East Region (Newark)
Lexington
1.) Tennessee vs. 16.) Central Connecticut State
8.) BYU vs. 9.) Indiana
Providence
5.) Uconn vs. 12.) Drake
4.) North Carolina vs. 13.) High Point
Milwaukee
6.) Texas vs. 11.) Dayton
3.) Wisconsin vs. 14.) North Florida
Lexington
7.) Texas Tech vs. 10.) New Mexico
2.) Alabama vs. 15.) Northern Colorado
The final No. 1 seed is in the East region, and it goes to the Tennessee Volunteers. The Vols enter December at 7-0 and their trademark defense is off to a strong start giving up 54.7 points per game. Tennessee has a 15-point win over Baylor and a win over Louisville that should improve as the season goes on. They earned the top seed on the back of a resume average of five and predictive metrics all in the top three. Rick Barnes’ team has one more test in the non-conference against Illinois, before beginning league play with Arkansas, Florida, and Texas.
The rest of the East region has a couple of teams that need to improve their defense in No. 2 seed Alabama and No. 4 seed North Carolina. The Crimson Tide have given up over 81 points per game over their last seven and the Tar Heels need to find a consistent interior presence. UNC ranks 282nd in offensive rebounding percentage entering December, and their leading rebounder, Jae’Lyn Withers, has as many rebounds, 5.9, as Elliot Cadeau has assists. Also lurking is No. 5 seed UConn who slips down the seed list after an 0-3 trip to Maui.
The team to keep an eye on is the No. 3 seed Wisconsin who was picked to finish 11th in the Big Ten. The 8-0 Badgers find themselves as a top-three seed thanks to a 15-point win over Arizona and a victory over Pittsburgh. Senior transfer John Tonje has been a star for the Badgers, averaging 22 points, five rebounds, and two assists, as well as shooting 42% from deep. Wisconsin will be tested in its next three games against Marquette, Illinois, and Butler.