The Purdue Boilermakers are the East Region's No. 1 seed in the men's 2023 NCAA Tournament. Fresh off a championship in the Big 10 Conference Tournament, Purdue will now try to navigate the East and reach the Final Four for the first time since 1980. Led by Zach Edey, a leading candidate to win Player of the Year, the Boilermakers are formidable. 

But there's plenty of other contenders in the East. No. 2 Marquette is one of the best teams in the country, and No. 4 Tennessee could give Purdue trouble in the Sweet 16. And remember when Oral Roberts made a run to the Sweet Sixteen? They're back as a No. 12 seed, and arguably better than ever, with Max Abmas still leading the charge and matchup with No. 5 Duke on tap.

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 18 first-round upsets by double-digit seeds and beat over 92% of brackets two of the last four tournaments.

The Boilermakers had some trouble down the stretch, but could be title contenders if everything gels. But will Purdue's ugly recent tournament history rear its head? Is Abmas going to lead yet another Cinderella story run?

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

Who wins the East Regional? And which team has a better chance than expected of knocking out Purdue 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 has gone 51-39-1 in his last 91 CBB picks!!