March Madness West Bracket Preview!
March Madness is here! With it, From Downtown is here to give all the bits and pieces of information required to make the bracket! Today, the West Region is on the docket, and this region is definitely the most stacked region of them all! 5 of the top 11 teams at KenPom are this region’s 1-10, and the mid-seed talent, while incredibly volatile, has potential to be incredibly scary if they bring their A-game! Without further ado, here is the first round highlight, upset pick, marquee matchup, overhyped trap, and winner pick for the West Region of 2023’s NCAA Basketball Tournament!
First Round Highlight:
8 seed Arkansas (20-13) vs 9 seed Illinois (20-12)
The 8-9 game in the West brings 2 of the least consistent teams at the Power 5 level. Both Arkansas and Illinois spent considerable time in the AP poll this season — and each had respective From Downtown spotlight articles — but ultimately fell far short of their preseason expectations. However, that is not to say either of these teams are not incredibly dangerous to 1 seed Kansas should they win this game. Arkansas has 2 projected lottery picks in guard duo Nick Smith and Anthony Black, while Illinois is commanded by Big Ten first-teamer Terrance Shannon Jr. As a result, this highly contested game between 2 teams hungry to avoid an early exit is the best one to catch, and you can watch it at 4:30 PM EST on TBS.
Key to the Game:
Illinois center Dain Dainja will need to have a big game, as he would normally have been matched up with Arkansas center Trevon Brazile. Since Brazile has been injured since 2022, Dainja has an opportunity to make a big impact on this game for the Illini when operating in Brad Underwood’s spread offense!
Upset Pick:
10 seed Boise State (24-9) vs 7 seed Northwestern (21-11)
Give the Wildcats — and more specifically, head coach Chris Collins — a ton of credit for getting Northwestern to the tournament for just the 2nd time in school history. However, the Broncos have the matchup advantage, and are on pace to get their first ever NCAA tournament victory despite 9 appearances. This will be a battle of defenses, as these teams rank right next to each other in KenPom’s defensive efficiency metric. Northwestern is 13th, while Boise State is 14th, but Boise State has the advantage by having an offense ranked 30 spots higher than Northwestern. Nonetheless, this is sure to be a close game between 2 strong head coaches. Be sure to catch this game at 7:30 PM EST on truTV.
Key to the Game:
Boise State will need to get going early to avoid being stifled by Northwestern’s top 15 defense. Look for big production from guard duo Marcus Shaver and Max Rice, as these 2 share the majority of Boise State’s scoring volume. If 1 of these 2 can get going against standout defender Boo Buie, then Head Coach Leon Rice’s squad may bring the Broncos their 1st NCAA tournament victory in program history!
Marquee Matchup:
2 seed UCLA (29-5) vs 3 seed Gonzaga (28-5)
Should UCLA and Gonzaga avoid an untimely exit, then this matchup might bring the most exciting game of the tournament .This rivalry has blossomed in the 21st century, and the fact that we could get an exact repeat of 2006’s 2 seed UCLA vs 3 seed Gonzaga would be crazy. In that game, Adam Morrison — one of Gonzaga’s most legendary players — famously cried on the court after Gonzaga’s very own L merchant J.P. Batista sold the game in the final minute. Spokane got the last laugh in their most recent showdown, though, as Jalen Suggs nailed a 3-pointer in overtime in 2021’s Final Four showdown. These two teams sport many of the same players as it did 2 seasons ago, with UCLA’s Jaime Jaquez and Gonzaga’s Drew Timme both returning for a potential rematch. Additionally, Gonzaga has the #1 ranked offense in KenPom, while UCLA has the #1 ranked defense. Catch this game for sure, as the unstoppable force meeting the immovable object might end up being a hallmark classic!
Key to the Game:
UCLA does not have as much experience against high-end talent. They have lost to their 3 strongest opponents, and are not a terribly strong offensive team. Gonzaga, meanwhile, is the best team in the country when filtering since February. Expect Timme and Co. to get it done if this matchup happens, as they are more used to the big moment!
Overhyped Trap:
12 seed VCU (27-7) over 5 seed Saint Mary’s (26-7)
VCU is back in the field, and once was one of the most exciting Cinderella stories when they made a historic run to the Final Four. This year, though, they had a tough draw, as they are against Randy Bennett’s Gaels. Saint Mary’s has a win over Gonzaga, and is currently the 11th best team in KenPom. Meanwhile, VCU is the 58th best team at KenPom, and has lost to teams such as Duquesne, St. Bonaventure, and Jacksonville. This may be an attractive upset because of VCU’s long win streak, but expect Saint Mary’s to make quick work of an overhyped VCU team.
Key to the Game:
Bench player for Saint Mary’s, Harry Wessels, has a 4 inch size advantage over any player on VCU that sees significant minutes. Wessels is not a big scorer, but is nonetheless a tremendous contributor to Saint Mary’s having a top 2 defensive rebounding score in the country. Expect the Gaels to crush the Rams on the glass en route to a deserved victory!
From Downtown’s Winner Pick:
3 seed Gonzaga
A 3 seed has not emerged from a bracket quadrant since Texas Tech in 2019, but that very well could change with the Bulldogs this year. The nation’s top offense is on a tremendous hot streak right now, and sports wins over Alabama, Baylor, and Xavier. Drew Timme is a tried-and-true talent who has been at the top level before, and as this is his last year for the Zags, he will try to go out with a bang. Gonzaga is a lock to go far — their 7 straight Sweet Sixteen appearances are by far the most of any school — but this year, expect them to get back to being within striking distance of the national championship.
Key to the Game:
Julian Strawther shoots 42.5% from the 3-point arc, and Malachi Smith shoots an astonishing 50% from that range. These two have a combined 111 3-pointers, and could get hot at any time. Considering Drew Timme’s tremendous threat as an interior scorer, expect these 2 sharpshooters to contribute tremendously to Gonzaga’s tournament run!
