one of the most consistent at-large teams in the bunch. The five-time NCAA Tournament champions are ranked 13th overall and have made it to the Top 25 of the AP and Coaches Poll every week.

The Blue Devils will be matched up against No. 13 seed Vermont (28-6), who secured an automatic berth by winning the America East title. The Catamounts are on a 10-game winning streak, including three straight victories in the America East Tournament. They beat UMass Lowell 66-61 in the final.

No. 5 seed Wisconsin (22-13) made it through the NCAA Tournament by finishing second in the Big Ten tournament. They exacted revenge on Purdue in the Big Ten semifinals with a 76-75 overtime win. They have wins over Marquette, Virginia and Michigan State in the regular season and beat Maryland and Northwestern in the Big Ten Tournament.

Up next for the Badgers are the No. 12 James Madison Dukes, who have won 31 games this season. The Dukes won the Sun Belt Tournament to gain a ticket into the NCAA Tournament and are on a 13-game winning streak.

Sixth-ranked Texas Tech (23-10) picked up the NCAA Tournament berth as one of the best at-large teams during the season. They were ranked in the AP and Coaches poll for six weeks, reaching its peak at No. 15.

They won over Top 25 teams Oklahoma, Texas, BYU, Kansas, and Baylor but only made the semifinals of the Big 12 Tournament, losing to Houston, 59-62. They will be up against No. 11-seed North Carolina State (22-14), who swept the ACC Tournament and beat North Carolina in the final.

The Wolfpack are one of the hottest teams in the league, winning five straight games in the conference tournament.

No. 7 Florida (24-11) secured a spot in the NCAA Tournament after finishing second in the SEC Tournament. Ranked 25th overall, the Gators have wins over Top 25 teams Kentucky and Auburn during the regular season.

Florida awaits the winner of the First Four clash between Colorado and Boise State. The Buffaloes and the Broncos are seeded 10th in the region and will have to break the tie in a contest slated on Wednesday in Dayton, Ohio. Colorado placed second in the Pac-12 Tournament final and Boise State was the third-best team in the Mountain West Conference.

No. 8 Nebraska (23-10) made it to the NCAA Tournament, with the selectors ranking them 29th overall. They placed third in the Big Ten regular season and lost to Illinois in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals. They have wins over Purdue and Wisconsin in the regular season.

Ninth-ranked Texas A&M (20-14) placed seventh in the tough SEC Conference in the regular season. However, they played brilliantly in the SEC Tournament, beating Ole Miss and Kentucky before succumbing to Florida in the semifinals.

It's worth noting that the Aggies have the Wildcats' number this year, winning two games against them.

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#3 West Region

The region is composed of eight conference tournament champions and nine at-large squads, including North Carolina, Baylor, Arizona, Alabama and Michigan State.

Intrigue surrounds this regional grouping, including a possible meeting between Caleb Love's Arizona and North Carolina and a Long Beach State rally for outgoing coach Don Monson.

North Carolina (27-7) is the top seed in the West Region by being the No. 4 seed in the overall rankings. The Hubert Davis-coached Tar Heels were the ACC regular season champions and placed second, behind NC State, in the ACC Tournament final.

North Carolina will have to wait for the winner of the First Four clash between No. 16 seeds Howard and Wagner in Dayton, Ohio, on Mar. 19. Howard (18-16) earned the automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament by winning the MEAC Tournament final, while Wagner took home the Northeast Conference Tournament title to advance.

No. 2 Arizona (25-8) is the sixth-best team in the NCAA and took home the Pac-12 regular season title. The Tommy Lloyd-coached squad won over Top 25 teams Duke and Michigan State during the season. The Wildcats were ranked the No. 1 seed in the country for two weeks by AP.

They will be up against No. 15-seed and Big West Tournament winner Long Beach State (21-14) in the first round. The Beach is motivated to make a run in this tournament for coach Don Monson, who was fired during the regular season but was allowed to continue coaching as the squad is qualified for Big Dance.

Third-seed Baylor (23-10) clinched the tournament ticket by being the No. 9 seed in the overall rankings. The Bears outclassed Iowa State, Texas Tech, BYU, Oklahoma and Kansas and made it to the semifinals of the Big 12 Tournament.

Baylor faces No. 14 Colgate (25-9), who gained an automatic berth by winning the Patriot League Tournament. They beat Lehigh in the final, 74-55.

No. 5-seed Saint Mary's (26-7) secured an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament by winning the WCC Tournament final over Gonzaga. They were in the AP Top 25 poll for five straight weeks and were on a 16-game winning streak before the Bulldogs beat them in the last game of the regular season.

The Gaels play against No. 12 Grand Canyon (29-4), who clinched an NCAA Tournament ticket by emerging as the WAC Tournament champions. The Antelopes are on a five-game winning streak and looking to extend it to the finals.

Clemson (21-11) took the No. 6 seed in the West Region, as they were ranked 22nd overall by the NCAA Selection Committee. The Tigers' notable wins were against North Carolina and Alabama.

