The college basketball regular season has concluded, conference tournaments are in the books, and the bracket is officially set. The next few weeks mark the best time of year for sports fans, and I’m here to break it all down, region by region. We’ll start with the East, which features a fascinating mix of championship contenders and dangerous underdogs ready to make their presence known.
First, let’s take a look at the matchups:
1. Duke vs. 16. Siena
8. Ohio State vs. 9. TCU
5. St. Johns vs. 12. Northern Iowa
4. Kansas vs. 13. CA Baptist
6. Louisville vs. 11. South Florida
3. Michigan State vs. 14. N Dakota St.
7. UCLA vs. 10. UCF
2. UConn vs. 15. Furman
The East region is headlined by the tournament’s top overall seed, Duke, led by National Player of the Year contender Cameron Boozer. However, the Blue Devils do not enter March quite as invincible as they appeared earlier in the season, as starter Caleb Foster is out with an injury. Even so, Duke should still be considered the clear favorite to emerge from this region.
Beyond Duke, the bracket includes several March Madness stalwarts. UConn, Michigan State, and Kansas all reside in this region, creating the possibility of some historic matchups as the tournament progresses. St. John’s, Louisville, and UCLA also represent a particularly strong group of 5–7 seeds and could pose problems for the traditional powers at the top of the bracket.
Meanwhile, Ohio State, TCU, UCF, and South Florida are all capable teams that could play spoiler in the right matchup. Altogether, the East is loaded with talent and should be one of the most compelling regions to watch during the tournament’s opening weekend.
One team I’m particularly keeping an eye on is UCLA. While I’m not picking the Bruins to win the region, don’t be surprised if they pull off an upset over UConn in the Round of 32. The Huskies have looked somewhat vulnerable lately, while UCLA appears to be rounding into form at the right time.
Picks:
Final Four: Duke (1)
Upset Alert: Northern Iowa (12) over St. John’s (5)
Sneaky Team to Watch: UCLA (7)
Regional MVP: Cameron Boozer, Duke
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