West Regional Overview
The Oregon Ducks have emerged as the number one seed in the West Region after winning the Pac-12 regular season title and conference tournament championship. However, the road to Houston will be difficult as there are multiple teams, most notably Oklahoma and Texas A&M, that can just as easily find a way to upset the Ducks and get to the Final Four.
#1 Oregon, #2 Oklahoma, #3 Texas A&M, #4 Duke, #5 Baylor, #6 Texas, #7 Oregon State, #8 Saint Joseph's, #9 Cincinnati, #10 VCU, #11 Northern Iowa, #12 Yale, #13 UNC Wilmington, #14 Green Bay, #15 CSU Bakersfield, #16 Holy Cross/Southern
Who Can Win?
This region is pretty wide open. Oregon, led by Dillon Brooks, is a battle tested team that won't be intimidated by anyone in this bracket. Oklahoma and its senior leadership is going to be s very tough out in this region as you know senior guard Buddy Hield is going to be on a mission to bring home a national title. Texas A&M is good enough defensively that, if they are clicking on all cylinders, could possibly get to Houston. Defending national champion Duke has work to do in this region, but with the emergence of Brandon Ingram and Grayson Allen, it's going to take a serious knockout punch to eliminate the Blue Devils.
Who Can Surprise?
Northern Iowa is capable of surprising as they have the critical of seniors that have played together for a long time and they know how to lead in the face of adversity. The Panthers at one point this season were 10-11 on the season and had their season hanging in the balance. Thanks to the three seniors Matt Bohannon, Paul Jesperson, and Wes Washpun stepping up their play and leadership, Northern Iowa caught fire and has ridden that momentum to Missouri Valley Conference Tournament championship. This combination is a why the Panthers have a great shot to upset Texas when these two teams play on Friday in Oklahoma City.
Who’s Hot?
Oregon is on a roll as they have not lost since February 13th at Stanford when the Cardinal beat the Ducks 76-72. The ability to win close games has been impressive as both Washington and Arizona tested the Ducks in the Pac-12 Tournament. Texas A&M is 8-1 in their last nine games after going through a bit of a mid-season slump. The balanced scoring attack led by Guard/Forward Jalen Jones and Guard Danuel House is going to be tough to stop when the offense is clicking on all cylinders.
Who’s Cold?
Oklahoma has not really dominated an opponent since February 24th when they routed Oklahoma State 71-49. Thus, the exit in the semifinals of the Big 12 Conference Tournament might have been a blessing in disguise so the Sooners can get some rest. Texas is only 4-5 in their last nine games and, while they have gotten some big wins against Oklahoma and West Virginia, their play is going to need to be more consistent in order to advance past a tough Northern Iowa team.
Upset Alert!
VCU is an upset candidate as they will bring more NCAA Tournament experience to the table in their matchup with Oregon State. The Beavers will be making their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1990 so there will be plenty of excitement for Oregon State just to even be in the tournament. However, the Beavers were just 4-4 during their final eight games and will be looking to get back on track against VCU. If the Rams can crank the tempo up and make Oregon State guard Gary Payton II uncomfortable along with the rest of the Beavers and force turnovers, it should position VCU nicely for an upset.
What Possible Matchup is Interesting?
A matchup between Texas and Texas A&M in the round of 32 would be fascinating television. These two schools don’t like each other and, with the Aggies success in the SEC, this would set up a fantastic grudge match between two rising programs in college basketball.
Which Player Will Dominate?
Duke's Brandon Ingram is going to have the big stage to make his case to be the number one draft pick in the 2016 NBA Draft. Ingram has steadily gotten better as the season and, unlike the underachieving overhyped Ben Simmons of LSU, Ingram actually seems to care about helping his team win to go along with boosting his draft stock. Look for Ingram to will his Blue Devils teammates to a deeper than expected run in this year’s NCAA Tournament.
Which System is Tough to Prepare For?
Northern Iowa is going to be tough to prepare for as they have a tremendous ability to grind the tempo of the game down to a screeching halt. They also won't be intimidated by Texas as the Panthers did beat North Carolina earlier this year even though the Tar Heels were without Marcus Paige in that game.
West Region Round of 64 Game Breakdowns
Midwest Region Round of 64 Game Breakdowns
East Region Round of 64 Game Breakdowns
South Region Round of 64 Game Breakdowns
