NCAA Tournament Preview: East Region

The East Region seems to set up as two distinctly different halves. At the top, blue bloods North Carolina, Indiana and Kentucky highlight eight teams that also include capable mid-major schools Chattanooga and Stony Brook. The bottom half of the bracket has No. 2 seed Xavier searching for respect along with the full-court havoc of West Virginia. There's serious pro talent across this region, making it no guarantee the top seed advances.

THE FAVORITES

No. 1 North Carolina - Winners of both the ACC regular season and conference tournament, the Tar Heels appear to be peaking at the right time of year. They comfortably play nine players and can come at opponents in a variety of ways, with three low post scorers in Kennedy Meeks, Brice Johnson and Isaiah Hicks playing perfectly with wings Justin Jackson and Theo Pinson. Guards Joel Berry and Marcus Paige push the preferred uptempo style and provide streaky perimeter shooting, but also proved capable of winning a slower, half-court game last week against Virginia. Lost in the offensive accolades is the Tar Heels commitment to defense. Opponents are shooting only 41.0 percent from the floor against them, including less than 35 percent by their last two opponents. The Tar Heels can post 90 on a nightly basis, while also holding opponents to less than 60.

No. 2 Xavier – The Musketeers are deep and experienced, bringing six players averaging at least 9.4 points into the Dance. Trevon Bluiett leads the way at 15.5 points and 6.2 boards, but they are a team with a variety of options. Xavier did not lose during their non-conference schedule, including wins over Dayton and Michigan, while also knocking off Providence, Butler and Villanova in league play.

No. 3 West Virginia – The Mountaineers are another deep team in this region, as coach Bob Huggins plays eight players at least 18.2 minutes in his full-court press for the majority of 40 minutes. Jaysean Paige (13.9 points) is the team's leading scorer, while few teams have the strength to match up with Devin Williams' (13.3 points, 9.3 rebounds) 255-pound frame down low. Four others average 8.9 points for a defensive team that leads the nation in steals (10 per game) and is second in turnovers forced. Outside shooting could prove to be their Achilles' heel, however, as West Virginia hits only 32.9 percent of its 3-point attempts.

No. 4 Kentucky – The Wildcats appear to be hitting their stride, winning 10 of their last 12 games, including three straight to take the SEC Tournament. Coach John Calipari's latest batch of one-and-done's has taken longer than previous classes to jell, but Jamal Murray has been a star since arriving, averaging 20.2 points and 5.1 rebounds while hitting 42.6 percent of his 3-point shots. Point guard Tyler Ulis (16.8 points, 7.2 assists) pairs with Murray to give the 'Cats a tremendous backcourt, while Alex Poythress, Isaiah Briscoe, Derek Willis, Skal Labissiere and Marcus Lee have tremendous length along the front line. Few teams can match Kentucky's raw talent.

CINDERELLA WATCH

No. 9 Providence – With two sure-fire NBA players, the Friars make for a tough out. Point guard Kris Dunn (16.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, 6.4 assists and 2.5 steals) is a potential lottery pick while sophomore forward Ben Bentil is averaging 21.2 points and 7.8 boards after posted 6.4 points and 4.9 rebounds a year ago. It's the type of front-end talent that can dispatch USC before putting a scare into top-seed North Carolina.

No. 14 Stephen F. Austin - The Lumberjacks haven't lost since Dec. 29. They also pushed Utah to the brink before falling by seven in last year's first round. If they can find a way to handle the size of West Virginia forward Devin Williams, a second-round matchup against Tulsa, Michigan or Notre Dame shouldn't be intimidating.

BIGGEST BUST

No. 6 Notre Dame – Based on seeding, the Irish shouldn't advance out of the second round, so calling them a bust isn't exactly a leap of faith. But their lack of defense makes it nearly impossible to envision a run past the tournament's first weekend. It's a team that ranks 172nd in adjusted defense, according to KenPom, and would be a prime upset pick should No. 11 Michigan knock off Tulsa in a play-in game.

FIRST-ROUND UPSET

No. 14 Stephen F. Austin over No. 3 West Virginia - Should Michigan advance to face Notre Dame, that appears to be a much safer selection, and No. 12 Chattanooga and No. 13 Stony Brook certainly merit consideration. But the Lumberjacks make for a solid against-the-grain pick. Only one team in the country forces more turnovers than West Virginia, and that's Stephen F. Austin, who ranks 27th nationally in adjusted defense, according to KenPom. Thomas Walkup (17.5 points, 6.8 rebounds) is the team's anchor but Demetrious Floyd (13.8 points, 1.5 rebounds) could see plenty of open looks against the Mountaineers press, a welcomed opportunity for a player who shoots 42.9 percent from 3-point range and has made 219 long balls this year. The Mountaineers are deep and talented, but aren't a great shooting team, and if they fail to attack an undersized team, they could be in serious trouble.

PLAYER TO WATCH

Jameel Warney, F, Stony Brook – In a region that could have double-digit first-round NBA prospects, it takes a special player to push all of those aside and warrant attention. Warney is just that. The 6-foot-8, 260-pound forward is a three-time American East Player of the Year and two-time Defensive Player of the Year and single-handedly willed his team into the tournament with a 43-point, 10-rebound performance against Lehigh in the confernece championship, hitting 18 of 22 from the floor. Warney has earned the right to be considered an NBA prospect, and how he fairs against the depth and length of Kentucky's frontcourt will go along ways toward determining how high of a pick Warney can be, and if the Seawolves can be this year's Cinderella.

SWEET 16 PICKS

No. 1 North Carolina – UNC has not lost a tournament game in their home state since 1979, and just once overall. A partisan crowd in Raleigh helps fend off a talented Providence squad.

No. 4. Kentucky – A Wildcat-Indiana Hoosier second-round matchup is made for television gold, and while both teams face reasonable tests in the opening round, it's Kentucky's depth that leads them into another made for television matchup with North Carolina in the Sweet 16.

No. 14 Stephen F. Austin – Why not? I'm not sure how much I believe in this first-round upset, but I don't believe in Notre Dame, and I can't pick a play-in winner to make it to the round of 16 without knowing who that winner is. If we're not going all chalk to reach Philadelphia, this pod of four looks like the right place to take a gamble.

No. 2 Xavier – I'm not in love with the Musketeers as a threat to make a deep run, but potential second-round opponents Pittsburgh and Wisconsin don't move the needle much. Xavier advances to Philadelphia because they are a good team, but also essentially by default.

No. FINAL FOUR PICK

No.1 North Carolina - Coach Roy Williams noted his team could be the most criticized conference champion in recent memory. And he's right. All season, the Tar Heels' toughness has been called into question. They've started showing those questions are unfounded, and the tough early draw should keep this team motivated. The Tar Heels' six losses are by a combined 22 points. They'll be in every game regardless of their perimeter shooting, and there isn't a team in the country, let alone this region, that can match the talent and upside.