The 2nd-ranked Kentucky Wildcats are the favorite to advance to the Final Four from this region but the 6th-ranked West Virginia Mountaineers could pose a major threat to Kentucky’s hopes. The East regional semi-finals and championship game will be held in Syracuse, NY.
Top contenders
Top-seed Kentucky is a +120 choice to capture the East bracket. In his first year in Lexington, head coach John Calipari has re-energized the loyal Wildcats fan base with a spectacular freshmen class. John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins and Eric Bledsoe could all be heading off to the NBA after the tournament.
Second-seed West Virginia (+200) has some momentum entering March Madness after winning the Big East tournament. Head coach Bob Huggins could be ready to join an elite group of coaches that have guided two programs to a Final Four.
Fourth-seed Wisconsin is the next choice at +650. The 16th-ranked Badgers ugly style of basketball can be difficult for any opponent to deal with. New Mexico (+1200) is the only top four seed in the NCAA field that isn’t from one of the major six power conferences. The Lobos picked up a three seed in the East and are ranked 8th nationally after capturing the Mountain West conference regular season crown.
Sleepers
Eighth-seed Texas (+1500) is an intriguing squad. The Longhorns have struggled in recent outings since being ranked number one in the nation a few weeks ago. Texas would have to get past Kentucky in the second round just to get to the regional semi-finals.
Sixth-seed Marquette and seventh-seed Clemson are next at +2200. The Golden Eagles could be a live threat after battling some of the top squads in the nation in the Big East. Fifth-seed Temple (+2300) isn’t getting much respect despite winning the A-10 crown and being ranked 12th in the final poll entering the tournament. Many college hoops experts were surprised that the Owls didn’t get a third or fourth seed.
Ninth-seed Wake Forest and tenth-seed Missouri round out the listed clubs at +3000. The bottom six seeds in the East bracket are part of the field at +3000. 11th-seed Washington did win the Pac 10 tournament but the weakness of the conference this season has cast some doubts about the credibility of the Huskies. 12th-seed Cornell is viewed by many as a team that could have a legitimate shot at reaching the Sweet 16.
