NCAA Tournament: West Region Preview

-2011 WEST REGION PREVIEW-

(1) Duke
(16) Hampton
FRIDAY, 3:10 EST - Charlotte, NC - (truTV)

(8) Michigan
(9) Tennessee
FRIDAY, 12:40 EST - Charlotte, NC - (truTV)

(5) Arizona
(12) Memphis
FRIDAY, 2:45 EST - Tulsa, OK - (CBS)

(4) Texas
(13) Oakland
FRIDAY, 12:15 EST - Tulsa, OK - (CBS)

(6) Cincinnati
(11) Missouri
THURSDAY, 9:50 EST - Washington, D.C. - (TNT)

(3) Connecticut
(14) Bucknell
THURSDAY, 7:20 EST - Washington, D.C. - (TNT)

(7) Temple
(10) Penn State
THURSDAY, 2:10 EST - Tucson, AZ - (TNT)

(2) San Diego State
(15) Northern Colorado
THURSDAY, 4:40 EST - Tucson, AZ - (TNT)


Top seeds

1. Duke (30-4) - Not many teams can grab a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament without its best player (freshman guard Kyrie Irving) playing over half the season. But then again, not many teams have a hall-of-fame coach patrolling the sidelines. The defending national champs are the odds on favorite to cut down the nets in Anaheim and advance to another Final Four, and the depth and experience of the Blue Devils are the reason why. Senior leaders Nolan Smith and Kyle Singler, as well as the Plumlee brothers of Miles and Mason are back again, and will be tough to dismantle. If Irving can somehow return to the court before it's all said and done, Duke will become nearly unstoppable.

2. San Diego State (32-2) - The Aztecs rolled this season, only slipping twice - both times to BYU, who they ended up beating in the MWC championship. They have never won an NCAA Tournament game, but they are in good hands with head coach Steve Fisher, who coached a team you may have heard of in the Fab Five some 20 years ago. SDSU is built for March, boasting six players who average at least 7 points per contest, and have a fabulous frontcourt with Kawhi Leonard and Malcolm Thomas leading the charge. If the Aztecs are able to advance past the first weekend, they will essentially be hosting games in the regional semis/finals in Anaheim.

3. Connecticut (26-9) - The Huskies entered Madison Square Garden for the Big East Tournament last week slumping, having lost four out of their previous five games. What a difference a week can make, though. UConn won five games in five days against the Big East's best to take home the Big East Championship and a threshold on the No. 3 seed in the West. In case you've been living in a hole this year, Kemba Walker (23.5 ppg) does it all for the Huskies who will surely need him to carry them on his back again. But just how much juice will he have left? Kemba will need his sidekicks in big man Alex Oriakhi and freshmen Jeremy Lamb and Shabazz Napier to step up in a big way, especially against opposing defenses who will surely be focusing on him.

4. Texas (27-7) - The most misseeded team in the Tournament next to Florida in my opinion, Texas as a No. 4 seed is very scary. They are extremely talented with the likes of Jordan Hamilton and Tristan Thompson leading the pack and they are one of the best rebounding teams in the country. A lack of experienced guard play may be the
Longhorns' demise, but there's no doubting their resume against a difficult Big 12 conference and one of the toughest out-of-conference schedules in the nation. With their dominant inside game, Texas may be the team that dethrones Duke in a potential Sweet 16 matchup.

Most Intriguing Matchup

(7) Temple v. (10) Penn State

Temple relies heavily on 3-point shooting as their top five scorers are shooting at least 31.3% from beyond the arc this season. A bad shooting night could spell trouble for the Owls, especially against a battle-tested Penn State squad, no pun intended to senior guard Talor Battle. Needing some big wins in the Big Ten Tournament to advance to the dance, the Nittany Lions were able to do just that, defeating Indiana, Wisconsin (a ridiculous score of 36-33), and Michigan State before finally falling to Ohio State in the championship game. PSU is senior-laden with Jeff Brooks and David Jackson accompanying Battle, and the trio can also shoot the deep ball, each averaging at least 34.9% 3-point shooting on the year. It should be a wild west shootout in Tucson.

