It has been a long time since the Indiana Hoosiers were among the game’s elite as the last time they reached the Final Four was 2002, quite a drought for one of the glamour teams of NCAA basketball.
The East Region is marked with potholes for the preseason favourites as the Hoosiers have to get past former winners Syracuse, UNLV, NC State and Marquette in order to advance.
Of course, many of those programs won the whole thing many moons ago and share little resemblance to their past glory.
This East Region is considered one of the weaker sisters in the bracket but does have hidden gems like Butler, Bucknell and Davidson who have all managed to pull off an upset or two in the past.
The Favourites
The Hoosiers are led by a pair of potential lottery picks in Cody Zeller and Victor Oladipo. While Zeller provides the muscle down low, Oladipo attacks from the wing giving Indiana a potent pairing few can match.
Indiana is slumping though, having lost three of their final six games heading into the Big Dance.
While the Hoosiers are heavy favourites in the East they are joined atop the list by an unusual club, the Miami Hurricanes.
Few would have predicted Miami would win both the ACC regular season and Conference tournament crowns, finishing ahead of the mighty group of squads on Tobacco Road.
Sophomore point guard Shane Larkin is coach Jim Larranga’s eyes and ears on the floor. Being the son of Hall of Fame shortstop Barry Larkin, Shane has the composure that few his age possess.
Over the Hurricanes last two games, wins over North Carolina and N.C. State, he has scored 55 points while dishing out eight assists.
The Darkhorse
The Syracuse Orange could be playing for the national title or they could be out by the end of the weekend.
The gang from Upstate New York has been extremely volatile this season and feature a group of players who are as inconsistent as they come.
They are led by James Southerland and Michael Carter-Williams but the latter is really the straw that stirs the drink as he is able to penetrate at ease. However, those dribble drives have been leading to turnovers more often than not as of late.
Best opening round matchup
There are several great opening games in this region but trying to figure out who will win between Butler and Bucknell is almost as hard as throwing a bull’s eye at a pub on St. Patrick’s Day.
It will be unusual position for the sixth-ranked Bulldogs who have a history of pulling off upsets having appeared in back-to-back Finals Four recently.
They will be facing a team built around Mike Muscala and some tenacious defence as they hold opponents to 57.5 points per game on 37 per cent shooting.
Muscala, the Patriot League Player of the Year, has averaged 19 points and 11.2 rebounds this season as he possesses the ability to stretch defenses with his mid-range game while also being a beast down low.
Best best for an upset
There’s something to be said for playing in front of your home crowd and the Golden Bears have been placed in their own backyard over the opening weekend.
The only thing that may hold them back is UNLV’s monster frontline of Anthony Bennett, Khem Birch and Mike Moser.
Players to watch
1. Anthony Bennett, UNLV — Better keep your eyes peeled on this Canadian forward because there is a good chance the Runnin’ Rebels will be early exit victims.
2. Victor Oladipo, Indiana, Everyone is well aware of teammate Cody Zeller at this point but the athleticsm of Oladipo could create a couple of special moments over the next few weeks.
3. James Southerland, Syracuse — Has one of the best strokes in college basketball. He can single-handedly shoot the Orange into the regional final.