Big 12 sends 7 teams to NCAA Tournament, Houston earns No. 1 seed
Big 12 champion Houston secured a No. 1 seed in the 2025 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship, leading seven conference teams into the tournament. This marks the 11th consecutive year the Big 12 has sent at least six programs to March Madness.
Houston (30-4), which captured both the regular-season and Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship titles, earned a No. 1 seed for the fifth straight season and the 17th time in the league’s 28-year history. The Cougars, riding the nation’s third-longest win streak, open against No. 16 SIU Edwardsville (22-11) in Wichita, Kansas, on Thursday. Head coach Kelvin Sampson is making his 20th career NCAA Tournament appearance.
No. 3 Iowa State (24-9) will face No. 14 Lipscomb (25-9) in Milwaukee on Friday as the Cyclones seek their third Sweet 16 berth in four seasons under head coach T.J. Otzelberger. Iowa State has reached the tournament in 11 of the last 13 seasons.
Texas Tech (24-9), also a No. 3 seed, will take on No. 14 UNC Wilmington (27-7) in Wichita on Thursday. The Red Raiders are making their sixth tournament appearance in the last seven seasons, including both years under head coach Grant McCasland.
No. 4 Arizona (25-8) heads to Seattle to face No. 13 Akron (28-6). The Wildcats have reached the tournament in all four seasons under head coach Tommy Lloyd, advancing to the second weekend in two of the past three years.
BYU (24-9) earned a No. 6 seed and will play No. 11 VCU (28-6) in Denver on Thursday. The Cougars have qualified for the NCAA Tournament in both of their seasons in the Big 12. First-year head coach Kevin Young will make his March Madness debut.
No. 7 Kansas (21-12) extends its NCAA-record streak with its 33rd consecutive tournament appearance. The Jayhawks, led by head coach Bill Self, take a 13-game first-round win streak into their matchup against No. 10 Arkansas (20-13) in Providence, Rhode Island, on Thursday.
No. 9 Baylor (19-14) makes its 10th NCAA Tournament appearance in 11 seasons under head coach Scott Drew. The Bears look to extend their first-round win streak to six games when they meet No. 8 Mississippi State (21-12) in Raleigh, North Carolina, on Friday.
Big 12 teams have played in four of the last six Final Fours, producing two national champions in the last four tournaments. This year’s regional sites include Atlanta, Indianapolis, Newark, New Jersey, and San Francisco from March 27-30. The Final Four will take place in San Antonio on April 5 and 7.
First-Round Matchups (Round of 64)
Thursday, March 20 (1) Houston vs. (16) SIU Edwardsville – 1 p.m. CT, Wichita (TBS)(6) BYU vs. (11) VCU – 3:05 p.m. CT/2:05 p.m. MT, Denver (TNT)(7) Kansas vs. (10) Arkansas – 6:10 p.m. CT, Providence (CBS)(3) Texas Tech vs. (14) UNC Wilmington – 9:10 p.m. CT, Wichita (truTV)
Friday, March 21 (9) Baylor vs. (8) Mississippi State – 11:15 a.m. CT, Raleigh (CBS)(3) Iowa State vs. (14) Lipscomb – 12:30 p.m. CT, Milwaukee (TNT)(4) Arizona vs. (13) Akron – 5:35 p.m. CT/4:35 p.m. MT, Seattle (truTV)
This article originally appeared on Longhorns Wire: Big 12 Bracket: No. 1 Houston headlines 7 teams in March Madness field
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