A good day for hoops in Oregon as Ducks earn top seed in West Region
So now you know the most controversial No. 1 seed. It’s the original NCAA Tournament champion, Oregon.
The Ducks made an impression on the selection committee with their rout of Utah in the Pac-12 title game, but they’ve also built an impressive resume. They’re the No. 2 RPI team and only Kansas has more victories against the RPI top 50 than Oregon’s 12.
[ Get a printable NCAA Tournament bracket here ]
Many bracketologists had Michigan State as a No. 1 seed, but the Ducks get the top line for the first time since the seeding process started in 1979 — 40 years after Oregon won the first NCAA title.
Also in the West is Oregon State, which is making its first NCAA appearance since 1990. The Beavers started 3-6 in Pac-12 play but won six of their final nine.
If the favorites win opening games in Oklahoma City, Texas A&M and Texas will meet for the second time this season after not playing since the Aggies left the Big 12 for the Southeastern Conference in 2012. A&M beat Texas 84-73 in a Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament game in November.
Defending champion Duke is the No. 4 seed and worked hard to get that. The Blue Devils lost three starters to the NBA Draft in 2015 and senior Amile Jefferson suffered a season-ending injury. But Grayson Allen stepped up for a big sophomore year and freshman Brandon Ingram might be the second player selected in the NBA Draft.
Cincinnati takes on St. Joseph’s in an 8-9 game, and Bearcats coach Mick Cronin is making his eighth NCAA Tournament appearance, two with Murray State and six at Cincinnati.
Best matchup
Looking ahead to Duke-Baylor in the second round at Providence, R.I. Allen and Ingram would see plenty of Baylor zone, the Blue Devils would have to deal with the Bears’ length an athleticism. This would be one of the more fun second round matchups.
Player to watch
This is Buddy’s bracket. The second-seeded Oklahoma Sooners are led by Buddy Hield, the national player of the year candidate.
Upset special
No. 10 seed VCU over No. 7 Oregon State. The Rams have a new coach in Will Wade but he was an assistant on Shaka Smart’s NCAA teams and is familiar with the tournament landscape.
Final Four pick
Oklahoma over Oregon
Blair Kerkhoff: 816-234-4730, @BlairKerkhoff
West Regional team-by-team glance
Oregon
Eugene, 28-6.
Nickname: Ducks. Coach: Dana Altman.
Conference: Pac-12. Bid: Pac-12 champion.
Region: West. Seed: No. 1.
Tournament Record: 16-12, 13 years. Last appearance: 2015.
Scoring: Team (78.8);Dillon Brooks 16.8;Elgin Cook 14.5;Tyler Dorsey 13.8;Chris Boucher 12.1.
Rebounds: Team (36.1);Chris Boucher 7.6;Dillon Brooks 5.7;Jordan Bell 4.9;Elgin Cook 4.9;Tyler Dorsey 4.3.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (13.6/11.6);Dillon Brooks 3.1/2.4;Casey Benson 3.0/0.7;Elgin Cook 2.2/2.1;Tyler Dorsey 2.0/2.0.
3-pointers: Team (.349);Tyler Dorsey 62;Dwayne Benjamin 42;Dillon Brooks 40;Chris Boucher 36.
Last Ten: 8-2.
The Skinny: The Ducks were picked to finish fourth in the Pac-12’s preseason poll, with no clear replacement for departed guard Joseph Young. Enter sophomore Dillon Brooks, who went on a streak of 10 games with 20 or more points starting in mid-January.
Holy Cross
Worcester, Mass., 14-19.
Nickname: Crusaders. Coach: Bill Carmody.
Conference: Patriot League. Bid: Patriot champion.
Region: West. Seed: No. 16.
Tournament Record: 7-12, 12 years. Last appearance: 2007.
Scoring: Team (65.3);Malachi Alexander 12.0;Robert Champion 11.5;Karl Charles 10.8.
Rebounds: Team (30.1);Malachi Alexander 5.5;Robert Champion 4.8;Karl Charles 4.3.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (13.8/11.5);Malachi Alexander 2.7/1.7;Anthony Thompson 2.6/1.0;Karl Charles 2.5/2.2.
