Defending national champion Baylor was named the top seed in the NCAA Tournament’s East Region, despite losing in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 tournament to Oklahoma on Thursday.
But the Bears (26-6) are ranked No. 3 overall in the country and did enough in the regular season to hold down one of the top four national seeds, joining fellow Big 12 member Kansas, along with Gonzaga and Arizona.
Baylor and Kansas’ top-seeding make it the 15th time since the NCAA Tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985 that a conference has had two No. 1 seeds. The Bears and Jayhawks split the regular season Big 12 title.
Baylor sits at +1200 odds to repeat, according to DraftKings. The Bears will open the NCAA Tournament against No. 16 Norfolk State (24-6) at 2 p.m. Thursday in Fort Worth, Texas.
A full week’s rest could do wonders for a Baylor team that has been plagued by injuries this season. But that hasn’t slowed down its offensive output, led by the one-two punch of James Akinjo and Adam Flagler, who are both averaging just more than 13 points per game. The Bears are averaging 76.5 points a contest (2nd in the Big 12) and their scoring margin is nearly 13 points per game, which leads the conference and is 10th in the country.
Some other teams who could come out of Philadelphia's East Region are: No. 2 Kentucky (+800), No. 3 Purdue (+1500) and No. 5 Saint Mary's (+2000 to reach the Final Four).
FrontPageBets breaks down what you need to know about the East Region.
Most interesting game
No. 8 North Carolina vs. No. 9 Marquette (Thursday, 4:30 p.m., Fort Worth, Texas)
Most 8-9 games are going to be good. They're the most evenly matched teams, according to the bracket. But they're also teams that know they'll most likely have to face the No. 1 seed in the second round. North Carolina (24-9) played its way into the tournament late in the regular season, cementing the spot with that big win over Duke in the regular-season finale - also Coach K's last home game. The Tar Heels, led by Armondo Bacot's 16.5 points per game, should be tournament ready. Marquette (19-12) head coach Shaka Smart is no stranger to the NCAAs or to big wins, as he took VCU to the Final Four in 2011 as an 11-seed.
Overseeded
No. 12 Indiana
The Hoosiers (20-13) were the last of nine Big Ten teams to make the NCAA Tournament. Ridding the bubble, it looks like Indiana got itself in with two wins in the conference tournament. Other than Michigan (17-14), the Hoosiers might have been the worst Super Six conference team to get in. For their efforts, they'll open against fellow No. 12-seed Wyoming in the First Four on Tuesday night in Dayton, Ohio.
Underseeded
No. 11 Virginia Tech
According to many a Bracketologist, if the Hokies (23-12) didn't win the ACC tournament championship, they would have missed the Big Dance completely. Tell that to Notre Dame, North Carolina and Duke, which all fell to Virginia Tech in consecutive days by an average of 11.6 points. The Hokies can make 3s from anywhere and are just plain hot right now. No. 6 Texas (21-11) is going to have its hands full in their first-round matchup on Friday in Milwaukee.
Upset special
No. 5 Saint Mary's
While the the Gaels (25-7) should easily win their first-round matchup between the First Four winner of Nos. 12 Wyoming and Indiana, it's their Sweet 16 matchup that will be the upset. Look for Saint Mary's, which already beat overall No. 1 seed Gonzaga during the regular season, to knock off the East's top seed Baylor, clearing the way for a crazy Regional in Philadelphia.
Final Four pick
No. 2 Kentucky
Vegas likes Kentucky (26-7) to win the national title (+800, according to DraftKings), and the road to the Final Four could be cleared out if Baylor fails to get out of the Sweet 16 (see above). The Wildcats have been streaky this year, but held their own in a tough SEC. If they can get past Murray State and Purdue, look for the Cats to be in New Orleans.
FrontPageBets breaks down the NCAA Tournament's Midwest Region
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