Kentucky to back up No. 1 seed in South

A loss to Vanderbilt in the SEC Tournament title game proved Kentucky wasn't invincible.

But the Wildcats, sporting an athletic lineup of underclassmen led by Naismith Player of the Year candidate Anthony Davis, are still the front-runners in the 2012 NCAA Tournament as the top overall seed.

Kentucky, after going 32-2 with a perfect run through conference regular- season play, secured the 11th No. 1 seed in program history. The Wildcats won't be far from home in the South Region, playing in Louisville for the first two games. Their first matchup is against winner of Tuesday's "First Four" game between Mississippi Valley State and Western Kentucky on Thursday

A second straight Final Four appearance under head coach John Calipari is within reach, though the Wildcats may have a date with reigning national champion Connecticut in the next round.

UConn rode Kemba Walker to the 2011 title, but with Walker playing for the NBA's Charlotte Bobcats these days, the Huskies were mired in the middle of the pack in the competitive Big East. A No. 9 seed and a meeting with Iowa State was their reward.

If Kentucky gets through to the Sweet 16, it could also avenge its only other loss of the season, as Indiana garnered the No. 4 seed in the same bracket. The Hoosiers shocked Kentucky at the buzzer, 73-71, on December 10.

New Mexico State, the WAC tourney champ, is Indian's first test, while last year's Final Four darling, VCU, looms in the next round. The Rams, who needed to win a "First Four" game last year before starting their magical run to the national semifinals, earned the CAA's automatic bid with a win over Drexel in the conference championship game.

The victory resulted in a No. 12 seed this year -- one lower than the Rams were a year ago -- while the No. 5 seed in the South is Wichita State, which was upset by Illinois State in the Missouri Valley Conference tourney semis last week.

At least one No. 12 seed has upset a No. 5 seed each of the past four years.

Duke captured the No. 2 seed in the South Region despite losing to eventual champion Florida State in the ACC Tournament semifinals. The journey to a second national title in three years for the Blue Devils starts with a matchup against Patriot League champ Lehigh.

The last No. 15 seed to win a game in the NCAA Tournament was Hampton, which upended Iowa State, in 2001.

Notre Dame, which hasn't reached the Sweet 16 since 2003, is the No. 7 seed in the South, and the Fighting Irish will battle Xavier. The Musketeers, who had a string of three straight Sweet 16 appearances snapped last year, lost by double digits to St. Bonaventure in the A-10 Tournament finals Sunday.

The other matchups in the South Region pit No. 3 seed Baylor against Summit League postseason champ and No. 14 seed South Dakota State, and No. 6 UNLV against No. 11 Colorado.

The South's Sweet 16 and Elite Eight games will be played at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta on March 23 and 25.