2026 NCAA Tournament Preview: East Region

Let’s preview the East Region.

Best First Round Matchups

#5 St. John’s vs. #12 Northern Iowa (Friday, 7:10 PM ET – CBS)

One of my favorite mid-majors to make the Tournament got a horrible draw by slotting opposite the Red Storm, which somehow ended up as a five seed despite having the resume of at least a three. The pace juxtaposition still applies for this one, but the length and athleticism of St. John’s will make it difficult for Northern Iowa to totally neutralize the disparity in raw talent.

Whether or not this ends up being one of the classic 5/12 upset games or not, the Panthers will put up a fight against Rick Pitino’s squad and may have some people convinced that the seeding was correct.

#6 Louisville vs. #11 South Florida (Thursday, 1:30 PM ET – TNT)

The Bulls were already emerging as a popular upset choice in the East Region, but as the story about head coach Bryan Hodgson picks up momentum that only figures to continue. It’s the type of story that fits in nicely to a Cinderella narrative, if you can even consider the champion of the American Conference a candidate for that title.

South Florida plays a fun brand of basketball and will look to speed up a Louisville team that has struggled against “lesser” competition this season. The recent announcement that Mikel Brown will be unavailable for this game further closes any gap that may have existed between these two.

#2 Connecticut vs. #15 Furman (Friday, approx. 10 PM ET – TBS)

OK, this one is a bit of a stretch. But Around The Corn is sticking firm to its original assertion that the Paladins could make some noise in this year’s Tournament. The draw was something in between our original prediction and what the pros thought, but it’s an intriguing matchup. Connecticut has had some head scratching performances this season and may be the least attractive No. 2 in the Big Dance.

Vegas still think’s this is a crazy hill to die on, but we’ll take it. Furman will make this one far more uncomfortable than Huskies fans would prefer.

Team That Could Make a Run

UCLA

Despite some concern, it appears that both Donovan Dent and Tyler Bilodeau will be available for the Bruins heading into the Tourney. That is great news for Mick Cronin’s squad, as with their two stars the team can spar with just about anyone in what is a stacked region as a whole.

The No. 2 vs. 7/10 second round matchup has long been a spot where upsets are bound to happen, and the Bruins could draw a seemingly vulnerable Connecticut squad in that spot. A potential rematch with Michigan State in the Sweet 16 may ensue, a team that the Bruins just recently beat on a neutral court. The East Region may be the toughest in the bracket, but as a No. 7 seed UCLA feels like a good bet to make a run.

Buyer Beware

Kansas

The Jayhawks put together a strong regular season and have arguably the game’s most talented player in future NBA lottery pick Darryn Peterson, yet something still feels off about Bill Self’s squad. Despite competing well in a loaded Big 12 and boasting victories over Arizona, Iowa State and Houston, the Jayhawks are just 5-5 in their last 10 games and may have peaked at the wrong time.

Additionally, the uncertainty surrounding Peterson’s status for much of the second half of the season has seemed to cast a cloud over the entire team. This region is just too tough to feel good about a team with Kansas’s level of consistency recently.

Remember The Name

Bruce Thornton, Ohio State

For awhile it looked as if the Ohio State’s leader in career points may not get a chance to play in a single NCAA Tournament, but the Buckeyes got hot at just the right time to prevent such a travesty. Thornton was a big reason for that, willing the team he leads to some key victories down the stretch in the regular season.

His toughness and high IQ will finally get rewarded, and it may not be a one-and-done show, either. The Buckeyes were competitive in a number of losses against quality competition this season, and with a guy like Thornton, Ohio State has a guy on the floor that can calm nerves in high pressure situations.

Dominique Daniels, Jr., California Baptist

The First Round matchup between California Baptist and Kansas will feature a lot of talk about Darryn Peterson (more on him in a moment), and for good reason. But the most explosive player in the entire Tournament may actually be opposite Peterson in San Diego on Friday evening.

The 5’10” Daniels is undersized but as athletic as they come, with a highlight reel of fast break dunks that would be impressive for someone half a foot taller. He has nasty handles with the basketball and makes incredibly difficult paths to the basket look easy. Averaging 23.2 PPG, he’s fifth in the country in scoring and will be heavily relied upon to give the Lancers a chance at knocking off Kansas.

Darryn Peterson, Kansas

The aforementioned Peterson has kind of been disrespected at earlier points in this article, but Around The Corn still highly respects the game of the Jayhawks 6’6” freshman. Despite appearing in just 22 games this season, Peterson is still third on the team in scoring and plays both sides of the ball, also leading Kansas with 1.5 steals per contest.

There have been questions posed about Peterson’s toughness and general focus given his sporadic availability and muddy details related to it, but there isn’t a player in this Tournament that scouts at the next level are more excited to evaluate. Regardless of how long Kansas lasts in the Big Dance, Peterson is sure to attract a large spotlight.

Around The Corn’s Picks

First Round

#1 Duke over #16 Siena

#8 Ohio State over #9 TCU

#5 St. John’s over #12 Northern Iowa

#4 Kansas over #13 California Baptist

#11 South Florida over #6 Louisville (upset alert)

#3 Michigan State over #14 North Dakota State

#7 UCLA over #10 UCF

#2 Connecticut over #15 Furman

Second Round

#1 Duke over #8 Ohio State

#5 St. John’s over #4 Kansas

#3 Michigan State over #11 South Florida

#7 UCLA over #2 Connecticut (upset alert)

Sweet 16

#1 Duke over #5 St. John’s

#7 UCLA over #3 Michigan State (upset alert)

Elite 8

#1 Duke over #7 UCLA