NCAA Bracket 2015: Complete Guide to East Region
No matter which region you think is the toughest, there is no easy path in the NCAA tournament.
This year's East Region exemplifies that with a wide-open bracket full of teams capable of winning a few games in the Big Dance.
Villanova and Virginia come in as the favorites based on seeds, but established programs in Oklahoma, Louisville and Michigan State will pair with some potential sleepers in Northern Iowa, Dayton and others.
Follow along for a complete breakdown of the East Region with previews, predictions and more.
Round of 64 Schedule
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Thursday
(Games in Pittsburgh)
No. 1 Villanova vs. No. 16 Lafayette: 6:50 p.m. ET on TBS
No. 8 North Carolina State vs. No. 9 LSU: After conclusion of first game on TBS
Friday
(Games in Seattle)
No. 5 Northern Iowa vs. No. 12 Wyoming: 1:40 p.m. ET on TBS
No. 4 Louisville vs. No. 13 UC Irvine: After conclusion of first game on TBS
(Games in Columbus, Ohio)
No. 3 Oklahoma vs. No. 14 Albany: 7:27 p.m. ET on TruTV
No. 6 Providence vs. No. 11 Boise State/No. 11 Dayton: After conclusion of first game on TruTV
(Games in Charlotte, North Carolina)
No. 7 Michigan State vs. No. 10 Georgia: 12:40 p.m. ET on TruTV
No. 2 Virginia vs. No. 15 Belmont: After conclusion of first game on TruTV
Must-See Games
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No. 8 North Carolina State vs. No. 9 LSU
If you were looking for middling seeds capable of making a run, you will find two of them right here as North Carolina State and LSU are dangerous teams.
Jeff Borzello of ESPN noted the effect this game will have on the bracket, saying, "NC State and LSU have both shown they can hang with—and beat—good teams. Villanova with a difficult round of 32 battle."
The Wolfpack have great guards with Anthony "Cat" Barber and Trevor Lacey while the Tigers will answer with a frontcourt tandem of Jarell Martin and Jordan Mickey. No matter who wins, the next round will be interesting.
No. 7 Michigan State vs. No. 10 Georgia
Although this might not be your typical Michigan State team, you should never bet against Tom Izzo in March. The Spartans showed what they can do with a run to the finals of the Big Ten tournament before losing in overtime to Wisconsin.
On the other hand, Georgia should not be overlooked thanks to an intriguing starting lineup full of talented players such as Marcus Thornton, Charles Mann and Nemanja Djurisic. The Bulldogs didn't earn one RPI Top 50 win this year, but when healthy they have the talent to do damage.
Top Storylines
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Will Villanova Atone for Last Year's Disappointment?
A year ago, Villanova was a No. 2 seed before losing to Connecticut in the round of 32. The pain is eased by the fact the Huskies went on to win the national championship, but the early exit was still a disappointment.
This time around, the Wildcats have been even better during the regular season to earn a No. 1 seed. However, there is still a lot of external doubt about them losing early once again.
Head coach Jay Wright will have to find a way to keep his players focused on the future and not the past.
Will Virginia Get Back on Track?
For most of the season, Virginia was one of the best teams in the nation. The Cavaliers spent a lot of time ranked behind only Kentucky in the polls spearheaded by one of the best college defenses you will ever see.
The problem has been a lack of dominance down the stretch, especially without injured junior Justin Anderson. While the guard returned to action in the ACC tournament, he clearly is less than 100 percent.
Virginia will have to find a way to generate offense or its great season will end with a quick postseason exit.
Will a Power-Conference Team Be a Sleeper?
More than any other region, the East has dangerous power-conference teams seeded 7th or worse. North Carolina State, LSU, Georgia and Michigan State have all played well against the nation's best, including against undefeated Kentucky (for LSU and Georgia).
Obviously, they are seeded where they are thanks to some inconsistency throughout the year, so it's difficult to bet on any of them. However, the talent is there for at least one squad to break the bracket wide open.
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Stars to Watch
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Buddy Hield, Oklahoma
Considering many view the Big 12 as the best conference in the nation, Buddy Hield taking home the league's Player of the Year award was quite an accomplishment. The guard led the conference with 17.5 points per game and always seemed to have the ball in his hands with the game on the line.
Kris Dunn, Providence
This region features the Big East's leading scorer in Providence's LaDontae Henton as well as co-Players of the Year in Ryan Arcidiacono of Villanova and Kris Dunn of Providence. Of all these players, Dunn is the one you should keep an eye on.
The point guard not only scores 15.8 points per game, but he fills up the stat sheet with 7.6 assists, 5.6 rebounds and 2.8 steals per game as one of the top all-around players in the nation.
Seth Tuttle, Northern Iowa
On the topic of do-it-all players, Seth Tuttle is perhaps the best lesser-known player in college basketball. He leads Northern Iowa in points, rebounds and assists and anchors one of the top defenses in the nation.
