NCAA tournament preview: South Regional

A look at the NCAA tournament’s South Regional:

TOP SEEDS

1 Kansas: As they did this year, the Jayhawks won the Big 12 Conference regular-season and tournament titles in 2008, when they last claimed the national championship.

2 Villanova: The Wildcats have not survived beyond the first weekend in the last four tournaments. Plus, they miss out on a regional final in Philadelphia.

3 Miami: The Hurricanes have an envious trait: a pair of fifth-year senior guards. Coach Jim Larranaga had a Cinderella moment guiding George Mason in 2006.

4 California: If this were an NBA tryout camp, the Golden Bears would be one of the favorites. Jaylen Brown, Ivan Rabb and Tyrone Wallace are on draft lists.

CINDERELLA SEARCH

Iowa, seeded seventh, was ranked third in the Associated Press media poll as recently as late January. Some time off might help the Hawkeyes reverse a lost-five-of-six swoon.

TOP PLAYERS

Perry Ellis, forward, Kansas

The senior has been around long enough to have a receding hairline. The best player on the nation’s best team averages 16.7 points, 5.9 rebounds.

Jaylen Brown, forward, California

In contrast to Ellis, he is a one-and-done. The 19-year-old freshman with a man’s body averages 15 points.

RIM SHOTS

In a geographical oddity, the South Region includes three Pac-12 Conference members — California, Arizona and Colorado. They are joined by Big West Conference champion Hawaii.

Of Arizona’s eight losses, two went into overtime — one of them had four overtimes — and the other six were by a combined 25 points, each by single-digit margins.

The good news for Vanderbilt and Wichita State is that they were selected. The bad news is that both will not make it to the main draw because they are matched in a play-in game.

One of the tournament’s heartwarming stories belongs to Austin Peay. The4-year-old granddaughter of Coach Dave Loos has stage-4 cancer, and the Governors wore T-shirts with her name as the lowest seed (eighth) in the Ohio Valley Conference tournament.

THE PAIRINGS

1 Kansas (30-4, Big 12 champion) vs. 16 Austin Peay (18-17, Ohio Valley champion)

The margins of the Jayhawks’ eight most recent first-round tournament wins have fallen between 10 and 20 points. They last lost an opener in 2006.

::

8 Colorado (22-11, At-large) vs. 9 Connecticut (24-10, American champion)

Of the eight Huskies who played in the national title win against Kentucky two seasons ago, only Phillip Nolan and Amida Brimah remain. Neither is a major contributor.

::

5 Maryland (25-8, At-large) vs. 12 South Dakota State (26-7, Summit champion)

The Terrapins are 9-7 in road and neutral-site games. The Jackrabbits are back after one-and-done appearances in 2012 and 2013.

::

4 California (23-10, At-large) vs. 13 Hawaii (27-5, Big West champion)

The Rainbow Warriors should enjoy this while they can. The school is banned from next year’s tournament and will be docked two scholarships.

::

6 Arizona (25-8, At-large) vs. 11 Play-in winner: Vanderbilt (19-13, At-large) or Wichita State (24-8, At-large)

Arizona is balanced. The Wildcats’ top three scorers — Ryan Anderson, Gabe York, Allonzo Trier — average between 15.0 and 15.5 points. York attempted 226 three-pointers. Perhaps the best play-in matchup ever. Vanderbilt has three NBA prospects; Wichita State counters with veteran guards Ron Baker and Fred VanVleet.

::

3 Miami (25-7, At-large) vs. 14 Buffalo (20-14, Mid-American champion)

Buffalo follows up its first tournament gig in 2015 with a repeat appearance. The Bulls hung close in a six-point loss to West Virginia. Guard Jarryn Skeete is the lone holdover starter.

::

7 Iowa (21-10, At-large) vs. 10 Temple (21-11, At-large)

Temple Coach Fran Dunphy is no stranger to this setting. The 27-season veteran is in his 16th NCAA tournament, the first nine while at Pennsylvania.

::

2 Villanova (29-5, At-large) vs. 15 NC Asheville (22-11, Big South champion)

Villanova hoped for a spot in the East and a region final in Philadelphia. The Wildcats will feel pressure after their string of early ousters.