EAST REGION BRACKET BREAKDOWN

(upbeat music) - Okay, it is bracket time. What's, is that Bruce Buffer's name is? - Yes. - It's time. It's bracket time. - Baby, we're gonna get right into this thing. We're not gonna do any intros, and we're doing intros right now. We're not doing any news and notes and stuff. Maybe we'll do injuries within the region. We'll talk about it, but we're gonna go to the region by region. This is the East region episode if you're listening. If you hear this right now, that means there is a West region episode, a Midwest region episode, a South region episode, and then a final four and overall tournament episode. Also, all out, so go watch all of them. This won't be too long. I hope, although like our good friend Christian, he said he was gonna do a 20 minute recap. He did 40. But we're gonna go East region, game by game, all of our picks, superlatives, all of these different things about each region. This is fully on the East region. The top left of the bracket, Duke, we're gonna fill it out. We're gonna talk to every single game. - It's hard to play in real quick. This is the first one we're doing. I just wanna wish you a happy, same Patrick's day. - And happy birthday, mom. - Happy birthday, mom. - It's Nancy's birthday today. She's a great lady. - She's a goat. - She's a good herself. Shall we go on? - Yes, let's do it. - Okay, we're gonna go game by game and we're just gonna talk about it. And we're gonna fill out the brackets so you can hang with us here. Sounds good? - Yes. - I'm taking Duke to win their first game. - Me too, but I do wanna make a note that Sienna probably should not have been a 16 seed. - Anyway. - We can move on. - Queen should have been a 16 seed, I think. - Oh, yes, I agree. - But, sorry. Whatever, you gotta play Duke. Ohio State TCU, the first game of the tournament, diabolical that they made as the first game, because not only is it, make us feel good about the bracket. Give me a one in 16, or maybe a two 15, just to get us started, maybe something crazy happens, but just give me a right pick, but now you got a 50/50 chance, because one, it's a tough game to pick. Two, these two teams are playing at the quality well above an eight and nine right now. And it makes it really tough to pick. - Yeah, just give America a favor here. Give us a one seed and a two seed immediately. That way, either we both get it right, or it's immediate chaos, and everybody's happy. - Everyone's happy, everyone's happy. - This game is one of the hardest first games I can remember picking. - I feel like every first game of the tournament is always like a 6/11, 8/9. It's always a hard game. - Yup, I'll start from you. Ryan, I have Bruce Thornton. - I'm taking TCU. - I wanna take Bruce Thornton, but TCU has more of a chance to be Duke than Ohio State doesn't my opinion. - I think you are correct. I don't think TCU can afford to get into a shootout. I think that's what Ohio State is going to do here. I have OSU with the win. - I don't think Ohio State has played against a team that blitzes ball screens and blitzes and high ball pressure on guards all year like TCU and big 12 teams do. TCU's known for that. They rotate inside, Ohio State's bigs aren't fantastic. I, but Bruce Thornton and John Moe will be even so good. If I don't, like, I'm happy, I'll happily get this game wrong 'cause I won't root against this Ohio State team. - I do think you are right that TCU has the better chance to knock off Duke than Ohio State. - Oh, absolutely. I don't think Ohio State stands a single chance to knock off Duke, but TCU could. They've done, they've beaten great teams all year so they've kind of proven that. Yeah, I'm going to TCU, you're by Ohio State. Let's just go first round game, go down, down the list. - Sure. - Number five, St. John's and number 12 Northern Iowa. This game is wildly interesting. Let me talk about St. John's. Everyone has penciled them in for the Dark Horse, Elite 8 run, Final Four. They're saying that one, Duke is not healthy, so someone's got to come out of there. St. John's is in playing great. I don't trust them. I think this is the same trap as last year with St. John's. This year, they played three tournament teams in the non-conferencing league, three teams that are in the tournament this year. That was Alabama, Iowa State, Kentucky. They lost all of them. Auburn also beat them in the non-conslate, so they didn't beat a single good team in the non-conslate, but then they get the Big E's play. They dominate because the Big E style was 6% slower than their non-conslate. 