Selection Sunday is officially in the books, and the NCAA Tournament is upon us. In the buildup to the opening round, theScore is previewing each region to get you prepared to pick your bracket. After already looking at the East on Monday, we now tackle the West.
The top teams
No. 1 Gonzaga
Gonzaga heading into March Madness as one of the top seeds is becoming a yearly tradition. Led by stars Drew Timme and Chet Holmgren, this year's outfit might be even better than last year's national finalist. Timme returned to average 17.5 points and 6.3 rebounds per game en route to winning conference player of the year. Holmgren is arguably the best freshman in the country and is likely a top-three pick in the upcoming NBA draft. The Bulldogs have lost just three games this season, all coming against teams in the tournament field.
No. 2 Duke
Things certainly won't be easy in Mike Krzyzewski's final run in the NCAA Tournament with Duke. The legendary coach could face back-to-back games against Michigan State and Texas Tech, only for the opportunity to reach a regional final against Gonzaga. A loss in the ACC Tournament final came just a week after a setback to rival North Carolina in Coach K's finale at Cameron Indoor Arena. That marks two losses in the last four games for Duke. Despite lacking momentum, the Blue Devils are as talented as any team in the bracket and feature top-line starters in Paolo Banchero and Wendell Moore.
No. 3 Texas Tech
There hasn't been much of a drop-off for Texas Tech after Mark Adams took over head-coaching duties from Chris Beard. The Red Raiders enter play as the top defensive team in the country, according to KenPom's rankings. They also sport a 4-1 record on the season against top competition Kansas, Baylor, and Tennessee. Texas Tech will be a miserable opponent for anybody in the West Region.
The bracket-busters
No. 7 Michigan State
Tom Izzo's reputation in March is well documented as the veteran coach brings Michigan State to its 23rd straight NCAA Tournament. It looked as though the Spartans would receive much better than a No. 7 seed for much of the season. However, a 6-9 record over their last 15 conference games dropped them significantly. Despite that tough stretch, Michigan State showed in wins this season over Purdue, Wisconsin, and UConn that it can rise to the occasion. Add Izzo's March experience to that, and this team could be a problem in the West.
No. 12 New Mexico State
New Mexico State finds itself in this space because it has a high-level scorer who can single-handedly take them to the Round of 32. Teddy Allen led the WAC in scoring this season at 19.3 points per contest and showed how dangerous he can be with a 25-point performance in the conference tournament semis. UConn will need a strong showing in the opening round to keep the upset-minded Aggies at bay.
Players to watch
Chet Holmgren
Both Timme and Holmgren are deserving of a place in this section, but the nod goes to the 7-foot-1 freshman. Holmgren has the skills of a point guard with a center's length and can dominate the game at either end with scoring or shot-blocking ability. He connects on over 40% of his triples and is virtually unguardable in transition. If Gonzaga heads back to the national title game, expect Holmgren to be the star.
Paolo Banchero
Duke is filled with projected first-round picks, but none are higher in potential than the electric Banchero. The 6-foot-10, 250-pounder averages over 17 points and six rebounds per contest. With his 21-point effort in the early-season win over Gonzaga, he proved he's capable of rising to the occasion. There will be added motivation for the Blue Devils with this being Krzyzewski's last tournament, and expect Banchero to lead the charge for the ACC powerhouse.
JD Notae
The SEC's second-leading scorer is as capable as any player in the country of getting hot and burying the opposition with a flurry of triples. Notae averages over 18 points per contest for Arkansas and has a history of performing his best against the strongest opponents. The senior guard drained 30 points in a win over Kentucky and 28 in an overtime victory against Auburn this season.
