NCAA Capsules-East Regional

Columbus, 32-2.

Nickname: Buckeyes. Coach: Thad Matta.

Conference: Big Ten. Bid: Big Ten champion.

Region: East. Seed: No. 1.

Tournament Record: 45-25, 26 years. Last appearance: 2010.

Scoring: Team (77.1); Jared Sullinger 17.2; William Buford 14.4; Jon Diebler 12.5; Dave Lighty 11.8.

Rebounds: Team (34.5); Jared Sullinger 10.1; David Lighty 4.1; William Buford 3.9.

Assists/Turnovers: Team (15.6/10.2); Aaron Craft 4.5/2.1; David Lighty 3.2/1.6; William Buford 3.0/1.8; Jon Diebler 2.4/0.9.

3-pointers: Team (.413); Jon Diebler 102; William Buford 53; David Lighty 41.

Last Ten: 8-2.

The Skinny: If the Buckeyes play like they did in their regular-season finale against Wisconsin, when they set a Division I record by going 14 of 15 from beyond the arc, then Matta could be celebrating another national title. Helps to have Sullinger inside, too.

San Antonio, 19-13.

Nickname: Roadrunners. Coach: Brooks Thompson.

Conference: Southland. Bid: Southland champion.

Region: East. Seed: No. 16.

Tournament Record: 0-3, 3 years. Last NCAA Appearance: 2004.

Scoring: Team (70.9); Devin Gibson 17.0; Melvin Johnson 14.8; Jeromie Hill 13.6.

Rebounds: Team (35.0); Jeromie Hill 6.6; Devin Gibson 5.4; Stephen Franklin 4.1.

Assists/Turnovers: Team (12.8/13.6); Devin Gibson 5.6/3.2; Sei Paye 1.7/0.9.

3-pointers: Team (.356); Melvin Johnson 77; Jeromie Hill 42; Sei Paye 30.

Last Ten: 7-3.

The Skinny: Hill is only a freshman, but he scored 25 points for the Roadrunners in their 75-72 win over top-seeded McNeese State in the Southland title game. He takes his queue from Gibson, the senior guard from Houston who leads the team in scoring at 17 points per game.

Montgomery, 17-17.

Nickname: Hornets. Coach: Lewis Jackson.

Conference: Southwestern Athletic. Bid: SWAC champion.

Region: East. Seed: No. 16.

Tournament Record: 0-3, 3 years. Last NCAA Appearance: 2009.

Scoring: Team (61.3); Tramayne Moorer 12.5; Tramaine Butler 10.9; Kenderek Washington 8.7.

Rebounds: Team (36.2); Tramayne Moorer 5.7; Ivory White 5.4; Chris Duncan 4.6; Kenderek Washington 4.4.

Assists/Turnovers: Team (11.5/15.9); Jeffery Middlebrooks 2.8/2.3; Dwayne Harvey 2.1/1.5.

3-pointers: Team (.284); Ivory White 36.

Last Ten: 9-1.

The Skinny: The SWAC champs were just 6-16 at the beginning of February, but they've won 11 of their last 12 games — and avenged their only loss in that run by dismantling Grambling in the league title game. Helps that Moorer is healthy after dealing with injuries and the flu.

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Fairfax, Va., 26-6.

Nickname: Patriots. Coach: Jim Larranaga.

Conference: Colonial Athletic Association. Bid: At large.

Region: East. Seed: No. 8.

Tournament Record: 4-5, 5 years. Last appearance: 2008.

Scoring: Team (73.3); Cam Long 15.3; Ryan Pearson 14.4; Luke Hancock 10.7; Andre Cornelius 9.9.

Rebounds: Team (35.1); Ryan Pearson 6.8; Mike Morrison 5.3; Cam Long 4.6; Luke Hancock 4.2.

Assists/Turnovers: Team (14.3/10.9); Luke Hancock 4.3/2.3; Cam Long 2.8/1.7.

