Here’s a look at the West Region of the NCAA Tournament as March Madness 2022 gets set to tip off Thursday:
No. 1 Gonzaga (26-3)
Conference: WCC
Coach: Mark Few
Post-ing up: The Zags have followed up an undefeated regular season and trip to the NCAA Tournament title game last year with more understated dominance. The Bulldogs are led by 7-footer Chet Holmgren, a potential No. 1 pick, and junior forward Drew Timme, but anyone in their starting five can carry the most high-powered offense in the country as they seek their first national championship.
Drew Timme AP/Young KwakNo. 16 Georgia State (18-10)
Conference: Sun Belt
Coach: Rob Lanier
Post-ing up: The Panthers’ opportunistic defense fuels their offense. They force 16.5 turnovers per game, the 15th-most in the country, and give it up less than 12 times per contest. Four players average at least 1.4 steals per game, led by senior guard Kane Williams (1.8). Watch your back pocket against them.
No. 8 Boise State (27-7)
Conference: Mountain West
Coach: Leon Rice
Post-ing up: The Broncos, MWC regular-season and tournament champs, are back in the NCAAs for the first time since 2015. They possess a balanced scoring attack, with four players averaging double digits, led by senior forward Abu Kigab. Boise State also posted the country’s 14th-best scoring defense, holding opponents to 61.0 points per game.
No. 9 Memphis (21-10)
Conference: American
Coach: Penny Hardaway
Post-ing up: Memphis closed the regular season with 10 wins in 11 games, including two dominant victories over Houston, to play its way into the field. Projected lottery pick Jalen Duren is a force in the paint, anchoring an improving defense, and guards Lester Quinones and Landers Nolley II have been more consistent of late.
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No. 5 UConn (23-9)
Conference: Big East
Coach: Dan Hurley
Post-ing up: After losing star James Bouknight from last year’s tournament team, Hurley has trusted a deep Huskies’ bench with plenty of local flavor. Standout grad student R.J. Cole, their leading scorer (15.7 ppg), is from Union, N.J., while guard Andre Jackson is from Albany Academy and guard Jalen Gaffney hails from Columbus, N.J.
No. 12 New Mexico State (26-6)
Conference: Western Athletic
Coach: Chris Jans
Post-ing up: Former West Virginia and Nebraska guard Teddy Allen found a home at New Mexico State and blossomed, averaging 19.3 points and 6.8 rebounds a game, leading the Aggies to the WAC regular-season and postseason titles. He’s joined in the backcourt by Sir’Jabari Rice, a versatile junior guard with an all-tournament name who also averages double figures.
No. 4 Arkansas (25-8)
Conference: SEC
Coach: Eric Musselman
Post-ing up: The Razorbacks lost guard Moses Moody from last year’s Elite Eight team, but senior JD Notae — a Jacksonville transfer — has stepped into the limelight as the team’s star. The speedy, 6-foot-1 playmaker leads Arkansas in points (18.4), assists (3.7) and steals (2.2) and carries all the hopes for a deep March run.
No. 13 Vermont (28-5)
Conference: America East
Coach: John Becker
Post-ing up: The Catamounts played Providence tough on the road and knocked off Patriot League champion Colgate. With an offense ranked in the top 50 in efficiency, Vermont will be a trendy upset choice, especially after it beat its three America East Tournament opponents by a combined 110 points.
No. 6 Alabama (19-13)
Conference: SEC
Coach: Nate Oats
Post-ing up: Few teams chuck from the 3-point line more than the Crimson Tide, and they have lived more often than they have died with their jump shots despite their 30.8 percent mark from deep ranking 304th in the country. Junior guard Jaden Shackelford is the team’s leader and top scorer (16.7 ppg), averaging more than eight 3s attempted per game.
No. 11 Rutgers
Rutgers guard Ron Harper Jr. reacts after the Scarlet Knights were selected for the NCAA Tournament on Selection Sunday. Noah K. Murray/New York PostConference: Big Ten
Coach: Steve Pikiell
Post-ing up: The Scarlet Knights got off to a rough start (including losses to Lafayette and UMass) but have turned into one of the more dangerous teams to watch with their gritty style of play. Behind senior guards Ron Harper Jr. and Geo Baker, they knocked off five ranked teams in the regular season, including then-No. 1 Purdue on a Harper buzzer-beater.
No. 11 Notre Dame (22-10)
Conference: ACC
Coach: Mike Brey
Post-ing up: The Fighting Irish put together one of their best regular seasons in conference play since joining the ACC, helping capture their first NCAA berth in five years. Freshman guard Blake Wesley, playing for his hometown team, leads the way as a potential one-and-done while Dane Goodwin is one of the country’s top sharpshooters from deep.
No. 3 Texas Tech (25-9)
Terrence Shannon Jr. Amy Kontras/USA TODAY SportsConference: Big 12
Coach: Mark Adams
Post-ing up: In his first year as Texas Tech head coach, Adams, a former Chris Beard assistant, has brought a defensive focus that has provided a true identity. The Red Raiders might not be the most fun to watch because of their suffocating defense that ranks seventh nationally (59.9 ppg), but the hard-nosed style has brought them this far.
No. 14 Montana State (27-7)
Conference: Big Sky
Coach: Danny Sprinkle
Post-ing up: Making their fourth tournament appearance, and first since 1995, the Bobcats are coming off their best regular season in nearly a century. Experience is a major factor in their success. This is the second year top scorers Xavier Bishop, Jubrile Belo and Amin Adamu have played together, and the third season for Belo and Adamu.
No. 7 Michigan State (22-12)
Conference: Big Ten
Coach: Tom Izzo
Post-ing up: After barely getting into the field last year, and losing in the First Four, the Spartans are back for their 24th straight tournament. Izzo’s squad doesn’t have a game-breaker — leading scorer Gabe Brown has proved to be hot and cold and averages just 11.4 ppg — but they have depth and are one of the better 3-point shooting teams in the country.
No. 10 Davidson (27-6)
Conference: Atlantic 10
Coach: Bob McKillop
Post-ing up: After picking up a non-conference win over Alabama, the Flyers went 15-3 in conference play and their three losses came by a combined 15 points. They have a pair of international players leading the way in A-10 Player of the Year Luka Brajkovic (Austria) and Hyunjung Lee (South Korea), and rank eighth in 3-point shooting percentage (38.7).
No. 2 Duke (28-6)
Paolo Banchero Getty Images/Jared C. TiltonConference: ACC
Coach: Mike Krzyzewski
Post-ing up: Will Coach K get his dream ending? There certainly is enough talent, with as many as five projected first-rounders. Freshman Paolo Banchero is the most hyped, but White Plains forward AJ Griffin has emerged, while sweet-shooting Trevor Keels, sophomore Mark Williams and junior Wendell Moore round out the young but impressive lineup.
No. 15 Cal State Fullerton (21-10)
Conference: Big West
Coach: Dedrique Taylor
Post-ing up: The Titans are dancing again, and like four years ago, a local star who has gone out west is leading them to the party. In 2018, it was Brooklyn native Kyle Allman Jr. This March, it is E.J. Anosike of East Orange, N.J., a multi-dimensional forward who is Cal State Fullerton’s top scorer (16.5) and rebounder (8.3), and one of its top playmakers.
