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Duke, Big East highlight South

Mon 15th, March 2010

Indianapolis, IN (Sports Network) - Hours after winning their record 18th ACC Tournament title on Sunday, the Duke Blue Devils were awarded the No. 1 seed in the South Region in the 2010 NCAA Tournament.

Duke (29-5), backed by the triumvirate of Jon Scheyer, Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith, is the top seed for an 11th time and will face the winner of the opening-round game between Big South champion Winthrop and SWAC winner Arkansas-Pine Bluff, which had started its season with 11 straight losses. Those two teams will tangle in Dayton on Tuesday for the right to advance to Jacksonville.

"For our senior class I am so happy," said Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski. "Not many teams in my 30 years in the ACC have won both the regular season and the [ACC] Tournament, and I think because they did it, and we played such a tough schedule, these kids were rewarded with a No. 1 seed."

The Blue Devils, whose only loss in the past 13 games came at Maryland on March 3rd, may face one of the three Big East teams slated in their portion of the bracket if they get past Friday's first-round matchup, as either Louisville or California will be waiting in the round of 32.

Also on Friday, the Cardinals (20-12), the No. 9 seed and the only team that defeated Big East regular season champion Syracuse twice this season, will face the Pac-10's Golden Bears (23-10), who were given the No. 8 seed after falling to Washington in the conference finale.

Villanova (24-7), despite losing five of its last seven games, is seeded second in the South thanks to a strong showing in Big East play and a veteran club that reached last year's Final Four. In the first round on Thursday, the Wildcats meet Northeast Conference champion Robert Morris (23-11), which is seeded 15th in the Big Dance for a second straight year.

The third seed was given to Baylor (25-7), which fell short of appearing in its first Big 12 title game with a loss to Kansas State in the semis of the conference tourney. Nevertheless, the Bears, led by LaceDarius Dunn (19.4 ppg), were given a high seed and will face No. 14 Sam Houston State (25-7), the Southland Conference champion.

"Sam Houston is very well coached. They have done very well against Big 12 schools teams in the past few years and we know we will have our hands full," Baylor head coach Scott Drew said after learning of Thursday's first-round matchup.

Purdue (27-5) picked up a No. 4 seed after there was speculation it might steal a coveted No. 1 slot just three weeks ago. The Boilermakers have dropped just two games since, but they more importantly lost the services of star forward Robbie Hummel to a knee injury.

"I felt we would be a 1-3 [seed]. Our resume says we're a two or three," proclaimed Purdue head coach Matt Painter, who admitted Hummel's injury caused his team's stock to slip. "I don't begrudge the committee for putting us as a four seed. They did what they felt was best. I think it can serve as motivation for our guys to play better."

On the heels of its 69-42 loss to Minnesota in the Big Ten semifinals, which included an embarrassing 11-point first half, Purdue gets a stiff first-round test on Friday against No. 13 seed Siena (27-6), fresh of its third consecutive Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference title. The Saints have advanced to the second round in each of the past two seasons, including an upset of Vanderbilt as a No. 13 seed in 2008.

The always interesting 5-12 matchup on Friday pits Aggies vs. Aggies, as Texas A&M (23-9), the ninth seed, battles Utah State (27-7). Texas A&M ended its season on a nice run, winning nine of its last 12 games, though two loses came against Kansas, the current No. 1 team in the nation. Utah State, meanwhile, had won 17 in a row before being upset by New Mexico State in the Western Athletic Conference title game on Saturday.

The final Big East team in this part of the bracket is Notre Dame (23-11), which used a late-season run to earn the No. 6 seed. The Fighting Irish changed up their style of play to win six straight before losing a heartbreaking decision to eventual tourney champ West Virginia in the semis.

Waiting for the Irish in the first round on Thursday is No. 11 seed and Colonial Athletic Association champion Old Dominion (26-8), making its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2005.

Rounding out the South Regional is a battle between schools in mid-major conferences, as No. 7 Richmond takes on No. 10 Saint Mary's on Thursday. The Spiders (26-8) held their own in a surprisingly competitive Atlantic 10 Conference, winning 12 of 13 games before losing a 56-52 decision to Temple in the title game on Sunday. The Gaels (26-5) also made the finale in their conference but toppled nationally-ranked Gonzaga to win the West Coast Conference.

The region's Sweet 16 and Elite Eight games will be played at Houston's Reliant Stadium on Friday and Sunday, March 26 and 28.