3-pointers: Team (.322);Robert Champion 52;Malachi Alexander 46;Anthony Thompson 41.
Last Ten: 5-5.
The Skinny: The Crusaders went 0-9 on the road in conference play during the regular season before winning the Patriot League tournament with four straight road victories. They have not won an NCAA Tournament game since 1953, when Hall of Famer Tommy Heinsohn was still an ineligible freshman.
Southern
New Orleans, 22-12.
Nickname: Jaguars. Coach: Roman Banks.
Conference: Southwestern Athletic. Bid: SWAC champion.
Region: West. Seed: No. 16.
Tournament Record: 1-8, 8 years. Last NCAA Appearance: 2013.
Scoring: Team (72.9);Adrian Rodgers 16.6;Trelun Banks 12.6;Shawn Prudhomme 9.6;Jared Sam 9.6;Christopher Hyder 9.6.
Rebounds: Team (36.0);Jared Sam 6.4;Adrian Rodgers 5.4.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (10.9/11.2);Christopher Hyder 5.0/1.7;Trelun Banks 2.2/2.3.
3-pointers: Team (.353);Adrian Rodgers 79;Trelun Banks 54;Shawn Prudhomme 46.
Last Ten: 6-4.
The Skinny: The Jaguars knocked off top-seeded Texas Southern in the semifinals of the SWAC tournament, then edged Jackson State 54-53 in the final. Trelun Banks, son of coach Roman Banks, was the tournament MVP.
Saint Joseph’s
Philadelphia, 27-7.
Nickname: Hawks. Coach: Phil Martelli.
Conference: Atlantic 10. Bid: A-10 champion.
Region: West. Seed: No. 8.
Tournament Record: 18-24, 20 years. Last appearance: 2014.
Scoring: Team (77.6);Isaiah Miles 18.4;DeAndre Bembry 17.3;Aaron Brown 10.3.
Rebounds: Team (38.6);Isaiah Miles 8.1;DeAndre Bembry 7.7.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (15.1/10.1);DeAndre Bembry 4.5/2.1;Shavar Newkirk 2.8/1.6;Lamarr Kimble 2.6/1.2.
3-pointers: Team (.327);Isaiah Miles 62;Papa Ndao 37;Aaron Brown 32;DeAndre Bembry 31.
Last Ten: 7-3.
The Skinny: The Hawks won their second A-10 tournament title in the last three years behind forwards DeAndre’ Bembry and Isaiah Miles. They both average over 17 points per game.
Cincinnati
Cincinnati, 22-10.
Nickname: Bobcats. Coach: Mick Cronin.
Conference: American Athletic. Bid: At large.
Region: West. Seed: No. 9.
Tournament Record: 44-28, 29 years. Last appearance: 2015.
Scoring: Team (62.4);Troy Caupain 13.2;Farad Cobb 10.7;Gary Clark 10.7;Octavius Ellis 10.0.
Rebounds: Team (34.2);Gary Clark 9.0;Octavius Ellis 7.7;Jacob Evans 3.9.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (11.9/12.8);Troy Caupain 4.8/1.8;Gary Clark 2.2/1.3.
3-pointers: Team (.333);Farad Cobb 70;Troy Caupain 54;Kevin Johnson 40;Jacob Evans 40.
Last Ten: 6-4.
The Skinny: It’s a traditional Cincinnati team that wins with defense and rebounding, but has had trouble scoring in the clutch. That happened again in the four-overtime loss to UConn in the AAC tournament.
Baylor
Waco, Texas, 22-11.
Nickname: Bears. Coach: Scott Drew.
Conference: Big 12. Bid: At large.
Region: West. Seed: No. 5.
Tournament Record: 11-11, 9 years. Last appearance: 2015.
Scoring: Team (77.2);Taurean Prince 15.5;Al Freeman 11.5;Rico Gathers 11.4;Johnathan Motley 11.0;Lester Medford 9.1.
Rebounds: Team (39.2);Rico Gathers 9.1;Taurean Prince 6.1;Johnathan Motley 5.1;Ishmail Wainright 4.2.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (14.6/12.5);Lester Medford 6.5/2.4;Ishmail Wainright 2.6/1.3;Taurean Prince 2.2/2.7.
