Tourney breakdown: Previewing the West Region
The NCAA Tournament is upon us now that Selection Sunday is officially in the books. In the buildup to the opening round, theScore is previewing each region to get you prepared to pick your bracket. After the East Region started things Monday morning, we dive deep into the West and the No. 1 seed North Carolina.
Top teams
No. 1 North Carolina
North Carolina grabbed the fourth No. 1 seed, but a loss to NC State in the ACC title game was likely what banished the Tar Heels cross-country to the West Region. Hubert Davis' team looked quite strong before Saturday's setback, winning eight straight games and claiming the ACC regular-season crown. The Tar Heels are one of the most experienced teams in the tournament, led by R.J. Davis and Armando Bacot from the 2022 national finalists. Davis is a walking bucket with over 21 points per game, while Bacot patrols the interior averaging a double-double. The offensive output gets plenty of attention, but the Tar Heels actually thrive defensively, ranking sixth in the country according to KenPom.
No. 2 Arizona
Should the West bracket play out by seeding, an enthralling regional final pitting Caleb Love against his former team, North Carolina, awaits. Love was one the most important cogs in the 2022 national finalist Tar Heel team but opted to transfer after they missed the tournament last year. Love instantly became the Wildcats' top option at over 18 points per contest, but the Pac-12 powerhouse features a very balanced attack with four double-digit scorers. Arizona is one of just three teams in the country that features a top-12 offense and defense in KenPom's rankings. It also faces a fairly comfortable path through the Sweet 16.
No. 3 Baylor
Electric point guard RayJ Dennis struggled mightily down the stretch, and the Bears stumbled to a 6-5 mark in their last 11 games as a result. Dennis piles up the assists for Baylor but also has 44 turnovers and is just 8-for-35 from beyond the arc during that 11-game stretch. Scott Drew will likely be preaching ball security for the Toledo transfer as tournament play begins. Provided Dennis can avoid turnovers, the Bears have plenty of firepower to make a deep run in March. Both Ja'Kobe Walter and Yves Missi are projected first-round NBA picks and can get hot at a moment's notice.
Bracket-busters
No. 11 New Mexico
Great guard play is key to any double-digit seed making a deep run in March. New Mexico has just that with the duo of Jaelen House and Donovan Dent. Despite holding the 11-seed, KenPom's efficiency rankings have the Lobos as the 23rd-best team in the country. That's 11 spots better than first-round opponent No. 6 Clemson. Should Richard Pitino's Lobos pull off the win in Round 1, a potential date with Baylor awaits in what could be one of the most explosive second-round matchups.
No. 12 Grand Canyon
Grand Canyon returns to the NCAA Tournament for the third time in the last four seasons with Bryce Drew at the helm. The Antelopes were by far the class of the WAC this year and pulled off an important nonconference win over last year's national finalist San Diego State. Grand Canyon's opening-round opponent is No. 5 Saint Mary's - a team that plays with the 5th-slowest pace in the entire country. That will limit possessions in the contest and put a premium on defense and rebounding. While the Gaels thrive in that area, Grand Canyon isn't far behind in rebounding margin or defensive efficiency.
Players to watch
DaRon Holmes II, Dayton
The high-flying Holmes is one of the college basketball's most electric players and has numerous highlight-reel dunks this season. The Dayton star was recently named one of the 10 semifinalists for the Naismith Award as college basketball's best player. Holmes averages 20.4 points per game on the season and patrols the paint for 8.4 rebounds and over two blocks a contest.
RJ Davis, North Carolina
Davis has shone brightly in his first season without Love as a running mate, canning 40% of his triples on a whopping 7.7 attempts per game. There's no question who the top-ranked Tar Heels are turning to on offense; Davis has launched an outrageous 210 more shot attempts than the next closest teammate. If he's hot, North Carolina could cruise to the Final Four thanks to his exceptional skill set. If he's cold, it could be an early exit for the ACC powerhouse. Either way, it'll be highly entertaining.
Caleb Love, Arizona
Love is also thriving on the court following the breakup with North Carolina, as he leads the Wildcats in scoring. The senior is as streaky as they come, something we witnessed in great detail during the Tar Heels' deep run in 2022. Love poured in 28 points in the Final Four - including the backbreaking triple with 25 seconds to play - to end Mike Krzyzewski's career at Duke. However, he was ice-cold in the title game, hitting just 5-of-24 shots in the loss to Kansas. Arizona will certainly be hoping for the good Love this time around to avoid a second straight upset loss to a 15-seed in the NCAA Tournament.