5% less three's attempted all around in these Big E's games. There's more reliance on rebounding and physicality and less on the guard play. So the style in the Big E's favor St. John's. It's the same thing that happened last year. They went one and two versus non-con tournament teams. And then in the Big E's, they absolutely dominate. They're Big E's champions. They get to a 2C. They lose the Arkansas in the second round. I think Kansas is a similar style to what that Arkansas team was in a little bit at least and enough to be different than what St. John's is used to. Ken St. John's go to the sweet 16 without a doubt. Without a doubt, they can. I don't think they have what it takes to win to beat Northern Iowa, to beat Kansas and to beat Duke, which people love. They're gonna have to rely on their guard play a lot more than they have in the Big E's because of the style, I think. And I also think the UNI matchup is very sneaky because UNI plays very slow. They defend the fast break. The best team in the country defending the fast break which St. John's loves to score on. And the one by one problem is that they defend the three so well, but St. John's doesn't rely on that the score. And St. John's is rebounding advantage. It's gonna be a problem. That's why I'm picking St. John's. But all those things together is why I don't trust in the Big E's turn around. - Well, I don't really have to say that much because you just said a lot of the four. - Sorry, I just had to go. - No, I appreciate that. - You and I are in a great, so I wanna make one thing very clear. We live in New Jersey. I am very, I root for St. John's. - How can you not? - I love St. John's. I love St. John's. I love Patino. I also am getting very similar vibes to last year. And we've been concerned about their guards all year. This is the last game in the first round that I filled in. - Really? This is the toughest game for you. - I have you and I. - Ooh. - Yeah. - You were gonna pick Kansas anyway. - Or Dom Daniel's. - Yes. - Yeah, I do love Dom Daniel's. I've been, I've said to you kind of, I don't think St. John's is getting out of the first weekend. - Yeah, whether it's the first game or something. - Whether it's the first game or second game, I do agree with you that like, you and I strength is already St. John's weakness, so that doesn't give them some advantage. But I do think you and I has experience. They're well coached. I think that they, the one thing that St. John's does that I don't think people realize is they like to play up tempo on offense. They'll slow you down and slog you down on defense 'cause they press all game. They like man press. But offensively they wanna run. I think you and I can control the tempo a little bit here. - You and I in the last 10 games is number one in the country at limiting fast break points for game. And the Drake last year, I bring up because in the last 10 games, Northern Iowa is shooting 41% from three. They're one of the best teams in the country and Drake Campbell has been unbelievable. So think of the Drake Missouri game last year where when a slow pace team, I point to this pace stuff a lot. When a slow pace team is hitting their shots, like you and I has been lately, they will control the flow of the game because they're in the lead in the driving seat. And I could see St. John's panicking and it being like, how did St. John's losing Northern Iowa? - And like this happens with the MVC teams every year. - MVC teams are better than they win more than they don't in the tournament. - They notoriously are good at slowing down big teams. So I have, no one's picking his ups that by the way. - I know, I don't feel wonderful about it, but I have you and I. Here's what I'll say. The reason it was the last thing I put in the whole first round of the bracket is I filled out everything else and I went, oh man, like St. John's is playing unbelievable basketball. I like to match up. I need another upset here. - And if you're gonna, if you're hell bent, if you're taking Kansas past when you win the game anyway. - I know what, no matter what. - It's one of those opportunities to be like, you know what, why not? - Yeah, it's a good enough matchup. I like the MVC, I like you and I. So I have them winning. - And we both have Kansas winning the next game, but Calbat is interesting. Dom Daniels, if you haven't seen him play, go watch a tape, he's crazy. He's like, you won't miss him. - It reminds me a little bit of Darius McGee at Liberty where it's like, what am I watching right now? He's insane, the small, shifty guard. Calbat is eight years in D1. This is their first tournament game. In their eight years in D1, they have never beaten a top 50 ranked team. - And technically. - Ever. - By the way, they're top 50 defense this year. - Yeah, they defend the three. Like, is Calbat is gonna defend Deren Peterson? I'll gladly be wrong if they do really well. - The story is going to. - The story should feast. - Right, if they can stop Florida, Badunga, the fog dog, Melvin council. And Deren Peterson and co, I will gladly be wrong. I have a blind trust out, I'll get ahead of myself. I have a blind trust in big 12 teams this year also. - Give me Bill, self and Deren Peterson, but yeah, Dom Daniels, fifth leading scorer in the country. 