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NCAA Tournament bracket picks and team predictions for the West Region. Read Seth's March Madness picks, sleepers, and busts including teams to target and avoid.
March Madness is officially here, so let's fill out some winning brackets! RotoBaller will be bringing you a full breakdown of each tournament region, including some potential sleepers and busts. Today, we'll be taking a look at the West Region and my bracket picks.
I'm here to tell you some teams that I believe in to help you make the right tournament bracket decisions. Below I analyze the top four seeds, a potential bust, and a potential Final Four candidate. Hopefully, my college basketball predictions can help you win your March Madness pools.
Once you're done here, be sure to also check out the rest of our NCAA Tournament articles and analysis including previews, predictions, sleepers, busts, and guides on how to fill out your brackets, including other predictions for the East, South, and Midwest regions.
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West Region Top Four Seeds
Top four seeds: No. 1 Kansas | N0. 2 UCLA | No. 3 Gonzaga | No. 4 UConn
Kansas is the weakest No. 1 seed. This is not your typical Kansas defense and one that is very different from last year's champion. They pass the metric test, but not the eye test. Something is just not right.
UCLA was my title pick two weeks ago until the injuries to Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year Jaylen Clark and now Adem Bona. They have one of the nation's best backcourts with Tyger Campbell and Jaime Jaquez., but their lack of size and depth could hurt them.
Gonzaga is getting a lot of love after a dominating win against St. Mary's in the West Coast Conference title game. I'm usually always one to defend the Zags but not this year. They have not looked like the usual Gonzaga team of years past. They did not roll through their conference like we've been accustomed to seeing. The Zags have been playing a lot better recently, but they did lose to St. Mary's and Loyola Marymount while just beating Pacific, San Francisco, and BYU. Ken Pom has them as the best offense but the 76th defense.
UConn was the darling around December, but a string of losses in Big East play brought them back to reality. They are very talented but have moments where you wonder what they are doing. They have the talent; however, will they be able to string together several wins against the best teams?
Most Intriguing First-Round Matchup
No. 6 TCU vs. No. 11 Nevada/Arizona State
The Horned Frogs do not get the love they deserve despite wins this year against Kansas, Texas, Baylor, and Kansas State. According to Ken Pom, they rank 20th in offense while their defense ranks 53rd. If TCU plays Nevada, they should cruise. Arizona State would be more difficult, but a game they should win. If they get by the first round, look out because the Horned Frogs could do damage.
Bust of the Region
Kansas has good metrics (29th on offense, seventh on defense) but they do not pass the eye test. There is just something about this team that does not look right. Arkansas in the second round would be a very difficult matchup for the Jayhawks. Eric Musselman is a great coach this time of year.
Dark Horse Play
I mentioned TCU above and that's the play. They played in the toughest conference, teams with great offenses that also know how to get physical. Gonzaga has not played a team like TCU in months. That's the problem with the Zags playing in a weak conference. Other teams get better, while they look better but don't actually get tested.
Final Four Pick
I'm sticking with my gut pick, UCLA. The loss of Jaylen Clark will hurt, but they if could avoid Gonzaga, they should get to the Elite Eight with no problem. Will UConn be awaiting them or will it be Kansas or another team no one expects? UCLA has the veterans and a great backcourt to control games. Northwestern or Boise State will pose no threat to them in the second round, so they'll cruise to the Sweet 16 and play close to home in Las Vegas.
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