NCAA Tournament: 5 East Region Storylines


The NCAA Tournament sends one of the most talked about programs and the likely most valuable player of the year to its East Region. With Duke standing as the No. 1 seed in this group, many pundits consider it the easiest Final Four path for any of the top seeds.

 (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images)

While that remains to be seen, there is no shortage of storylines in the East. When all is said and done, don’t be surprised if this region brings some unforgettable moments from the tournament.  There might not be any region with as many upsets on the horizon as the East.

Let’s look at some of the most riveting things in this region:

The Health of Duke’s Cooper Flagg

At this point, several teams are battling injuries heading into the NCAA Tournament. 

For Duke, all eyes are on Cooper Flagg, who suffered an ankle injury in the ACC Tournament. He did not play in the semis nor the final, however,  Duke defeated Louisville for the ACC Title. Flagg’s injury is a concern heading into March Madness. 

One of the last images fans saw was Flagg being carted off to the locker room. Luckily, Head coach Jon Scheyer confirmed the tests returned negative on his left ankle sprain. Similarly, the NCAAA stated Flagg is expected to be available come first round. 

Still, ankle injuries can be temperamental, and one wrong step could aggravate the foot.  That’s why it’ll be interesting to see how Duke manages Flagg in the first weekend, considering their aspirations of winning the whole thing. Duke is talented enough to get through the Round of 64 and 32 without a full workload from Flagg.

The No. 6 BYU-No. 11 VCU Winner Can Make Some Noise

There aren’t many, if any, lists out there that rank the must-watch first-round games.  They don’t include the showdown between BYU and Virginia Commonwealth. The Cougars were on a heater before tripping up to Houston in the Big 12 Tournament semifinals. They had won nine straight, including four over tournament teams.

There’s room to grow on defense, but offensively, BYU is about as dangerous as they come. The Cougars have the 11th-best offensive rating. Their 353 made three-pointers are the second most by any team in the tournament. Only Liberty has more with 359. 

This high-powered offense will contrast with what VCU does. The Rams are 23rd in defensive rating, holding teams to 38% from the field. That’s the fifth-best among tournament teams. VCU, who had some luck making the tourney, also holds opponents to 30% from beyond the arc, suitable for eighth best in the field of 68.

Whichever teams come out of this matchup will have a great chance of moving into the second weekend. Waiting for them will either be No. 3 Wisconsin or No. 14 Montana.

Wisconsin has an Uphill Battle

Speaking of Wisconsin, the Badgers are among the more popular teams to fade.  After playing four games in one week, they must to travel to Denver’s higher altitude, creating a potentially unfavorable scenario for the higher seed.

This isn’t to say Wisconsin is an overseeded team or one we should overlook. The Badgers have eight Quad 1 wins and tout a 10-1 mark in Quad 2 games, the best among tourney teams. They’re a good team, but they were dealt one of the worst situations.  Facing BYU or VCU in their fifth game in nine days after traveling out west isn’t ideal.

If they can make it out of that first weekend, No. 2 Alabama, a program with the fourth-best offensive rating, could await them in the Sweet 16. The Big Ten tourney runner-ups were dealt no favors by the bracket gods.

Arizona is the Biggest Wild Card in this Group

Arizona must prove itself if the East Region is to overcome early speculation that it’s easiest path for any No. 1 seed. All of the metrics point to the Wildcats being a legitimate team. Caleb Love, who is as battle-tested as they come in the tournament, and his team need to bring their A-game.

Yet it’s been an up-and-down stretch since dropping back-to-back games against Kansas State and Houston in mid-February. Since that span, Arizona is 5-6. That’s far from inspiring for any team heading into a do-or-die situation, so it’s understandable why some doubt the No. 4 seed’s chance of making a run. 

It’s been a long time since the team has won three in a row, something they’ll have to do to move into the Elite Eight. If Arizona can survive its first two games, they’ll likely come face-to-face with top-seeded Duke.

Does Arizona have the talent to go on a hot streak? Yes. There’s been some wildly inconsistent play over the past month, leaving reason to believe it might not be in the cards this year. Then again, this team can also win 13 of 14 games, similar to their play between Dec. 18 and Feb. 8. Which Arizona team will show in the tourney?

Underdogs Could Causer Havoc in the First Weekend

Of the eight first-round games in the East Region, up to five could realistically see lower seeds winning. No. 1 Duke and No. 2 Alabama should have no trouble with their first opponent.  Despite Wisconsin’s aforementioned concerns, they are heavy favorites against No. 14 Montana.

Besides those three teams, no higher seed has a cakewalk. Some of the most popular upset picks reside in this region. No. 12 Liberty can shoot the lights out of the gym. That is is why the tourney’s best three-point shooting team is a fan favorite to upset No. 5 Oregon.

No. 13 Akron is a double-digit point underdog against No. 4 Arizona. The Zips are the better shooting team from deep, averaging 10.9 threes per game—more than any other team in the tournament.  There’s a discrepancy up front that favors ‘Zona, but whenever a team can knock down the long ball, it can cause chaos in a win-or-go-home scenario.

A pair of lower-seeded schools in No. 9 Baylor and No. 10 Vanderbilt, will have a shot to move into the Round of 32. They face off against No. 8 Mississippi State and No. 7 Saint Mary’s. Baylor is ranked higher in KenPom’s ratings, while Vanderbilt has turned in more Quad 1 wins than its counterpart, which speaks to how close these matchups will likely be.





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