Previewing the NCAA tournament

The 68-team NCAA tournament field was announced Sunday, meaning Georgetown, Virginia and the nation’s powers learned the road they will have to take to get to the Final Four.

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Henry Sims, center, battling Cincinnati's Yancy Gates (34), left, and Jaquon Parker to get a shot off during overtime of the Hoyas' loss in the Big East tournament. Georgetown earned a No. 3 seed in the NCAA tournament and will face Belmont in a Midwest Region first-round game on Friday in Columbus. Cincinnati is the sixth-seed in the East Region and will play Texas on Friday in Nashville.

John McDonnell / The Washington Post

The Georgetown defense surrounds Pittsburgh forward Nasir Robinson in the second round of the Big East tournament. The Hoyas held teams to 59.2 points per game this season, 15th in the nation. Belmont has won 16 of its last 17 games and lost by just one point against Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium in November.

John McDonnell / The Washington Post

Akil Mitchell -- here grabbing a rebound against North Carolina State in the ACC tournament -- is one of just a handful of healthy players for short-handed Virginia. The No. 10 seed Cavaliers will take on Florida in a West Region first round game on Friday in Omaha.

Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images

Virginia forward Mike Scott (in white) is called for a foul during the ACC tournament. Scott leads the Cavaliers with 18.1 points per game and 8.4 rebounds. Virginia enters the NCAA tournament with just four wins in its last 10 games.

Chris Keane / Reuters

The long arms of Anthony Davis, left, and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, center, led No. 1 Kentucky past Bradley Beal and Florida in the SEC tournament. The Wildcats earned the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA tournament and will face either Mississippi Valley State or Western Kentucky in a first round game on Thursday in Louisville.

Chris Graythen / Getty Images

Marquis Teague and Kentucky lost Sunday's SEC final to Vanderbilt, 71-64, and enter the tournament with a 31-2 record. The Wildcats lost to eventual national champion Connecticut in a national semifinal last year, and the teams would meet in a second round game Saturday should they both win on Thursday.

Chris Graythen / Getty Images

Syracuse's loss in the Big East tournament to Yancy Gates and Cincinnati was the Orange's second all season, and first with Fab Melo (51) in the lineup. The Orange still earned the top seed in the NCAA tournament's East Region, and will open against UNC Asheville on Thursday in Pittsburgh.

Ray Stubblebine / Reuters

Baylor's A.J. Walton passes around Jeff Withey of Kansas. Including Missouri, the Big 12 will send three teams into the tournament with at least 27 wins, but none earned a top seed. Missouri is the No. 2 seed in the West Region, Kansas is the No. 2 seed in the Midwest Region and Baylor is the No. 3 seed in the South Region.

Jamie Squire / Getty Images

Duke didn't win the ACC tournament, but with forward Mason Plumlee and his brother Miles on the glass, and Austin Rivers, Andre Dawkins and Seth Curry along the perimeter, they could be a tough out in the NCAA tournament as usual. The Blue Devils are the No. 2 seed in the South Region and will face Lehigh in a first round game Friday in Greensboro.

Chris Keane / Reuters

<span>North Carolina's James Michael McAdoo dunks on Maryland's Alex Len during the ACC tournament. The Tar Heels took the No. 1 seed in the Midwest Region and will meet the winner of Wednesday’s play-in game between Lamar and Vermont.</span>

North Carolina's James Michael McAdoo dunks on Maryland's Alex Len during the ACC tournament. The Tar Heels took the No. 1 seed in the Midwest Region and will meet the winner of Wednesday’s play-in game between Lamar and Vermont.

Streeter Lecka / Getty Images

<span>North Carolina's Desmond Hubert, center, battles for the ball against North Carolina State's DeShawn Painter (0) and forward C.J. Leslie during the first half of their Saturday ACC tournament game. The Wolfpack lost the game but made the NCAA field as a No. 11 seed in the Midwest Region.</span>

North Carolina's Desmond Hubert, center, battles for the ball against North Carolina State's DeShawn Painter (0) and forward C.J. Leslie during the first half of their Saturday ACC tournament game. The Wolfpack lost the game but made the NCAA field as a No. 11 seed in the Midwest Region.

Tami Chappell / Reuters

Zach McCabe of Iowa attempts to grab a rebound against Draymond Green of Michigan State. Michigan State went on to defeat Ohio State in Sunday’s final and earn the West Region’s top seed in the NCAA tournament.

Jonathan Daniel / Getty Images

Michigan State guard Brandon Wood and Wisconsin forward Rob Wilson battle for a loose ball during the Big Ten tournament semifinals. Wisconsin makes its 14th consecutive NCAA tournament appearance as the No. 4 seed in the East Region.

