Tourney breakdown: Previewing the Midwest Region

The NCAA Tournament is upon us now that Selection Sunday is officially in the books. In the buildup to the opening round, theScore is previewing each region to get you prepared to pick your bracket. The Midwest Region follows our East and West previews and features star-powered Purdue as the No. 1 seed.

Top teams

No. 1 Purdue

The Boilermakers also earned a top seed in their bracket last season, and we all know how that turned out. After becoming the second team to ever lose to a 16-seed, Purdue is out to change the narrative. Once again led by likely national Player of the Year Zach Edey, the Boilermakers' sophomore backcourt of Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer has made major strides since its first year in West Lafayette, providing tons of help for the 7-foot-4 Canadian. Purdue ran through the regular season, going 29-4 with only one loss of more than four points and 14 wins against fellow March Madness teams. Virginia, the first 1-seed to fall to a No. 16 opponent, turned around and won the entire tournament the following season with a similar core. Whether Purdue can follow in the Cavaliers' footsteps will be a top storyline in the Big Dance.

No. 2 Tennessee

Tennessee's had some March struggles under head coach Rick Barnes, never advancing past the Sweet 16 during his five tournament appearances with the program. That said, this is the second-best offensive team Barnes has had in Knoxville, and it remains one of the country's elite defensive squads. The Volunteers are extremely veteran-heavy, with all seven of their leaders in minutes being upperclassmen. They also feature a true superstar scorer in Dalton Knecht, whose 21.1 points per game are the most by a Tennessee player since the 2015-16 campaign. Between Knecht, the fire-and-ice backcourt combination of Santiago Vescovi's cerebral play and Zakai Zeigler's aggressive attack, and the emergence of big man Jonas Aidoo, the Volunteers have everything it takes for a deep March run.

No. 3 Creighton

Fresh off surging to the Elite Eight last year, Creighton's high-powered offense is back and ready to cause more havoc in March. The Bluejays know exactly who they are and don't deviate from their style. On offense, they own the seventh-highest 3-point rate in the country. All of their guards can score from deep and distribute the ball. On defense, they prevent threes at an elite rate and allow dominant shot-blocker Ryan Kalkbrenner to deter scorers trying to attack the basket. As a result, Creighton fouls less than any other team in the country by a wide margin. To beat the Bluejays, you must have top-tier scorers and hope that Creighton misses open 3-pointers. That seems like a challenge for the rest of the Midwest Region.

Bracket-busters

No. 11 Oregon

Sometimes, all it takes to make a March Madness run is to get hot at the right time, and Oregon falls into that category after winning the Pac-12 Tournament as a 4-seed last week. The Ducks have one of the country's best point guard-center duos, with freshman playmaker Jackson Shelstad blossoming into a household name and senior big N'Faly Dante putting together a nationally underrated season. If they're both playing at their peak, this team is far more talented than the average 11-seed.

No. 12 McNeese State

McNeese State may be a small school in the lowly Southland Conference, but this squad has the athletes and physicality to hang with any power program. Led by former LSU coach Will Wade after the NCAA penalized him for recruiting violations with the Tigers, the Cowboys employ the kind of length and pressure often seen from SEC teams. McNeese State allows the highest 3-point rate of any team in the country, so if its opponent is off the mark from long range, McNeese Madness could kick off.

Players to watch

Zach Edey, Purdue

There's no way to discuss the region's top players without mentioning the reigning Player of the Year and likely repeat winner. Edey has stepped up his game in nearly every aspect from last season, leading the nation in scoring at 24.4 points per game while ranking third in rebounding at 11.7. Analytics sites love him too: He laps the field in KenPom's player rankings and EvanMiya's Bayesian Performance Rating. He is not only the best player in the Midwest, but in the whole tournament.

Graham Ike, Gonzaga

You know what you're getting with Ike. He ranks fourth nationally in post-ups per game and shoots 59% on those plays, the highest mark of anyone in the top 20 in attempts. He doesn't beat teams from beyond the arc or with speed off the bounce, but when he gets the ball in his spots, he's unstoppable. He's one of four players in the country to average 16 points and seven rebounds on 60% shooting from the floor, along with Midwest Region foes Edey, Kalkbrenner, and Dante.

Dalton Knecht, Tennessee

Knecht is the architect of Tennesee's aforementioned offensive resurgence this season. Not only are his point totals lofty, but he's lit up opponents with hyper-efficient 39.7% shooting from beyond the arc. Knecht is more than just a shooter, though: Defenses that play him off the 3-point line often get left in the dust by his powerful first step and underrated bounce for incredibly difficult finishes at the basket. He has a tendency to go cold for stretches, which can really hurt the Volunteers, but they're nearly impossible to beat when he's on his game.