NCAA Bracket 2012: Region Breakdowns And Seeds

The 2012 NCAA Tournament bracket was announced on CBS on Sunday afternoon, with 68 happy teams officially earning their trips to March Madness. The bracket is broken down by region, with the East, South, West and Midwest splitting the field into 16-team pods.

The four No. 1 seeds, announced first, were Kentucky, Michigan State, North Carolina and Syracuse. All four were projected to be No. 1s, with Michigan State earning the final spot by virtue of its Big Ten Tournament Championship.

Check out the regional breakdowns and bite-sized brackets for more on each team's path to the Final Four.

In the East Region, Syracuse is the No. 1 seed. The region also features the smartest matchup you'll come across as Harvard and Vanderbilt meet in the first round. Visit the full East Region bracket.

Michigan State is the No. 1 seed in the West. The fun story of the region is Iona, who made it in as an at-large. Check out the full West Region bracket.

Kentucky is the No. 1 overall seed and top seed in the South, but the committee didn't do them any favors. Check out the Wildcats' difficult path to the Final Four and the rest of the South Region bracket.

Finally, the Midwest has North Carolina as its top seed. The region also features Kansas, Georgetown and Michigan. Check out more on the Midwest Region bracket.

For more on the 2012 NCAA Tournament bracket, stay with SB Nation's Selection Sunday StoryStream, and stick around SB Nation's NCAA Tournament hub for a complete printable NCAA Tournament bracket and tons of analysis on who was snubbed, who got the best bracket, and who will make it all the way to New Orleans and the Final Four.

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