As March Madness reaches its finale on Tuesday, here’s a look at what’s going on in the NCAA Tournament East.
No. 1 University Con
record:31-3
meeting: Big East
coach:Dan Hurley (6th season)
post up: The Huskies were ranked No. 1 for most of 2024 and had an even better season than a year ago en route to the national championship, winning their first outright Big East regular season title since 1999. It’s hard to imagine a more balanced team with five players averaging double-digit scoring and earning the No. 1 overall seed.
No.16 Stetson
record: 22-12
meeting: Atlantic Sun
coach: Donnie Jones (5th season)
post up: Stetson junior guard Jalen Blackmon can score with anyone in the country. He averaged 21.5 points per game, and in the Atlantic Sun Tournament title game, Blackmon had 43 points and five 3-pointers to lead the Hatters to their first NCAA Tournament berth.
8th place Florida Atlantic
record: 25-8
meeting: American Athletic
coach:Dusty Mae (6th season)
post up: The Owls had another strong year under Maye in FAU’s first AAC campaign, following last year’s magical Final Four appearance for the first time in school history. They finished the regular season in second place behind South Florida and ranked among the top teams in the nation with 83.0 points per game.
No.9 Northwestern
record: 21-11
meeting: Big Ten
coach:Chris Collins (Season 11)
post up: Boo Bouye, the do-it-all point guard, will go down as a Northwestern legend after leading the Wildcats to back-to-back tournament appearances for the first time in program history. He saved his best for last, setting career highs in points (18.9), assists (5.2), steals (1.3), 3-point shooting percentage (43.1) and minutes played (36.6).
5th place San Diego State University
record: 24-10
meeting: Mountain West
coach:Brian Dutcher (7th season)
post up: A season after losing in the national championship game, Dutcher is looking to get the Aztecs back into contention and make even more progress. Dutcher’s team features his trademark, one of the most stifling and destructive defenses in the country, as well as an explosive scoring talent in senior forward Jadon Rudy.
No.12 UAB
record: 23-11
meeting: American Athletic
coach:Andy Kennedy (4th season)
post up: Junior college transfer Jaksel Lendeborg stands out as the Blazers’ leading scorer (13.8), rebounder (10.5) and shot blocker (2.2). He was part of a balanced offensive line that featured seven players averaging at least seven points per game and led UAB to a sweep of the AAC Tournament title.
No.4 Auburn
record: 26-7*
meeting: SEC
coach: Bruce Pearl (10th season)
post up: Pearl always seems to have the Tigers at the top of their rankings, and this year is no exception. He has 10 players on a deep, versatile team that averages over 13 minutes per game. Junior forward Joni Bloom is a 6-foot-10 threat three-point shooter who leads the Tigers in scoring (16.3) and rebounding (8.5).
No.13 Ale
record: 22-9
meeting: Ivy League
coach:James Jones (24th season)
post up: Yale may feel like a team of destiny, rallying from a six-point deficit with 27 seconds left to win the Ivy League Tournament on Sunday. This is a dangerous, deep group led by the versatile Danny Wolfe, a 7-footer who can shoot threes and make plays for his teammates.
No.6 BYU
record: 23-10
meeting:Big 12
coach: Mark Pope (5 years)
post up: Few teams can share the ball as well as the Cougars. The Cougars rank fifth in the nation with 18.7 assists per game. BYU doesn’t have just one player they can rely on, they have multiple players. Seven players average at least 9.0 points per game, and 10 players average double-digit minutes. That makes it tough to play defense in your first season in the Big 12.
No.11 Duquesne
record: 24-11
meeting: Atlantic 10
coach: Keith Dambrot (7th season)
post up: The Dukes enter the tournament hot, having won 10 of their last 11 games, including four in five days to earn the Atlantic 10 automatic bid. Duquesne hasn’t been a March Madness member since 1977, and his last win was in 1969 against St. John’s.
3rd place Illinois
record: 26-8
meeting: Big Ten
coach:Brad Underwood (7th season)
post up: Few teams boast a stronger one-two punch than senior guard Terrence Shannon Jr. (21.6 ppg) and fifth-year forward Marcus Domask (16.0 ppg). These two have been the pillars of the Illini’s top-five offense. However, the other end of the floor could be a problem for Illinois despite winning the Big Ten Tournament.
No. 14 Morehead State University
record: 26-8
meeting: ohio valley
coach:Preston Spradlin (8th season)
post up: The Eagles won’t be fazed by the stage, having been to Alabama and Purdue, and they have reliable stars who can do a little bit of everything. Senior wing Riley Minnix, a transfer from the NAIA level, posted high levels of scoring (20.8), rebounding (9.8) and distribution (2.3 apg) at Morehead State.
7th place: Washington State
record: 24-9
meeting: Pack-12
coach:Kyle Smith (5th season)
post up: Smith finished the regular season in second place, the Cougars’ best finish since 2007, and was named the conference’s Coach of the Year. Four players average at least 10 points per game, led by 6-foot-9 senior forward Isaac Jones. Point guard Myles Rice overcame Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2023 to be named the Pac-12 Newcomer of the Year.
No.10 Drake
record: 28-6
meeting: missouri valley
coach: Darian DeVries (Season 6)
Post up: The coach’s son, Tucker DeVries, is poised to become a March Madness star. At 6-foot-7, he has good size, can score (21.8), rebound (6.8) and is an aggressive playmaker (3.6). Just ask Mountain West Power in Nevada, where Mr. DeVries set fire in December.
2nd place Iowa State University
record: 27-7
meeting: Big 12
coach:TJ Otzelberger (3rd season)
post up: The Cyclones are a legitimate Final Four contender. Iowa State is dynamite defensively, with a full backcourt full of playmakers and plenty of experience playing against the Big 12’s top teams. The only concern is free throw shooting. Iowa ranks 278th in the nation at the charity stripe (69.5%).
15. South Dakota
record: 22-12
meeting: Summit League
coach:Eric Henderson (5th season)
post up: This has become something of a tradition for the Jackrabbits, who have made seven trips to the tournament since 2012 with three different coaches. This group is led by Summit League Player of the Year Zeke Mayo, who is the team’s leading scorer (18.8 points) and distributor (3.5 percent average), and also shoots 38.4 percent from deep.
