Midwest warrants 'Region of Death' title with star-laden bracket

Thanks to its run to the Big 12 title over the weekend, Kansas grabbed a No. 1 seed for the NCAA tournament, but the selection committee certainly didn't make the Jayhawks' path an easy one.

Kansas received the top spot in the Midwest region, but the rest of the teams involved form a murderers' row that definitely makes it the bracket of death.

In the latest AP Top 25 poll that was released last Monday, Kansas came in as the No. 9 team, with No. 4 Michigan State and No. 5 Duke two of the programs ahead of it. Kansas shot up the rankings with its Big 12 tournament win, but now faces a bracket that features those two big-time programs.

Outside of the Jayhawks, here's why the Midwest is the toughest region in this year's field.

No. 2 Duke

Duke entered the ACC tournament as the fifth-ranked team in the entire country. The Blue Devils lost to rival North Carolina in the semis, but there's no question that Mike Krzyzewski's outfit is among the most fearsome in the country. With the absurdly talented freshman Marvin Bagley III leading a quartet of fabulous first-year players, Duke certainly has the firepower to win the national championship. They also have Grayson Allen, who may be college basketball's biggest villain, but he's shown he can be a star during March Madness.

No. 3 Michigan State

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Despite losing to Michigan in the Big Ten tournament last week, Michigan State still found itself as the No. 4 team in the last AP Top 25. The Spartans have one of the best records in the country, sitting a 29-4, but somehow only have two wins over teams in the field of 68. That's likely the reason for its fall to a No. 3 seed, but don't underestimate Michigan State when play tips off. It boasts two players expected to be NBA lottery picks in Jaren Jackson and Miles Bridges, and head coach Tom Izzo's reputation as a brilliant NCAA tournament coach is well-known.

No. 4 Auburn

With eight teams qualifying for the NCAA tournament, the SEC can stake a claim to being one of the top conferences in the country this season. As co-champion in the regular season, Auburn is one of the scariest No. 4 seeds in a long time. With a balanced attack led by the tandem of Mustapha Heron and Bryce Brown, a potential Sweet 16 contest with Kansas would be must-see television.

No. 6 TCU

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It may have lost to Kansas State early in the Big 12 tournament, but TCU is one of the best No. 6 seeds in recent memory. The Horned Frogs are actually ranked as the 22nd-best team in the entire country by Ken Pomeroy, just 13 spots behind Kansas. Jamie Dixon is no stranger to success in March from his time with Pitt, and the Horned Frogs have a legit star in Vladimir Brodziansky. A potential second-round contest with Michigan State would be a dandy.

No. 7 Rhode Island

Rhode Island fell in the Atlantic 10 tournament title game, but the regular-season champion is a force to be reckoned with. Head coach Danny Hurley took the Rams to the NCAA tournament last season, knocking off Creighton in the first round before narrowly falling to Oregon. With a veteran-laden team that was ranked No. 25 in the last AP poll, don't be shocked to see Rhode Island playing past the first weekend this year.

Trae Young

The fall of Oklahoma and Trae Young has been well-documented as the Sooners are 2-8 in their last 10 games. Despite that slide, the committee deemed their early-season success good enough to qualify for the field of 68. A difficult opening-round matchup with Rhode Island is first, but it feels like every year there's a star player that drags his team to a couple wins in the tournament. Young certainly has the potential to do just that in this year's edition.