Twin Cities college basketball fans on the bubble about making the 240-mile drive to Des Moines to watch NCAA tournament action likely got all the motivation they needed when the bracket was revealed Sunday evening.

No. 1 overall seed Kansas. Big Ten regular-season champ Indiana. Kentucky, looking for its fifth Final Four in six seasons. Connecticut, winner of the most championships since 1999. Throw in first-timers Stony Brook and potential sleeper Colorado and the Wells Fargo Arena floor Thursday will be packed with great teams, big talent and plenty of story lines.

The NCAA tournament is coming to Des Moines for the first time, for four first-round games Thursday and two second-round games Saturday. Four teams, including Kansas, are in the South Regional, and four others are in the East.

Barring a first-round upset (Colorado opened as an underdog despite being the higher seed), Saturday's round of 32 in Iowa will feature two heavyweight fights: Kansas vs. UConn and Kentucky vs. Indiana, four programs that have combined for 20 national championships.

Staff reports