23 points of game. Calbat has a good defense. They are a good team. Weirder things have happened, but I have Kansas. - Let's roll down. Michigan State and North Dakota State. We both have Michigan State. - I think you skipped a game. - No, I know, I'm going to that one first. - Okay. - Yeah, I have Michigan State. - The other one has more words to talk about. - I do have Michigan State, but I think NDSU has a fighting chance here. They have five guys who shoot three or more, three is a game. - Michigan State is so good. - I think they're gonna out tough them. I think they're gonna out tough them. I think free throw disparity is how they win this one. - I don't know if Michigan State fans are gonna let me pick them to win multiple games. - No, they're not. - But, too bad. - Yeah. - Because their path is great. Okay, I have Michigan State also. Louisville against South Florida. This is one of those games. Louisville, South Florida is one of those games where I'm picking the upset and I will not miss out on that. They play, they both play a fast style. It's open, a lot of threes. They're gonna score a lot of points. Louisville is front court, not good. Do not trust it at all. And South Florida is the best team in the country at creating second chance points. Amazing offensive rebounding team. They have high major level athleticism in players. Isaiah Nelson is like a little bit of a version of what Yaxle was in the American for UAB. Obviously, obviously out of the same conference. They played a really tough non-conciliate. They beat a couple of high major and power teams. They've been much better the second half of the year in the American. They dominated. They won both regular season and the Commerce title. Louisville also shoots a lot of threes. Top, bless you. - Excuse me. - Louisville also shoots, I think fourth most threes in the entire country. USF defense, the three very well. They look great defensively the other day. They got West Ennis. Thank you. opinion and Michael Brown not at full strength, but he should be playing Brian Hodgson head coach going to his hometown in Buffalo. Don't know if that matters a ton, but they will have an extra crowd with them. Another one of those situations where it's to me, it's an even game toss up game in every way possible 50 50 and when I see a 50 50 game with a seed disparity and a chance for an upset. That's an opportunity that I don't want to miss out on. Everyone's taking South Florida that doesn't scare me off it because I don't let everyone else's opinion change that, but there have also been so many upsets in the past where it's like it was so obvious when you watch it was like the Colorado State one last year over Memphis. I think it feels like that where I will not miss out on it. I will not miss out and I'm gonna take Michigan State to the sweet 16 anyway. Yep, I'm not over thinking this one either. I have USF playing great basketball. I do think Hodgson has something to prove. You've already seen the story about like first game his dad's ever seen him coach, which is really cool, which is really because he has that I mentioned so he's never seen him he's never seen him coach. So this will be the first time he ever sees that which is really cool. Louisville, one of the most disappointing teams in the country from preseason expectations to now I think they get knocked off, but right and there their inability to beat good teams is here makes me confident that they will not make a tournament run. Yeah. So I'll gladly have them lose early if they win a game or two then they lose then so yeah I'm with you. I'm in on the upside here. Okay, let's roll down then to the 710 UCLA UCF. I think we're both on UCLA. We've talked a lot about them. The UCF is good and the right behind you shout UCF. I don't want to oh, which by the way we have the jerseys behind us. We're trying to do the region stuff. We only had South Florida and UCF for this region, but the other regions will have all four shout out rockers. And shout out rockers shout out Tulsa. Rockers the crown champion future crown champions. That's right. That's right. But UCLA UCF I think it's a pace game. UCF is gonna be a little hectic. UCLA is gonna be raindown. UCLA's hitting their shots like they have been playing so well lately. Bill and Donovan are good to go by the way. They're both gonna be playing and fine. I think UCLA controls this game and they should win this game and I want to see UCLA Yukon so bad. Yeah, me too. UCF really wants to slow you down on on offense. Well, UCLA likes to play slow and they find their shots. No problem. I love how battle tested UCF is. Hate how they finish the season. Yeah, they're not. So I also UCLA finished season. Best in the country. Yeah, I have UCLA here. Bill and Don't dent our 100% they can