3-pointers: Team (.397); Andre Cornelius 59; Cam Long 55; Vertrail Vaughns 33.

Last Ten: 9-1.

The Skinny: The Patriots got in thanks to their body of work, which included 26 wins and a 16-2 regular-season mark in the CAA. They sure didn't get in because of their play in the conference tournament, which ended with a 79-63 loss to fourth-seeded Virginia Commonwealth.

Philadelphia, 21-11.

Nickname: Wildcats. Coach: Jay Wright.

Conference: Big East. Bid: At large.

Region: East. Seed: No. 9.

Tournament Record: 49-31, 31 years. Last appearance: 2010.

Scoring: Team (72.7); Corey Fisher 15.4; Corey Stokes 15.0; Maalik Wayns 14.0; Antonio Pena 9.8.

Rebounds: Team (37.1); Antonio Pena 7.2; Mouphtaou Yarou 6.9.

Assists/Turnovers: Team (13.8/12.0); Corey Fisher 4.8/2.3; Maalik Wayns 4.5/2.8.

3-pointers: Team (.349); Corey Stokes 85; Corey Fisher 50; Maalik Wayns 31.

Last Ten: 3-7.

The Skinny: Once considered national title contenders, the Wildcats have fallen apart over the last two months. The meltdown culminated with a loss to No. 15 seed South Florida in the Big East tournament. Good thing Villanova won lots of games early; they haven't won much lately.

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Morgantown, 20-11.

Nickname: Mountaineers. Coach: Bob Huggins.

Conference: Big East. Bid: At large.

Region: East. Seed: No. 5.

Tournament Record: 24-23, 23 years. Last appearance: 2010.

Scoring: Team (69.5); Casey Mitchell 14.1; Kevin Jones 13.1; Darryl Bryant 10.9; John Flowers 9.6.

Rebounds: Team (37.4); Kevin Jones 7.4; John Flowers 6.5; Deniz Kilicli 4.1.

Assists/Turnovers: Team (15.1/12.1); Joe Mazzulla 4.1/1.8; Darryl Bryant 3.1/2.2.

3-pointers: Team (.335); Casey Mitchell 65; Darryl Bryant 36; Kevin Jones.

Last Ten: 5-5.

The Skinny: The defending Big East tournament champs were bounced by Marquette in their first game at Madison Square Garden last week. The reason? They couldn't hit a jumpshot. West Virginia has struggled with inconsistency all year, which Huggins lamented in New York City.

Birmingham, Ala., 22-8.

Nickname: Blazers. Coach: Mike Davis.

Conference: Conference USA. Bid: At large.

Region: East. Seed: No. 12.

Tournament Record: 9-13, 13 years. Last appearance: 2006.

Scoring: Team (68.9); Jamarr Sanders 17.7; Cameron Moore 14.3; Aaron Johnson 12.0; Ovio Soko 9.2.

Rebounds: Team (36.0); Cameron Moore 9.4; Ovio Soko 5.9; Jamarr Sanders 4.6.

Assists/Turnovers: Team (13.7/12.3); Aaron Johnson 7.7/3.5; Jamarr Sanders 1.9/2.8.

3-pointers: Team (.337); Jamarr Sanders 85; Dexter Fields 53.

Last Ten: 7-3.

The Skinny: The Blazers were sweating it out after getting stunned by East Carolina — the same team it had beaten by 18 points five days earlier — in the Conference USA tournament. Many critics disagreed with putting them in the field. Talk about having something to prove.

Clemson, S.C., 21-11.

Nickname: Tigers. Coach: Oliver Purnell.

Conference: Atlantic Coast. Bid: At large.

Region: East. Seed: No. 12.

Tournament Record: 8-10, 10 years. Last appearance: 2010.

Scoring: Team (68.2); Demontez Stitt 14.7; Jerai Grant 12.1; Andre Young 10.8.

