Here’s a crash course on the West region in the 2021 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. I’m not certain why it’s the West region and not the outright Coca-Cola or another sponsor bracket, but I digress. The West bracket could also be called the Covid bracket. Both Kansas and Virginia withdrew for their conference tournaments due to a Covid outbreak. Both are in (as of Sunday evening) but if they can’t pass testing, Louisville would take their place.
(You can discuss this on the BSL Board here.)
The teams:
1-seed Gonzaga (26-0, West Coast Conference champions) – Will play winner of First Four game…The only undefeated team in America. ..In December, I said this team could become historical with a perfect season…Beat BYU in the WCC final where the Cougars dominated one half and hung with the Zags until about 5:00 to go…Corey Kispert might be the best pure shooter in the country (either him or Oklahoma State’s Cade Cunningham)….Drew Timmie can do it all: score, rebound (team leader) and block shots….Jalen Suggs becomes the x-factor of the team. Freshman came up huge against BYU…Team comes off of long rest and will be in tournament bubble. Coach Mark Few concerned about mental aspect of the setting, might become the only thing working against Bulldogs…Favorites to win the tournament.
16-seed Norfolk State (16-7, MEAC Champions) – One of two teams in the First Four where the winner gets Gonzaga…Beat Morgan State in MEAC final after getting a medical bye in the semis…Haven’t lost since February 8…Deep team that spreads the ball around…Only two players average double digits in points scored for the season…Norfolk State will go as far as Devante Carter goes (team high in points, rebounds and assists). Have no shot against Gonzaga.
16-seed Appalachian State (17-11, Sun Belt Champions) – The other team in the First Four matchup in the top half of the West bracket…Upset Georgia State in Sun Belt final…Last loss came in late February, haven’t lost in March (4 games)…More depth that Norfolk State…Five players at least ten or more points average on the season…Had four straight teams postponed or cancelled due to Covid in early February. Also have no shot against Gonzaga.
8-seed Oklahoma (15-10, 7th in Big 12) – Will face Missouri on Saturday…Do not let the seventh place team in a conference deter you from choosing the Sooners deep. The Big 12 is the second best conference by far and Oklahoma was a ranked team as the 7th best team in the Big 12….Lost to Kansas in Big 12 quarterfinal round….Coming into tournament on 1-5 stretch, all close games…Austin Reeves can carry the Sooners through the first weekend on his back…Leads Sooners in points, rebounds & assists…Brady Manek fills up the lane on offense and prevents opponents from scoring on defense…Could give Bulldogs a game.
9-seed Missouri (16-9, 7th in SEC) – Will face Oklahoma on Saturday…Seventh place in conference play isn’t as strong as Oklahoma…Lost to Arkansas in SEC quarterfinal round…Uneven entering tournament…1-4 stretch in late February, beating only lowly South Carolina….Dru Smith leads Tigers and needs to stay hot from three-point range if Missouri looks to beat Oklahoma…..Wants to play slow-down game against Oklahoma…Gonzaga would destroy them if they somehow get past the Sooners.
5-seed Creighton (20-8, 2nd in Big East) – Will face UC Santa Barbara on Saturday…..Looked like Big East Tournament champions after Villanova lost key player….Got stomped by surprising Georgetown in tournament final…Three losses in last ten games, including a four-game win streak…Hard to figure out team. Lost to Georgetown twice…Two key guards (Marcus Zegarowski & Denzel Mahoney) will take the Bluejays as far as they go…Like to play fast which provides contrast game with UC Santa Barbara…Trendy 5/12 upset pick…Won 20 games this season.
12-seed UC Santa Barbara (22-4, Big West Champions) – Will face Creighton on Saturday…Gauchos easily made their way through Big West tournament….went 13-3 in conference play…only lost one game in February & March combined…JaQuori McLaughlin shoots 40% from 3-point range and leads team in scoring…Team shoots remarkably good from free throw line (75% as a team)…Need to adjust to Central time (don’t travel as far as other teams)….Trendy upset pick, I don’t buy it.
4-seed Virginia (18-6, 1st in ACC) – Right now, they face Ohio on Saturday….Left ACC Tournament after Covid positive test…On course to play in NCAA…Went 13-4 in conference play…Notorious slow play game. If they get down early, not built to comeback….Lost to 16-seed UMBC, bounced back the next year to win it all…Jay Huff can shoot & rebound and isn’t even the Cavaliers top scorer….Hard to handicap a team when we don’t know who will play for Virginia…Hit buzzer-beater against Syracuse in ACC Tournament…Suffered losing streak of three games in late February….Gigantic question mark with Covid.
13-seed Ohio (16-7, MAC Champions) – Right now, they face Virginia on Saturday…If Cavaliers can’t make slot, Ohio will face Louisville…Upset Buffalo to win MAC Championship…Had seven games postponed or cancelled in last two months of season…..Ben Vander Plas might have the best name in the tournament. He also can score, grab boards, dish assists and steal….Jason Preston needs to keep up team lead in scoring for Bobcats…Might catch a tired Virginia team.
