West Region analysis: Defending champ Kansas is top seed. Can Jayhawks reach Final Four?
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Your guide to Selection Sunday
Follow The Star’s analysis and predictions as the 2023 NCAA Tournament bracket is revealed and KU, K-State and Mizzou are seeded for March Madness.
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How will the West be won? Defending national champion Kansas heads the West Region, earning its 16th No, 1 seed since seeding was implemented in 1979. Bill Self’s teams have been a top seed 10 times.
Self, by the way, will rejoin the Jayhawks this week after missing the Big 12 Tournament. He was hospitalized this week with chest tightness and had two stents placed for the treatment of blocked arteries, per a KU release.
The field is truly western with UCLA and Gonzaga as the second and third seeds. Saint Mary’s is fifth.
Players to watch
Jalen Wilson was the unanimous Big 12 Player of the Year, and hopes to follow in the footsteps of Ochai Agbaji, who parlayed that award into a Final Four most outstanding player award last year.
Connecticut’s Adama Sanogo and Jordan Hawkins were All-Big East players, Sanogo for the second straight season. He leads the Huskies in scoring and rebounding. If UConn gets by Iona in the first round, it will take on the Saint Mary’s-VCU winner.
UCLA’s Jamie Jaquez tried to will the Bruins to the Pac-12 Tournament title but fell just short. UCLA is dealing with a season-ending Achilles injury to Jaylen Clark, a superb defender.
Gonzaga has a new all-time scoring leader, Drew Timme. He averages 20.9 points and shoots 62.4 percent from the floor.
First-round upset
No. 12 VCU over No. 5 Saint Mary’s. It’s a clash in styles with the Rams a defensive-oriented team and the Gaels ranked No. 35 in offensive efficiency.
Sweet 16 surprise team
Sixth-seeded TCU. The Horned Frogs were an overtime loss to Arizona away from reaching the Sweet 16 last season. Led by Mike Miles Jr., they get past Gonzaga to get to Las Vegas.
Regional final
Connecticut over TCU
This story was originally published March 12, 2023 at 6:38 PM.