legitimately make a final four. UCLA in the last five games. Fifth best team in the country in Dwarf. I mean, yeah. Okay, Yukon Ferman. We talked a lot about Ferman the other day. Yeah. If there's a 15-seed to win it's Ferman, I am still taking Yukon. Yeah, Alex Wilkins can play so can the Bowser brothers. But yeah, I got Bowser and mini Bowser. You're not a big Super Mario Brothers kind of guy. I mean, I know them enough. Okay, baby Bowser. Mini Bowser. Sure. There's no it's baby peach. We're not gonna do this. And baby Mario, baby Luigi, but they do mini Bowser or Bowser Jr. Actually, sorry, it's Bowser Jr. College basketball. Bowser Jr. Well, that's not true. That's not true. Okay, let's go to the second round. You have Duke and Ohio State. I have Duke and TCU. I have Duke winning. I mentioned TCU's ability to win this game, but I have no confidence they're gonna win the first round game. And I am taking Duke. I think there's people are at a came to say this. People are under rating Duke. I think they are too. I have Duke winning as well. Yeah, buy them over Ohio State. Yeah. We you have you and I can this. I have Kansas St. John's. We both have Kansas winning though. We both have can't we both have Kansas winning. Yeah, I will say St. John's Kansas would be one of my favorite games of the second. Latino and Bill self. Yeah, the coaching in this region is insane. It's the programs in this region are insane. Yeah, South Florida Michigan State. I have Michigan State. I I won't miss out on the South Florida upset in the first round. If they win their first round game, I would want to change my bracket and have them in the second round game. Yeah, but I think Michigan State can give them a little bit. The athleticism will limit their their second chances and how South Florida wins throughout athleticism. It's a completely opposite style Louisville Michigan State. And I don't think the two-day flip will be beneficial to them or one day rest to prepare for Michigan State after playing Louisville. Yeah, this bottom part of the region. I think has the potential to go horribly wrong for me and for everybody. Like it could be Louisville. Yeah, I can be all read down here because I'm so in my head and I switched a bunch down here. I like I've been tinkering since 10 minutes ago. You saw me up. So you have this game. I have USF. Okay, you don't want to miss out. No, I don't want to miss it. But let me I have I have some some sound. I think sound reasoning here. The big 10 Ryan. I don't know if you know this a little bit of a slog. I do know that. The only two teams at Michigan State has played since January that have a top 150 pace are Michigan and Wisconsin. They're own three against those teams in the last two games. And the last two teams. One three since January the Michigan games aren't there. My point is the only team they beat in 2026 with the top 150 paces. You see USC. But they haven't played a lot of them either. Well, they're about to get somebody who they go back to play a team who's well coached Isaiah Nelson's NBA good and they put Arkansas in the beginning of the year. They handle that relative. It's a good game. I understand. I was in November. I hear your saying. It's been a long time. They're going to USF is going to get the tempo up. There is rumor on the street that all the hammer brothers hate Michigan State. I'm taking them. I'm taking them. I have I have USF here. USF. I'm looking ahead here. USF is the only double digit seat I have in the sweet 16. They would be the one that I would consider the most out of any other. There's one other team later on. I'll talk about it. And again, I realize that they're kind of like this sexy pick right now and everybody's doing it. But I can't miss out. You'll have this. This has so much. This may remind me so much of New Mexico is in 11. So when they law it, they got to ask you first Clemson. Yeah. I would pick them till you lead it again again and again and again. I've thought about a couple things here. But I have USF. Okay. You see a versus you. I have you come. And again, this is another one I flip flopped on. Like I in my notes here, it says you. Oh, I'm just going to read it. It says UCLA over you kind of first glance, but a virtual home game for you. You see a in what Philly. You see a yeah. Well, UCLA losing in Philly Ryan feels like the microne and travel chronicles coming to an end. No, when you see a wins this game, he's going to be like, yeah, can you believe we had to come all the Philly? Honestly, yeah, that's what I mean. Oh, okay. This is the end of the story. I think terrace read and caravan are too much inside. I think solo shoots the ball better than he has been. Silas Demory is the difference Yukon wins. He is. I have UCLA. They've been playing so well. I think this game could be a dog fight that UCLA has been winning those games like their Michigan State