Here’s a look at the West Region of the NCAA Tournament as March Madness gets set to tip off Tuesday:
No. 1 Kansas (27-7)
Conference: Big 12
Coach: Bill Self (20th season)
Post-ing up: Kansas is looking to become the first repeat champion since Florida in 2007, which would be its third title under Self, who missed the Big 12 Tournament after undergoing a medical procedure. Junior forward Jalen Wilson leads the team in scoring and rebounds, while freshman Gradey Dick is a 3-point sharpshooter.
No. 16 Howard (22-12)
Conference: MEAC
Coach: Kenny Blakeney (4th season)
Post-ing up: Dancing for the first time since 1992, Howard has come a long way after going 4-29 in 2019-20, Blakeney’s first season. The Bison can shoot the lights out from beyond the 3-point arc, hitting a shade under 38 percent from distance, and are very deep. Seven players average at least seven points per game.
No. 8 Arkansas (20-13)
Conference: SEC
Coach: Eric Musselman (4th season)
Post-ing up: The Razorbacks lost five of seven games to close the regular season and finished with their first sub-.500 SEC record since 2019-20, but this tournament berth marks the third in four years under Musselman. Arkansas emerged as one of the country’s most efficient defensive teams, per KenPom.
Ricky Council IV of the Arkansas Razorbacks dunks the ball against the Auburn Tigers during the first half of the second round of the 2023 SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament.Getty ImagesNo. 9 Illinois (20-12)
Conference: Big Ten
Coach: Brad Underwood (6th season)
Post-ing up: A bit of a disappointment after entering the season ranked second in the conference in the media poll, the Illini were upset by Penn State in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament. Illinois’ potent but inconsistent offense is led by first-team All-Big Ten senior guard Terrence Shannon, who transferred from Texas Tech.
No. 5 Saint Mary’s (26-7)
Conference: WCC
Coach: Randy Bennett (22nd season)
Post-ing up: The Gaels are one of the nation’s best defensive teams, allowing just 60.1 points a game, and had three all-WCC first-team members: guards Logan Johnson and Aidan Mahaney and center Mitchell Saxen. They’re looking to make an NCAA run past the second round, during which they fell last year to UCLA.
No. 12 VCU (27-7)
Conference: Atlantic 10
Coach: Mike Rhoades (6th season)
Post-ing up: This is a typical VCU team — deep and tenacious defensively. Eight different players average at least 17.5 minutes, and the Rams force 16.9 turnovers per game, the 10th-most in the country. They have hit their stride at the right time, entering the tournament with 11 wins in their last 12 games.
Virginia Commonwealth forward Jamir Watkins fouls Saint Louis guard Yuri Collins while shooting during an NCAA college basketball game.APNo. 4 Connecticut (25-8)
Conference: Big East
Coach: Dan Hurley (5th season)
Post-ing up: Under Hurley, in his third straight NCAA Tournament, the Huskies posted a 15-2 home record and won 12 games by 20 points or more. Junior Adama Sanogo, a 6-foot-9 forward, led the team in points and rebounds and senior guard Tristen Newton is a playmaker on the court, capitalizing on crucial passes and steals.
No. 13 Iona (27-7)
Conference: MAAC
Coach: Rick Pitino (3rd season)
Post-ing up: Iona cruised to their sixth MAAC crown since 2016 by winning its three tournament games by a combined 53 points. This is a battle-tested group, which played the 60th-ranked non-conference schedule in the country, and has won 14 straight contests with three different players averaging 15 points or more.
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No. 6 TCU (21-12)
Conference: Big 12
Coach: Jamie Dixon (7th season)
Post-ing up: After their first NCAA Tournament win in 35 years, a rout of Seton Hall last year, the Horned Frogs, led by junior guard Mike Miles Jr., are hungry for more. There’s off-court controversy though: Sophomore center Eddie Lampkin Jr. left the team recently and accused his coach, Dixon, of “racial remarks.”
No. 11 Arizona State (22-12)
Conference: Pac-12
Coach: Bobby Hurley (8th season)
Post-ing up: This was another season on the bubble for the Sun Devils, who hadn’t earned a berth since 2018-19. Despite a rough end to the regular season, with losses in eight of 13 games, a strong defense — especially defending 2-pointers, per KenPom — propelled a conference tournament run that secured NCAA Tournament positioning.
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No. 11 Nevada (22-10)
Conference: Mountain West
Coach: Steve Alford (4th season)
Post-ing up: The Wolf Pack lost three of their final five regular-season games and were eliminated in the quarterfinals of the conference tournament, but they still managed to make their first NCAA Tournament under Alford. Jarod Lucas, a transfer from Oregon State, led Nevada with 17.3 points per game.
Anton Watson of the Gonzaga Bulldogs drives against Mitchell Saxen of the Saint Mary’s Gaels in the first half of the championship game of the West Coast Conference basketball tournament.Getty ImagesNo. 3 Gonzaga (28-5)
Conference: WCC
Coach: Mark Few (24th season)
Post-ing up: This may not be the most dominant Gonzaga team, but the Bulldogs are still top dogs on the offensive end, leading the nation in scoring and field-goal percentage. Still hunting for a championship after title game appearances in 2017 and 2021, the Zags are led by senior forward Drew Timme, the WCC Player of the Year.
No. 14 Grand Canyon (24-11)
Conference: WAC
Coach: Bryce Drew (3rd season)
Post-ing up: Learn the name Rayshon Harrison. The sophomore guard is an elite scorer (17.7 points a game) and quality playmaker who gives Grand Canyon a puncher’s shot to pull off an upset. The Lopes, a 38.3 percent 3-point shooting team who rank 55th nationally in offensive efficiency, are dangerous.
No. 7 Northwestern (21-11)
Conference: Big Ten
Coach: Chris Collins (10th season)
Post-ing up: Just last year, Collins appeared to be on the hot seat, but now he has Northwestern back in the NCAA Tournament for just the second time in program history (he previously led them to a 2017 berth) and won Big Ten Coach of the Year. Led by seniors Boo Buie and Chase Audige, who was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, Northwestern brings an experienced core.
No. 10 Boise State (24-9)
Conference: Mountain West
Coach: Leon Rice (13th season)
Post-ing up: The Broncos picked up a key win near the end of the regular season against San Diego State, the conference’s lone ranked team, and they also split their series with Utah State. Four starters averaged in double-digits entering the Mountain West Tournament, led by sophomore forward Tyson Degenhart.
Jace Whiting of the Boise State Broncos goes to the basket against Steven Ashworth of the Utah State Aggies during the first half of a semifinal game of the Mountain West basketball tournament.Getty Images No. 2 UCLA (29-5)
Conference: Pac-12
Coach: Mick Cronin (4th season)
Post-ing up: The surprise of the Bruins’ run to the Final Four two years ago has faded. For the second consecutive season, they peaked at No. 2 in the AP Top 25 and will be a difficult team to eliminate behind seniors Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Tyger Campbell. Guard Jaylen Clark, their third-leading scorer, was lost with a right Achilles injury, however.
No. 15 UNC Asheville (27-7)
Conference: Big South
Coach: Mike Morrell (5th season)
Post-ing up: Tennessee transfer Drew Pember does it all for the Bulldogs, who reached the tournament for the first time since 2016. He’s their leading scorer, rebounder, shot-blocker and one of their top 3-point shooters. The versatile 6-foot-10 senior was dominant in the Big South Tournament, averaging 29.6 points per game.
