Cooper Flagg's health is the biggest storyline in the East Region as top-seeded Duke awaits the return of its freshman sensation. The Blue Devils beat North Carolina and Louisville in the ACC Tournament without the ACC Player of the Year,

Duke, the No. 1 seed in the East region, is expecting to have star freshman Cooper Flagg for the NCAA Tournament beginning this week.

Duke is the clear favorite, but Alabama is one of the best offensive teams in the nation and capable of returning to the Final Four.

North Carolina is headed to the 2025 NCAA Tournament as a No. 11 seed and part of the First Four in Dayton after narrowly sneaking in following a disappointing season. Gaining admission to the Big Dance should alleviate some of the heartbreak the Tar Heels felt following a heartbreaking loss to Duke in the ACC Tournament semifinals.

North Carolina was very much on the NCAA tournament bubble last week and projected by many to miss the field when it fell short of the ACC championship game in a heartbreaking semifinal loss to Duke.

The North Carolina Tar Heels’ NCAA Tournament journey is off to a chaotic start. North Carolina dealt with significant travel problems on Monday ahead of their First Four game in Dayton, Oh., according to Luke DeCock of The News & Observer.