Prepare your brackets! DC-area teams seeded in the NCAA men’s, women’s tournaments The NCAA men’s and women’s tournament brackets have been released, with several teams from the D.C. region set to compete for national championships. The brackets highlight the return of multiple local programs to the postseason, including Howard, UMBC, Maryland, and Virginia Tech. Howard University’s men’s basketball team is making its third consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance, earning a spot in the First Four against UMBC. The Bison, who won the MEAC Tournament, will face the Retrievers in Dayton, Ohio, with the winner advancing to face No. 1 seed Michigan. Howard’s coach, Kenny Blakeney, expressed pride in the team’s achievement, stating, “We have earned it.” The Bison enter the tournament with an 23-10 record and an eight-game winning streak. UMBC, the America East champion, brings a 24-8 record and a 12-game winning streak into the matchup. Virginia, seeded No. 3 in the Midwest bracket, will face No. 14 seed Wright State in Philadelphia. The Cavaliers, who finished second in the ACC, are making their 16th NCAA Tournament appearance. VCU, the Rams, will also compete in the South bracket, taking on North Carolina in their first-round game. The Atlantic 10 champions have reached the tournament for the 21st time in program history. In the women’s tournament, Maryland returns for the 16th straight season, earning a No. 5 seed. The Terrapins, led by head coach Brenda Frese, will face Murray State in the first round at Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Howard’s women’s team, making its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2022, is seeded No. 14 and will face Ohio State in Columbus on March 21. Virginia Tech, seeded No. 9 in the Fort Worth region, will take on Oregon, while West Virginia, the No. 4 seed, will challenge Miami (Ohio).#howard_university #umbc #dc_area #ncaa_men #ncaa_women
