West Regional
By Jack Wang, Los Angeles News Group
Favorite: Arizona
The Wildcats have won 11 straight games and have looked nearly untouchable during that streak — most notably during an 80-52 shellacking of Oregon in Saturday’s Pac-12 Tournament title game. The Wildcats are third in the country in defensive efficiency. Arizona has been powered by sensational freshman forward Stanley Johnson, who leads the team in scoring (14.1 points per game) and is second in rebounding (6.6).
Sleeper: BYU
The Cougars looked like they were on the NCAA Tournament bubble but enter the field having won eight of the last nine games. They fell to Gonzaga in the WCC title game. BYU has the country’s second-best scoring offense at 83.6 points per game. Cougars 6-foot-6 forward Kyle Collinsworth set an NCAA record this season with six triple-doubles.
Upset alert
Oklahoma State over Oregon. Not a major upset picking a No. 9 seed over a No. 8 seed, but Oklahoma State, led by veteran Le’Bryan Nash, could find its way against an Oregon team that relies heavily on Pac-12 Conference player of the year Joseph Young.
Bracket breakdown
This regional is fairly top-heavy, but Arizona and Wisconsin could make for the best Elite Eight matchup in the field. It would be a rematch of last year’s epic West Regional showdown, which the Badgers won 64-63 in overtime when Arizona missed a shot at the buzzer.
Midwest Regional
By Scott Wolf, Los Angeles Daily News
Favorite: Kentucky
Who else? The Wildcats are 34-0, can play fast or slow, combine size with athleticism and are the rock stars of college basketball. If they lose before the Final Four, it will be one of the biggest upsets in recent memory.
Sleeper: Buffalo
The Bulls are making their first NCAA Tournament appearance but are not a team anyone is thrilled to face, especially after they went to Kentucky and stayed close longer than expected in a 71-52 loss. Buffalo certainly has momentum after winning the Mid-American Conference Tournament, and coach Bobby Hurley won two national championships as a point guard at Duke.
Upset alert
Wichita State over Kansas. Wichita State does not get to play in-state rival Kansas during the regular season, so this is the Shockers’ big chance to bring down the bully and create a legendary victory for the program. The Shockers also should be angry (shocked?) that they’re only a No. 7 seed despite having a 28-4 record.
Bracket breakdown
Can anyone take down Kentucky? Forget about the Midwest Regional. How about the entire country? The irony is Kentucky got the toughest regional, with Maryland in the Sweet 16 and Notre Dame or Kansas looming as the Elite Eight opponent. The oddsmakers hardly consider an upset likely, with Kentucky even money to win the national title game April 6.
South Regional
By Nick Kosmider, The Denver Post
Favorite: Duke
After bowing out in their first game of the NCAA Tournament last year with a loss to Mercer, the pressure is on the Blue Devils this year to not only avoid an early exit but make a deep run. They will go as far as the talented duo of freshmen Jahlil Okafor, a national player of the year candidate, and Tyus Jones can carry them.
Sleeper: Stephen F. Austin
The 29-4 Lumberjacks are in the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive season as a No. 12 seed. Last year, Stephen F. Austin upset VCU from that spot before falling to UCLA in the round of 32. Junior swingman Thomas Walkup was named Southland Tournament MVP for the second consecutive season.
Upset alert
Eastern Washington over Georgetown. The Eagles, the Big Sky Tournament champions, are led by guard Tyler Harvey, the nation’s leading scorer at 22.9 points per game. Harvey caught fire in the league title game Saturday with 10 points in the final four minutes to upset top-seeded Montana. A scorer with the ability to heat up that fast can do major damage in the NCAA Tournament. Just ask Steph Curry.
Bracket breakdown
Now for an annual March query: Will this be the year Gonzaga finally makes it to the Final Four? The 32-2 Bulldogs, with perhaps their most complete team to date, seem to have a manageable road to a regional final, though a Sweet 16 matchup with Iowa State — which has recovered from double-digit deficits for wins in its last five games — could pose a roadblock. Meanwhile, Duke could be tested by great defenses in Utah and San Diego State.
East Regional
By Nick Kosmider, The Denver Post
Favorite: Villanova
The Wildcats, whose offense and defense are ranked among the country’s most efficient by stats guru Ken Pomeroy, have no shortage of ways to win. They rank among the nation’s top 3-point shooting teams while also defending the perimeter well. After Villanova won its first Big East title since 1995 on Saturday, with a 69-52 victory over Xavier, Musketeers coach Chris Mack said of the Wildcats, “They have a chance to win a national championship, and they are not given nearly enough credit for how good of a team they are.”
Sleeper: Michigan State
The 23-win Spartans led Wisconsin, the No. 1 seed in the West Regional, by double digits in the Big Ten Tournament title game Sunday before fading. Coach Tom Izzo has led Michigan State to six regional championships, most recently in 2010.
Upset alert
Albany over Oklahoma. The Great Danes already provided one of the best stories of March when Australian junior guard Peter Hooley, whose mother died of cancer six weeks ago, hit the winning 3-pointer in the America East title game Saturday to send Albany to the NCAA Tournament for the third consecutive season.
Bracket breakdown
Will No. 2 seed Virginia’s top-ranked defense (50.7 points per game) hold up against the high-scoring teams in this regional? The Cavaliers will have a good early test against 15th-seeded Belmont, which has made the sixth-most 3-point shots (321) in the country this season. No. 11 seed Dayton has a chance to make a run, starting with what serves as a first-round home game against Boise State.
