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2024 March Madness Bracket Predictions: East Region

by Robert Ferringo - 3/20/2024

March Madness bracket predictions East Region Johni Broome Auburn Tigers

If Connecticut is going to become the first repeat NCAA Tournament champion in nearly two decades, they are certainly going to have to earn it.

The Huskies, the No. 1 overall seed and the current No. 1 team in the country, sit atop an East Region that is absolutely loaded. It has 11 conference champions, the most of any bracket in the field. (By comparison, the South Region has six conference champs - all seeded No. 11 or worse.)

The East doesn’t have just any conference title winners, either. The SEC, Big Ten and Big 12 champs, along with mid-major giant killers from the A-10, Missouri Valley and Conference USA, are all packed into this region with the Big East champs from Storrs.

Mix in a pair of fellow Final Four teams from last year, Florida Atlantic and San Diego State, and Connecticut has no shortage of competent competition.

Doc’s Sports offers college basketball expert picks for every game on our NCAA basketball predictions page.

Here are Doc’s Sports March Madness bracket predictions for the East Region: 

No. 1 Seed: Connecticut Huskies (+100 to win East Region)

The Huskies have clearly been the best team in the country this regular season, losing just once since Christmas while manhandling opponents by an average of 17 points per game. Connecticut is in the Top 15 in the nation in both field goal offense and defense and can devastate opponents inside and out on either end of the court. Tristen Newton is the go-to guard while 7-foot-2 center Donovan Clingan is a beast in the post. Super shooter Cam Spencer and freshman phenom Stephon Castle are other options, along with do-it-all forwards Alex Karaban and Hassan Diarra.

Connecticut NCAA Tournament Predictions: There hasn’t been a back-to-back champion since Florida in 2006-07 and the No. 1 team in the country entering the tournament hasn’t cut down the nets since Kentucky in 2012. The Huskies only have four guys on this year’s roster that played in last year’s championship game, including just two starters, so it’s not fair to compare them to Florida in 2006-07. History suggests the Huskies won’t even return to the Final Four.

No. 2 Seed: Iowa State Cyclones (+400)

The Cyclones have been one of the surprise teams in the country. They lost four starters from last year’s squad and were unranked to start the season. Now they are the champions of the Big 12, the undisputed No. 1 conference in the country this year. They are one of the best defensive teams in the country (No. 5 in points allowed) and dominated last week’s Big 12 tournament, winning their three games by 20.3 points apiece and demolishing Houston by 28 in the title game. Versatility, rather than size, is the hallmark of this team and sophomore point guard Tamin Lipsey is the leader of this group.

Iowa State NCAA Tournament Predictions: I am not long on this team at all. I think the Cyclones peaked last week with their big effort against Houston and they could be primed for a letdown here. They are not a good 3-point shooting team, they are a terrible free throw shooting team, and other than last week’s run in Kansas City they haven’t been great outside of their home arena. I don’t see the Cyclones lasting long.

No. 3 Seed: Illinois Illini (+700)

Few teams in the country can score like the Illini, who won the Big Ten tournament last weekend while averaging nearly 90 points per game. Illinois has topped that 90-point threshold five times in their last nine games – in the Big Ten, mind you – and when their starters get rolling they can be impossible to stop. Illinois is one of the most experienced teams in the country, with superb seniors Terrence Shannon, Marcus Domask, Coleman Hawkins and Quincy Guerrier combining for 61 points, 22 rebounds and nine assists per game. Shannon is coming off an epic BTT, averaging 34 PPG last weekend.

Illinois NCAA Tournament Predictions: Look, the Big Ten continues to redefine ‘failure’ every March. So, trusting any team from this conference is difficult. Illinois has size and experience and an offense that can shoot them through a deep run. They are one of the most dangerous teams in the field, for good or ill.

No. 4 Seed: Auburn Tigers (+450)

The Tigers enter the tournament on a six-game winning streak and are fresh off a net-cutting ceremony in Nashville last Sunday. Big man Johni Broome is one of the best two-way post players in the nation and spearheads a defense ranked No. 5 in field goal percentage and No. 24 in 3-point defense. Auburn likes to attack the paint and can blow teams out with demoralizing runs. When these guys get hot, they get hot. And unlike several of the other top seeds in this region, depth is not a problem for a Tigers team that goes nine deep and brings its second-best player, K.D. Johnson, off the bench.

Auburn NCAA Tournament Predictions: The Tigers have failed to survive the opening weekend in each of their last two tournament appearances and have made it to the Sweet 16 just one time in the last 20 years. This team is loaded with athletes. But they’ve also beaten just one Top 25-rated team all season.

