Kentucky will survive the East Region

Baylor was the last No. 1 seed and no favors were done in the east region, he had to travel all the way to Philadelphia if he got through the first weekend and will likely have No. 2 Kentucky and No. 3 Purdue – two of the most talented non-no. 1 seed – join them in the city of brotherly love.

this is not the south which we called the region of death. However, it is sneaky. Fourth-seeded UCLA brought their entire team back from last year’s Final Four run and added pieces, No. 5 Saint Mary’s handed No. 1 overall Gonzaga their only loss since early December, and Murray State is closer with 30 wins a five in ability than a seven. Also the no. 8/no. 9 Matchup, between North Carolina and Marquette, features two teams that have shown this year they can beat anyone.

Bracket Buster: Saint Mary’s

Experience counts in March, and nobody gets more of it than the senior-heavy Gaels, who own wins against Gonzaga, San Francisco (twice) and Notre Dame and have been patiently waiting for this opportunity. Saint Mary’s will get UCLA to play at the Gaels’ preferred slow pace in a second-round upset and will also give Baylor a scare.

Angry observation of the first round

No. 11 Virginia Tech over No. 6 Texas

The Hokies have won 13 of their last 15 games and are soaring after outclassing Duke in the ACC Tournament title game. Meanwhile, Chris Beard’s first season in Texas just didn’t feel right. The big transfers didn’t match consistently, and certainly not late in the year when the Longhorns lost four of their last six.

Best First Round Matchup

No. 8 North Carolina vs. No. 9 Marquette

The Tar Heels knocked Duke out with ease on Coach K Night. The golden eagles swept Villanova. Both teams are better than their seed at their best. This could be a high level game if both bring it up. The matchup in the suit will be particularly intriguing as North Carolina Dynamo Armando Bacot meets Marquette shot blocker threat Kur Kuath.

Betting on March Madness 2022?

Unsung player: G Tommy Kuhse, Saint Mary’s

In his sixth year of college, the 24-year-old point guard stands 6ft 2 tall. So he’s old, he’s smart and he shoots daylight out of the ball. Kuhse gave Gonzaga fits this year and is making the Gaels a tough game.

Player to Watch: G Jaden Ivey, Purdue

One of the country’s biggest talents, the prospective top 10 draft pick, is schedule television. He has improved as a marksman and as a sophomore as a distributor, but his strength remains his innate ability to jump higher and move faster than anyone else.

The Post’s Choice: Kentucky

The path is not easy. There are potholes along the way, upset Murray State in the second round, loaded Purdue after that and defending champion Baylor set to follow him. But the Wildcats return to the Final Four here after John Caliparis’ smart offseason adjustment of aging via the transfer portal, and yet remain brimming with talent. No one has stopped Oscar Tshiebwe — a human wrecking ball averaging 17.0 points, 15.1 rebounds and 1.6 blocks — this season, and neither will anyone in the region.