STORRS, Conn. (AP) — Connecticut will defend its national championship as a No. 9 seed in the South Region of the NCAA tournament.
UConn (20-13) will play Iowa State Thursday in a first-round game in Louisville. The winner faces a possible matchup with the overall top seed, Kentucky.
The Huskies were considered a bubble team before coach Jim Calhoun returned from a medical leave and UConn won its regular-season finale over Pittsburgh and two games in the Big East tournament.
The Huskies had their 13-game postseason winning streak snapped by Syracuse, 58-55, last week in the Big East tournament quarterfinals.
UConn is in its 31st NCAA tournament, and has not been seeded this low since the 1992 when the Huskies were a No. 9 seed.
