Pat Mayo flags Duke injuries, Ohio State value
Pat Mayo’s bracket breakdown says Duke has the “easiest path” in the East but flags health questions — Pat Gangba (foot) and Caleb Foster (fractured foot) were listed as questionable, which could change the region outlook fast [](https://twitter.com/ThePME). Mayo’s crew also singled out Ohio State as a value pick (favored ~2.5 points over TCU) and warned UConn looks vulnerable to an early upset — their consensus: the champion likely won’t come from the East .
Duke starting guard Caleb Foster suffered a fractured right foot in the win over North Carolina and underwent surgery, a layoff coach Jon Scheyer called "for the foreseeable future." (espn.com) Starting center Patrick Ngongba II missed the rematch with UNC and was ruled out of the ACC Tournament with foot soreness, though team coverage reported coaches hoping he’ll be available for the NCAA field. (dukechronicle.com) The injuries strip Duke of a rotation guard and force more offensive load onto freshman Cameron Boozer — Boozer is averaging roughly 22.7 points and 10.2 rebounds per game this season, numbers analysts flagged as critical if Duke’s depth tightens. (clutchpoints.com) Pat Mayo walked through the East-region pecking order on his bracket show and flagged the same health questions around Duke while pushing Ohio State as a sleeper/value pick in the 8‑9 game; Mayo’s breakdown is posted on his Mayo Media Network channel. (youtube.com) Ohio State returns to the tournament as an No. 8 seed — their first NCAA trip since 2022 — and will open against No. 9 TCU in Greenville, with oddsmakers opening the Buckeyes about 2.5 points up on TCU. (on3.com) UConn draws No. 15 Furman as a No. 2 seed and opened as a roughly 20.5‑point favorite in early books, but recent regular‑season losses (including at Marquette) and bracket seeding placed UConn in a spot analysts warned could be vulnerable to an upset. (furmanpaladins.com)
