NCAA Tournament: East Regional game-by-game breakdown

March Madness is finally here!

Nolan O'Hara | Mar 18, 2024

NCAA Tournament: East Regional game-by-game breakdown /

It's officially NCAA Tournament week, with all the March Madness action kicking off on Tuesday and Wednesday with First Four games. The bracket was officially released Sunday, with 68 teams set to compete for a national title.

It should be an exciting week of action!

Here, we're going to take a look at the games in the East Regional, which features a pair of Big Ten teams as well as top overall seed Connecticut.

No. 1 Connecticut vs. No. 16 Stetson

Connecticut won the Big East Conference title on Saturday with a 73-57 victory over Marquette. The defending champion Huskies have only lost three games this season and appear to be in good position to defend their crown. They feature a balanced scoring attack with five players averaging double figures — Tristen Newton (15.2 ppg), Cam Spencer (14.5 ppg), Alex Karajan (13.9 ppg), Donovan Clingan (12.5 ppg), Stephon Castle (10.8 ppg). Stetson won the Atlantic Sun Conference title with a 94-91 victory over Austin Peay. Sam Peek and Cynclier Harrison lead the Hatters at 12.9 and 11.0 points per game, respectively. .

Our pick: Connecticut by 25

Why? DraftKings has the Huskies as a 23.5-point favorite, and we don't see the defending champs bowing out particularly early.

No. 8 FAU vs. No. 9 Northwestern

FAU may have lost the during the American Athletic Conference Tournament 74-73 to Temple, but it still earned an NCAA Tournament bid behind some quality victories. FAU has a trio of players averaging double figures, led by Johnell Davis (18.2 ppg). Seven-foot-1 Russian center Vladislav Golden averages 15.6 points and Alijah Martin averages 13.3. Northwestern lost to Wisconsin during the Big Ten Tournament, but there's still reason to believe the Wildcats could make some noise in the Big Dance. Guard Boo Buie put on a show in the Big Ten Tournament and averages 19.2 points per game. They're also an experienced squad, and three other players average double figures. DraftKings has the Wildcats as a 1.5-point favorite, and we like them to cover.

Our pick: Northwestern by 8

Why? While the Owls have some quality wins this season, including a victory over Texas A&M, they haven't been as battle-tested on a weekly basis as the Wildcats.

No. 5 San Diego State vs. No. 12 UAB

The Aztecs are no stranger to the NCAA Tournament and are back again in 2024 despite losing to former Gophers coach Richard Pitino's New Mexico Lobos in the Mountain West Conference championship. Jaedon Lee is a scoring machine for the Aztecs, averaging 21.1 points per contest. UAB booked its ticket to the Big Dance with a convincing 85-69 victory over Temple in the American Athletic Conference championship game on Sunday. UAB has four players who average double figures, led by Yaxel Lendenborg's 13.8 per game.

Our pick: San Diego State by 15

Why? The Aztecs will go into this one as a 7.5-point favorite, per DraftKings, and we're not going to doubt coach Brian Dutcher's track record in the NCAA Tournament.

No. 4 Auburn vs. No. 13 Yale

Auburn beat Florida in the SEC title game on Sunday and has only lost seven games all season. The Tigers are led by Johni Broome, who averages 16.2 points per game. Yale booked its ticket to the tourney with a narrow 62-61 victory over Brown in the Ivy League championship Sunday. Danny Wolf at 14.3 points per game leads a quartet of double-digit scorers for the Bulldogs, who are 12.5-point underdogs to the Tigers.

Our pick: Auburn by 3

Why? Yale might make things interesting, but we don't see it pulling off the upset.

Mar 17, 2024; Nashville, TN, USA; Auburn Tigers guard Chaney Johnson (31) reacts after shooting a three pointer in the first half against the Florida Gators in the SEC Tournament championship game at Bridgestone Arena / Credit: Steve Roberts-USA TODAY Sports

No. 6 BYU vs. No. 11 Duquesne

The Cougars have a balanced scoring attack that features a quartet of double-digit scorers, led by Jaxson Robinson's 13.9 points per game. Duquesne is the feel-good story of the tournament, making its first appearance in the Big Dance since 1977. Coach Keith Dambrot also announced that he plans to retire after the tournament run. The Dukes aren't just a feel-good story though, they also have the credentials coming off an Atlantic 10 Conference title. They also have a top-tier scorer in Dae Dae Grant, who averages 16.7 points per game.

Our pick: Duquesne by 5

Why? While DraftKings likes BYU by 7.5 points, we think the Dukes might just make a little magic in March.

No. 3 Illinois vs. No. 14 Morehead State

The Illini enter their first-round matchup against Morehead State fresh off a Big Ten title. Terrence Shannon Jr. put on a show during the conference tournament and was named the most outstanding player after scoring 74 points in their last two games. Morehead State and leading scorer Riley Minix — who averages 20.8 points per game — are fresh off an Ohio Valley Conference title, and they've only lost eight games this season.

Our pick: Illinois by 20

Why? DraftKings like the Illini but 13.5 points, and we like them by even more after a dominant showing in the Big Ten Tournament.

Mar 17, 2024; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Terrence Shannon Jr. (0) goes to the basket over Wisconsin Badgers forward Tyler Wahl (5) in the second half at Target Center / Credit: Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports

No. 7 Washington State vs. No. 10 Drake

Isaac Jones and Myles Rice each average over 15 points per game for the Cougars, who bowed out of the Pac-12 tourney with a loss to Colorado. Drake, meanwhile, beat top-seeded Indiana State for the Missouri Valley Conference title and has lost just six games. Tucker DeVries leads the charge for the Bulldogs, averaging 21.8 points per contest.

Our pick: Drake by 4

Why? Despite the Cougars being a 1.5-point favorite, we like the momentum the Bulldogs are carrying into the Big Dance and envision an upset.

No. 2 Iowa State vs. No. 15 South Dakota State

Iowa State is flying high off a 69-41 Big 12 championship game victory over then-No. 1 Houston on Saturday. The Jackrabbits will have their work cut out for them against a top-tier Cyclones team that's ranked No. 4 in the final Associated Press poll and has a quartet of double-digit scorers. But South Dakota State did win a Summit League title and has four double-digit scorers of its own, led by Zeke Mayo's 18.8 points per game. But after beating a dominant Houston team on a big stage, DraftKings has the Cyclones as a 16.5-point favorite, and we don't see them bowing out too early.

Our pick: Iowa State by 15

Why? The Jackrabbits will keep it close for a while, but the Cyclones pull away eventually.