East Region

Michigan: If you haven’t heard Michigan (1) fans yet, you’re about to. The Wolverine fanbase is as loud and berserk as it gets. Coach Juwan Howard flipped a middle-of-the-road team into a powerhouse in the Big Ten, and although not predicted to be a one seed this year, they were on a hot streak for a long time. Michigan fans would’ve vied for them to be ranked ahead of Gonzaga, but then were proceeded to be blown out by Illinois at home without the Illini’s best player. That defeat really shook them, and on top of that, starting senior Isaiah Livers is out with a foot injury now. If Michigan wants to make a run for the championship, freshman big man Hunter Dickinson needs to stay out of foul trouble and work his way around other post players. I still have some faith in the Wolverines, but I will take them out early, most likely in the second round to LSU (8).

LSU: Even with losing in the SEC championship game, the LSU Tigers (8) are the most hot team in the NCAA and show all the aspects of making a Cinderella run. SEC Freshman Newcomer of the Year Cameron Thomas averages over 22 points a game and runs this elite offense. LSU will run up the score against you and likes to play as fast as possible. High-powered offensive teams tend to make it far in the tournament, and their only weakness is the Tigers’ interior defense. They’ve lost a lot of their games by allowing a lot of points in the paint. Despite this, I expect them to win two to three games.

MSU: After being ranked 13th in the preseason rankings, it looked as if the Spartans (11) were going to have a disappointing season similar to Duke. And until February 23rd, MSU did not expect to make the tournament. But nevertheless, Tom Izzo has brought the team back after beating Illinois, Ohio State, and Michigan within two weeks. Michigan State tends to always make a run, and I’m cautiously optimistic about taking them far again. They have a play-in game (and what is being called the greatest play-in game matchup of all time) against the UCLA Bruins (11). UCLA is very cold right now, and if MSU wins their first game, they have an easier matchup with overrated BYU (6), who has a lot of wins but not many quality ones.

Texas: I love this Longhorns (3) team. If I could take them to win it all, I would. However, three seeds very rarely win it all, and you’re better off picking a four. This team is deep with guards, all who can hit clutch shots, but have had chemistry issues on the court. Guards Courtney Ramey and Matt Coleman have shown they sometimes do not get along. Their forwards, Greg Brown and Jericho Sims are monsters in the paint, unafraid to make contact and make big plays. When working in cohesion, this team is unstoppable, and have the guard-heavy aspect to make a final four run. Shaka Smart is a genius head coach, and should never be underestimated in March.

UCONN v. Maryland: The UCONN Huskies (7) won two NCAA championships in the past decade. They’ve been quiet this year, and have an extremely complete team. Over 10 players consistently play, and their offense and defense both hit top 25 marks in Kenpom. However, they face Mark Turgeon’s Maryland Terrapins (10), who boast a solid defense. This Maryland team is not nearly as good as they were last year, but have enough pieces to still make games close. They beat Illinois early in the conference schedule, putting them on the map. If this Maryland team wants to move on, however, they need to make more of their shots. In the end, I think UCONN will take this win.

Other: Georgetown (12) stole a bid in the Big East tournament. Head coach and NBA star Patrick Ewing has reformed this team, even without Mac McClung, and are poised to beat up on the Colorado Buffaloes (5). I am not a huge fan of this Florida State (4) team, but I’ve learned to never count them out. They rank high on Kenpom for an ACC team this year, and being in one of the weaker regions gives them a chance to move on past upset teams. Finally, if you are to pick a one or two seed to lose in the first round, make it be Alabama (2) to Iona (15). This is no disrespect to the Crimson Tide, but Iona head coach Richard Pitino is a scary man. He’s brought five separate teams to March Madness now, and after his 2013 Louisville championship scandal, he has returned to basketball and reshaped this team in a single year to make the tournament. I would not count them out, and it’ll be a game to keep an eye on.