:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/photo_images/5728579/20120228_jel_sx4_185.jpg)
The 2012 NCAA Tournament bracket and field has been announced, and the UConn Huskies will receive a 9-seed in the South region. The Huskies' first opponent will be the Iowa State Cyclones, and they will play on Thursday at Louisville, KY. If the Huskies win their first matchup, they will face the winner of No. 1 Kentucky and No. 16 Mississippi Valley State/Western Kentucky on March 17.
The Huskies earned the 9-seed after an uneven year that saw them finish ninth in the Big East. The Huskies entered the year with high hopes and a lot of talent, but struggled during Big East play. Coach Jim Calhoun missed several games with health issues and their talented trio of Jeremy Lamb, Andre Drummond and Shabazz Napier struggled to mesh. Nevertheless, the Huskies played better late in the year and gave Syracuse a good run before falling in the Big East Tournament quarterfinals.
Here's a look at the South Region of the 2012 NCAA Tournament bracket:
No. 1 Kentucky vs. No. 16 Mississippi Valley State/Western Kentucky, Thursday
No. 8 Iowa State vs. No. 9 UConn, Thursday
No. 5 Wichita State vs. No. 12 VCU, Thursday
No. 4 Indiana vs. No. 13 New Mexico State, Thursday
No. 2 Duke vs. No. 15 Lehigh, Friday
No. 7 Notre Dame vs. No. 10 Xavier, Friday
No. 3 Baylor vs. No. 14 South Dakota State, Thursday
No. 6 UNLV vs. No. 11 Colorado, Thursday
For more on UConn, visit The UConn Blog. For more coverage of Huskies in the 2012 NCAA Tournament, visit SB Nation Boston's StoryStream. Click here for a link to our NCAA bracket 2012.