With the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament beginning, the West Region is one to pay attention to. There’s possible upsets, powerhouses, and exciting matchups. Here’s a breakdown of what to know about this region:
No. 1 Seed – Florida Gators:
The Florida Gators are the No. 1 seed for the West Region. They have a 30-4 overall record and a 14-4 conference record. They are a part of the southeastern conference and finished 2nd after Auburn, however the Gators won this season’s SEC conference tournament earning them an automatic spot in this year’s NCAA Tournament. Guard, Walter Clayton Jr., averages 17.5 points per game with a FG% of 44.4. Their coach, Todd Golden has done a great job of building up a team that shoots 3-pointers, dunks, and has five bigs.
No. 2 Seed – St. John’s:
St. John’s is the No. 2 seed team in the West Region of the tournament. A part of the Big East conference, St. John’s finished with a 30-4 overall record and an 18-2 conference record. They also won the Big East Conference Tournament. Their standout player is RJ Luis Jr. who scored 29 points in their Big East championship game against Creighton. Kadary Richmond, Zuby Ejofor, and Devion Smith are other standout players for the Red Storm.
No. 8 Seed – UConn:
Despite winning back to back NCAA Tournaments the past two years, UConn is only a No. 8 seed team in the West Region. UConn finished third in the Big East Tournament with a conference record of 14-6 and 23-10 overall. They are predicted to matchup with the No. 1 seed, Florida Gators, in the second round. While they are unlikely to win, it is a possible upset due to UConn history dominating March Madness.
Sleeper – Texas Tech:
The sleeper pick in the West Region is No. 3 seed, Texas Tech. With the amount of attention Florida and St. John’s are getting, Texas Tech is being considered a sleeper pick despite their high ranking. The Red Raiders had a 15-5 Big 12 conference record and a 25-8 overall record. Their sophomore forward, JT Toppin, was named Big 12 player of the year. The team has a great defensive strategy and average 81 points per game which is the best they’ve done since the 1994-95 season. They may not have a record as impressive as Florida or St. John’s but they are not a team to overlook.
Best first round matchup:
The most exciting first round matchup in the West Region is Drake No. 11 seed v. Missouri No. 6 seed. Missouri averages 84.5 points per game and Drake averages 58.4, but Drake is likely to slow down Missouri. Drake’s junior guard, Bennett Stirtz, is an outstanding player that averages 19.1 points, 4.4 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 2.2 steals. Stirtz also plays an average of 39.4 minutes per game and has the strong ability to impact the outcome of the game.
Possible Upsets:
March Madness is guaranteed to have unpredictable upsets. However, it seems like the West Region will be predictably dominated by Florida and St. John’s. The only team that could stand in the way of this is Texas Tech. Texas Tech is predicted to meet up with St. John’s in the sweet 16. While both teams have a 16% chance of moving forward to the elite 8, St. John’s is the favorite of this matchup. Another possible upset is Drake beating No.6 seed Missouri in the first round. Missouri has a much better record than Drake but if Bennett Stirtz gets hot Drake has a chance. A final possible upset could be UConn beating Florida in the second round. It’s unlikely but because of UConn winning the past two NCAA Tournaments it is not out of the question.
Possible region winner:
It’s likely that the final matchup in the region will be Florida v. St. John’s. The obvious pick is the No.1 seed, Florida. There is a 41% chance that they make the final four and a 14% they win the whole tournament. However, there’s a high chance that the Red Storm upsets the Gators. Despite not having a ton of NCAA Tournament experience, St. John’s has a great team this season and are led by a coach who already has two NCAA championships.