Rebounds: Team (34.9); Jerai Grant 6.7; Devon Booker 5.3; Milton Jennings 5.3; Demontez Stitt 4.4.

Assists/Turnovers: Team (12.9/13.4); Demontez Stitt 3.4/2.1; Andre Young 3.0/1.2; Tanner Smith 2.8/1.9.

3-pointers: Team (.349); Andre Young 74; Demontez Stitt 43; Tanner Smith 31.

Last Ten: 6-4.

The Skinny: The Tigers were probably in the tournament even before they played North Carolina in the ACC tourney, but their strong showing in an overtime loss might have cemented their bid. Stitt is an extraordinary scorer and he has plenty of help from Grant and Young.

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Lexington, 25-8.

Nickname: Wildcats. Coach: John Calipari.

Conference: Southeastern. Bid: SEC champion.

Region: East. Seed: No. 4.

Tournament Record: 103-46, 51 years. Last appearance: 2010.

Scoring: Team (76.4); Brandon Knight 17.5; Terrence Jones 16.5; Doron Lamb 13.0; Darius Miller 11.3.

Rebounds: Team (38.1); Terrence Jones 8.9; Josh Harrellson 8.8; Darius Miller 4.8; DeAndre Liggins 4.1.

Assists/Turnovers: Team (12.7/10.7); Brandon Knight 4.2/3.1; DeAndre Liggins 2.5/1.4.

3-pointers: Team (.397); Brandon Knight 75; Doron Lamb 60; Darius Miller 51; DeAndre Liggins 30.

Last Ten: 8-2.

The Skinny: All those guys who left after last season? Ancient history. Calipari simply reloads. Knight, Jones and Lamb are the latest freshman phenoms for the Wildcats. Knight and Jones lead the way in scoring, while Lamb is a 48-percent shooter from beyond the arc.

Princeton, N.J., 25-6.

Nickname: Tigers. Coach: Sydney Johnson.

Conference: Ivy League. Bid: Ivy champion.

Region: East. Seed: No. 13.

Tournament Record: 13-27, 23 years. Last NCAA Appearance: 2004.

Scoring: Team (69.6); Ian Hummer 13.9; Kareem Maddox 13.9; Dan Mavraides 12.7; Douglas Davis 11.9.

Rebounds: Team (34.7); Kareem Maddox 7.1; Ian Hummer 6.7; Dan Mavraides 4.6.

Assists/Turnovers: Team (13.5/12.4); Dan Mavraides 2.8/2.8; Kareem Maddox 2.5/2.1; Ian Hummer 2.0/2.2.

3-pointers: Team (.368); Douglas Davis 68; Dan Mavraides 59.

Last Ten: 8-2.

The Skinny: The Ivy League champs needed to win against Harvard for the automatic bid, and did it in style. Douglas Davis made a leaning jumper at the buzzer after Princeton had trailed nearly the entire way. Davis finished with 15 points in the game.

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Cincinnati, 24-7.

Nickname: Musketeers. Coach: Chris Mack.

Conference: Atlantic 10. Bid: At large.

Region: East. Seed: No. 6.

Tournament Record: 19-21, 21 years. Last appearance: 2010.

Scoring: Team (72.6); Tu Holloway 20.2; Mark Lyons 13.8; Kenny Frease 11.7; Jamel McLean 10.8.

Rebounds: Team (35.5); Jamel McLean 8.4; Kenny Frease 7.1; Tu Holloway 5.1.

Assists/Turnovers: Team (13.3/12.0); Tu Holloway 5.5/3.4; Mark Lyons 3.1/2.9; Dante Jackson 2.0/1.2.

3-pointers: Team (.333); Tu Holloway 59; Dante Jackson 55; Mark Lyons 47.

Last Ten: 9-1.

The Skinny: This was supposed to be a transition year for the Musketeers, but with Holloway nearly doubling his scoring average from his sophomore season, they've been just as good as they were the past six years. With a deep run in March, they could prove they're even better.

