When the N.C.A.A. men’s basketball tournament pairings were announced Sunday night, it served as one big welcome mat for the sport.
Duke and Kentucky, along with the Ivy League, represented by Yale, are back for the first time since 2019. Also returning are a host of super seniors like Mitch Lightfoot, who first suited up for Kansas back in 2016. And the doors were thrown open for Jacksonville State, which got the only bid from the ASUN Conference despite losing in its tournament semifinal game.
The most welcome return, though, will not be for blue bloods or Cinderellas, familiar coaches or rising stars.