With the 2026 NCAA men's tournament upon us, here's everything you need to know about the East region.
[More regional breakdowns: West | Midwest | South]
Who are the favorites?
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No. 1 Duke (+300 to win the national title at BetMGM)
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No. 2 UConn (+2200)
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No. 4 Kansas (+4000)
Duke is the No. 1 overall seed after a 32-2 campaign that featured a 17-1 record in ACC play and a win over fellow No. 1 seed Michigan on a neutral court. UConn had a shot at securing a No. 1 seed, but settled for a 2 seed after losing to St. John's in the Big East tournament championship. No. 4 seed Kansas is actually a betting favorite over No. 3 seed Michigan State (+5000), thanks largely to the presence of potential No. 1 NBA Draft pick Darryn Peterson in its backcourt.
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When will the No. 1 seed go down?
Duke rightfully earned the No. 1 after largely steamrolling the ACC. Its only conference loss arrived via a last-second buzzer beater on the road against rival North Carolina. Duke's only non-conference loss was an 82-81 defeat to Texas Tech in December.
The Blue Devils posted a 12-2 record against ranked teams that includes a win over then-No. 1 Michigan on Feb. 21. They survived tough games against Florida State and Virginia to claim the ACC tournament championship.
But they are vulnerable. Duke suffered significant setbacks when starting point guard Caleb Foster and starting center Patrick Ngongba both sustained foot injuries late in the season. Both were in walking boots and missed the ACC tournament.
Ngongba is working toward a return and could potentially be ready to play this week. But his playing status and return date is unclear. Foster's injury is more serious, and he's only projected to make a return late in the tournament if at all. For a Duke team that runs a tight rotation, this is a lot to overcome in a single-elimination tournament. An upset loss in a tough regional final is very much on the board.
Who is the Cinderella of the region?
Cinderella is going to have a tough time in the East. Outside of Duke, the East boasts championship pedigree and some of the game's best coaches in UConn's Dan Hurley, Michigan State's Tom Izzo, Kansas' Bill Self and St. John's Rick Pitino. That's a murderer's row of college basketball coaches who will make life tough for any up-and-coming challengers.
But if you insist on tabbing a Cinderella out of the East, there are worse places to look than No. 12 seed Northern Iowa. The Panthers boast one of the best defenses of mid-major teams, ranking 24th in KenPom's adjusted defensive efficiency and a remarkable fifth in the nation in defensive rating.
They'll face a St. John's team that fell as a No. 2 seed in the second round last March and enters the NCAA tournament without an established No. 1 point guard. This could be a team ripe for upset against a strong defense. After that, UNI would face a potential matchup against No. 4 Kansas, which has been one of the nation's most volatile teams this season. Kansas could advance to the Final Four — or lose to Northern Iowa in the second round.
Biggest upset of the region?
This leads up back to Kansas. The Jayhawks at their best can compete with the best teams in the nation. They have six wins over ranked teams, including upsets of then-No. 1 Kansas, No. 2 Iowa State and No. 5 Houston.
They also lost multiple games to unranked opponents, including late-season duds against Cincinnati and Arizona State teams that did not make the NCAA tournament field. This is a Jekyll and Hyde unit that can lose on any given day if its not at its best. We wouldn't suggest betting on it, but a first-round loss to No. 13 Cal Baptist team that boasts a solid defense (No. 50 in KenPom, No. 34 defensive rating) and a guard in Dominique Daniels Jr. who can light up the scoreboard (23.2 points per game) wouldn't be stunning.
Players to watch
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Duke F Cameron Boozer
If Duke does advance to the Final Four and beyond, it will be on the back of Boozer, the leading candidate for National Player of the Year honors from a stacked field. Boozer has done nothing but exceed the expectations that he arrived with at Duke as the team's leader on the court and in the box score.
The do-it-all 6-foot-9 forward is averaging 22.5 points, 10.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 56.5% from the field and 40.9% from 3. He's an inside-out threat who projects conservatively as a top-five NBA Draft pick.
With Foster and potentially Ngongba set to miss more time, the load will be that much heavier on Boozer in the NCAA tournament.
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Kansas G Darryn Peterson
Peterson is arguably the most important player to his team in the tournament. How he goes dictates how Kansas goes, which could mean a first-round upset or a trip to the Final Four and beyond.
Peterson is an elite talent who started the season as the consensus No. 1 pick in June's NBA Draft. An up-and-down campaign has tempered that excitement, but Peterson is a lock to go high in the lottery if not still No. 1 overall.
There's little question about his basketball ability, and he's flashed it this season with averages of 19.8 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 38.4% from 3. His overall efficiency has been less than elite (44.2% from the floor, 58.8 true shooting%) and his availability has become a liability.
Peterson has missed 11 of Kansas' 33 games and failed to finish others with uncertainty around exactly why he's missed time. If he's available and on his game, Kansas is dangerous. Anything short of that spells trouble for the Jayhawks.
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Michigan State G Jeremy Fears Jr.
Jeremy Fears is the heart and soul of Michigan State's roster, for better or worse. A fiery competitor with talent to match, Fears was a first-team All-Big Ten selection who has averaged 15.7 points and a league-high 9.2 assists this season.
He's an extension of Izzo on the floor who sets the tone for Michigan State's methodical and efficient halfcourt attack.
He also has a penchant for losing his composure and engaging in non-basketball behavior that gets him T'd up. If he can stay on the floor and under control, Michigan State will be a tough out.
East region game schedule, tip times
No. 1 Duke vs. No. 16 Siena (Thursday, 2:50 p.m. ET, CBS)
No. 8 Ohio State vs. No. 9 TCU (Thursday, 12:15 p.m. ET, CBS)
No. 5 St. John’s vs. No. 12 Northern Iowa (Friday, 7:10 p.m. ET, CBS)
No. 4 Kansas vs. No. 13 Cal Baptist (Friday, 9:45 p.m. ET, CBS)
No. 6 Louisville vs. No. 11 South Florida (Thursday, 1:30 p.m. ET, TNT)
No. 3 Michigan State vs. No. 14 North Dakota State (Thursday, 4:05 p.m. ET, TNT)
No. 7 UCLA vs. No. 10 UCF (Friday, 7:25 p.m. ET, TBS)
No. 2 UConn vs. No. 15 Furman (Friday, 10 p.m. ET, CBS)
Who makes it to Indianapolis?
Duke is the favorite due to its résumé. But this isn't the same team that romped through the regular season if Ngongba and Foster are injured.
If Duke enters a regional final without either or both, the edge goes to a UConn team that's coached by a two-time NCAA champion in Hurley and features multiple national championship players on its roster, including starters Alex Karaban and Solomon Ball.