Tourney breakdown: Previewing the West Region
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 looking at the South and Midwest yesterday, we examine the West Region today.
Top teams
No. 1 Kansas
Kansas is looking to become the first repeat national champion in 16 years. The Jayhawks won 17 Quad 1 games and were in the hunt for the tourney's top overall seed until their loss Saturday to Texas in the Big 12 final. They rank seventh in KenPom's rankings for adjusted defensive efficiency, allowing just 91.5 points per 100 possessions. Health is arguably the biggest question surrounding Kansas. Head coach Bill Self missed the entire Big 12 Tournament after undergoing a heart procedure but is expected to rejoin his team for the NCAA Tournament. Key defender Kevin McCullar Jr. was also sidelined for the Big 12 championship game due to ongoing back spasms.
No. 2 UCLA
UCLA was a Courtney Ramey miss away from potentially being a 1-seed as it fell short of its first Pac-12 Tournament crown in nine years. Still, it was another strong campaign for the Bruins as they won 20-plus games for the third straight year and finished atop the conference in the regular season. Mick Cronin's unit has the ingredients to make a deep run in March. They own KenPom's top-ranked defense and feature multiple players from their Final Four run two years ago, most notably Jaime Jaquez and Tyger Campbell. But just like Kansas, injuries are threatening UCLA's championship hopes. The Bruins have already lost top wing defender Jaylen Clark for the rest of the season, while Adem Bona's recent shoulder injury has left the team very thin up front.
No. 3 Gonzaga
Gonzaga enters the Big Dance with much less fanfare than previous seasons. But make no mistake, the Bulldogs are very much capable of making some noise, even if they don't have any surefire lottery picks on their roster. Mark Few's squad is leading the nation in scoring for a fifth straight campaign, averaging 87.5 points on 52.9% shooting. Big man Drew Timme has had ample space to operate in the post, with five different rotational players making at least 38% of their threes. The Zags have maintained an unselfish brand of play as well, ranking 12th in the NCAA with 16.6 assists per contest.
Bracket-busters
No. 12 VCU
VCU had one of its best campaigns in school history, winning 27 games and taking home its first conference tournament title since the Shaka Smart era. A large part of the Rams' success has been their stingy defense. They ranked 15th nationally in turnovers forced (16.5 per game), 16th in steals (8.9), and 24th in points allowed (62.9). VCU's press can speed up a Saint Mary's team that prefers playing at a slower tempo, and the Rams' ball pressure could take Gaels star Aidan Mahaney out of rhythm.
No. 13 Iona
A Rick Pitino-coached team should never be taken lightly. There's a reason the Hall of Famer is one of only four coaches in Division I history to lead five different programs to the NCAA Tournament. Year after year, Pitino seems to get the most out of his roster, and this Iona team is no different. The Gaels can expose UConn's ball-handling issues with their full-court press and boast solid guard play in Daniss Jenkins and Walter Clayton. They also defend the 3-point line at an elite level. UConn sharpshooter Jordan Hawkins is a handful to cover because of his excellent movement off the ball. If the Gaels can contain Hawkins, they've got a real chance to pull off the opening-round upset.
Players to watch
Jalen Wilson, Kansas
Wilson's emergence into a lead star has been a significant part of the Jayhawks' success. The senior forward led the Big 12 in points (20.1 per game) and rebounds (8.4) to go along with 2.3 assists and one steal per contest. He was recently named one of 15 finalists for the Wooden Award, given annually to the top college basketball player in the country.
Drew Timme, Gonzaga
Timme has quietly produced the best numbers of his collegiate career, recording new career highs in points (20.9 per game), rebounds (7.3), and assists (3.2). The 6-foot-10 forward is also 14th in the country in both effective field-goal percentage (62.6%) and total free-throw attempts (225). Timme recently became the Zags' all-time leading scorer largely because of his dominant post play. His balance and crafty footwork have made him an interior force over the years. Timme has converted nearly 75% of his attempts at the rim this season, per Hoop-Math.com.
Jaime Jaquez, UCLA
Jaquez rounds out the trio of Wooden Award finalists on this list. It's been a memorable senior year for the California native as he became the first Bruins player to earn Pac-12 Player of the Year honors since Kevin Love in 2008. He's also among five candidates for the Julius Erving Award, which recognizes the top small forward in the sport. Jaquez is looking to become the sixth Pac-12 player to finish in the conference's top five for scoring, rebounding, and steals.