March Madness 2021: NCAA Tournament bracket analysis, team capsules for East Region
USA TODAY Sports breaks down the NCAA Tournament East Region:
Best first-round matchup: Colorado-Georgetown. There’s always attention paid to the 5-12 matchup as a potential upset given that it has happened in all but two tournaments since 2008. But the showdown between the Buffaloes and Hoyas is more about two evenly matched teams that are peaking at the right time. Colorado won six consecutive games before a loss to Oregon State in the Pac-12 tournament final. McKinley Wright is one of the most underrated guards in the country and can carry the Buffaloes on his back. Getting past Georgetown will not be easy, though. Patrick Ewing’s team ran through the Big East tournament with four impressive wins. And while some people might think this is just a team that got hot in the final week, the Hoyas had been peaking in the second half of the season with the inside-outside combination of Qudus Wahab and Jahvon Blair doing much of the damage.
Potential upset: Michigan State-Brigham Young. The Spartans do have some business to attend to before facing the Cougars with a First Four matchup against UCLA. The Bruins, however, have been slumping in the final month. Michigan State has the tournament pedigree needed to get through a quick turnaround after that first game. Tom Izzo has been to the Final Four eight times, and his team has been surging in the last three weeks with defeats of Ohio State, Illinois and Michigan. An early exit in the Big Ten tournament may actually be a blessing as it keeps them fresher for the main event. BYU, which lost three times to Gonzaga, has talented guard Alex Barcello as its leader. But the physical Spartans, who were tested in the gritty Big Ten, will be a tough challenge to overcome.
WEST REGION: Why Gonzaga will easily win the West
SOUTH REGION: Watch out for sleeper Arkansas
MIDWEST REGION: Will Illinois benefit from an easier bracket?
The sleeper: Florida State. Leonard Hamilton has never been to a Final Four. And while he has had better teams, this might be his best shot. The Seminoles are seeded fourth and look to be in good shape to get to the Sweet 16. That would likely bring a matchup with Michigan. The Wolverines are the shakiest No. 1 seed in the field with three losses in their last five games and second-leading scorer Isaiah Livers out indefinitely with a food injury. Florida State has the size, athletic ability and three-point shooting to take them out. From there, it’s just one more win between Hamilton and the milestone.
<p><strong>CAPSULES FOR EVERY TEAM: </strong> <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/tourney/2021/03/14/march-madness-ncaa-tournament-bracket-analysis-east-region/4677474001/" target="_blank">East </a>| <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/tourney/2021/03/14/march-madness-ncaa-tournament-bracket-analysis-midwest-region/4678688001/" target="_blank">Midwest </a>| <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/tourney/2021/03/14/march-madness-ncaa-tournament-bracket-analysis-south-region/4678604001/" target="_blank">South </a>| <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/tourney/2021/03/14/march-madness-ncaa-tournament-bracket-analysis-west-region/4678752001/" target="_blank">West</a></p>
The winner: No. 2 Alabama. In a region this balanced, it’s hard to pick among any of the four seeds. Each has a good opportunity to make the Final Four because there isn’t much difference among them. The Crimson Tide and No. 3 Texas are coming off winning their conference tournaments, which makes their potential showdown in the Sweet 16 mouth-watering and possibly decisive in making it out of the bracket. Alabama has been so consistent all season. The Tide are reliant on the three-point shot as much as any team in the field, but cold shooting streaks haven't been an issue because they defend so well. There’s sure to be some nail-biters but Nate Oats gets his team to its first Final Four.
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PRINTABLE BRACKET: The entire 68-team field for the 2021 NCAA Tournament
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