Defending national champion Florida is a No. 1 seed for March Madness, Houston lurking in South

Defending national champion Florida's path to another Final Four could include a rematch with Houston, whom it beat in the final a year ago, only this time in a South Region finale that would be played just a short drive from the Cougars' campus.

The Gators were chosen as one of the four No. 1 seeds for the NCAA Tournament on Sunday.

The SEC regular-season champions will open against the winner of a First Four game on Wednesday between Prairie View A&M and Lehigh on Friday in Tampa, Florida, getting the benefit of a close opening weekend of games. The second-seeded Cougars will play No. 15 seed Idaho on Thursday in Oklahoma City.

Yet it’s not hard to look ahead to a potential regional finale between the Gators and Cougars at the Toyota Center, which is less than three miles away from the Fertitta Center, where Houston celebrated with its fans on Sunday at a selection watch party.

“We try to be very consistent with our program. We’re not going to be reactive in regards to when we’re winning that we don’t practice hard,” Gators coach Todd Golden said after their loss to Vanderbilt on Saturday in the semifinals of the SEC tourney.

“Part of what makes our program what it is is our consistency,” he said. “We’re not going to change a lot.”

Third-seeded Illinois and fourth-seeded Nebraska could have something to say about that Florida-Houston rematch.

The Illini, who had struggled down the stretch and lost to Wisconsin in the Big Ten Tournament, will open against No. 14 seed Penn — the Ivy League tourney champ — on Thursday in Greenville, South Carolina.

“We’re a possession away in a lot of games from being one of the best teams record-wise in the country. I still think we’re one of the best teams in the country,” Illinois coach Brad Underwood said. “We’ve just got to stay focused.”

The Huskers slumped a little after a 20-0 start but are back in the NCAA Tournament with a matchup against No. 13 seed Troy on Thursday in Oklahoma City.

Nebraska has never won a game in the NCAA Tournament, losing its opener in each of its eight previous appearances. That includes a loss two years ago as the No. 8 seed to Texas A&M in Fred Hoiberg’s first time taking the Huskers to the dance.

The No. 4 seed is the best for Nebraska since it was the No. 3 in 1991 and lost its opener to No. 14 seed Xavier.

Seventh-seeded Saint Mary’s is making its fifth straight NCAA Tournament appearance and will play No. 10 seed Texas A&M, which is in the tourney for the fourth straight time. But it’s the Aggies’ first playing “Bucky Ball” — the name given to the style of basketball it plays under Bucky McMillan, who succeeded Buzz Williams as their coach this season.

Iowa is back in the NCAA Tournament as the No. 9 seed and will play eighth-seeded Clemson in the first round. The Hawkeyes are led by Ben McCollum, who took Drake to the second round of the tourney last season. The year before that? McCollum was the coach at Northwest Missouri State, a Division II school that he turned into a national power.

North Carolina slipped to the No. 6 seed and will play its NCAA tourney opener against No. 11 seed VCU, which won the Atlantic-10 Tournament. The Tar Heels’ seeding took a hit with a loss to Clemson in the ACC Tournament and, perhaps more likely, the injury to star freshman Caleb Wilson. His broken thumb required surgery and effectively ended his season.

Vanderbilt earned the No. 5 seed after reaching its first SEC Tournament title game in 14 years, losing to Arkansas on Sunday, and will play No. 12 seed McNeese in the first round. The winner of that game gets the Nebraska-Troy winner in the second round.

AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness

Purdue guard Jack Benter (14) battles for a rebound against Nebraska forwards Pryce Sandfort, left, and Rienk Mast (51) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in the quarterfinals of the Big 10 Conference tournament, Friday, March 13, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Thursday he is removing certain tariffs on Scotch whisky after this week’s White House visit by King Charles III and Queen Camilla of the United Kingdom.

“The King and Queen got me to do something that nobody else was able to do, without hardly even asking!” Trump posted on social media.

Trump said people had wanted this change, especially with regard to the wooden barrels in which the spirits of Scotch and bourbon can be aged. His post left it unclear if the tariffs were being lifted on bottles of Scotch or on the materials used to produce alcohol in both countries.

“I will be removing the Tariffs and Restrictions on Whiskey having to do with Scotland’s ability to work with the Commonwealth of Kentucky on Whiskey and Bourbon,” Trump said.

The White House did not respond to emails seeking clarification about the details of what Trump announced, though the post was interpreted in Scotland and by industry lobbyists as removing the tariffs on Scotch.

U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer later said in a Thursday statement that the U.S. would give “preferential duty access for whiskey produced in the United Kingdom.” The administration did not immediately respond to questions about whether that meant eliminating the tariffs or lowering them.

The Trump administration in 2025 reached a trade framework that put a 10% tax on most goods imported from Britain. The Scotch Whisky Association said its export volume to the U.S. fell 15% after the tariffs were announced in April of last year.

The president, answering questions from reporters in the Oval Office, said the tariffs were lifted to specifically enhance the trade of barrels between Scotland and Kentucky, which produces almost all of the world's bourbon. The barrels are used to age the alcohol.

“I just took all the restrictions off so Scotland and Kentucky can start dealing again,” said Trump, who added that he's “not a big drinker."

Still, John Swinney, Scotland's first minister, interpreted the president's statement as a removal of tariffs on Scotch itself, calling it a “tremendous success” for his country.

“People’s jobs were at stake. Millions of pounds were being lost every month from the Scottish economy," said Swinney, expressing gratitude to both Trump and King Charles III.

Trump has used alcohol as a pressure point in his tariff threats. Last year, he threatened a 200% tariff on European wine — a major potential blow to French and Italian vineyards that never came to fruition.

Foreign countries have responded in turn with threats on bourbon and other American products.

In the end, the Trump administration exempted cork from tariffs, a huge relief to Portugal, the leading supplier of the material used to cap wine bottles.

Chris Swonger, president and CEO of the Distilled Spirits Council in the U.S., also interpreted Trump’s post as a removal of the 10% tariff on whisky from the United Kingdom.

“We applaud President Trump for working to restore a proven zero‑for‑zero model of fair, reciprocal trade between our two nations,” Swonger said in a statement. “This action strengthens transatlantic ties, brings much‑needed certainty to our industry and allows spirits producers on both sides of the Atlantic to grow, invest and support jobs at a critical time.”

AP correspondent Jill Lawless contributed from London.

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump bid farewell to Britain's King Charles III and Queen Camilla on the South Lawn of the White House, Thursday, April 30, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Britain's King Charles III walks to his vehicle during the departure from the South Lawn of the White House, Thursday, April 30, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)