No. 7 Dayton (26-7) secured an at-large bid in the NCAA Tournament by emerging as the 28th-best team in the country. This will be their first NCAA Tournament since 2017. They face No. 10 Nevada (26-7) in the first round. The Wolf Pack picked up a ticket in the tournament, as they were ranked 37th.

They take on No. 11 New Mexico, who secured an automatic bid by winning the Mountain West Tournament final over San Diego State. The Lobos are on a four-game winning streak, approaching the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

No. 8 Mississippi State was the 32nd-best team in the whole season, which was good enough to secure a spot in the NCAA Tournament. The Bulldogs, who made the semifinals of the SEC Tournament, meet Michigan State (19-14) in the first round.

The Spartans were ranked 33rd in the nation and qualified for the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals.

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#4 Midwest Region

The Midwest Region is made up of seven conference champions and 11 at-large squads, including Purdue, Kansas, Creighton, Gonzaga and Tennessee. The most consistent team on the bunch is Purdue, but we can see some surprises from Utah State and Tennessee in the later stretches of the regional tournament.

No. 1 Purdue (29-4) was ranked third overall by the Selection Committee owing to its consistent showing during the season. The Zach Edey-led Boilermakers ran away with Big Ten Conference regular season titles but lost in the tournament semifinal to Wisconsin.

Purdue takes on the winner of the First Four showdown between Grambling State and Montana State. Grambling (20-14) and Montana (17-17) were ranked 16th by the committee after securing an automatic berth to the tournament.

The Tigers, coached by Donte Jackson, won the Southwestern Athletic Conference regular season and tournament titles, while the Bobcats upset Montana in the final of the Big Sky Tournament.

No. 2 Tennessee (24-8) is the fifth-best team in the league and secured the tournament berth by winning the SEC regular season title. However, the Volunteers are in a two-game slide, which could pose a problem.

Tennessee faces No. 15 Saint Peter's (19-13) in the first round. The Peacocks topped the MAAC Tournament to capture an automatic bid and are ranked 62nd overall.

No. 3 Creighton (23-9) received an at-large bid in the tournament by becoming the 10th-best team in the NCAA. The Bluejays were the second-best team in the Big East regular season and were in the Top 25 in 17 of the 18 weeks.

They will be up against the Mid-American Conference champions Akron (24-10). The No. 14 seed Zips are ranked 56th overall and are on a three-game winning streak going into the tournament.

Kansas (22-10) gained the fourth seed in the Midwest Region by ranking 14th overall. They received one of the at-large bids after beating top teams like Houston, Oklahoma, UConn and Kentucky. However, injuries to key players Hunter Dickinson and Kevin McCullar Jr have brought the Jayhawks down. They have lost four of their last five games.

Meanwhile, No. 13-seed Samford (29-5) has won the Southern Conference regular season and tournament titles. They secured the automatic bid by beating East Tennessee State in the final. The Bulldogs are riding a four-game winning streak, which could spell trouble for Kansas.

Gonzaga (25-7) is the No. 5 seed in the Midwest Region due to its outstanding West Coast Conference performance. The Bulldogs placed second behind Saint Mary's in the regular season and the WCC Tournament final and are 17th in the AP Poll by Week 18.

They will be up against 12th-seed McNeese (30-3). The consistent play of the Cowboys in the 2023-24 season has given them a regular-season and conference tournament double. They beat Nicholls in the final to gain an automatic bid.

No. 6 South Carolina (26-7) was 24th in the overall rankings, granting them an at-large bid in the NCAA Tournament. The Gamecocks were fifth in the SEC Tournament and were stopped by Auburn in the quarterfinals. They were in the AP rankings for six weeks, reaching as high as 11th.

South Carolina faces Oregon (23-11) in the first round. The Ducks secured an automatic bid by winning the Pac-12 Tournament final against Colorado. The Ducks were No. 43 in the overall rankings but are riding a four-game winning streak, including a victory over higher-ranked Arizona in the semifinal.

No. 7 Texas (20-12) was the seventh-best team in the Big 12 Conference. However, wins against Top 25 teams Baylor, Cincinnati and Oklahoma placed the Longhorns as the 27th-best team in the league. They take on the winner of the Colorado State-Virginia game for the No. 10 seed in the Midwest Region.

Colorado State (24-10) made the semifinals of the Mountain West Tournament despite, ranking seventh in the conference. Among its notable victories was against Nevada in the MWC quarterfinals and Creighton in the regular season. Virginia (23-10) has made it to the First Four by placing third in the ACC regular season. They made it through the semifinals only to lose to NC State.

No. 8 Utah State (27-6) was ranked 30th overall to receive an at-large ticket to the NCAA Tournament. The Aggies topped the regular season of the Mountain West Conference and had notable wins over Colorado State and San Diego State. They reached the semifinals of the MWC Tournament.

Up next for Utah State is TCU (21-12). The Horned Frogs secured an at-large ticket to the tournament, as they were the 35th-ranked school in the US.

TCU had wins over Oklahoma, Houston, Baylor and Texas Tech and was ranked in the Top 25 of the AP rankings before collapsing late in the regular season. They have lost five of their last eight, including the tournament quarterfinal against Houston.

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