March Madness 2019: One player who will dominate each region

NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 14: Marquette Golden Eagles guard Markus Howard (0) during the second half of the Big East Tournament quarterfinal game between the Marquette Golden Eagles and the St. John's Red Storm on March 14, 2019 at Madison Square Garden in New York, NY. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

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CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – MARCH 16: Zion Williamson #1 of the Duke Blue Devils reacts against the Florida State Seminoles during the championship game of the 2019 Men’s ACC Basketball Tournament at Spectrum Center on March 16, 2019 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /

The bracket is set for March Madness 2019 and here are the players you can expect to dominate each region of the bracket.

The star of college basketball and the presumptive National Player of the Year is the headliner in the East Region where Zion Williamson should be a force.

East Region: Zion Williamson, F, Duke

The Blue Devils opted to take Williamson’s recovery from a right knee sprain slowly and we were rewarded with the fully healthy version of the best player in the country during the ACC tournament. Duke cruised to victory led by their star after several ugly losses without him. If he can stay healthy and maintain his absurd production, Duke may be the favorites to win it all as the No. 1 overall seed this March.

Williamson averaged 30.5 points, 12.3 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 3.0 steals and 2.5 blocks per 40 minutes this year and is one of 10 finalists for the Naismith Player of the Year award. What he does in the NCAA Tournament will only cement his legacy. The freshmen, who is one of the youngest players in the nation, is already a near lock to become the first overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft because of his incredible production and beautiful team-oriented style.

Assuming the Blue Devils move on to the second round, they will face a strong defensive team — either Virginia Commonwealth or Central Florida. The ACC provided many up-tempo, offense-first opponents but that matchup would provide a different challenge, though neither is a particularly great team.

Overall, Duke ended up with a pretty easy bracket in the East. Virginia Tech was only able to win by five over Duke with Williamson sidelined — one expects that rematch would favor the Blue Devils with their star healthy.

Finally, Michigan State awaits if they move on to the Elite Eight. The Wolverines’ 32nd-ranked defense features wing defender Kenny Goins and size inside with Nick Ward and Xavier Tillman.

It’s hard to imagine anyone stopping Williamson.

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