6-seed USC (22-7, 2nd in Pac 12) – Will play winner of First Four game on Saturday…lost to Colorado in Pac-12 semis on a dunk near the buzzer…Evan Mobley won conference POY, defensive POY and Freshman POY, brother also plays on team…Watch Drew Peterson hitting a key shot late in the game….Uneven entering tournament, ranked 24th in country…Difficult to prepare for the 11/11 game with limited turnaround time…Trojans could make deep run.
11- seed Wichita State (16-5, 1st in AAC) – Faces Drake on Thursday in bottom part of the bracket First Four game… Lost to Cincinnati in close AAC semifinal game…Not counting the Cincinnati game, hadn’t lost since late January…Shockers rely on Tyson Etienne for scoring (17 points per game)…Not unusual for team to make First Four to Final Four…Breezed through conference play with an 11-2 record.
11-seed Drake (25-4, 2nd in MVC) – Faces Wichita State on Thursday in bottom part of the bracket First Four game…Lost to Loyola (Chicago) in Valley title game….Surprised committee put them in over Louisville (smaller conference, played final game a full week ago)….Won 25 games this season….Five players who average more than ten points per game…Game against Shockers should be very low scoring, Drake likely has the advantage with better rebounders and a deeper team…Drake could make some noise in the tournament. #LoveTheDrake
3-seed Kansas (20-8, 2nd in Big 12) – Stop me if you’ve heard this before, KU is in Covid trouble…Withdrew from Big 12 tournament before semifinal game due to failed test…On course to play Eastern Washington right now…Went 14-1 at home and won 20 games in the second best conference in country…Jalen Wilson isn’t the leading scorer, but he’s the most complete player for Jayhawks…Only lost two games in last two months of season….If Kansas enters at full health, they could make it all the way to regional final…Could also end season before tournament starts….Human form of “I don’t know” emoji.
14-seed Eastern Washington (16-7, Big Sky Champions) -Likely to play Kansas on Saturday… Didn’t really break a sweat in Big Sky tournament…Perfect in February and only one loss in March…..mild upset to win conference tournament….Tanner Groves leads Eastern Washington in scoring – unusual as he’s a forward…Of all low-majors, the most complete team looking at statistics….Absolutely could upset Kansas, especially if lingering Covid symptoms continue with Jayhawks.
7-seed Oregon (20-6, 1st in Pac-12) – Will face VCU on Saturday…..Lost to surprising Oregon State team in Pac-12 semis….Wildly underseeded and possible Final Four team…Eugene (from Eugene) Omoruyi can become a national hero after first two games of this tournament, he makes the Ducks run….Chris Duarte averages the same points per game and shoots 43% from long range, he also falls in love with his shot too much…Weak defensive team…Looked on track to stay hot with conference title before Oregon State surprised them…I’m so biased, but this is the top team in the Conference of Champions…Could beat Gonzaga.
10-seed VCU (19-7, 2nd in A10) – Will face Oregon on Saturday….Lost in A10 final to St. Bonaventure after a week off in odd conference tournament schedule…Starts and ends with Nah’Shon Hyland who averages nearly twenty points per game….Not a good rebounding team…If they stop Hyland, that’s a wrap…..Strong stretch late in the season….Not the same “Havoc” team of a few years back….Must slow down game against Ducks, but have trouble rebounding….Can’t see them advancing.
2-seed Iowa (21-8, 3rd in Big Ten) – Will face Grand Canyon on Saturday….Kind of the forgotten team (after Michigan and Illinois) from the Big Ten…Lost to Illinois in Big Ten Semifinal…..Losses to Michigan, Illinois and Ohio State are acceptable, Indiana isn’t….Best player in Big Ten with Luke Garza who averages almost 24 points and nine boards per game. That’s astonishing in college basketball….Joe Wieskamp shoots 47% from 3-point range…..Not a team to take lightly….Want to play fast and loose….Potential Iowa/Oregon game could be epic.
15-seed Grand Canyon (17-6, WAC Champions) – Will face Iowa on Saturday….Name of place to visit in southwest United States and early 1990’s comedy-drama….Relatively new to division one hoops….First conference tournament win….Bryce Drew, who hit a game-winning shot that lives in NCAA lore for Valparaiso, coaches team….Beat New Mexico State team in WAC final who didn’t play a game at home all season…Just happy to be here.
Picks:
(16) Norfolk State over (16) Appalachian State
(11) Drake over (11) Wichita State
(1) Gonzaga over (16) Norfolk State
(8) Oklahoma over (9) Missouri
(5) Creighton over (12) UC Santa Barbara
(13) Ohio over (4) Virginia
(11) Drake over (6) USC
(3) Kansas over (14) Eastern Washington
(7) Oregon over (10) VCU
(2) Iowa over (15) Grand Canyon
(1) Gonzaga over (8) Oklahoma
(13) Ohio over (5) Creighton
(3) Kansas over (11) Drake
(7) Oregon over (2) Iowa
(1). Gonzaga over (13) Ohio
(7) Oregon over (3) Kansas
(1). Gonzaga over (7) Oregon – I hate doing this to my Ducks!
Good luck everyone and enjoy the madness!
A veteran in television production here in Baltimore, Chris Dachille brings his 15 year experience of watching sports for a living to BSL. Dachille voted in the Associated Press Top 25 for six seasons. He enjoys all sports and hopes that pitchers continue to hit in the National League.