Bracket Breakdown: East Region

With a 16-2 record in the Big East this season and a 16-0 out of conference schedule, Villanova enters the Big Dance with a number one seed in the East Region and the 32-2 Wildcats are looking to make a splash. Led by G Ryan Arcidiacono and F Jayvaughn Pinkston, Villanova heavily relies on their outside shooting and to make a deep run, they need to get big in the post to match the other competing teams. The 1 Villanova Wildcats take on the 16 Lafayette Leopards in the second round, and while they will presumably advance, a matchup with the winner of 8 NC State and 9 LSU is ahead. The 8-9 matchup in this region is very interesting as the two teams have opposite strengths and will likely be a very tight game. NC State's guards in the backcourt dominate their game with Anthony Barber and Trevor Lacey, whereas LSU is powered by their terrific forwards Jarrell Martin and Jordan Mickey, both nearly averaging a double-double on the season. 5 Northern Iowa, the winner of the Missouri Valley Conference Championship, has had an amazing season by going 30-3 and led by F Seth Tuttle, capable of carrying the team on his back, the Panthers can legitimately shoot the basketball with extreme success. 12 Wyoming, the winner of the Mountain West Conference Championship, is entering the tourney on a hot streak and the performance of Larry Nance Jr. will be crucial to their success. In a matchup between 4 Louisville and 13 UC Irvine, size will be vital. Louisville big men are playing very well this season and Montrezl Harrell will have a lot on his plate when he has to guard 7'6" Mamadou Ndiaye. A potential Louisville-Northern Iowa matchup would be very exciting for all college basketball fans and personally one of my favorite games in the tournament. 6 Providence is one of the most underrated teams in the country, and led by their guards LaDontae Henton and Kris Dunn, Providence can beat the winner of the play-in game and possibly reach the Sweet Sixteen with a win over Oklahoma/Albany. 3 Oklahoma was arguably the most overseeded team by the selection committee, but with an easy matchup with 14 Albany, a matchup with Providence is likely in the horizon and they do not seem to be a good opponent for the Friars. The 7 Michigan State Spartans are playing their best basketball of the season at the right time, and with a very balanced squad, they are primed to be 10 Georgia and possibly upset Virginia in the third round. Lastly, the 2 Virginia Cavaliers are dependent on their guard play, especially the health of Justin Anderson, and with an easy game against 15 Belmont, the Cavs look forward to making a deep run in the tournament. Overall, from this region I see 1 Villnova and 2 Virginia squaring off in the Elite Eight, but Virginia is my choice to represent the East Region in the Final Four.