The wait is finally over. After cancellation last year, March Madness finally returns on Thursday. The 2021 tournament should be one of the craziest we’ve ever seen, and it’s impossible to not get excited about it. The NCAA Tournament truly is the best competition in sports. From underdog stories to buzzer beaters, there’s a compelling reason to watch for everyone.
For many, one of the best parts of March Madness is the spirit of competition. Nothing brings out the fire inside a person better than an office bracket pool. Here at The U, we’re taking a look at each region of the bracket, and breaking it down for you to keep you up to date on which moves to make when filling out your brackets. Let’s take a look at the West region.
The Favorite: Gonzaga Bulldogs
Gonzaga enters the field not only as the favorites to come out of the West, but to win the entire tournament. The Zags come into Indianapolis with a perfect record of 26-0. They have been the #1 team in the polls since the preseason. It’s not hyperbole to suggest that this could be one of the best college teams ever assembled. What makes Gonzaga so special is their ability to beat you in so many ways. Jalen Suggs is one of the most dynamic point guards in the country, and will likely be a top 3 pick in this year’s NBA Draft. Corey Kispert might be the best shooter in all of college basketball, and is also trending towards being a lottery pick in the draft. If the guards are off, sophomore center Drew Time is capable of dominating in the post. Outside of their “Big 3,” the Bulldogs also have picture perfect role players in guards Joel Ayayi and Andrew Nembhard.
People love to knock Gonzaga for supposedly cakewalking their way into the tournament due to playing in the WCC, instead of in a major conference. It’s become a tired narrative, and it’s even worse this year than most. Going unbeaten is difficult no matter who you’re playing against, and the Zags loaded up their non-conference schedule this season. In fact, Gonzaga has already beaten Iowa, Kansas and Virginia this year. Those teams happen to be the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th seeds in this region, respectively.
Teams To Watch
Iowa Hawkeyes:
The region’s 2nd seed is no joke, either. The Hawkeyes have lurked around the top 10 in the polls practically all season. A fantastic offensive team, Iowa shoots the ball tremendously. Center Luka Garza makes everything go for this group. Likely the National Player of the Year, Garza simply bullies opponents in the paint. His physical style of play matched with his size makes him very difficult to guard down low. When teams attempt to double team him, the Hawks have enough shooters around him to make teams pay. Garza is also a capable outside shooter himself.
Iowa’s defensive abilities have been called into question, but they’ve better on that end recently. When they’re knocking down threes, this is a very tough team to beat. If the shots fall throughout the week, Iowa might be one of the strongest bets to dethrone Gonzaga in the entire field. If they go cold, there could be an early exit in store.
Kansas Jayhawks:
The Jayhawks are another team I’ll have my eye on in the West. Kansas has experienced a turbulent 2020-21 season, and they head into Indianapolis with significant question marks. KU might be playing shorthanded in the tournament as a result of COVID-19 protocols. They had to bow out of the Big 12 tournament after a positive test, and players might not be cleared to go by this weekend. It will be interesting to monitor, especially because the Jayhawks were really beginning to hit their stride. Bill Self’s team has only dropped one game since February 8th, and it was an overtime loss on the road against a great Texas team.
David McCormack and Ochai Agbaji are the primary scorers for this group, but it’s usually a collective effort when Kansas is on the floor. They have no true superstar, but a number of guys that can beat you if you don’t focus on them. Kansas is tremendous on the defensive end, where they are anchored by former Defensive Player of the Year, Marcus Garrett. If the Covid-induced pause on basketball activities doesn’t slow their momentum, KU could make a lot of noise this week.
Sleeper Teams
USC Trojans:
I’m very intrigued by the 6th seeded Trojans. They were near the top of the PAC 12 all year, and lost a heartbreaker to Colorado in the conference semi-finals. This is a group with metrics that support them being a better team than their seed indicates. I think they match up well with a lot of their potential opponents in their half of the bracket. They’re anchored by an All-American caliber player who I’ll get to in a little bit… Don’t be shocked if this team takes down a few of the better seeds in the West.
Wichita State Shockers:
I’ll put a potential opponent for USC in the same grouping as them. As one of the last four teams to make the field, the Shockers will have to play Drake on Thursday night for a chance to enter the field of 64 and play USC. If they can get by both of those tough opponents, this is another group I wouldn’t want to see if I were Kansas or Iowa. The regular season champions from the American Athletic Conference, Wichita State probably feels a little disrespected by their bubble status. While they did lose in crushing fashion to Cincinnati in the conference tournament, this is a team that belongs in March. Tyson Etienne will cause headaches for any team lining up against him. The Shockers could shock quite a few people this week.
Players To Watch
Evan Mobley (Center, USC):
This region really is full of NBA talent. I mentioned Suggs and Kispert when discussing Gonzaga, but wanted to give Mobley his praise as well. Projected by many to be the #2 pick in the upcoming NBA Draft, Mobley is one of the best NBA prospects in recent memory. Simply put, he can do everything on a basketball court. In his first season at USC, Mobley won PAC 12 Freshman of the Year, Player of the Year, and Defensive Player of the Year. The last player to do that in a major conference? Anthony Davis. Mobley will be a ton of fun to watch on the big stage this week.
Nah’Shon “Bones” Hyland (PG, VCU)
Bones is one of the most electrifying players in college basketball. The 6’2 sophomore guard averaged nearly 20 points a game for the Rams this season. A high volume shooter, Hyland takes almost 8 three point attempts a game, and hits at a 37% rate. Guards that can do that are always breakout candidates come tournament time. If you’re looking for a player to potentially carry an underdog this year, look no further. Hyland qualifies as must-see TV this weekend.
Jason Preston (PG, Ohio)
If nothing else, Preston is my third player to watch simply for his story.
If that’s not enough for you to root for this guy, then maybe his stat line from that Illinois game will be. Preston is the future NBA player you don’t know about yet, but should soon.
Potential 1st Round Upset: Ohio (13) over Virginia (4)
Speaking of Preston… I really believe his squad has a great chance to knock off the 4th seeded Cavaliers. Scroll back up to that video and take a look at the score in their game against Illinois. This is a group that made an effort to schedule strong teams early in the year, and proved they can hang with them as well. Furthermore, they might be drawing the right opponent at the right time. Virginia is another team dealing with serious COVID-19 related problems.
After withdrawing from the ACC Tournament, there’s a lot of worry about how prepared this group will be entering Indianapolis after a number of players had to isolate. College basketball fans know that Virginia likes to slow games down and dictate pace, but that sometimes allows for mid-majors to keep things interesting with them (See: UMBC Retrievers). I’m not saying it’s a lock, but the circumstances look good for the Bobcats.
The Pick: Gonzaga
For however many exciting moments there might be in the early rounds of this region, I’m not counting on any big surprises for the Final Four. Gonzaga is the best team in the country. They’ve been the best team all year. Anything can happen in March Madness, but I’d be stunned to see them drop their first game of the year before at least winning the West region.
