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2025 NCAA Tournament bracket picks and team predictions for the East Region. Read Brant's March Madness picks, sleepers, and busts including teams to target and avoid and how far each team can go.
The 2025 NCAA Tournament is set, and the madness will begin in Dayton on Tuesday and Wednesday, prior to the beginning of the Round of 64 on Thursday.
On paper, the East Region looks to be the easiest path out of any of the four regions. Duke and Alabama headline the region, and it feels like both teams should be able to make it to the Elite Eight to meet with a bid to the Final Four on the line. Of course this is March and crazy things happen in March so while we can forecast a Duke-Alabama regional final, that is far from a guarantee.
Once you're done here, be sure to also check out the rest of our NCAA Tournament articles and analysis, including previews, predictions, sleepers, busts, and guides on how to fill out your bracket, including other predictions for the South, Midwest, and West regions.
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East Region Favorites
(1) Duke (31-3)
After missing the ACC Tournament with an ankle injury, star forward Cooper Flagg is expected to return this week for the NCAA Tournament. Duke is not only the favorite to win the East Region but also one of the favorites to win the entire tournament. Playing through Flagg and fellow freshman Kon Knueppel, the Blue Devils will be a tough out as they have been all season.
(2) Alabama (25-8)
A major question mark for the Crimson Tide heading into the tournament will be the health of forward Grant Nelson (knee). Nelson was the key to last year’s Final Four run, leading the team in blocked shots and rebounds while being the second-leading scorer behind Mark Sears. Even with Nelson potentially sidelined, this is a very deep and talented roster.
(3) Wisconsin (26-9)
Transfer guard John Tonje (19.5 ppg) exploded this season, leading one of the best Badgers offenses in recent memory. Greg Gard’s team seems to have overperformed all season, as they were picked to finish 12th in the conference before the season, but they have one of the most critical factors in a tournament team - experience.
(4) Arizona (22-12)
Caleb Love (16.6 ppg) is three seasons removed from his run to the national title game, but he has only become a more refined player over the years. Tommy Lloyd’s Arizona team likes to play fast and take a lot of shots. They can be a problem for some of the top teams in this region but could also face pressure from some of the lower-seeded teams.
East Region Fatal Flaws
No team in this region is perfect. Here is one pain point that could hold each of the top teams from reaching their maximum potential throughout the tournament:
Duke: Health. If Flagg is not fully healthy and Maliq Brown (shoulder) remains out, the depth on this team is suddenly very thin.
Alabama: Aside from Nelson potentially missing the tournament, as mentioned above, defense. Alabama was last in the SEC, surrendering 81.4 points per game to opponents.
Wisconsin: Lack of a second scorer. Aside from Tonje, I do not trust anybody on this roster to get a bucket when needed.
Arizona: Shot-chucking. It’s happened in two specific games - a 70-54 loss against Texas Tech and an 84-67 loss against Iowa State. If they get down, they will start to force bad shots.
Oregon: Slow starts. Oregon rarely pulls away from opponents early on and often finds themselves having to battle back into games.
BYU: Youth. At this point in the season, experience matters more than ever. BYU’s Egor Demin and Kanon Catchings are very talented but can be mistake-prone in a high-pressure environment like this.
Saint Mary’s: Offense. Saint Mary’s is historically known for their stifling defense, and the same can be said this season. Do they have the shot-creation ability to keep pace with some of the top teams on the biggest stage?
Mississippi State: Late-game mishaps. The Bulldogs have lost a few games this year due to late-game decisions going the wrong way.
Baylor: Talent meshing together. On paper, this Baylor team is very talented, with players like VJ Edgecombe, Norchad Omier, Jeremy Roach, and more. It’s a good mix of youth and experience, but they have consistently underachieved. It just has not fully clicked for the Bears, and it needs to for them to win a game.
Vanderbilt: Three-point shooting. While Vandy has pulled together some impressive wins in SEC play, it was not due to their three-point shooting. They rank 239th in the nation at 32.5%.
VCU: Lack of tests. VCU’s non-conference schedule included games against Seton Hall, Miami, and Boston College - three of the worst power conference teams. The Atlantic 10 was not very strong this season, and the Rams did not face many tests prior to the NCAA Tournament.
East Region Ceilings
Anything can happen in March. Just how far can every team in the East Region go? In this section, we'll explore the realistic ceiling of every team in the bracket.
Duke: They’re the most popular pick to win the national title, and if they play up to their potential, they will do just that. They haven’t done it since 2015, but this could be the year that Duke is back on top.
Alabama: Alabama has a similar ceiling to Duke. If Nelson ends up playing down the stretch of the tournament, nobody will want to see this team. They lead the nation in scoring (91.0 ppg), and with such a prevalent offense and so many scoring options, they very well could win the national title after making a Final Four run a season ago.
Wisconsin: We just watched them go on a run to the Big Ten title game. If they are playing at their best, this Badgers team could take out an injured Crimson Tide team to advance to the Elite Eight. With their lack of scoring options, it is hard to imagine them going any further than that.
Arizona: When they’re on, they are on. If Love is hitting shots and Henri Veesaar, Trey Townsend, and Tobe Awaka are crashing the boards, this Arizona team can hang with anybody. While they have a low floor, they also have a high ceiling and have the firepower on both sides of the ball to make it to the Final Four.
Oregon: Nate Bittle and Jackson Shelstad are among the most underrated inside-outside combos in college basketball. Pair them with some lockdown defense on the perimeter from TJ Bamba and Keeshawn Barthelemy, and you have a very underrated, well-rounded Ducks squad that could win the region if they get hot at the right time.
