AND THEN THERE WERE 64.

Byline: Bill Schlotter Daily News Staff Writer

March Madness began with a little Sunday-afternoon gladness for the Kansas, Minnesota, North Carolina and Kentucky men's basketball teams.

In an era in which six of the past seven NCAA Tournament champions were seeded first in their regions, the Jayhawks, Gophers, Tar Heels and Wildcats were anointed this year's privileged four as the tournament selection committee revealed the teams and bracketing of the 64-team tourney.

UCLA and USC were also smiling after Sunday's announcement.

The Bruins were made the No. 2 seed to Minnesota in the Midwest Region. And the Trojans earned an at-large invitation and were seeded 11th in the Southeast.

Kansas, 32-1 and the top-ranked team in the country, is the Southeast Region's top seed. North Carolina is No. 1 in the East and defending champion Kentucky is in the driver's seat in the West.

The tournament begins with first-round games Thursday and concludes with the Final Four in Indianapolis on March 29 and 31.

Thirty teams, including the Pac-10-champion Bruins, earned automatic inclusion in the tournament via winning their conference championships or tournaments.

Thirty-four others, including USC, were added to the tournament by the selection committee Sunday.

The Bruins (21-7) open play Thursday against Big South tournament winner Charleston Southern (17-12) in Auburn Hills, Mich.

In Charlotte, N.C., USC (17-10) begins Friday against No. 6 seed Illinois (21-9), ranked No. 15 in the last Associated Press poll.

After losing the Big Sky tournament championship by three points to Montana Saturday, Cal State Northridge can only speculate about where it might have been placed had it held on to win the conference's automatic bid.

Odds are the Matadors' fate would have matched that of the Grizzlies, who are seeded 16th in the West and have a first-round date Thursday with Kentucky.