3-pointers: Team (.377);Al Freeman 49;Taurean Prince 49;Lester Medford 42;Kin McClure 29.
Last Ten: 5-5.
The Skinny: The Bears are in the NCAA Tournament for a third straight season and sixth time in nine seasons. They twice got to a regional final, losing to eventual champion Duke in 2010 and champion Kentucky in 2012.
Yale
New Haven, Conn., 22-6.
Nickname: Bulldogs. Coach: James Jones.
Conference: Ivy League. Bid: Ivy champion.
Region: West. Seed: No. 12.
Tournament Record: 0-4, 3 years. Last appearance: 1962.
Scoring: Team (75.2);Justin Sears 15.8;Makai Mason 15.8;Brandon Sherrod 12.5.
Rebounds: Team (40.4);Justin Sears 7.5;Nick Victor 7.3;Brandon Sherrod 7.1.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (15.2/13.4);Makai Mason 3.7/3.0;Justin Sears 2.8/1.2;Nick Victor 2.6/1.9.
3-pointers: Team (.374);Makai Mason 53;Nick Victor 31.
Last Ten: 9-1.
The Skinny: James Jones is finally going to the NCAA Tournament in his 17th season as Yale’s coach. The Bulldogs are in the field for the first time in over a half-century thanks to the scoring and rebounding of Justin Sears and Brandon Sherrod.
Duke
Durham, N.C., 23-10.
Nickname: Blue Devils. Coach: Mike Krzyzewski.
Conference: Atlantic Coast. Bid: At large.
Region: West. Seed: No. 4.
Tournament Record: 105-34, 39 years. Last appearance: 2015.
Scoring: Team (81.5);Grayson Allen 21.6;Brandon Ingram 16.8;Luke Kennard 11.9;Matt Jones 10.8.
Rebounds: Team (36.3);Marshall Plumlee 8.6;Brandon Ingram 6.8;Grayson Allen 4.5.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (13.5/9.9);Grayson Allen 3.6/2.1;Derryck Thornton 2.5/1.6;Matt Jones 2.4/1.1.
3-pointers: Team (.387);Grayson Allen 83;Brandon Ingram 74;Matt Jones 72;Luke Kennard 50.
Last Ten: 6-4.
The Skinny: The Blue Devils are going to have to make it work with essentially a six-man rotation, now that they know for certain that high-energy forward Amile Jefferson won’t play anymore this season (broken foot). They may go as far as all-ACC guard Grayson Allen and league freshman of the year Brandon Ingram can take them.
UNC Wilmington
Wilmington, N.C., 25-7.
Nickname: Seahawks. Coach: Kevin Keatts.
Conference: Colonial Athletic Association. Bid: CAA champion.
Region: West. Seed: No. 13.
Tournament Record: 1-4, 4 years. Last appearance: 2006.
Scoring: Team (79.2);Chris Flemmings 16.1;Denzel Ingram 12.5;Craig Ponder 11.1;C.J. Bryce 9.9.
Rebounds: Team (37.6);Chris Flemmings 5.9;C.J. Gettys 5.1;Marcus Bryan 4.2;C.J. Bryce 4.0.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (13.8/11.4);Jordan Talley 4.0/1.5;Denzel Ingram 3.4/1.9;Craig Ponder 2.3/1.6.
3-pointers: Team (.336);Denzel Ingram 70;Chris Flemmings 55;Craig Ponder 37.
Last Ten: 8-2.
The Skinny: Two-time CAA coach of the year Kevin Keatts, Rick Pitino’s former top assistant at Louisville, has revitalized a program that went nearly a decade between NCAA Tournament appearances. The fast-paced Seahawks’ top two scorers — Chris Flemmings and Denzel Ingram — are transfers.
Texas
Austin, 20-12.
Nickname: Longhorns. Coach: Shaka Smart.
Conference: Big 12. Bid: At large.
Region: West. Seed: No. 6.
Tournament Record: 35-35, 32 years. Last appearance: 2015.
Scoring: Team (71.3);Isaiah Taylor 15.0;Cameron Ridley 12.7;Javan Felix 10.2.
Rebounds: Team (34.5);Cameron Ridley 10.2;Connor Lammert 5.2;Prince Ibeh 5.1.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (11.5/10.4);Isaiah Taylor 4.9/1.8;Javan Felix 2.2/1.1.