No. 5 Seed: San Diego State Aztecs (+1800)

Brian Dutcher has built a powerhouse in San Diego. The Aztecs are 132-33 straight up since the start of the 2019 season and they are last year’s runners up. They are tough, exceptional defensively, experienced and they have pasted good teams like Gonzaga, St. Mary’s, New Mexico and Utah State. Jaedon LeDee averages 20.5 points and 8.2 rebounds and this team has four of its top seven players back from last year’s squad.

San Diego State NCAA Tournament Predictions: This team only finished in fifth place in the stacked Mountain West this year. Maybe they were playing possum and waiting for a return trip to The Big Dance? Or maybe they are a good-but-not-great team that is going to flop compared to last year’s exceptional run.

No. 6 Seed: BYU Cougars (+1200)

These guys take, and make, a lot of 3-pointers. They have six players that have made more than 35 percent of their 3-pointers this year, and four of them stand 6-foot-5 or taller. BYU shares the ball and are a tough matchup because of their size and shooting ability. BYU did benefit from a joke of a nonconference schedule, though, and they have won just four road or neutral site games since Dec. 2.

BYU Tournament Predictions: Much like Auburn, BYU’s numbers look good but were accrued against a bunch of nobodies. Sure, the Cougars played above .500 in the best league in the country. But six of their 11 Big 12 wins this year came against non-tournament teams. Don’t’ go crazy with these wacky Mormons.

Best first-round matchup: No. 6 BYU (-9.5) vs. No. 11 Duquesne

I said all year that I thought Duquesne was one of the most talented teams in the A-10. Injuries have slammed this team – 13 players have appeared in at least 12 games – but they finally reached their potential while closing the regular season with four straight wins before banking four more in the conference tournament. Guards Jimmy Clark and Dae Dae Grant are fearless. And big men Fousseyni Drame and Dusan Mahorcic are tough and talented. The Dukes defense against BYU’s elite offense – and in one of the first games of the tournament – could provide some early upset juice.

Best potential second-round matchup: No. 4 Auburn vs. No. 5 San Diego State

LeDee vs. Broome would be worth the price of admission all on its own. These are two elite defensive teams that have both proven capable of beating anyone in the field. The winner would likely face Connecticut in the Sweet 16 and this one would be a battle of attrition between two hard-nosed, well-coached teams.

Upset Alert (first round): No. 3 Illinois (-11.5) vs. No. 14 Morehead State

It’s not as if we haven’t seen Ohio Valley Conference teams do damage in the NCAA Tournament before. Belmont and Murray State were always teams no one wanted to see in The Dance. And in 2011 Morehead State knocked off a Louisville team one year before the Cardinals cut down the nets at national champions. Illinois could have a letdown after their big weekend in Minneapolis. And if they do this Morehead team, which plays at a glacial pace, could make things uncomfortable for the Illini.

Upset Alert (second round): No. 2 Iowa State vs. No. 7 Drake/No. 10 Washington State

I’m not long on Iowa State in this tournament. And I think that either the Bulldogs or the Cougars could provide a bracket-busting moment this weekend. Drake has Tucker DeVries and an offense that can score points in a hurry. Washington State is intriguing because they have a load of size and they play a very similar style to Iowa State, leaning on an elite defense. This Wazzou team beat Arizona, twice, so they wouldn’t be afraid of the Cyclones for a second.

Dark Horse Team: Auburn

There are plenty of reasons to be wary of the Tigers. Bruce Pearl has a checkered tournament record. And Auburn put up great numbers against a lot of weak competition this year. However, their depth and athleticism are enviable. And their ability to beat teams on either end of the court, either outscoring them in a shootout or wearing them down in a defensive slugfest, is crucial this time of year. If they survive the opening weekend they are more than capable of going toe-to-toe with the defending champs (assuming the Huskies are still around).

Team That Makes Me Nervous: Iowa State

No team that started the season unranked and earned a top two seed (No. 1 or No. 2 in their region) has ever made the Final Four. Two-thirds of the teams that fit that bill didn’t even survive the opening weekend, including Marquette in 2023 and Alabama in 2021. An average of two No. 2 seeds fail to make it out of the opening weekend. Could the Cyclones be one of those disappointments?

2024 East Region Predictions: I’m going to lean on history in this bracket. I’m not a believer in Iowa State. But I am also one of the few people in the country that aren’t blindly picking Connecticut to win this region (most have them winning another national title). The Huskies are elite. There’s no doubt about it. But there are a ton of landmines in this region. Florida Atlantic is capable of pulling a stunner in Round 2, and either Auburn or Illinois seems capable of trading blows with the defending champions. I’m looking for a lot of upsets in this region and someone not named “Connecticut” to emerge.

Robert Ferringo is a member of the Basketball Writer's Association of America and a professional sports handicapper for Doc's Sports. He is considered one of the best college basketball handicappers in the country and has posted 12 of 15 winning seasons. He is looking for a monster March run and you can sign up for his college basketball picks and get more information here.

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