Best Player

Kemba Walker, guard, Connecticut

The Bronx, N.Y. native made a strong case for National Player of the Year with his performance in the Big East Tournament. His quickness and scoring ability is unmatched by any player in this region and he'll be a matchup nightmare to any defender. Just ask Gary McGhee. Does he have the legs left to carry UConn to the promised land? If his performances on zero days rest for four days last week didn't answer that question, then I don't know what will. He is more than capable, and he will be motivated now more than ever as he prepares to enter the NBA Draft this June as this will be likely be his last opportunity at a national championship.

Best Coach

Mike Krzyzewski, Duke

This selection needs no explanation. He's coached the Blue Devils to four national titles and 11 Final Fours in his tenure and they haven't missed the NCAA Tournament since 1995. He is the premier game planner in college basketball and every high school prospect dreams of playing for him. He always has his team ready and this year is no exception. Coach K is and always has been the key to Duke's success.

Upset Alert

(13) Oakland over (4) Texas

Remember Oakland? They were a lot of people's upset pick in last year's dance as a No. 14 seed against Pittsburgh, but couldn't get the job done, ending up losing by 23. This year is a different story, however. The core guys are back in upperclassmen Keith Benson (18 ppg, 10.1 rpg), Reggie Hamilton (17.4 ppg) and Will Hudson (12.5 ppg). They rank second in the country in scoring (85.6), 14th in rebounds (39) and second in field goal percentage (49.4). Watch out for the experienced Golden Grizzlies to possibly steal this one away from the Longhorns, who may be looking ahead to a potential matchup with Duke.

Search for Cinderella

(10) Penn State

Starting four seniors and led by star Talor Battle, the Nittany Lions have the makeup of something special this March, and as evidenced in their recent run in the Big Ten Tournament, they can win several games in a row with the right matchups. If they can catch Temple on a cold shooting night, they will advance to play against a San Diego State team that has never been here before. A win there would vault them into the Sweet 16 where UConn is the odds on favorite to be waiting, and where a Talor Battle v. Kemba Walker matchup could stir up a classic. UConn isn't invincible, and Kemba seemingly has to cool off at some point. If that doesn't convince you, then history lands itself on PSU's side. The last time they made the NCAA Tournament was in 2001
when they beat No. 10 seeded Providence and knocked off No. 2 seeded North Carolina on its way to the Sweet 16. If that also doesn't convince you, Arizona has been the site of several cinderella stories in its history of hosting NCAA Tournament games. No. 12 seeded George Washington (1993), No. 6 seeded Stanford (1997), No. 10 seeded Gonzaga (2000), and No. 6 seeded teams Texas Tech and Utah (2005) all made unlikely Sweet 16 trips in The Grand Canyon State. And if that still doesn't convince you? Just pick Temple.

The darkhorse

(5) Arizona

These might not be your Lute Olson led Wildcats, but they are definitely a team not to be overlooked this year. They boast a balanced attack with seven players averaging six or more points per game and go 10 deep with players who have seen action in every game this season. Derrick Williams is the star; the sophomore forward is having one of most underrated seasons in the country with 19.1 points per game and 8.1 boards, and he can also step beyond the arc if given the opportunity. He is 35-for-58 from 3-point range, which is a ridiculous 60.3%. The Wildcats will be riding on Williams' shoulders to have any shot at getting out of the first weekend, but don't be surprised to see them surprise some people.

-PREDICTIONS-

(1) Duke over (16) Hampton
(9) Tennessee over (8) Michigan
(5) Arizona over (12) Memphis
(4) Texas over (13) Oakland
(11) Missouri over (6) Cincinnati
(3) Connecticut over (14) Bucknell
(10) Penn State over (7) Temple
(2) San Diego State over (15) Northern Colorado

(1) Duke over (9) Tennessee
(4) Texas over (5) Arizona
(3) Connecticut over (11) Missouri
(10) Penn State over (2) San Diego State

(1) Duke over (4) Texas
(3) Connecticut over (10) Penn State

(1) Duke over (3) Connecticut