NCAA Selection Committee Seeds LSU As A #3

After going one and done in the SEC tournament, the ninth ranked LSU Tigers basketball team awaited their seeding fate on Sunday with hopes to procuring a #2 seed.

Despite interim head coach Tony Benford's lobbying for a 2, the NCAA selection committee made LSU a #3 seed in the East Region.

The Tigers will tip-off early on Thursday as they face #14 seed Yale at 11:40am in Jacksonville. It'll be televised on TruTV.

"We're extremely excited to play in the NCAA Tournament," said Benford. "Once their name flashed up (during the tournament selection show), they were extremely excited. The hard work they put in from day one, back from the day they arrived in June, to all the adversity they went through, now has the opportunity to play in the NCAA Tournament."

The Tigers are without their head coach Will Wade as he remains suspended indefinitely by the University after his refusal to speak with University higher ups following the revelation of a phone call of Wade discussing a recruiting "offer" with now imprisoned Christian Dawkins, a college hoops scandal middleman at the heart of an FBI investigation.

Benford said he spoke to Wade following the Selection Show, who told him Yale is well coached and plays fast.

If LSU defeats Yale, they'll face either #6 seed Maryland, or #11 seed Belmont, or #11 seed Temple. Belmont and Temple face each other Tuesday night in a First Four matchup.

Other notable teams in the East Region are #1 overall seed Duke, #2 seed Michigan State, and #4 seed Virginia Tech.

The other #1 seeds are North Carolina, Virginia and Gonzaga.

2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Bracket

East Region

Friday at Columbia, S.C.

1 Duke vs. 16 NC Central or North Dakota St.
8 VCU vs. 9 UCF

Friday at San Jose, Calif.
5 Mississippi St. vs. 12 Liberty
4 Virginia Tech vs. 13 Saint Louis

Thursday at Jacksonville, Fla.
6 Maryland vs. 11 Belmont or Temple
3 LSU vs. 14 Yale

Thursday at Des Moines, Iowa
7 Louisville vs. 10 Minnesota
2 Michigan St. vs. 15 Bradley

South Region

Friday at Columbia, S.C.
1 Virginia vs. 16 Gardner-Webb
8 Ole Miss vs. 9 Oklahoma

Friday at San Jose, Calif.
5 Wisconsin vs. 12 Oregon
4 Kansas St. vs. 13 UC Irvine

Thursday at Hartford, Conn.
6 Villanova vs. 11 Saint Mary's
3 Purdue vs. 14 Old Dominion

Friday at Columbus, Ohio
7 Cincinnati vs. 10 Iowa
2 Tennessee vs. 15 Colgate

Midwest Region

Friday at Columbus, Ohio
1 North Carolina vs. 16 Iona
8 Utah St. vs. 9 Washington

Thursday at Salt Lake City, Utah
5 Auburn vs. 12 New Mexico St.
4 Kansas vs. 13 Northeastern

Friday in Tulsa, Okla.
6 Iowa St. vs. 11 Ohio St.
3 Houston vs. 14 Georgia St.

Thursday in Jacksonville, Fla.
7 Wofford vs. 10 Seton Hall
2 Kentucky vs. 15 Abilene Christian

West Region

Thursday in Salt Lake City, Utah
1 Gonzaga vs. 16 Fairleigh Dickinson or Prairie View A&M
8 Syracuse vs. 9 Baylor

Thursday in Hartford, Conn.
5 Marquette vs. 12 Murray St.
4 Florida St. vs. 13 Vermont

Friday in Tulsa, Okla.
6 Buffalo vs. 11 Arizona St. or St. John's
3 Texas Tech vs. 14 Northern Kentucky

Thursday in Des Moines, Iowa
7 Nevada vs. 10 Florida
2 Michigan vs. 15 Montana