3-pointers: Team (.339);Connor Lammert 48;Javan Felix 44;Eric Davis Jr. 39;Tevin Mack 34.
Last Ten: 5-5.
The Skinny: The Longhorns were better than expected under first-year coach Shaka Smart, with four wins over top-10 opponents, but they also faded down the stretch with three blowout losses in the last six games. Center Cam Ridley has returned from two months out with a broken bone in his foot.
Northern Iowa
Cedar Falls, 22-12.
Nickname: Panthers. Coach: Ben Jacbson.
Conference: Missouri Valley. Bid: MVC champion.
Region: West. Seed: No. 11.
Tournament Record: 4-7, 7 years. Last appearance: 2015.
Scoring: Team (68.0);Wes Washpun 14.3;Matt Bohannon 11.8;Paul Jesperson 10.7;Jeremy Morgan 10.4.
Rebounds: Team (30.1);Jeremy Morgan 5.1;Matt Bohannon 4.1;Paul Jesperson 4.1;Wes Washpun 4.0.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (11.9/9.8);Wes Washpun 5.2/2.6;Jeremy Morgan 2.3/1.4.
3-pointers: Team (.375);Matt Bohannon 91;Paul Jesperson 75;Jeremy Morgan 44.
Last Ten: 9-1.
The Skinny: The plucky Panthers are back in the NCAAs for the seventh time in 13 seasons after winning the MVC tournament. Wins over North Carolina and Iowa State proved they can beat anyone on a good day. Point guard Wes Washpun is explosive, and he’s been at his best against top-level teams this season.
Texas A&M
College Station, 26-8.
Nickname: Aggies. Coach: Billy Kennedy.
Conference: Southeastern. Bid: At large.
Region: West. Seed: No. 3.
Tournament Record: 9-13, 12 years. Last appearance: 2011.
Scoring: Team (75.9);Jalen Jones 15.5;Danuel House 15.5;Tyler Davis 11.1.
Rebounds: Team (38.9);Jalen Jones 7.2;Tyler Davis 6.1;Danuel House 4.8;Tonny Trocha-Morelos 4.2.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (16.9/11.8);Alex Caruso 5.1/2.2;Anthony Collins 4.3/1.4;Danuel House 2.2/1.7.
3-pointers: Team (.350);Danuel House 70;DJ Hogg 44;Admon Gilder 34.
Last Ten: 7-3.
The Skinny: The Aggies are in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2011 and 13th time overall. If they get solid play from stars Jalen Jones and Danuel House and freshman center Tyler Davis can be consistent, they could make some noise.
Green Bay
Green Bay, Wis., 23-12.
Nickname: Phoenix. Coach: Linc Darner.
Conference: Horizon League. Bid: Horizon champion.
Region: West. Seed: No. 14.
Tournament Record: 1-4, 4 years. Last appearance: 1996.
Scoring: Team (84.2);Carrington Love 17.7;Charles Cooper 13.9;Jordan Fouse 12.8;Khalil Small 9.8.
Rebounds: Team (38.9);Jordan Fouse 8.4;Charles Cooper 5.6;Kenneth Lowe 4.0.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (13.9/12.1);Carrington Love 3.5/1.7;Jordan Fouse 3.3/2.2.
3-pointers: Team (.350);Carrington Love 84;Jordan Fouse 41;Khalil Small 36;Turner Botz 35.
Last Ten: 8-2.
The Skinny: The Phoenix are back in NCAA Tournament for first time in 20 years under first-year coach Linc Darner. Carrington Love leads the team in scoring (17.7 points) and has school’s single-season record with 90 steals and counting.
Oregon State
Corvallis, 19-12.
Nickname: Beavers. Coach: Wayne Tinkle.
Conference: Pac-12. Bid: At large.
Region: West. Seed: No. 7.
Tournament Record: 12-19, 16 years. Last appearance: 1990.
Scoring: Team (72.1);Gary Payton II 15.9;Tres Tinkle 13.1;Stephen Thompson Jr. 10.8.
