NCAA Bracket 2019: Complete Guide to West Region
The West region of the NCAA Tournament bracket has it all. A dominant No. 1 seed in Gonzaga? Check. NBA Draft prospects? Texas Tech's Jarrett Culver and Murray State's Ja Morant are in this quadrant. A prime Cinderella candidate? Morant and the Racers are garnering buzz in that department.
The West is one of two regions (along with the East) to feature First Four games, which kick off on Tuesday. Two No. 16 seeds, Fairleigh Dickinson and Prairie View A&M, will face off for the right to face the top-seeded Gonzaga in the first round.
The following night, No. 11 seeds Arizona State and St. John's will feature in a play-in game, with the winner facing No. 6 Buffalo.
Here's everything you need to know about the West region heading into March Madness.
1st-Round Schedule, Betting Odds and TV Info
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Tuesday (First Four in Dayton, OH)
No. 16 Prairie View A&M (Spread: -1) vs. No. 16 Fairleigh Dickinson, 6:40 p.m. ET, truTV
Wednesday (First Four in Dayton, OH
No. 11 Arizona State (-1.5) vs. No. 11 St. John's, 9:10 p.m. ET, truTV
Thursday
(Games in Hartford, CT)
No. 4 Florida State (-11) vs. No. 13 Vermont, 2:00 p.m. ET, TBS
No. 5 Marquette (-5.5) vs. No. 12 Murray State, 4:30 p.m. ET, TBS
(Games in Des Moines, IA)
No. 7 Nevada (-1.5) vs. Florida, 6:50 p.m. ET, TNT
No. 2 Michigan (-17.5) vs. No. 15 Montana, 9:20 p.m. ET, TNT
(Games in Salt Lake City, UT)
No. 1 Gonzaga (30-3) vs. No. 16 Fairleigh Dickinson or No. 16 Prairie View A&M, 7:27 p.m. ET, truTV
No. 8 Syracuse (-1.5) vs. No. 9 Baylor, 9:57 p.m. ET, truTV
Friday
(Games in Tulsa, OK)
No. 3 Texas Tech (-14) vs. No. 14, Northern Kentucky, 1:30 p.m. ET, TNT
No. 6 Buffalo (31-3) vs. No. 11 Arizona State or No. 11 St. John's, 4:00 p.m. ET, TNT
Must-See Games
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No. 5 Marquette vs. No. 12 Murray State
This has already become a popular upset pick, thanks in large part to the buzz Murray State guard Ja Morant has garnered. It looks to be an entertaining matchup with a Marquette team that bombs three-pointers.
No. 7 Nevada vs. No. 10 Florida
Florida turned its defense up a notch in the SEC Tournament and could be in position to take advantage of a higher-seeded Nevada team that has looked vulnerable of late.
No. 8 Syracuse vs. No. 9 Baylor
Baylor has been on a losing skid leading into the tournament and will look to right the ship in the first round against a Syracuse defense that has been as suffocating as ever this year.
Top Storylines
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Can Gonzaga run the table?
Gonzaga lost a heartbreaker to St. Mary's in the WCC championship game and will be playing with a chip on its shoulder to prove it's worthy of the No. 1 seed in spite of that loss. The Bulldogs are a top seed with something to prove, and that's a dangerous combination.
Can Michigan avenge their title-game loss?
Last season, Michigan made it to the NCAA title game before falling to Villanova. It has been similarly dominant this season but will have its work cut out in a tough field as it looks to make it back to the final.
NBA Draft prospects looking to make a mark
Every NCAA Tournament sees its share of players looking to set themselves apart in the leadup to the NBA Draft. Everyone knows about Ja Morant and Jarrett Culver; will Gonzaga's Brandon Clarke play his way into the lottery over the course of the tourney?
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Stars to Watch
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Rui Hachimura, Gonzaga
Fresh off being named the WCC Player of the Year, Rui Hachimura is geared up to lead a Gonzaga team that will be favored to go to the Final Four.
Jarrett Culver, Texas Tech
Jarrett Culver has blossomed in his sophomore season with the Red Raiders, putting up 18.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.3 steals per game and establishing himself as a likely NBA lottery pick.
Ja Morant, Murray State
Ja Morant, a projected top-three NBA lottery pick, has been a staple of SportsCenter and House of Highlights all season. His incredible freshman campaign is the reason Murray State earned a Tournament invite, and he'll be the driving force if they make a deep run.
Favorite Most Likely to Fall
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No. 5 Marquette Golden Eagles
Marquette could go one of two ways.
It has the scoring firepower to make a deep run in the Tournament—Markus Howard leads the way in that department—and it has no shortage of deadly outside shooters to supplement him.
However, the Eagles have been turnover-happy of late, and if they can't get that under control, they're in danger of an early exit.
Most Likely Cinderella
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No. 12 Murray State Racers
It's not just Ja Morant's superstar freshman season that makes the Racers a popular upset pick, although that certainly doesn't hurt. As a team, their offense is efficient and they rebound the ball well.
Murray State has plenty of shooters around Morant, including Tevin Brown and Shaq Buchanan. It has a balanced attack and can hurt opponents in a variety of ways.
A Cinderella run in the Tournament would be the capper on a spectacular season for Morant as he prepares for NBA stardom.
Who Will Make the Sweet 16
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No. 1 Gonzaga
Gonzaga won't face many challenges in the early rounds and should easily make it this far, though Michigan or Texas Tech will pose a tough matchup.
No. 4 Florida State
The Seminoles' length and athleticism have given them one of the country's best defenses, which they will hang their hats on in tournament play. However, they don't have the talent to compete with Gonzaga in a Sweet 16 matchup.
No. 2 Michigan
The Wolverines have had success playing the same style that helped them reach the national title game last season. Their Sweet 16 matchup with Texas Tech should be epic.
No. 3 Texas Tech
Texas Tech's defense is as good as anyone's, and Jarrett Culver poses matchup problems for anyone the Red Raiders face.
The Elite Eight Matchup Will Be...
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No. 1 Gonzaga vs. No. 3 Texas Tech
Gonzaga will have a tough time with either Texas Tech or Michigan in the Elite Eight game.
Texas Tech's defense will pose a particularly tough challenge for the Bulldogs. They've played most opponents tough this season and enter the tournament as one of the most feared matchups outside of the top seeds.
But Gonzaga's resume to this point is hard to argue with. The Bulldogs are No. 1 for a reason and have two legitimate stars in Rui Hachimura and Brandon Clarke. They remain the team to beat in this region.
And the Final Four Team Is...
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In the end, Gonzaga has the star power and the country's most efficient offense.
The Bulldogs are the team with the fewest question marks, which is why they earned a No. 1 seed despite losing in the WCC Tournament. Top-to-bottom, they check all the boxes for a Final Four team, and they're capable of beating anyone.
This Gonzaga team has as good a shot as any in recent history to take home the program's first-ever NCAA championship trophy.
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