Milwaukee, 20-14.

Nickname: Golden Eagles. Coach: Buzz Williams.

Conference: Big East. Bid: At large.

Region: East. Seed: No. 11.

Tournament Record: 34-29, 28 years. Last NCAA Appearance: 2010.

Scoring: Team (73.2); Jimmy Butler 16.0; Darius Johnson-Odom 15.9; Jae Crowder 11.7; Dwight Buycks 9.2.

Rebounds: Team (33.8); Jae Crowder 6.8; Jimmy Butler 6.1.

Assists/Turnovers: Team (14.7/11.4); Dwight Buycks 3.6/2.3; Darius Johnson-Odom 2.4/1.9; Jimmy Butler 2.3/1.5.

3-pointers: Team (.363); Darius Johnson-Odom 64; Jae Crowder 40; Dwight Buycks 37.

Last Ten: 5-5.

The Skinny: The Golden Eagles played their way into the NCAA tournament with wins over Providence and West Virginia in the Big East tourney. Williams may be the most energetic coach in America on the sidelines. Keep an eye on Butler, who was quiet last week in New York City.

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Syracuse, N.Y., 26-7.

Nickname: Orangemen. Coach: Jim Boeheim.

Conference: Big East. Bid: At large.

Region: East. Seed: No. 3.

Tournament Record: 52-33, 33 years. Last appearance: 2010.

Scoring: Team (73.6); Kris Joseph 14.4; Rick Jackson 13.0; Scoop Jardine 12.8; Brandon Triche 11.3.

Rebounds: Team (37.8); Rick Jackson 10.6; Kris Joseph 5.0.

Assists/Turnovers: Team (16.3/12.1); Scoop Jardine 5.8/2.8; Brandon Triche 2.9/1.9; Rick Jackson 2.3/2.0; Kris Joseph 2.1/2.2.

3-pointers: Team (.352); Scoop Jardine 52; Brandon Triche 47; Kris Joseph 44.

Last Ten: 7-3.

The Skinny: The Orange will be trying to rebound from a thrilling overtime loss to UConn in the Big East tournament semifinals. Joseph and Jardine can be streaky shooters from the outside, while Jackson is one of the best defenders in the nation on the low block.

Terre Haute, 20-13.

Nickname: Sycamores. Coach: Greg Lansing.

Conference: Missouri Valley. Bid: MVC champion.

Region: East. Seed: No. 14.

Tournament Record: 5-3, 3 years. Last NCAA Appearance: 2001.

Scoring: Team (66.5); Dwayne Lathan 11.0; Carl Richard 9.8; Jake Odum 9.4; Aaron Carter 8.7; Jake Kelly 8.7.

Rebounds: Team (34.8); Carl Richard 6.6; Myles Walker 5.3; Dwayne Lathan 4.8.

Assists/Turnovers: Team (12.7/14.0); Jake Odum 4.0/2.2; Jake Kelly 2.7/2.4.

3-pointers: Team (.363); Jordan Printy 50; Aaron Carter 49.

Last Ten: 8-2.

The Skinny: The Sycamores were picked to finish seventh in the Missouri Valley before beating preseason favorite Wichita State and top-seeded Missouri State in the conference tournament. Eight players average more than 15 minutes per game in a balanced attack.

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Seattle, 23-10.

Nickname: Huskies. Coach: Lorenzo Romar.

Conference: Pac-10. Bid: Pac-10 champion.

Region: East. Seed: No. 7.

Tournament Record: 17-16, 15 years. Last appearance: 2010.

Scoring: Team (83.5); Isaiah Thomas 16.8; Matthew Bryan-Amaning 15.5; Justin Holiday 10.8; Abdul Gaddy 8.5.

Rebounds: Team (39.3); Matthew Bryan-Amaning 8.1; Aziz N'Diaye 5.6; Justin Holiday 5.4.