Montrezl Harrell, Louisville
Although he has had somewhat of a disappointing season relative to expectations, Montrezl Harrell is still a player no one wants to line up against. The Louisville big man averaged 15.7 points and 9.5 rebounds per game this season and has a knack for throwing down thunderous dunks.
Favorites Most Likely to Fall
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No. 4 Louisville
Louisville has a number of impressive wins this season, including a victory over Virginia in its final game of the regular season. However, this is not the same team it was earlier in the year.
A big turning point of the season was the dismissal of point guard Chris Jones. The guard didn't play in six of the last seven games, and the Cardinals failed to top 60 points in all but one of them.
For a team that lacks scorers outside of Montrezl Harrell and Terry Rozier, it could struggle without Jones.
No. 2 Virginia
After winning 28 of its first 29 games, Virginia has struggled down the stretch with two losses in its past three. The squad still plays outstanding defense, but the offense has not been as efficient lately with long scoring droughts in almost every game.
London Perrantes and Malcolm Brogdon are capable of making plays, but the Cavaliers will need some production out of Justin Anderson. The junior returned from a finger injury and appendectomy to play the past two games, but he failed to score in 26 total minutes.
Virginia should be safe in the round of 64, but things will get much tougher in the round of 32.
Most Likely Cinderella
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UC Irvine
One problem most small schools have when they get to the NCAA tournament is the inability to compete with the size of the bigger programs. That is certainly not an issue for UC Irvine.
As soon as the team steps on the floor, you’ll notice 7’6” Mamadou Ndiaye, who has only played in 14 games but already makes an impact on both ends of the court. Ioannis Dimakopoulos (7'2"), Mike Best (6'10") and others also rotate in with great size in the post.
Factor in leading scorer and rebounder Will Davis and team-wide 39 percent shooting from three-point range, and you have a recipe for a team that can surprise people in March.
Who Will Make the Sweet 16?
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No. 1 Villanova
Villanova will have a tough battle in the round of 32 regardless of whether North Carolina State or LSU wins, but the Wildcats should handle the pressure. They have won 15 games in a row and should keep it going at least into the second weekend.
No. 5 Northern Iowa
Northern Iowa may be considered a sleeper by some, but this is simply a very good team ready to show it on the national stage. Seth Tuttle can take over a game with some excellent work in the post while the entire team plays swarming defense. The Panthers should make things difficult for Louisville in a battle to get to the Sweet 16.
No. 3 Oklahoma
Oklahoma is battle-tested after playing in the loaded Big 12, going 12-6 against the RPI Top 50. The Sooners play solid defense and have a star playmaker in guard Buddy Hield—usually a good recipe for a deep run in the NCAA tournament.
No. 7 Michigan State
Virginia has had a great season thanks to its elite defensive ability, but one way to beat the Cavaliers is with great passing. According to KenPom.com, Michigan State ranks sixth in the country in assists per made basket. The Spartans have what it takes to pull off the upset.
The Elite 8 Matchup Will Be...
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No. 1 Villanova vs. No. 3 Oklahoma
Oklahoma has problems rebounding the ball, which plays right into the hands of Michigan State. On the other hand, one reason to doubt the Spartans to make too deep of a run is free-throw shooting. They make only 62.7 percent from the charity stripe, which could lead to a close loss.
The Sooners have the ability to win close games thanks to the play of Buddy Hield as well as the inside play of TaShawn Thomas and Ryan Spangler.
As far as Villanova is concerned, the key factor for a deep run is its scoring depth. The Wildcats have six players who average at least nine points per game, and any of them can carry the team on a given night.
No matter which teams it draws, Villanova will be in good shape through the first few rounds.
And the Final Four Team Is...Villanova
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Going chalk is usually not fun, but Villanova might be a No. 1 seed that ends up being a bit of an underdog in its own region. People are going to be hesitant based on the perceived weakness of the Big East as well as the fact this team lost in the round of 32 as a No. 2 seed a year ago.
Still, it's important to note the Wildcats are even better than last year. Instead of having three major scorers, they're loaded with six. The emergence of center Daniel Ochefu has also greatly improved their interior defense.
Coaches always say great things about their own teams, but an opposing coach might have given the most praise to the Wildcats.
“They have a chance to win a national championship,” said Xavier coach Chris Mack after losing to Villanova in the Big East tournament final, via Christopher Wilson of Yahoo Sports, “and they are not given nearly enough credit for how tough of a team they are, how hard they play, how unselfish they are. They’re the true definition of a team.”
Darrun Hilliard has the skill to take over as needed, but Ryan Arcidiacono, Josh Hart, JayVaughn Pinkston and others can also put up big numbers. If you haven't seen this team yet, be prepared for a big surprise.
Follow Rob Goldberg on Twitter. If it's March, I'm talking about pretty much nothing but college basketball.
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