West Region Breakdown: 2011 March Madness Picks

#1 Duke Blue Devils: It was so important for Nolan Smith to stay healthy for the Blue Devils on their road to the ACC Championship. If he had missed either the game against the Virginia Tech Hokies or the one against the North Carolina Tar Heels, Duke probably wouldn’t have proven to be victorious in this league once again. The defending champs look sharp at this point, as they really did just roll right through the ACC Tournament with no difficulties. Will it be that way again in the dance? We know with them playing in Charlotte in Rounds 1 and 2, it’s going to be hard for anyone to stay anywhere near this team.

#2 San Diego State Aztecs: The Aztecs are definitely a team to watch out for, as they beat every team they run up across this season at least once. The only two losses both came to the BYU Cougars, losses that were avenged when the marbles were really all in the center of the table in the MWC title tussle. There’s no doubt that a team with 32 wins, regardless of who they have come against, is legit, and SDSU is no exception. Opponents only average 58.9 points per game against the Aztecs, but they can fill up the stat sheet as well, averaging 72.2 points per game. Kawhi Leonard is the man to watch, as he could be a dark horse for MVP of this tournament if the Aztecs last long enough. Leonard is averaging 15.4 points and 10.7 rebounds per game.

#3 Connecticut Huskies: There isn’t a team that shot up further in the bracket over the course of this week than UConn, as this was probably an eight or a nine seed before the magical run to the Big East Championship. Beating this team is as simple as stopping one man: Kemba Walker. However, no one in the Big East Tournament was able to stop him even though he averaged right around 38 minutes per game in those five outings in a span of five days. There’s no team with more positive mojo right now than the Huskies, and they might be able to parlay that into a great run in March Madness as well. Anything short of the Sweet 16 would be a brutal disappointment for Head Coach Jim Calhoun and company, especially after all of the recruiting violations that came to light this season.

#4 Texas Longhorns: Are the Longhorns really stumbling right now? It’s hard to say that that loss to the Kansas Jayhawks in the finale of the Big XII Tournament, but this was a team that only had three losses less than a month ago. Texas is as talented as it gets, as men like Jordan Hamilton and Tristan Thompson can put the team on their shoulders and carry it a long, long way. Was this a team that was playing above its means in the middle of the season, or is it a legit title contender? It seems like only time will tell for this very young squad.

#5 Arizona Wildcats: Arizona might not have won the Pac-10, and that might be why it is a bit down on the bracket, but at least it knows that it is here comfortably. If the Pac-10 really was better this season than many thought, the Wildcats could definitely be a team to watch. This is a hungry squad that won a ton of games this season, and winning is certainly contagious. Derrick Williams is one of the best big men in the country, and he can single handedly change games, especially on the glass.

#6 Cincinnati Bearcats: It’s hard to think that there is a Big East team out there that won 25 games that could be overlooked, but UC might just be that team. Perhaps it’s a bit misleading to think that this team only allowed 59.2 points per game this season, especially after getting lit up by the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the Big East Tournament, but we’ll give the Bearcats credit for winning a lot of the games that they really should have won… and some of the ones that they probably shouldn’t have won either.

#7 Temple Owls: If there is a team that really needs to get healthy in a hurry, Temple is the team. The Owls are missing Michael Eric and Scootie Randall right now. Eric won’t be back, but Randall still might be able to get back into action for the dance. Ramone Moore, Lavoy Allen, and Juan Fernandez are fantastic options with a ton of experience, but they probably can’t do all that much in the tournament with just these three alone. Still, Temple has a fantastic defense, allowing just 62.2 points per game this season, and this is the unit that is going to have to step up to really give this team a shot of survival. Still, the Atlantic 10 is a conference that really typically does a great job of preparing teams for the dance, and this is the hope that the Owls have.

#8 Michigan Wolverines: In the end, Michigan didn’t have anything to worry about after all. The Wolverines really did play well in the second half of the season, and it snared some big time wins along the way. Tim Hardaway Jr. has really come on strong this season as well. As always, Darius Miller is going to be the focal point for this offense, and he is going to have to really shoot the lights out of the building to be able to get the maize and blue through the first weekend of the dance.