win. It basically say wins. Sorry in the big 10 they beat Nebraska. They beat in so many big 10 teams that are playing relatively slower paces. Yukon plays a big 10 style of basketball and UCLA is playing great. I think you see. F is probably going to be beating UCLA. This is one of the opportunities where I am not fully convinced on Yukon. Although I do think that Yukon is getting the anti St John's effect. We're everyone everyone is saying St John's is playing so well in the big east. They're going to go far. Yukon is not. They're not. Yukon in the non conslee. They always always they almost be errors. Yes, but they almost be Arizona without terrace read. They lost that one game. They beat Florida. They beat Illinois. They beat Texas. I think I'm missing one of their great great ones also. Like they were they beat Florida. I said that. They were so so good at the noncon and then the biggy style wasn't friendly to them. That's because they're better. They're really not idiot. They're better built for March. I grit. I sold agree with that being said. There's still something about it that I don't trust. They haven't been the same Yukon that I want them to be the trust to go far. And you see a lot is playing great. I'm taking UCLA. Nice. I like it. Those four teams that we just mentioned, USF, MSU, UCLA and Yukon. Man, that's a lot of fun. But the good news is that you have it one way and I have it the other. Well, no, this means Louisville is going to come out there. Obviously Louis Louis obviously coming out of here. Okay. Sweet 16 Duke versus Kansas. We both have that. Yeah. Right. I have Kansas winning. Wow. Yeah. I can see it. They get to this point. Yeah. Look. I've we're talking about this last week. Wow. Duke got screwed with this straw. They may have to go through a really athletic tough guard tough tough coach tape against TCU. That doesn't make any sense. Tough to watch. Then they get either Kansas or Zubi. Then they get Yukon or MSU. I just think it's a lot. I do look. You're the answer. Turn of it. You're probably right that Duke is underrated a bit analytically. They're like one of the best teams in the last decade. Yeah. And I get that. But I'm not there yet on the injuries. I want to see. I want to see these guys come back. So Kale Foster is not going to come back till maybe the final four. I know. Pat got Pat Gongba is going to be is going to be playing. Everyone is on. Oh, Kaleb and Pat and play. They don't look the same or they're worried that the Kale Foster injury. People didn't realize that they won the AC tournament and they didn't have Pat Pat is the bigger is the bigger. He's the most important part of the team. Honestly. He is the most important player on the team. And we kind of talked about Florey. He's been playing really good basketball. Oh, that's a great. That's what I mean. Wow. And then the perimeter defenders against Darren also. Kaden Bootter has been playing better. I think this is a game that Isaiah Evans goes crazy. This is the game. This is the team game. I am taking Duke. Although you I pictured it in my brain for a second. I said, damn, I'm pretty sure Trey White just hit like nine threes and their peers and so crazy and and the fall dog Melvin council. When Kansas is at their best, they can be anybody in the country. Yeah. Damn. I love. Bill himself. D.P. By the way, Darren Peterson. I'm going to go out in the limper and say you play 36 plus minutes in all these games. I think Darren Peterson is going to play and be amazing in the tournament without a doubt. I'm taking Duke by the way in this game. Okay. Michigan State versus your Yukon versus my UCLA. I mentioned it before. This is a rematch of for me. This is a rematch of games that Michigan State has not been doing well and they did beat UCLA. I think at home by like 20 sub in, but then they just lost them the tournament. I am taking Michigan State for a venture. I want to - Correct you here, I have USF. What? - I have USF against you, Con. - My fault. I forgot about that, sorry. - I have you, Con winning, I won't belabor it. - Yeah, at that point, you're getting, at that point, you are solely the sole reason that you were giving a death set in the first round, USF. USF, by the way, I think is the second or third game of the first day. - Yeah, I hate that. - The immediate slate is a really tough eight-nine game, and then three really popular upsets. - Oh, brackets busted, immediately. - By three o'clock on Thursday, my bracket could be ripped up into pieces, but that's the way, that is the way it should be. Ryan and the elite eight, I have Yukon over Kansas. Dan Hurley, top 10 defense twice in his first seven seasons at Yukon. Back to back national titles, they are number 11 in defense, heading into this tournament. - Wow. - I like Hurley back in the final four. - And I have Duke over Michigan State and Duke go to the final four, the