The big dance

Defending champion Florida, Ohio State, Kansas and North Carolina drew No. 1 seeds in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, earning those spots Sunday by winning their conference championships.

The 65-team tournament begins Tuesday night in Dayton, Ohio, with a play-in game between Florida A&M and Niagara, the two lowest-ranked teams.

“We actually had 104 teams that had won 20 or more games, and that was more than the previous record of 78,” NCAA selection chairman Gary Walters said.

A year after George Mason became the nation’s favorite underdog, mid-majors won’t get a great chance for another run.

“We still believe we’ll have great representation as it relates to mid-majors,” Walters said.

The Atlantic Coast Conference sent seven teams in the tournament, up from four last year, highlighted by former national champions Duke, North Carolina and Maryland. The Big East, Big Ten and Pacific-10 sent six.

Pac-10 tournament champion Oregon is a No. 3 seed in the Midwest Regional. The Ducks will open against No. 14 seed Miami of Ohio on Friday in Spokane. The top seed in the Midwest is defending national champion Florida, which could play eighth-seeded Arizona in the second round.