Finally, March Madness is here, and with it comes plenty of joy, heartbreak, bracket busting, and most importantly, great basketball. With the greatest tournament in sports tipping off in just a few days, now feels like the perfect time to examine each region and determine which teams could go all the way and which ones you may want to avoid when filling out your bracket.
First, let’s take a look at the matchups:
1. Arizona vs. 16. Long Island
8. Villanova vs. 9. Utah State
5. Wisconsin vs. 12. High Point
4. Arkansas vs. 13. Hawaii
6. BYU vs. 11. Texas/NC State
3. Gonzaga vs. 14. Kennesaw St.
7. Miami vs. 10. Missouri
2. Purdue vs. 15. Queens
The West region is headlined by Arizona, which was the best team in college basketball for a large portion of the season and is, understandably, the favorite to come out of this bracket. However, the Wildcats will not have an easy path. Tournament mainstays Purdue, Gonzaga, and Wisconsin are all capable of making a deep run, while a scorching-hot Arkansas squad also has a legitimate shot at winning the region.
For me, this is the toughest region to predict. Along with the teams already mentioned, you can’t count out A.J. Dybantsa and BYU, as Dybantsa is capable of taking over games on his own. Miami has been playing excellent basketball lately, and both Villanova and Utah State are solid teams that could cause problems. High Point also stands out as a dangerous 12-seed, giving Wisconsin a particularly difficult first-round matchup.
Ultimately, I tend to favor teams entering the tournament with momentum, which bodes well for Arizona, Purdue, and Arkansas.A potential Arizona–Arkansas matchup in the Sweet Sixteen would be a fascinating game.
If you’re looking for upsets, this may be the region to find them. The winner of the Texas vs. NC State play-in game could give BYU serious trouble, and High Point is certainly capable of pushing Wisconsin to the limit.
With that in mind, here are my picks for the region:
Picks
Final Four: Arkansas (4)
Upset Alert: Texas/NC State (11) over BYU (6)
Sneaky Team to Watch: Miami (7)
Regional MVP: Darius Acuff Jr., Arkansas
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