‘Pace and space’ takes the City of Angels, as North Carolina and Arizona headline the NCAA Tournament’s West Region.
This year’s West Region promises to deliver the offensive firepower.
Its top four seeds — North Carolina, Arizona, Baylor and Alabama — all rank top 25 in KenPom’s adjusted offense, and all but Baylor slot in the top 45 in adjusted tempo. The guards have been the catalysts for these squads, yielding quality records and metrics across the board. The enthralling play of established stars (RJ Davis, Caleb Love, Mark Sears) and future pros (Ja’Kobe Walter) will captivate die-hards and casuals alike.
But it’s not just the protected seeds that showcase game changers. No. 5 Saint Mary’s adds to the group of stud guards with Aidan Mahaney, while No. 6 Clemson and No. 7 Dayton feature dominant big men (PJ Hall and DaRon Holmes II, respectively). Finally, No. 8 Mississippi State rounds out the crew wearing home whites in Round 1, thanks in large part to freshman star Josh Hubbard (13th-most made 3s in D1).
As for the next eight, No. 9 Michigan State hopes to recapture last year’s postseason magic, while No. 10 Nevada and No. 11 New Mexico seek vindication for the Mountain West. Below them are potential Cinderellas, starting with No. 12 Grand Canyon and its NBA prospect, do-everything wing Tyon Grant-Foster. And if you like 3-point shooting, keep an eye on Reyne Smith of No. 13 Charleston.
No. 14 Colgate, 15th-seeded Long Beach State, and First Four foes Howard and Wagner all have tough roads ahead of them. But maybe the Raiders — making their fifth straight trip to the dance — can get that elusive postseason win.
More tournament coverage:
—March Madness: The only 6 championship contenders
—Region Previews: South | Midwest | West | East
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