2022 NCAA Tournament: Key storylines and questions for East Region

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - MARCH 12: The Purdue Boilermakers on the court after a time out in the game against the Michigan State Spartans during the second half during the Big Ten Championship at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on March 12, 2022 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images) /

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3. Which is the most likely first-round upset?

Walter-Warner

No. 11 seed Virginia Tech has a real shot to knock off the Longhorns and that’s probably the best bet for an upset in the region. These teams are trending in opposite directions and Virginia Tech is
on fire entering the NCAA Tournament, while Texas has been confounding all year. If Virginia Tech can beat Duke, it can beat Texas. No. 12 Indiana versus No. 5 Saint Mary’s also has a shot.

Mauro

This is also going to be the most trendy upset pick in the tournament as well and it is the Virginia Tech Hokies over the Texas Longhorns. Texas was the preseason national champion because the roster was loaded on paper.

However, it is clear that the roster never worked out, there were chemistry issues all year, guys upset about their playing time, and unhappy with roles that Texas could never reach their full potential. Virginia Tech also has something that is going to be able to neutralize Chris Beard and his patented no-middles defense and that is one of the best shooting teams in the country.

Virginia Tech makes almost 40% of their threes and if they are hitting early it should pull the Longhorn defense out and allow the Hokies to get whatever they want. I have Virginia Tech in the sweet 16

Schroeder

This is easy. Virginia Tech is the hottest team in college basketball. The Hokies just swept through the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament with wins over Notre Dame, North Carolina, and Duke. Texas has dropped three straight and the LongHorn offense is stuck in the mud.

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