Banged-up No. 1 seed Baylor drew the toughest region. Would anyone be surprised if Kentucky, Purdue or UCLA made it to New Orleans instead? The East also features three of the most dangerous mid-majors in Saint Mary's, San Francisco and Murray State -- though unfortunately the Dons and Racers square off in the first round -- and an experienced Texas team led by proven coach Chris Beard. 

The top-seeded Bears open the NCAA Tournament 90 minutes from campus in Fort Worth, but it's going to be an uphill battle to the Final Four due to injuries; they've been using a seven-man rotation. It's unclear if leading scorer L.J. Cryer (foot), who has not played since Feb. 16, will return for the tournament.

What's the optimal NCAA Tournament bracket? And which Cinderella teams will shock college basketball? Join SportsLine now to see which double-digit seeds you can back with confidence, all from the model that's called 17 upsets by double-digit seeds and beat over 92% of brackets two of the last three tournaments.

Before you lock in your bracket, here's everything you should consider about the East Region.

More regional breakdowns: West | Midwest | East | South

Who wins the East Regional? And which team has a better chance than expected of knocking out Baylor early? ... Join SportsLine right now to find out what you need to know about the East Regional before filling out your bracket, all from the SportsLine expert who is 71-44-3 (+2261) on his last 118 college basketball ATS picks!