BYU: Talent-wise, this is a top-3 or four team in the region. Egor Demin (10.3 ppg) and Kanon Catchings (7.6 ppg) will both be NBA Draft selections in June, and Richie Saunders (16.0 ppg) has elevated to another level this season. If Alabama is banged up, the Cougars very well could advance to the Elite Eight.
Saint Mary’s: Despite being one of the best defensive teams in college basketball, it is really hard to see a situation where Saint Mary’s can slow down Alabama enough to win, even if they are shorthanded. The ceiling for this team feels like a Round of 32 exit.
Mississippi State: Never say never - Mississippi State might just have enough to take down Duke if the Blue Devils are still beat up going into Sunday. The Bulldogs have played a much tougher schedule than Duke and own wins over Ole Miss and Texas A&M. Josh Hubbard (18.7 ppg) is electric when he is on, and KeShawn Murphy (11.8 ppg) can bang with Khaman Maluach down low. It’s an absolute long shot, but this team’s ceiling is the Sweet 16.
Baylor: The Bears have the talent to make it out of the first round, but they’ve come up short repeatedly in big games this season. Even if Duke isn’t at full strength in the Round of 32, it is hard to imagine this team making it past them. Their ceiling is giving Duke a scare but ultimately falling short.
Vanderbilt: They only played Alabama once during the SEC season, but Vanderbilt fell 103-87. The Commodores do not have the offensive firepower to go toe-to-toe with the Crimson Tide for a full forty minutes. They can make it past Saint Mary’s, but a Round of 32 exit is their ceiling.
VCU: The Rams were the best team in the A10 this year, winning both the regular season title and the conference tournament. They are in a similar boat as BYU - if they win that game, they absolutely could beat Wisconsin. They have a similar playstyle to the Badgers, and Max Shulga (15.1 ppg) and Joe Bamisile (15.1 ppg) are longtime college basketball veterans. The Sweet 16 is the absolute ceiling, as this team has not faced an opponent near Alabama’s caliber and does not have what it takes to keep it close.
Liberty: As much as I like Oregon, Liberty could knock them out in the first round. The Flames only lost six basketball games this season and hold wins over Kansas State and McNeese. With that being said, their path to the Sweet 16 would require them to knock off Oregon and then Arizona/Akron. It isn’t impossible, but it is a long shot.
Akron: A first-round upset is very much in the cards for the Akron Zips, who have done nothing but win under John Groce. Junior guard Nate Johnson (14.0 ppg) averaged 1.8 steals per game and scored 31 and 22 in his last two MAC tournament games. He can be a nuisance to Arizona’s Love in the opening round. Similar to Liberty, if they win Round 1, they can win Round 2, but they would be in a much better position to do so if Liberty knocks Oregon off.
Montana: The Grizzlies have not fared well against high-end competition this season, falling 79-48 against Oregon, 92-57 against Tennessee, and 95-83 against Utah State. It is hard to see this team putting up a fight against Wisconsin, let alone making it past.
Robert Morris: All signs point to a one-and-done for Robert Morris. They only played one high-major game this season, falling 87-59 to West Virginia. Alabama will simply be too much for the Colonials to overcome.
American/Mount Saint Mary’s: Whoever wins Wednesday’s First Four game has the tall task of facing the Duke Blue Devils. Even if Flagg does not play fully, neither team will have a chance to win. Duke has dominated inferior opponents all season long, and they will do it again on Friday.
Most Intriguing First-Round Matchup
(7) Saint Mary's vs. (10) Vanderbilt
If you like low-scoring, grind-it-out affairs, get your popcorn ready. The point total for Friday’s matchup between seven-seed Saint Mary’s and ten-seed Vanderbilt is set to 136.5, an indication of the Gaels’ preferred style of ball taking the forefront in this one.
The Commodores are no stranger to upsets. They earned their bid into the tournament with an impressive resume boasting wins over Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Tennessee, and Kentucky.
Saint Mary’s is 3-2 in Round of 64 games since 2017. Will they stick to their style of ball and get it done against Vanderbilt? This game will get physical between Augustas Marciulionis (14.3 ppg) and AJ Hoggard (9.8 ppg). Prepare for this matchup to come right down to the wire, and know that it can easily swing either way.
Bust of the Midwest Region
Arizona. As highlighted, they have both a high ceiling and a very low floor. Akron is a well-coached, gritty team that executes on fundamentals. The Wildcats, on the other hand, can get sloppy. Be cautious taking Arizona to advance far as there is first-round upset potential here, and a second-round matchup with Oregon or Liberty is far from an easy win.
Dark Horse Play
Let's go with the Oregon Ducks. They had an up-and-down year in their inaugural season in the Big Ten, but when playing their best, this team is full of firepower. Sophomore guard Jackson Shelstad (13.2 ppg, 36.6% 3pt) is a big-time shot-maker, and senior seven-footer Bittle's (14.1 ppg) bald spot feels like a potential face of March. I mentioned that the Ducks have the talent to hang with Duke, especially if they are beat up, and I believe they are capable of pulling off a colossal bracket-busting upset.
West Regional Picks
First round: Purdue, Utah State, Gonzaga, Samford, Oregon, Creighton, Texas, Tennessee
Second round: Utah State, Gonzaga, Creighton, Tennessee
Regional semifinal: Gonzaga, Creighton
Regional champion: For all of the flaws that Creighton has, I feel like Creighton is best equipped to get out of this region. I feel total chaos is going to happen here, and I'll love every second of it!
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