NCAA March Madness Bracket East Region Breakdown & Preview

NCAA March Madness Bracket East Region Breakdown & Preview

Cole Paganelli
2 years ago
3 min read

Now that the field of 68 has been announced it’s time to take a closer look at the NCAA Tournament bracket before the games begin. Looking at the whole field at once can get a bit overwhelming so we will break it down by each region. 

We will start with the East Region and the defending national champions are the top seed in this group of teams. The Baylor Bears will begin their title defense on Thursday afternoon against Norfolk State. 

There likely won’t be any drama with the first game for Baylor, but there are some roadblocks ahead. Here is a closer look at what teams might make a run at getting to the Final Four and winning the East. 

Plenty of Blue Blood Programs

The path for the Baylor Bears is not going to be easy as this region is loaded with some blue blood programs. Let’s start with the number two seed in the East, the Kentucky Wildcats

Kentucky came up short in the SEC Tournament, but they went on a run earlier this season that was one of the best in the country. The Wildcats finally have some experience to go with its youth and they aren’t going to be a fun team to deal with. 

The UCLA Bruins, Indiana Hoosiers, Texas Longhorns, and North Carolina Tar Heels are all slated to play in the East Region as well. UCLA was just in the Final Four a season ago, and they are good enough to make another run as a number four seed. 

The best First Round game in the East could be in the 8-9 slot as UNC will be taking on Marquette. Indiana plays Wyoming in a play-in game early in the week, but the Hoosiers can make a run if they survive the first matchup. 

Any Upset Picks?

Searching for upset picks is always one of the best parts about March Madness and there are some opportunities in the East Region. Don’t expect to see a top-three seed fall early, but everyone else is still on the table. 

The Saint Mary’s Gaels are the number 5 seed in the East, and a team in that position is always on upset alert against a number 12 seed. Another team to keep an eye on next weekend is the Murray State Racers as a number seven seed.

Murray State lost just two games during the regular season, and they have enough talent and confidence to go on a run. 

Kentucky Winning the East

There are some terrific teams in the East Region and Baylor is going to have to work hard if they plan on making a return to the Final Four. There are some great options to bet on to win the East, but one team stands out above the rest.

The Kentucky Wildcats have the talent to be one of the best teams in the country, and head coach John Calipari knows how to win in March. Kentucky will have to play well to win four games to get to New Orleans, but the Wildcats are the team to beat in the East Region. 

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