The bracket is set and March Madness is officially here. There are 68 college basketball teams ready to dance in Indianapolis, and as usual there was a ton to take away from what we saw during the Bracket Selection show. Each region has its own set of questions and a few teams that are under the radar. Let’s dig into the West Region, where undefeated Gonzaga looms large. To help break down everything, Matt Gajewski and Ben Rasa are here for some rapid-fire picks for the West Region of the bracket.
March Madness: Expert NCAA Bracket Picks | West Region
Favorite to Win the West Region
Ben’s Pick: Gonzaga
This is no surprise, as Gonzaga is undefeated and is the favorite to be the last team standing. They have everything you need and are clearly the best offensive unit in the country. The only question mark is the schedule, as their conference doesn’t provide a lot of real tests, so they have beaten up on lesser competition for most of the year. Still, this team is no joke, and despite a few other quality teams in the region, I trust Gonzaga to make it out of the West Region bracket.
Matt’s Pick: Gonzaga
The No. 1 overall seed for a reason, Gonzaga ranks first in offensive efficiency and 15th on defense. While their schedule leaves room for improvement, this team demolished Kansas, Auburn, West Virginia, Iowa and Virginia in non-conference play. With the three-headed monster in Jalen Suggs, Corey Kispert and Drew Timme on the floor, this team should roll to the Elite Eight with ease.
West Region DFS Player to Watch
Ben’s Pick: – Evan Mobley — USC
This is a name we will be talking about in the NBA DFS streets soon enough, as Mobley surely is going to be one-and-done. He has been a huge part of USC’s success this year and comes into the tournament averaging 16.8 points, 8.5 boards and 3.2 blocks on almost 60% shooting from the field. Mobley is going to be a massive problem for most team’s frontcourts, and if USC does make a run, he is a guy to watch.
Matt’s Pick: Jalen Suggs — Gonzaga
I love Ben’s Evan Mobley call. This region features multiple studs in Mobley, Marcus Zegarowski, Luka Garza and Suggs. Suggs and Mobley provide the most intrigue for an NBA future. Suggs is an electric 6-foot-4 guard, averaging 14.3 points per game for Gonzaga. As for Garza, he may not hold as much NBA potential, but he is one of the craftiest big men in the country.
[MARCHMADNESS]
Most Overrated Team
Ben’s Pick: Kansas
I am not sure if this team is even overrated at this point, as Kansas’ stock seems to be plummeting as the tournament begins. They are dealing with some COVID issues and may be without a few players in this opening round game against Eastern Washington. Regardless, as a No. 3 seed, I think they are primed to get bounced early, as they don’t have enough scoring and certainly aren’t as good as Kansas teams that made noise in years past.
Matt’s Pick: Iowa
This may come as a shock to some, but Iowa has significant defensive disadvantages in certain matchups. The Hawkeyes rank 229th in 3-point defense this year and even struggle against strong frontcourts at times. In the Big Ten Tournament, Illinois’ Kofi Cockburn scored 26 points in 24 minutes against Garza. Even a team like Oregon creates a matchup nightmare for Iowa in the second round. Oregon’s entire starting five shoots at least 36% from 3, with a couple studs eclipsing the 40% mark.
Most Underrated Team
Ben’s Pick: Creighton
For better or worse, I am a believer in Creighton. They have a Jekyll/Hyde quality to them, and the Big East tournament showed that. After an impressive win over UConn, they were blown out by 25 points against Georgetown and were held to 48 points in the game. That’s the type of head-scratching performance you get with this team at times, but the talent is there. Five players average in double figures, and their leader, Marcus Zegarowski, has everything you want in a floor general. I don’t think they can get past Gonzaga, but I do think that’s a game we will ultimately see.
Matt’s Pick: Creighton/USC
Creighton would be my pick as well after the betting public witnessed their collapse against Georgetown in the Big East final. They still hold significant advantages over their early opponents until they face Gonzaga. Meanwhile, USC plays the winner of Wichita State – Drake. Neither team has a starting big taller than 6-foot-8. The Mobley brothers should destroy that matchup before facing a COVID-depleted Kansas team in the second round. As I mentioned above, Mobley could even give Iowa problems.
West Region Round 1 Upset
Ben’s Pick: Ohio over Virginia
This is a popular upset choice in the first round, but one I am on board with. Ohio is currently a 7-point underdog to a Virginia team that had to pull out of the ACC tournament with COVID issues. It is to be seen where Virginia is, but regardless, this Ohio team is a talented bunch, especially offensively. This is a major clash of styles, with Virginia wanting to play extremely slow while Ohio doesn’t mind the point totals getting as high as possible. Ohio has won nine of 10 games and scored 75-plus in every win, so they can push this Virginia team to the limit.
Matt’s Pick: Eastern Washington over Kansas
While unlikely, Eastern Washington has a chance to take down Ben’s most overrated team in Kansas. This experienced Eastern Washington crew played to a 16-7 regular season record. Unlike many mid-majors in the tournament, they played some Power Five schools in Washington State, Arizona and Oregon. The Oregon game resulted in a margin of defeat north of 10 points. Already capable of hanging with superior opponents, Eastern Washington has the talent to potentially pull off a March Madness miracle.
Follow us on all of our social channels! Check out our Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube for more great Awesemo content.
Check out the AwesemoOdds home page for more March Madness betting content, including more college basketball betting picks and NCAA Tournament March Madness bracket predictions.
