NCAA First Round Preview: East Region

7:15 Thursday, New Orleans				69.7 possessions
Team	WIN%	PTS	eFG%	TO%	OR%	FTM:FGA
16 E. Tennessee St.	8.2%	60.8	40.4	20.1	30.9	22.0
1 Kentucky	91.8%	78.2	54.4	21.7	49.7	33.5

This is the most likely least unlikely 16-over-1 game on this year's board, but it still ain't happening. Those of us who aren't in Kentucky or the Tri-Cities of Tennessee will get a live look-in of this game during halftime of the UNLV-Northern Iowa, Washington-Marquette, or Ohio-Georgetown games.

7:20 Thursday, San Jose				69.1 possessions
Team	WIN%	PTS	eFG%	TO%	OR%	FTM:FGA
11 Washington	50.2%	74.1	49.8	18.9	36.1	27.1
6 Marquette	49.8%	74.0	49.9	16.4	32.1	33.5

In the closest matchup of the entire first round of the tournament, only 0.06 points separate these two teams.

9:45 Thursday, New Orleans				74.5 possessions
Team	WIN%	PTS	eFG%	TO%	OR%	FTM:FGA
9 Wake Forest	33.3%	72.0	44.2	20.2	36.4	26.9
8 Texas	66.7%	77.5	46.3	17.5	49.6	26.3

I could say something snarky here about the lack of interest these two teams are likely to bring, but every person in the world seems to have beaten me to the punch. If both teams show up, though--and, hey, it could happen--this could be one hell of a fun game to watch.

9:50 Thursday, San Jose				63.4 possessions
Team	WIN%	PTS	eFG%	TO%	OR%	FTM:FGA
14 Montana	31.2%	65.7	52.5	18.6	23.6	24.1
3 New Mexico	68.8%	71.6	50.7	14.6	43.2	31.4

New Mexico, like Pittsburgh in the West, would be the underdog to either Washington or Marquette in the second round. Unlike the Panthers, though, the Lobos face an opponent in the first round who's got enough ammunition--you've seen what Anthony Johnson can do, no--to make the first round potentially interesting as well.

12:15 Friday, Buffalo				65.2 possessions
Team	WIN%	PTS	eFG%	TO%	OR%	FTM:FGA
15 Morgan St.	6.5%	61.4	42.8	19.5	31.4	31.9
2 West Virginia	93.5%	79.8	52.1	16.0	68.2	36.2

I understand that guarantee games pay for the bulk of the athletic budget at schools like Morgan State, but it's insane that the Bears had to play 15 of their first 19 games away from home.

12:30 Friday, Jacksonville				60 possessions
Team	WIN%	PTS	eFG%	TO%	OR%	FTM:FGA
12 Cornell	36.8%	60.3	49.0	16.4	23.5	18.9
5 Temple	63.2%	64.3	49.9	15.3	35.6	23.2

Obviously the selection committee forced these teams to play each other instead of BCS schools because they know how much Americans hate to watch upstart mid-majors take it to the football-money teams.

2:45 Friday, Buffalo				72.5 possessions
Team	WIN%	PTS	eFG%	TO%	OR%	FTM:FGA
10 Missouri	54.8%	71.3	47.3	21.7	33.5	24.4
7 Clemson	45.2%	69.7	48.6	27.4	42.9	25.7

Those who want to watch a cleanly-played game might want to look elsewhere on Friday afternoon. The Tigers and Tigers combine for about 36 turnovers and 38 personal fouls in this matchup. Between all those whistles and what will likely be a close game, it's a good thing for whoever would have to play the following game that this isn't the first game of the session. There'd be a whole lot of standing around in the tunnel waiting for the game to end.

3:00 Friday, Jacksonville				57.3 possessions
Team	WIN%	PTS	eFG%	TO%	OR%	FTM:FGA
13 Wofford	13.5%	52.4	43.9	18.3	23.5	30.3
4 Wisconsin	86.5%	64.3	52.0	14.3	32.5	30.2

This is likely to be the slowest game of the first round, more than 2½ possessions slower on average than Utah State-Texas A&M.