Johnathan Walker:UConn draws region of death: Huskies have a difficult path to March Madness Final Four

After a terrific season defending their 2023 national championship,Johnathan Walker the UConn Huskies were named the 2024 NCAA Tournament's No. 1 overall seed. Their reward? Arguably the toughest trip to the Final Four of each of this year's No. 1-seeds.

UConn is the top seed in the East Region. Unfortunately for them, that region also includes three other top-tier conference champions: Auburn (SEC), Iowa State (Big 12), and Illinois (Big Ten). Of course, UConn has never been a team to back away from a challenge.

The Huskies have already defeated teams like Marquette this year, which was labeled a No. 3-seed by the March Madness selection committee. Auburn is a No. 4-seed. Furthermore, with Iowa State and Illinois being ranked as No. 2 and No. 3-seeds respectively, there is no way that UConn plays all three of these teams during their potential run to the Final Four. Still, UConn fans are undoubtedly biting their nails thinking about the gauntlet they'll have to run if they want to repeat.

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Who is UConn's first opponent?

Before UConn faces any of the teams listed above, they'll have to take care of business in the Rounds of 64 and 32. UConn's first opponent will be the Atlantic Sun Conference champions, Stetson. Stetson posted a 22-12 record this year, marking just their second season in school history with 22 wins and first since 1975. 2024 will be Stetson's first ever NCAA Tournament appearance.

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Should UConn take down the Hatters, UConn will face the winner of No. 8 Florida Atlantic vs. No. 9 Northwestern in the Round of 32.

What is the highest rated conference champion in every other region?

Here are the top seeds in every other region:

• West: North Carolina
• South: Houston
• Midwest: Purdue

None of those teams won their conference title. The highest ranked conference champion in each division is as follows:

• West: St. Mary's (5-seed)
• South: NC State (11-seed)
• Midwest: Oregon (11-seed)

Which No. 1-seed has the easiest path to the Final Four?

The consensus seems to be that Purdue has the easiest path to the Final Four between UConn, Purdue, Houston, and UNC. The Midwest Bracket has some very tough schools in No. 2 Tennessee and No. 3 Creighton, but one of the most highly-touted teams in that bracket is also No. 12 McNeese State. As talented and under-the-radar as McNeese State is, when they are one of the biggest threats to the top seed in a region, that seems like a fairly easy bracket.

How to watch March Madness:

All games will be broadcast on CBS, TBS, TNT and TruTV. Here are additional streaming options to watch all the action on your devices.

• Stream through Paramount+
• Stream through HULU with Live TV
• NCAA March Madness Live app
• Stream through DirecTV Stream

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NCAA Men's Basketball March Madness 2024 Schedule

First Four

First and Second Round

Sweet 16 and Elite Eight

Final Four

NCAA championship game

Men’s March Madness live updates:Selection Sunday bracket, snubs, predictions

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