all-man. I was so, they forced all these big brands and big teams and coaches. This is the region I'm gonna be at in the first 16 of the day, I could not be more excited. - It doesn't matter who's playing. - I think this is the hardest region to pick. - Yeah, I agree. I am gonna, I pick a lot with heart and gut. There, I also use my brain and data and whatever. Duke has been so damn good all year. They're getting pat back. Caleb Fodden, now I'm in Caleb Foster is a problem. I am just gonna close my eyes and trust everything I've seen all year for them. I haven't watched these teams so much. Duke has been to me, the second best team in the country all year long. They are rated the first, second best in terms of there have been moments where I get worried, text to text second half. A couple of times throughout the year, where I'm like, what am I watching right now? This is not the same Duke team, but there haven't been many. And Arizona is the only team that's been consistently as or more elite every single day, every single game. But I'm just gonna blindly trust Duke. If this was a matchup, Duke Michigan State, they played it earlier in the year, Duke won that game in the Brezzlin Center. If I remember, yeah, they're are correctly. I also am not gonna project that far out. People will say, we'll get into the Florida Houston one later. But if you have a rematch, who do you think is going to win that game? Well, yeah, if I like Florida better, if I like Duke or Michigan State better in the matchup, but they, how am I gonna project that Michigan State even gets there? And Duke even get-- - Neither of us have Duke, Yukon. - No, that would be pinnacle college basketball to get to the Final Four. - Yeah, but really good. - Oh my God, I have Duke to the Final Four. - I have Yukon. - All right, let's do a couple of superlatives and then we'll go to the next region, okay? - Let's do it. - Superlatives for the East region. Are your picks come out to the Final Four is? - Yukon. - Mine is Duke. Your biggest Cinderella potential is-- - UCLA. - What about South Florida? - Yeah. - Mine is funny. So mine is South Florida, but you-- - But you picked UCLA. - I picked UCLA to the sweet 16 and you picked USF to the sweet 16. - Yeah. - Okay, well that doesn't make sense, but sure. - I think UCLA can make a final four. I don't think USF is gonna get out of the sweet 16. - I've trusted Donovan Denilat in my brackets. I'm doing it one more time. I don't have them doing it, but I think UCLA has the biggest potential to do it. - Okay, that's funny. - I know, we flip flopped off. - Okay, toughest game. - By the way, that showed you that neither of us are confident in our picks here. - Yes, this region is tough. Toughest game to pick in this entire region. - St. John G. and I was the hardest for me. - Mine was Yukon UCLA. That's a tough one. Lois seed that you could see making the final four. - I kind of already teased it, but UCLA. That's why I figured mine is Kansas to four seed. I think there's a world where they go absolutely crazy that leads me into the next one. One player you think could absolutely take over, absolutely Darren Peterson. - Should we just do it on the A's and say, let's just do it on three, but you already said it. - There's a world where he goes stupid, crazy. And then he gets back to locking up the number one draft fixed status, I think. Any other player that you think, like Donovan Denilat could go crazy too. - Yeah, but the answer is Darren Peterson here. - Dom Daniels. - I'm so excited for people to watch him. Any other player in this region that you think, like you mentioned Silas Demory before, any other player you think could step up and be like, "Wow, that guy had a crazy great few games to get out for a store." - Ryan Conwell. - Ooh, that's a good pull. - No one's talking about Louisville. - No one. And it's Mike Hill Brown. - I know Mike Hill Brown. - But Ryan Conwell is a better player. - He's a, yeah. - He gets score 40 points. - Like if Louisville's gonna win a game or two, it's gonna be on the back of Ryan Conwell. - Just going crazy, going like six for eight from three or something, wow like that. I think that's a great pull, that's a great call. Okay, that's our East region episode. Anything else you wanna bring up by the East? - No, again, incredible. Like hardest region for me to pick, the bottom I think has potential to go in four different ways. But this is gonna be a fun one. - It absolutely will be just getting to water. It absolutely will be first. - This is also the bracket with the first game, 12, 15 or whatever. - They have one of the early Slates, which is exciting. This is the East region, if you wanna watch the West, if you watch or listen to the West, Midwest, South, and Final Four, go do that. They are on the channel where you ever, you found this. I'm ever flat for them. So, yeah. (upbeat music)