Kiichiro Sato / Associated Press

<span>Ohio State forward Deshaun Thomas (1) goes up for a shot against Purdue's D.J. Byrd. The Buckeyes fell in Sunday’s Big Ten tournament final but earned the No. 2 seed in the East Region and a first round matchup with Loyola (Md.).</span>

Ohio State forward Deshaun Thomas (1) goes up for a shot against Purdue's D.J. Byrd. The Buckeyes fell in Sunday’s Big Ten tournament final but earned the No. 2 seed in the East Region and a first round matchup with Loyola (Md.).

Michael Conroy / Associated Press

Purdue and Ohio State are two of the six Big Ten squads in the 68-team NCAA tournament field.

Kiichiro Sato / Associated Press

Jerian Grant helped Notre Dame drop South Florida in the quarterfinals of the Big East tournament, but the Bulls pushed into the NCAA tournament field anyway. South Florida opens with a play-in game Wednesday in Dayton against California.

Mike Lawrie / GETTY IMAGES

Connecticut guard Shabazz Napier directs the Huskies' offense during the quarterfinals of the Big East tournament. The defending national champions will begin their title defense as the No. 9 seed in a brutal South Region that also includes Kentucky, Duke, Baylor and Indiana.

Jim McIsaac / GETTY IMAGES

FEATURED PHOTO GALLERIES

LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 21: Statues on display on the Nong Nooch Tropical Botanical Garden in The Great Pavilion at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show on May 21, 2013 in London, England. The Chelsea Flower Show run by the RHS celebrates its 100th birthday this year. (Photo by Oli Scarff/Getty Images)

Photos of the day

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Lea Bessinger salvages a picture of Jesus as she and her son Josh Bessinger sort through the rubble of the elder Bessinger's tornado-ravaged home Tuesday, May 21, 2013, in Moore, Okla. A huge tornado roared through the Oklahoma City suburb Monday, flattening an entire neighborhoods and destroying an elementary school with a direct blow as children and teachers huddled against winds. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Tornado near Oklahoma City causes more damage

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ANNAPOLIS, MD - MAY 20: The Herndon Monument Climb is the traditional culmination of plebe year at the United States Naval Academy. The plebes climb to the top of the lard-covered 21 foot high monument and remove the 'dixie cup' hat at the top replacing it with an upperclassman's hat. After completing this, the freshmen are called 'fourth class midshipmen.' This class completed the task in 1 hour 32 minutes and 43 seconds. The hat was placed by Patrick Lien from Orlando. (Photo by Sarah L. Voisin/The Washington Post)

The Herndon Climb

The Herndon Monument climb is the traditional culmination of plebe year at the U.S. Naval Academy.

NEW YORK, NY - MAY 21: Ken Marino, Erica Oyama, Ben Stiller, Chris Harrison, and Mike Rosenstein aceept the Webby Award for 'Burning Love' at the 17th Annual Webby Awards at Cipriani Wall Street on May 21, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images for The Webby Awards)

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Okla. tornado loosely followed path of 1999 twister

Monday’s powerful tornado in suburban Oklahoma City loosely followed the path of a killer twister that slammed the area in May 1999.

A Burrowing owl tries to perch on a protective rope in a public park in Cooper City, Fla. Monday, May 20, 2013 as rain falls. (AP Photo/J Pat Carter)

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FILE - In this undated publicity file photo, members of the Doors, from left, John Densmore, Robbie Krieger, Ray Manzarek and Jim Morrison, pose for a portrait. Manzarek, the keyboardist who was a founding member of The Doors, has died at 74. Publicist Heidi Robinson-Fitzgerald says in a news release that Manzarek died Monday, May 20, 2013, at the RoMed Clinic in Rosenheim, Germany, surrounded by his family. (AP Photo, File)

Ray Manzarek, founding member of the Doors, dies at 74

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A man walks on sulphur and mineral salt formations near Dallol in the Danakil Depression, northern Ethiopia April 22, 2013. The Danakil Depression in Ethiopia is one of the hottest and harshest environments on earth, with an average annual temperature of 94 degrees Fahrenheit (34.4 Celsius). For centuries, merchants have travelled there with caravans of camels to collect salt from the surface of the vast desert basin. The mineral is extracted and shaped into slabs, then loaded onto the animals before being transported back across the desert so that it can be sold around the country. Picture taken April 22, 2013. REUTERS/Siegfried Modola (ETHIOPIA - Tags: BUSINESS SOCIETY TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY)

ATTENTION EDITORS: PICTURE 2 OF 30 FOR PACKAGE 'ETHIOPIA'S ANCIENT SALT TRAIL'
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Ethiopia’s salt trail

For centuries, merchants have traveled to Ethiopia’s Danakil Depression with caravans of camels to collect salt from the surface of the vast desert basin. The mineral is extracted...

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