BROOKLYN, NY - March 24: The March Madness logo on the floor before a second round NCAA Tournament game between the Connecticut Huskies and the Northwestern Wildcats at Barclays Center on March 24, 2024 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. (Photo by Porter Binks/Getty Images)
We’re going to be going region-by-region for our Power Rankings for this year’s NCAA March Madness Tournament, and along the way, we’re going to give each region a nickname. The East is the “Region of Legends,” thanks to its inclusion of Danny Hurley, Tom Izzo, Bill Self, and Rick Pitino on the coaching side, and Cameron Boozer and Darryn Peterson as players.
1. Duke
The Blue Devils enter the tournament as the number one overall seed, but that doesn’t mean that they’re not without concerns. They’re unlikely to have Caleb Foster through the duration of the tournament, and Patrick Ngongba’s status is unknown. Still, no one in the ACC was good enough to beat Duke while missing two starters, and the Blue Devils enter the NCAA Tournament as ACC Tournament champions.
2. Kansas
Mar 12, 2026; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas Jayhawks guard Darryn Peterson (22) during a break in play during the second half against the TCU Horned Frogs at T-Mobile Center. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images
The Jayhawks are the only other team in this region that I could actually envision winning a National Championship, and that’s largely because they have a head coach who’s done it twice before (Bill Self) and the probable #1 pick in the NBA Draft (Darryn Peterson). And he seems to have put all of his nonsense behind him.
3. Michigan State
March is typically the month for Tom Izzo where his team plays their best basketball and makes a run out of nowhere. Their one-and-done trip to the Big Ten Tournament did not exactly inspire confidence. For the Spartans to outperform their seed, they’re going to need to hold teams to under 65 points, and that will get harder the longer they survive.
4. St Johns
The Red Storm has one of the best big men in college basketball that no one seems to be talking about, and that’s Zuby Ejiofor. He took Tarris Reed’s lunch money in the Big East title game, and he’s going to have to do that 6 more times in a row for Rick Pitino to win another National Championship.
5. UConn
Vibes are off with this team right now. It’s hard to imagine them going very far after the embarrassing showing they put on in the Big East title game. They still have Danny Hurley and Alex Karaban, but that’s about the only hope you can cling to right now.
6. Ohio State
Mar 12, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes guard Bruce Thornton (2) reacts after making a three point basket against the Iowa Hawkeyes during the second half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images
The Buckeyes used a second-half surge to get fully off the bubble and end up an 8-seed in the official bracket. That means that Bruce Thornton, the program’s all-time leading scorer, finally gets to play in his first NCAA Tournament after four years of trying.
7. TCU
This team is like a box of chocolates — you never know what you’re going to get. They’ve beaten Florida and Kansas, but lost to New Orleans (the Privateers, not the Pelicans). They do boast a formidable frontcourt duo in Xavier Edmonds and David Punch that could carry them through a few rounds.
8. UCF
The Knights have a few signature wins this season, which lets us know that they can indeed hang with the big boys. They’re a big team with a big frontcourt that dominates the glass, and Jamichael Stilwell is one of the country’s best rebounders.
9. South Florida
This is a genuinely fun mid-major team. They play at a fast pace, take a ton of 3-pointers, and crash the offensive glass like their life depends on it.
10. Louisville
Feb 17, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Louisville Cardinals guard Mikel Brown Jr. (0) brings the ball up court against the SMU Mustangs during the first half at Moody Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
So much of this ranking boils down to the health of Mikel Brown Jr. If he were fully healthy, they would be much higher on this list. But given that he didn’t play in the ACC Tournament, I don’t think there’s any way you can guarantee that. Plus, given this team’s inability to beat top competition (one Quad 1A win this season), there’s reason for serious doubt about the Cardinals.
11. UCLA
So much of this ranking boils down to the health of Donovan Dent and Tyler Bilodeau. If I knew both were going to play, I would say that UCLA is one of the more dangerous teams seeded lower than 6 in this tournament. But given that neither finished the game against Purdue, there’s no way to guarantee that. Plus, a first-round game in Philly was not what the doctor ordered for a team that has struggled outside of the Pacific time zone.
12. Northern Iowa
Ben Jacobson has been here before, over a decade ago now, when he led Northern Iowa to tournament wins in 2015 and 2016. This group will play some serious defense, but I just think they lack the offensive firepower to be a true Cinderella candidate.
13. Cal Baptist
If you loved Shabazz Napier and Kemba Walker’s NCAA Tournament runs for UConn, then do I have the guy for you: Cal Baptist has dynamo 5’10” guard Dominique Daniels, and he is electric to watch. The problem is that they don’t really have a whole lot outside of him.
14. Furman
Nov 26, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Furman Paladins forward Cooper Bowser (21) dribbles against the Seattle Redhawks during the second half at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
The Paladins are true believers in home-grown talent, as most of their best players have either only attended Furman or are from an area near the campus. Unlike most midmajors, they’re good at rebounding and quite big with Cooper Bowser and Ben Van der Wal in the frontcourt, ranking 5th in average height nationally. But just being big doesn’t make you good at basketball.
15. North Dakota State
I truly have no idea how North Dakota State will look in this tournament. They were the best team in the Summit League in conference play and were relatively untested in the conference tournament. But they haven’t played a team in the KenPom top 100 all season long. That will change with their tournament opening game against Michigan State.
16. Siena
Gerry McNamara is back in the NCAA Tournament! Not as a legendary player for Syracuse, but as the head coach for the Siena Saints. He will bring with him the MAAC player of the year candidate,
