Written by Matt Norlander at CBSSports.com
WHAT. A. REGION.
The East has delivered yet again.
Have you even begun to figure how to fill out this part of the bracket yet? You kind of have to, yet it’s tough, because there are a lot of places to pivot. Heck, a UNC-Providence second- round matchup has to give you some pause, right? The Friars are a No. 9 seed with maybe the best 1-2 combo in the bracket in Kris Dunn and Ben Bentil, who are both first-round talents.
Then you’ve got the weird Tulsa inclusion. The Golden Hurricane is the most shocking at-large inclusion … maybe ever? BracketMatrix.com tracked 59 forecasts leading up to Selection Sunday. Not ONE of those outlooks had Tulsa in the field. And so Frank Haith’s team will get a Michigan squad that has beaten Texas, Maryland, Purdue and Indiana. The Wolverines will be the overwhelming pick to advance and play Notre Dame in Brooklyn.
Wisconsin-Pittsburgh is a 7/10 matchup that seems like a heavy Wisconsin-lean, you know you’ve gotta think twice on that.
Overall, just a very fun region. So let’s get to looking a little deeper.
Three initial thoughts on the region:
1. This is a region with a lot of pride, a lot of talent, a lot of history.
North Carolina. Kentucky. Indiana. Michigan. Wisconsin. Even Xavier has been a reliable tournament team for much of the past 15 years. This part of the bracket will bring a lot of interest because of the coaches, players and storied programs involved. That’s always good for the NCAA Tournament. There is no more potentially enticing matchup in this field prior to the Final Four than UNC vs. Kentucky in the Sweet 16.
2. Chattanooga and Stephen F. Austin are dangerous teams.
These two have a combined record of 56-10. Chattanooga is rightfully placed as a No. 12 seed, but SFA could have/should have been on a 12 line elsewhere in the bracket, too. Indiana and West Virginia need to be ready and on alert because these teams are capable of reaching the second weekend, let alone the second round.
3. This region is stacked with talent.
I’m about to peel off the five best players in the East and won’t even get to mention Ben Bentil, Troy Williams, Jameel Warney, Demetrius Jackson, Thomas Walkup, Nigel Hayes or Jamal Murray. A lot of future NBA picks in many games. And really great college players. This is the best of both worlds here, really. NBA fans who’ll drop in to see which guys are going to become drafted will get a number of players in the mix, while college fans who’ve known these players all along get to see a few seniors with a big chance on a big stage one last time.
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