Assists/Turnovers: Team (17.2/12.4); Isaiah Thomas 6.0/3.0; Abdul Gaddy 3.8/1.2; Venoy Overton 3.4/1.5; Justin Holiday 2.2/1.5.

3-pointers: Team (.371); Isaiah Thomas 60; C.J. Wilcox 59; Justin Holiday 47; Scott Suggs 45; Terrence Ross 41.

Last Ten: 7-3.

The Skinny: There are times the Huskies have been really good (like their 85-68 win over Arizona) and times they've been really bad (an 80-69 loss to Washington State). One thing is certain: Thomas and Bryan-Amaning give Washington enough to make a deep tournament run.

Athens, 21-11.

Nickname: Bulldogs. Coach: Mark Fox.

Conference: Southeastern. Bid: At Large.

Region: East. Seed: No. 10.

Tournament Record: 7-10, 10 years. Last NCAA Appearance: 2008.

Scoring: Team (68.8); Trey Thompkins 16.1; Travis Leslie 14.5; Gerald Robinson 12.2; Jeremy Price 9.2.

Rebounds: Team (37.7); Trey Thompkins 7.5; Travis Leslie 7.2; Jeremy Price 5.0.

Assists/Turnovers: Team (15.2/13.4); Gerald Robinson 4.2/3.1; Dustin Ware 3.5/1.1; Travis Leslie 2.9/2.2.

3-pointers: Team (.340); Dustin Ware 56; Gerald Robinson 29.

Last Ten: 5-5.

The Skinny: Many folks thought the Bulldogs were bumped from the bubble with an overtime loss to Alabama in the SEC tournament. But a marquee win over Kentucky and narrow losses to Florida (in double-overtime), Temple and Vandy were evidently enough to squeeze in.

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Chapel Hill, 26-7.

Nickname: Tar Heels. Coach: Roy Williams.

Conference: Atlantic Coast. Bid: At Large.

Region: East. Seed: No. 2.

Tournament Record: 102-39, 41 years.

Last NCAA Appearance: 2009.

Scoring: Team (76.7); Harrison Barnes 15.0; Tyler Zeller 14.5; John Henson 11.4.

Rebounds: Team (42.5); John Henson 10.1; Tyler Zeller 7.1; Harrison Barnes 5.5.

Assists/Turnovers: Team (15.3/13.5); Kendal Marshall 5.8/2.5; Dexter Strickland 2.2/1.5.

3-pointers: Team (.333); Harrison Barnes 56; Leslie McDonald 49; Reggie Bullock 29.

Last Ten: 9-1.

The Skinny: Plenty of critics were quick to write off North Carolina after it lost four of its first 11 games. In the words of country crooner Toby Keith, "How do you like me now?" The Tar Heels won another regular-season ACC title and have grown by leaps and bounds.

Brooklyn, N.Y., 27-5.

Nickname: Blackbirds. Coach: Jim Ferry.

Conference: Northeast. Bid: Northeast champion.

Region: East. Seed: No. 15.

Tournament Record: 0-3, 3 years. Last NCAA Appearance: 1997.

Scoring: Team (82.6); Julian Boyd 12.9; Jamal Olasewere 12.9; David Hicks 11.0; Kyle Johnson 10.8.

Rebounds: Team (41.8); Julian Boyd 8.8; Jamal Olasewere 6.8; Kyle Johnson 5.6; Kenny Onyechi 4.3.

Assists/Turnovers: Team (15.1/15.3); Jason Brickman 5.4/1.9; C.J. Garner 3.4/2.3.

3-pointers: Team (.366); Michael Culpo 50; Kyle Johnson 50; David Hicks 40.

Last Ten: 10-0.

The Skinny: The Blackbirds earned their first NCAA bid in 14 years with a thrilling overtime win against two-time defending NEC champ Robert Morris. LIU calls home the borough of Brooklyn, a short walk from the construction site that will soon be the New Jersey Nets' home, too.