East Region (Boston)
1.) UConn vs. 16.) Merrimack/Norfolk State
8.) Boise State vs. 9.) Clemson
5.) Illinois vs. 12.) Princeton
4.) Iowa State vs. 13.) Drexel
6.) Colorado State vs. 11.) Michigan State
3.) Duke vs. 14.) Youngstown State
7.) Texas Tech vs. 10.) Northwestern
2.) Tennessee vs. 15.) James Madison
The defending champs, UConn once again find themselves as the top seed in the East region looking for a trip to Boston. The Huskies have been hot on the heels of Purdue for the No. 1 seed and just like Purdue, Dan Hurley’s team just keeps winning. After knocking off St. John’s on Saturday, the Huskies have won 10 straight and have seven quad 1 wins and a 12-2 record in the first two quads.
In the East, the Duke Blue Devils and Michigan State Spartans lurk as the No. 3 and No. 11 seeds respectively. Also here is one of the best defensive teams in the country. The No. 4 seed is the Big 12’s Iowa State Cyclones. They are the 5th best team in defensive efficiency and are the No. 1 team in the nation in both turnover and steal percentage.
Speaking of great coaching jobs, Jerrod Calhoun is doing it again at Youngstown State. The Penguins are 17-6 and have the Horizon League’s best NET ranking heading into Sunday giving them the auto bid in this field. After beginning league play 0-2 the Penguins have won seven of their last eight as they face off with Purdue-Fort Wayne on Sunday.