Tourney breakdown: Previewing the East Region
Selection Sunday is officially in the books and after a one-year absence, the NCAA tournament is upon us. In the build-up to the opening round, theScore will be previewing each region to get you prepared to pick your bracket. After looking at the South on Monday, today we tackle the East.
The top teams
No. 1 Michigan
If Gonzaga is the best team in the country, Michigan might just be the most balanced. Juwan Howard's outfit enters the tournament as Ken Pomeroy's sixth-ranked offense and seventh-ranked defense in the entire country. They also might be the No. 1 seed with the most questions due to a rough stretch to close the season. The Wolverines only lost four games all season but three of those defeats have come in the last five games. They also are likely to be without second-leading scorer Isaiah Livers, after the standout forward suffered a foot injury in the Big Ten tournament. With a possible second-round matchup against an underseeded LSU, Michigan will need to be locked in from the jump in the East.
No. 2 Alabama
From calling out Duke's Mike Krzyzewski earlier in the year to apparently yelling an obscenity at LSU's Will Wade in the SEC tournament, Alabama and Nate Oats have made headlines this season. They are also an incredibly impressive outfit that enters the event as SEC tourney champions for the first time in 30 years. Led by conference player of the year Herbert Jones, the Crimson Tide defense is ranked by Ken Pomeroy as the second-best in the country, and a balanced attack with Jaden Shackelford could push Alabama on a deep run. How far Oats' squad goes will likely rely on their shooting, as the Tide shoot more triples a game than any other team in the tournament field.
No. 3 Texas
Finally the Shaka Smart hire is paying big dividends for Texas, as the veteran head coach delivered the first conference tournament title for the school since 1995. The Longhorns come to the event with a very impressive resume, boasting seven wins over top-25 opponents and all seven losses coming to teams that were ranked at the time. Texas is a very strong No. 3 seed but faces a difficult draw to advance deep in the tourney. An opening-round game against the stingy defense of Abilene Christian could present some challenges. The Wildcats force more steals than any team in the tournament field, while the Longhorns are prone to turnovers at more than 14 per game.
The bracket-busters
No. 7 UConn
With James Bouknight in the lineup, UConn is likely a much better team than a No. 7 seed. The Huskies lost seven games during the season, but their leading scorer was sidelined for four of those defeats due to injury. The 6-foot-5 sophomore can go-off in a moment's notice, as evidenced by his 40-point effort against Creighton earlier this season. Provided UConn can get past Maryland in the opening round, the Huskies could seriously challenge Alabama in a blockbuster second-round pairing.
No. 12 Georgetown
Georgetown's overall record of 13-12 this season may not impress you, but the Hoyas are arguably the hottest team in the country heading to the NCAA tournament. Patrick Ewing's outfit has won 10 of their last 12 games, including a barnstorming run to the title in the Big East tournament. A massive 25-point win over Creighton in the championship game served notice to the rest of the field that Georgetown is a very dangerous underdog. Almost every single year of the tournament we see a No. 12 knock off a No. 5, and Georgetown stands the best chance in this year's field to continue that success.
**See full betting preview for East Region**
Players to watch
Cameron Thomas, LSU
One of the nation's most-talented freshman also happens to be one of the country's most-prolific scorers. LSU's Cameron Thomas pours in 22.8 points per contest for the 8th-ranked Tigers, and is one of the reasons they are a trendy upset pick to make a run in the East Region. Thomas scored 25 or more in seven of his last 10 regular-season games, and can single-handedly keep the Tigers in any contest.
James Bouknight, UConn
We've already covered how important Bouknight is to UConn's chances on a nightly basis, and he's primed to become a household name nationally with a strong showing in the tournament. Not only is the 6-foot-5 sophomore a prolific scorer, but he also does most of his work in highly-entertaining fashion. After shooting just 32% from the floor in the final two games of the Big East tournament, Bouknight will be looking to rebound on the game's biggest stage.
Herbert Jones, Alabama
Jones achieved the impressive double of winning both SEC Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year after an incredible 2020-21 season. The 6-foot-8, 210-pounder leads second-seeded Alabama in blocks, steals, assists and rebounds while also scoring 11.2 points per contest with 39% shooting from deep. There are few players in the country that have more impact on a game than what Jones has every time the Crimson Tide take the court.
Hunter Dickinson, Michigan
Michigan is a very balanced team, but without Isaiah Livers, freshman Hunter Dickinson will have to carry even more of the load offensively. The Wolverines leading scorer is also the top rebounder for the No. 1 seed and is blocking 1.4 shots per contest. The 7-foot-1, 255-pounder will need to avoid foul trouble and play big minutes for Howard's outfit if they are to make a deep run in the bracket.