NCAA Tournament West Region Breakdown And Preview

The NCAA Tournament’s West Region features the somewhat surprising Oregon Ducks. Here’s a breakdown and preview of their path to Houston.

Oregon was somewhat surprising as a No. 1 seed, but the Ducks obviously impressed the selection committee enough to pull it down. Now the challenge becomes living up to the label.

The Pac-12 got a lot of love on Selection Sunday, and for the Ducks to win the regular-season league title and the Pac-12 Tournament title in such convincing fashion was something to behold. Their 31-point demolition of Utah in the championship game certainly showed what the Ducks are capable of.

The fact that there has been so much surprise over their landing a top seed could help Oregon. This has been an under-the-radar team all year, and with the clamor that they aren’t deserving of the honor, the Ducks could pull together and make a run.

Toughest call

The bracket is filled with intriguing games, from No. 8 Saint Joseph’s taking on No. 9 Cincinnati to No. 7 Oregon State battling No. 10 VCU. But for our money, we’re fascinated by the No. 6 Texas Longhorns taking on No. 11 Northern Iowa.

The Panthers have experience after playing in the NCAA Tournament last season, and they beat then-No. 1 North Carolina back in November. They also knocked off then-No. 5 Iowa State and beat Wichita State twice this season. UNI suffered a hiccup during conference play and were inconsistent for a stretch, but they closed the year on a 12-1 run and feature good balance.

Texas, meanwhile, has been through the wringer in the Big 12 and might take the Panthers a bit lightly. The Longhorns also have looked fatigued down the stretch, which could make them ripe for the picking.

Best possible second-round matchup

If No. 4 Duke and No. 5 Baylor both get through their first-round games, they’ll have a fantastic battle in Providence. Duke has been vulnerable this season, and although Grayson Allen and Brandon Ingram have been great, they have been bothered by teams with good length. That’s exactly what Baylor brings to the floor, and the Bears are battle hardened after the tough Big 12 race. BU has been on the losing end of some games of late, but their competition has been top notch, and Baylor could be looking at pulling an upset.

Favorite

Look for a lot of people to turn to Oklahoma as the favorite in the West. Yes, they’re a No. 2 seed, but they also have one of the best players in college basketball in Buddy Hield, and they possess the length, depth and balance to string together a run. Oregon is obviously 1A in the favorite department, but the Ducks have a tough path to get to Houston.

Sleeper

Texas A&M could have the most interesting path to the Final Four. The Aggies have been better than good this season, and with Oklahoma showing signs of fatigue down the stretch, the door could be open for TAMU to knock off the Sooners and get to the Elite Eight. At that point, whoever comes out of the upper part of the bracket will have vulnerabilities, which could get Texas A&M to Houston.

Dark horse

Come on. Duke is Duke, and although the Blue Devils have been a step behind this season, you never sleep on the experience of Mike Krzyzewski in the NCAA Tournament. If Duke can get by Baylor—and that’s a big “if”—the Blue Devils could regain the confidence to get hot at the right time.

Disappointment

Either Oklahoma or Oregon, our two favorites, could just as easily miss out on the second weekend of the tournament. Oklahoma, in particular, has shown some signs of slowing down, and that could create a problem at the Dance. Oregon, meanwhile, will face a lot of pressure to perform, and we’re not sure how the Ducks will respond under the hot-white spotlight.

Our pick

We’re liking Texas A&M to come out of the West. The Aggies have been somewhat of an afterthought since they play in the SEC, but this is a good basketball team that might have the best path to play the Final Four in their home state.

MORE: Campus Insiders’ 2016 Interactive NCAA Tourmanent Bracket