SI

East Region Breakdown: All Eyes on Duke’s Cooper Flagg 

No. 6 BYU is the classic risky pick to make a deep run that could win you your bracket pool or lose it for you on Day 1.

Kevin Sweeney

Flagg suffered an ankle sprain in the Blue Devils’ ACC tournament quarterfinal win over Georgia Tech and did not play the rest of the way.
Flagg suffered an ankle sprain in the Blue Devils’ ACC tournament quarterfinal win over Georgia Tech and did not play the rest of the way. / Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
In this story:

The selection committee’s work is in the books, and it’s finally time for the 2025 NCAA men’s basketball tournament to get underway. With the entire field finally set after a thrilling regular season, we’re on the verge of seeing which teams have a date with Cinderella, who is about to bust your bracket and which coaches have every right to start complaining about their seed.

Who will make it out of Newark with an eye on cutting down the nets in San Antonio this year? Here’s a breakdown of the East Regional.

State of the No. 1 Seed: Duke Blue Devils

Duke had been rolling along in dominant fashion before its tournament lives flashed before its eyes during the ACC tournament when Cooper Flagg went down with an ankle injury. Worst fears about a more serious injury that could’ve jeopardized his season have been avoided, but Flagg sat for the Blue Devils’ final two tournament games. If he’s not 100%, and sprained ankles rarely are this quickly, what has arguably been the best team in the sport this season gets a bit more vulnerable. There are still plenty of weapons here, with two other likely top-10 picks and a slew of key veterans, but watching the Blue Devils’ collapse in the ACC semifinals against the North Carolina Tar Heels creates some concern about what things might look like with a potentially limited Flagg. At full strength though, this group is pacing to be a historically good team and certainly a major threat to win it all. 

Toughest Draw: No. 3 Wisconsin Badgers

Wisconsin has complaints on multiple fronts. First, the Badgers had hoped (and perhaps expected) to play first- and second-round games in Milwaukee. Instead, the Iowa State Cyclones and Kentucky Wildcats landed there as No. 3 seeds with the Badgers rerouted to Denver. And if that wasn’t enough, the thought of playing the scorching-hot BYU Cougars or super-athletic VCU Rams in the second round is frightening. Survive that, and the Badgers could get rewarded with dates against the Alabama Crimson Tide and Duke just to crack the Final Four. If they get there, they will have been battle-tested. 

Team That Could Bust Your Bracket: No. 6 BYU Cougars

BYU Cougars guard Richie Saunders (15) dribbles the ball while Arizona Wildcats guard KJ Lewis (5) pursues.
Richie Saunders, right, leads BYU with 16 points per game and a 43.3% three-point percentage. / Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images

The Cougars are the classic risky pick to make a deep run that could win you your bracket pool or lose it for you on Day 1. Since Jan. 15, BYU has been a top-10 team nationally per T-Rank, a stretch that includes elite road wins at the Arizona Wildcats and Iowa State and a dominant win over the Kansas Jayhawks. That’s a compelling team to monitor as a potential bracket buster. At the same time, just surviving VCU could be a challenge. The Rams are uber-athletic and one of the best defensive teams in the country, which could cause problems for the Cougars. 

Player to Watch: Cooper Flagg, Duke Blue Devils

Sometimes the obvious choice is the best choice. Flagg’s performance these next three weeks as he tries to lead Duke to a national championship will be legacy-defining as he looks to cement himself as one of the best one-and-done players in college basketball history. It will be fascinating to see how Duke manages his minutes as he returns from the ankle sprain, including whether he sits for at least their opener vs. No. 16 seed American or Mount St. Mary’s. 

Most Intriguing Matchup: No. 6 BYU Cougars vs. No. 11 VCU Rams

This is a fascinating stylistic contrast. VCU wins on athleticism, defense and shotmaking, while BYU runs elite offense and shares the ball as well as anyone in the country. BYU was upset by the Atlantic 10 champion Duquesne Dukes a year ago in a No. 6-vs.-11 matchup, and will look to avoid the same fate this year against a very dangerous Rams team that just won its 28th game of the season. Whichever team advances here could be in for a deep run. 

Regional Finalists: No. 1 Duke Blue Devils vs. No. 2 Alabama Crimson Tide

Expect chalk here, at least at the top. Even with the Flagg injury uncertainty, Duke’s roster is overwhelmingly talented and has enough size and shooting to feel confident in. Alabama is a bit more inconsistent, but this group has Final Four pedigree from last season and the firepower to advance.

Pick to Win the Region: Duke Blue Devils

Overall, it’s a fairly manageable draw for the team that many consider the favorite to win it all. The Flagg injury could throw a wrench in things, as could the Blue Devils’ overall youth and inexperience, but this team has been consistently dominant for months now. Nothing is stopping this team from getting to the Final Four for the first time under Jon Scheyer. 

Best Bet: Arizona (-13.5) vs. Akron

The Zips play at a blistering pace, ranked top 20 in the country in adjusted tempo according to KenPom, but that will play right into Arizona’s hands as the Wildcats bolster a frenetic offense that feasts off transition opportunities. 

The Wildcats should have little issue imposing its will on the Zips, who rank in the bottom five of the country in average height, and bludgeon the MAC championship around the rim and on the glass. 

Arizona had trouble shooting from the perimeter this season, 247th nationally in three-point percentage, which has been its downfall in prior seasons, but the Zips' inability to keep the team away from the rim should lead to plenty of easy baskets for the likes of Caleb Love and emerging big man Henri Veesaar. 

Don’t be scared by prior Arizona teams that have struggled in a battle of halfcourt execution, as Akron will look to push the pace, which will suit Tommy Lloyd’s group well in the first round. 

—Reed Wallach

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

More NCAA Tournament on Sports Illustrated

Published |Modified
Kevin Sweeney
KEVIN SWEENEY

Kevin Sweeney is a staff writer at Sports Illustrated covering college basketball and the NBA draft. He joined the SI staff in July 2021 and also serves host and analyst for The Field of 68. Sweeney is a Naismith Trophy voter and ia member of the U.S. Basketball Writers Association. He is a graduate of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism.

Home/College Basketball