Head coach Rick Pitino's Louisville Cardinals were named the No. 1 overall seed for the 2013 NCAA tournament. (bradjward/Creative Commons)

After capturing the Big East tournament championship with a 78-61 victory over Syracuse, the Cardinals (29-5) were placed in the Midwest Region. They begin play on Thursday in Lexington, Ky. against the winner of the First Four game between North Carolina A&T and Liberty.

The other No. 1 seeds are Kansas (South), Indiana (East) and Gonzaga (West). The Big East, playing in its final season before the non-football schools break away to form a new league, led all conferences with eight NCAA bids.

Defending NCAA champion Kentucky (21-11) was left out of the tournament field. The Wildcats will play Robert Morris in a National Invitation Tournament first round game.

Complete list of first and second round games:

First Four (Tuesday)

• No. 16 North Carolina A&T vs. No. 16 Liberty, tru TV (3:40 p.m.)

• No. 11 Saint Mary's vs. No. 11 Middle Tennessee, tru TV (6:10 p.m.)

First Four (Wednesday)

• No. 16 LIU-Brooklyn vs. No. 16 James Madison, tru TV (3:40 p.m.)

• No. 13 La Salle vs. No. 13 Boise State, tru TV (6:10 p.m.)

Round of 64 (Thursday)

• No. 14 Valparaiso vs. No. 3 Michigan State, CBS (9:15 a.m.)

• No. 11 Bucknell vs. No. 6 Butler, tru TV (9:40 a.m.)

• No. 9 Wichita State vs. No. 8 Pittsburgh, TBS (10:40 a.m.)

• No. 13 New Mexico State vs. No. 4 Saint Louis, TNT (11:10 a.m.)

• No. 11 Saint Mary's/Middle Tennessee vs. No. 6 Memphis, CBS (11:45 a.m.)

• No. 14 Davidson vs. No. 3 Marquette, tru TV (12:10 p.m.)

• No. 16 Southern University vs. No. 1 Gonzaga, TBS (1:10 p.m.)

• No. 12 Oregon vs. No. 5 Oklahoma State, TNT (1:40 p.m.)

• No. 16 North Carolina A&T/Liberty vs. No. 1 Louisville, TBS (3:50 p.m.)

• No. 13 South Dakota State vs. No. 4 Michigan, CBS (4:15 p.m.)

• No. 11 Belmont vs. No. 6 Arizona, TNT (4:20 p.m.)

• No. 12 California vs. No. 5 UNLV, tru TV (4:27 p.m.)

• No. 9 Missouri vs. No. 8 Colorado State, TBS (6:20 p.m.)

• No. 12 Akron vs. No. 5 Virginia Commonwealth, CBS (6:45 p.m.)

• No. 14 Harvard vs. No. 3 New Mexico, TNT (6:50 p.m.)

• No. 13 Montana vs. No. 4 Syracuse, tru TV (6:57 p.m.)

Round of 64 (Friday)

• No. 15 Albany vs. No. 2 Duke, CBS (9:15 a.m.)

• No. 12 Ole Miss vs. No. 5 Wisconsin, tru TV (9:40 a.m.)

• No. 9 Temple vs. No. 8 North Carolina State, TBS (10:40 a.m.)

• No. 15 Pacific vs. No. 2 Miami (Fla.), TNT (11:10 a.m.)

• No. 10 Cincinnati vs. No. 7 Creighton, CBS (11:45 a.m.)

• No. 13 La Salle/Boise State vs. No. 4 Kansas State, tru TV (12:10 p.m.)

• No. 16 LIU-Brooklyn/James Madison vs. No. 1 Indiana, TBS (1:10 p.m.)

• No. 10 Colorado vs. No. 7 Illinois, TNT (1:40 p.m.)

• No. 15 Florida Gulf Coast vs. No. 2 Georgetown, TBS (3:50 p.m.)

• No. 15 Iona vs. No. 2 Ohio State, CBS (4:15 p.m.)

• No. 9 Villanova vs. No. 8 North Carolina, TNT (4:20 p.m.)

• No. 14 Northwestern State vs. No. 3 Florida, tru TV (4:27 p.m.)

• No. 10 Oklahoma vs. No. 7 San Diego State, TBS (6:20 p.m.)

• No. 10 Iowa State vs. No. 7 Notre Dame, CBS (6:45 p.m.)

• No. 16 Western Kentucky vs. No. 1 Kansas, TNT (6:50 p.m.)

• No. 11 Minnesota vs. No. 6 UCLA, tru TV (6:57 p.m.)

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