[1] Kentucky vs. [16] Manhattan/Hampton
Thursday in Louisville, Ky.
WILDCATS (34-0)
Coach: John Calipari.
Entry: SEC champion.
Key player: Karl Anthony-Towns (9.7 ppg, 6.7 rpg)
Notable: The unbeaten Wildcats have trailed for just 178:56 of 1,375 minutes this season; 11 opponents have shot 30 percent or lower, including six ranked teams.
JASPERS (19/13)
Coach: Steve Masiello.
Entry: MAAC champion.
Key player: Emmy Andujar (16.5 ppg, 7.6 rpg).
PIRATES (16-17)
Coach: Edward Joyner.
Entry: MEAC champion.
Key player: Dwight Meikle (13.0 ppg, 7.5 rpg).
[8] Cincinnati vs. [9] Purdue
Thursday in Louisville, Ky.
BEARCATS (22-10)
Coach: Larry Davis.
Entry: American Athletic at-large.
Key player: Octavius Ellis (10.0 ppg, 7.3 rpg).
Notable: Davis is filling in for Mick Cronin, who took the rest of the season off after discovering he had an unruptured aneurysm in December.
BOILERMAKERS (21-12)
Coach: Matt Painter.
Entry: Big Ten at-large.
Key player: A.J. Hammons (11.8 ppg, 6.5 rpg).
Notable: A year ago, Purdue finished last in the Big Ten. With two capable 7-footers in Hammons and Isaac Hass, the Boilermakers have enough size to be dangerous.
[5] West Virginia vs. [12] Buffalo
Friday in Columbus, Ohio
MOUNTAINEERS (23-9)
Coach: Bob Huggins.
Entry: Big 12 at-large.
Key player: Juwan Staten (14.5 ppg, 4.6 apg).
Notable: The health of injured starting guards Staten (left knee) and Gary Browne (left ankle) might determine whether the Mountaineers can make a deep run.
BULLS (23-9)
Coach: Bobby Hurley.
Entry: Mid-American champion.
Key player: Justin Moss (17.7 ppg, 9.2 rpg).
Notable: Hurley, a two-time NCAA champion at Duke, has Buffalo in its first NCAA tournament. Moss, the MAC Player of the Year, has been dealing with an ankle injury.
[4] Maryland vs. [13] Valparaiso
Friday in Columbus, Ohio
TERRAPINS (27-6)
Coach: Mark Turgeon.
Entry: Big Ten at-large.
Key player: Dez Wells (15.5 ppg, 5.4 rpg).
Notable: In the Terrapins' first year in the Big Ten, Turgeon finished second — and in his first NCAA tournament — despite losing five players to transfer.
CRUSADERS (28-5)
Coach: Bryce Drew.
Entry: Horizon League champion.
Key player: Alec Peters (16.7 ppg, 6.8 rpg).
Notable: Despite having the most inexperienced roster in its league, Valpo won 10 of its past 11 games to claim its second NCAA tournament bid in three years.
[2] Kansas vs. [15] New Mexico State
Friday in Omaha
JAYHAWKS (26-8)
Coach: Bill Self.
Entry: Big 12 at-large.
Key player: Perry Ellis (13.8 ppg, 7.0 rpg).
Notable: The Jayhawks won their 11th consecutive Big 12 regular-season title. Ellis is expected to be close to 100 percent after missing games because of a knee injury.
AGGIES (23-10)
Coach: Marvin Menzies.
Entry: WAC champion.
Key player: Remi Barry (13.3 ppg, 4.8 rpg).
Notable: The Aggies were in a class by themselves in the WAC, outscoring conference foes by 14 points a game. Opponents have made only 29 percent of their three-pointers.
[7] Wichita State vs. [10] Indiana
Friday in Omaha
SHOCKERS (28-4)
Coach: Gregg Marshall.
Entry: Missouri Valley at-large.
Key player: Fred VanVleet (12.7 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 5.3 apg).
Notable: The Shockers have one of the best backcourts in the country with VanVleet, Ron Baker and Tekele Cotton, but can they handle bigger foes in the NCAA tournament?
HOOSIERS (20-13)
Coach: Tom Crean.
Entry: Big Ten at-large.
Key player: Yogi Ferrell (16.1 ppg, 4.9 apg)
Notable: The Hoosiers are back after a one-year absence despite losing nine of 14, and F Hanner Mosquera-Perea aggravated a knee injury in the Big Ten tournament.
[6] Butler vs. [11] Texas
Thursday at Pittsburgh
BULLDOGS (22-10)
Coach: Chris Holtmann.
Entry: Big East at-large.
Key player: Roosevelt Jones (12.6 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 3.7 apg).
Notable: With Jones out because of injury last season, the Bulldogs finished under .500 for the first time since 2004-05. His return got Butler back on track.
LONGHORNS (20-13)
Coach: Rick Barnes.
Entry: Big 12 at-large.
Key player: Isaiah Taylor (13.0 ppg, 4.7 apg).
Notable: The Longhorns started the season ranked in the top 10 but struggled badly the second half of the season, and they haven't made it to the Sweet Sixteen since 2008.
[3] Notre Dame vs. [14] Northeastern
Thursday at Pittsburgh
FIGHTING IRISH (29-5)
Coach: Mike Brey.
Entry: ACC champion.
Key player: Jerian Grant (16.8 ppg, 6.6 apg).
Notable: The Irish have 14 more wins than a season ago; now they will look to make it to the NCAA tournament's second weekend for the first time since 2003.
HUSKIES (23-11)
Coach: Bill Coen.
Entry: Colonial Athletic champion.
Key player: Scott Eatherton (14.6 ppg, 6.4 rpg).
Notable: The Huskies are in the tournament for the first time since 1991, when they lost to North Carolina; they went five times in six years under Jim Calhoun in the 1980s.
