East Region
Here we have the region with the tournament’s #1 overall seed and the odds on favorite to cut down the nets in Indianapolis. Duke is elite this year. And as much as I hate to admit it, not only are they fun to watch, but John Scheyer is not hateable. But before they get to Indy, can Duke get out of the East Region?
I think the teams most likely to steal this region are St. Johns and Michigan State. The rest of the region have too many question marks to think they can win four straight.
The Red Storm
started the season 9-5 but have been 19-1 since that loss to Providence on January 3rd. They are physical, they play great defense and Zuby Ejiofor is a beast inside. Watching him matchup with Cameron Boozer would be a lot of fun. The Big East champs are strong contenders in this region.
Tom Izzo’s Spartans are the best rebounding team in the country, and if they can get productive games from Jeremy Fears Jr (without the distractions), they can beat anybody.
Connecticut is the 2-seed in the East that started the season with a 22-1 record. They are a balanced team that plays very good defense.
Best Mascot
While the Paladins of Furman are an interesting and noble choice, how can you not love the Siena Saints?
The Saints are clearly a Saint Bernard and you will see Bernie, the costumed mascot, on the sidelines in Greenville when they face Duke. Siena was formerly the Indians and changed to the loveable dog
But the real reason they are selected as the region’s best mascot is because of Baloo, their live mascot.
Be sure to check out Baloo’s Instrgram page and we’ll all be rooting for the Saints on Thursday.
Players to Watch
Cameron Boozer is the obvious choice here. He will be the National Player of the Year, likely the first or second pick in the draft and he often looks like a man amoung boys on the floor.
Dominique Daniels Jr from Cal Baptist is a fun little point guard to watch. He attacks the rim and can fill up the box score on any given night. He will also take a LOT of shots, currently ranked 11th nationally % of his teams shot attempts.
Mikel Brown Jr of Louisville is another NBA Lottery pick who can light it up. In February he had a string of three straight games scoring 45, 29 and 29. In their loss to Clemson at the end of February, he had just five points on 0/6 from three. He has been dealing with a back injury, his status for Thursday is unknown after missing the ACC Tournament.
Potential Upset
#13 Cal Baptist over #4 Kansas
I watched Cal Baptist win the WAC Championship over Utah Valley and they very much look like a team who can pull of a shocking upset over a blueblood like Kansas. Dominique Daniels Jr averages 23 points per game to go along with Martel Williams 12.7, but having these two guards is not the primary reason I’m picking this upset. The Lancers also are very good rebounding.
On the flip side, I’ve been rather unimpressed with Kansas this season. Notice how they were not mentioned at the top as a team who can conted for the region? They are extremely talented, not very disciplined or tough. Maybe they survive the Lancers, but I will be surprised to see them in Washington DC next weekend.
PrizePicks Lock
Ryan Conwell over 19.5 points
Esepcially if Brown Jr isn’t able to play, Conwell will carry the scoring load for Louisville.
Cooper Bowser (Furman) over 5.5 rebounds
UConn is very good, but I’m seeing a lot of missed shots by the Paladins and Bowser will snag a few offensive boards, along with defensive.
Who wins the East: Duke
This is clearly Duke’s region to lose. Since early January, I’ve had them penciled into the championship game and I see zero reason to think otherwise. Ther are some very physical and solid defensive teams in this region, but Duke losing before the Final Four would be a bigger upset than any of the other top seeds losing.
Intriguing later-round matchups
Both potential Sweet 16 matchups of Duke vs St. Johns and Michigan State vs UConn would be excellent games to watch.
KenPom Efficiency Plot
