East Region

We are about an hour away from the tip-off of the tournament! One more region to breakdown: the East. The East favorite is Indiana. Indiana was the preseason number 1 in the rankings and really have not done much to disappoint. Their lineup features breakout player Victor Oladipo, national player of the year candidate and Big Ten defensive player of the year, to complement their star post player Cody Zeller. Zeller is one of the most athletic big men currently at the college level. Indiana is actually my selection to win the entire tournament because I feel that are the most complete team in the country. However, they have lost 3 of their last 6 games. The Big Ten is the best conference and I think despite these losses, Indiana will matchup better with the teams in this region. Statistically, Indiana has the best offense in the nation.

Hurricane Miami:
One team that stands in the way for a trip to Atlanta is Miami. Despite their inexperience, Miami's coach Jim Larranaga has been here before. Larranaga took a far less talented George Mason team to the final 4. Shane Larkin leads a lethal attack for Miami. Miami's key to the tournament is to stay humble. This season they had some dominant performances, including key victories over Duke and North Carolina. However, they have slipped up a couple of times this season, losing to weak Wake Forest and Georgia Tech teams. Since those losses, Miami has not lost and won the ACC tournament. If they can stay humble and embrace the underdog role, Miami is a legitimate title contender.

The Rest:
I don't really see much competition besides the top 2 in this region. Marquette and Syracuse are out of the Big East and they do have some potential. Both teams are rather inconsistent, though, and I don't see either sustaining a run. Brad Stevens took Butler to back-to-back championship games in recent memory and has a solid leader in Rotnei Clarke (Clarke will be playing in his first NCAA tournament game though). I expect a lot of mediocrity in this bracket with very little upsets.

Verdict:
Indiana wins a battle with Miami. Both cruise relatively easily to the elite 8.