Rebounds: Team (34.6);Gary Payton II 7.9;Tres Tinkle 5.4;Drew Eubanks 4.5.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (13.5/11.5);Gary Payton II 5.1/2.4;Malcolm Duvivier 2.2/1.6.
3-pointers: Team (.370);Stephen Thompson Jr. 46;Olaf Schaftenaar 42;Malcolm Duvivier 29;Tres tinkle 29.
Last Ten: 6-4.
The Skinny: The Beavers have not been to the NCAA Tournament since 1990, and were on the bubble for this one after they were bounced from the Pac-12 tournament in the quarterfinals by California. Gary Payton II, son of the NBA great, would like nothing more than to extend his college career after leading the team with an average of 15.9 points and 7.9 rebounds a game.
VCU
Richmond, Va., 24-10.
Nickname: Rams. Coach: Will Wade.
Conference: Atlantic 10. Bid: At large.
Region: West. Seed: No. 10.
Tournament Record: 12-14, 14 years. Last appearance: 2015.
Scoring: Team (77.2);Melvin Johnson 17.4;Korey Billbury 11.6;JeQuan Lewis 10.7;Mo Alie-Cox 10.2.
Rebounds: Team (37.4);Justin Tillman 6.4;Mo Alie-Cox 5.1;Korey Billbury 5.0.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (14.4/11.4);JeQuan Lewis 4.9/1.9;Melvin Johnson 2.2/1.4.
3-pointers: Team (.356);Melvin Johnson 104;Korey Billbury 42;Doug Brooks 29.
Last Ten: 7-3.
The Skinny: VCU finished tied for first in the Atlantic 10 in Will Wade’s first season as coach. Guard Melvin Johnson is one of the nation’s top 3-point shooters, but the Rams probably need steady offensive contributions from JeQuan Lewis to stick around past the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament.
Oklahoma
Norman, 25-7.
Nickname: Sooners. Coach: Lon Kruger.
Conference: Big 12. Bid: At large.
Region: West. Seed: No. 2.
Tournament Record: 37-29, 29 years. Last appearance: 2015.
Scoring: Team (80.4);Buddy Hield 25.0;Isaiah Cousins 13.0;Jordan Woodard 12.6;Ryan Spangler 10.8.
Rebounds: Team (38.8);Ryan Spangler 9.4;Buddy Hield 5.6;Khadeem Lattin 5.5;Isaiah Cousins 4.6.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (14.5/13.0);Isaiah Cousins 4.6/2.2;Jordan Woodard 3.4/1.6;Buddy Hield 2.1/3.0.
3-pointers: Team (.426);Buddy Hield 127;Jordan Woodard 67;Isaiah Cousins 57;Ryan Spangler 32.
Last Ten: 6-4.
The Skinny: With national player of the year candidate Buddy Hield leading the way, Oklahoma seems to always be in the game. The wild card is Ryan Spangler, a stretch power forward who makes the Sooners dangerous when he hits open shots as defenses worry about guards Hield, Isaiah Cousins and Jordan Woodard.
Cal State Bakersfield
Bakersfield, Calif., 24-8.
Nickname: Roadrunners. Coach: Rod Barnes.
Conference: Western Athletic. Bid: WAC champion.
Region: West. Seed: No. 15.
Tournament Record: First year. Last appearance: First year.
Scoring: Team (73.0);Aly Ahmed 12.9;Kevin Mays 12.5;Dedrick Basile 12.0;Damiyne Durham 11.8;Jaylin Airington 10.3
Rebounds: Team (38.3);Kevin Mays 8.0;Aly Ahmed 6.2;Jaylin Airington 4.1.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (15.7/12.2);Ben Wrapp 4.3/1.5;Dedrick Basile 3.6/1.8;Jaylin Airington 2.2/1.6.
3-pointers: Team (.344);Damiyne Durham 89;Dedrick Basile 47.
Last Ten: 9-1.
The Skinny: Led by WAC coach of the year Rod Barnes, the Roadrunners produced their best season since joining Division I and racked up their most wins in a decade. Leading scorer Aly Ahmed and top rebounder Kevin Mays were both named to the all-conference first team.
The Associated Press
This story was originally published March 13, 2016 at 8:10 PM with the headline "A good day for hoops in Oregon as Ducks earn top seed in West Region."