#9 Tennessee Volunteers: If the Volunteers end up making some noise in this tournament, the world will learn the name Tobias Harris. This youngster really had a great first season in Rocky Top, and he is going to be counted on as if he were a veteran leader down the stretch in games. Scotty Hopson is really the only man left from the UT teams that made some deep runs in this tournament in 2010 and 2008, and he is the heart and soul of this team. Head Coach Bruce Pearl would love some wins here in the dance to take away some of the sting of his suspension for recruiting violations earlier this season.

#10 Penn State Nittany Lions: No team did as much for itself in the postseason tournaments than the Nittany Lions. Sure, they didn’t end up winning the Big Ten Tournament, but just getting into the finale was more than enough to get the job done. There aren’t a ton of big time shooters on this team, but what was proven on Saturday against the Wisconsin Badgers is that this team has a ton of heart. That heart is going to have to carry this team through a very tough West region.

#11 Missouri Tigers: With four losses in their last five games, the Tigers have to be concerned about how the NCAA Tournament is really going to end up going. Still, this is a team has a great history in March, as it is really, really hard to prepare for this full court press, the “40 Minutes of Hell” on short notice. It’s all about the first step, though. If Missouri takes that step and gets into the regional quarterfinals, look out. Marcus Denmon is the team’s leading scorer at 17.1 points per game, but there are seven or eight players that are capable of doing damage every single night.

#12 Memphis Tigers: Memphis snared the C-USA title on Saturday, and it seemed awfully merciful that it got the job done. It would’ve been a real shock for the Tigers to be left out of the field of 68, but it was clear that it had to win in El Paso against the Miners on Saturday to have that chance. Pressure defense is the key for Memphis, as there are a ton of players that rotate in and out to help the cause. The question is who is going to step up and take the big shot down the stretch for this team? Wesley Witherspoon has been a major disappointment this year, but he can make amends for all of that by helping Memphis in the dance.

#13 Oakland Golden Grizzlies: If you love teams that are just going to keep running at you and never really stop, the Golden Grizzlies are for you. Oakland has been fantastic all season long, and it has already proven that it can play with some of the best teams in the country. It nearly pulled off the upset against the Michigan State Spartans, and it did pull it off against the Tennessee Volunteers. This was clearly the best team in the Summit League all season long, and finishing 20-1 in conference play gave this team a deserving shot at the dance. Keith Benson is a double-double machine, and if the team going up against these guys doesn’t have a big man to contend, the Grizz could run their way right into the second round of the tourney without any issues.

#14 Bucknell Bison: It really wasn’t all that surprising for the Bison to make it through the Patriot League Tournament, as they really dominated the proceedings every single step of the way. They ended up at 16-1 including the conference tournament, and they really are deserving of not just a bid in the NCAA Tournament, but a respectable one at that. This is a team that shoots better than 40 percent from beyond the arc, something that not a lot of teams can say that they do. Bucknell is also a 78 percent foul shooting team, which ranks in the Top 5 in America. Seven different men are used in this rotation regularly, and all seven are good for at least seven points per game. They all shoot, the all score, they all pass the ball, they all can shoot from anywhere on the court, they all rebound, and they all defend. That’s why this team can be one of the most dangerous mid majors in the entire NCAA Tournament.

#15 Northern Colorado Bears: Northern Colorado had to fight, scratch, and claw its way into the NCAA Tournament, but it is definitely a deserving team out of the Big Sky to be here in this game. Thanks to a stifling defense, the Bears are going to have a chance to give some fits to a really high seed in the tournament, as this unit really can lock down even the best teams in America. There’s a huge star shining out of the Big Sky as well, as Devon Beitzel is one of the top scorers in the country that you have never heard of. He is accounting for 21.4 points per game, and he had a huge Big Sky Tournament to boot. If there is a man that is capable of pulling off this upset, this is it.

#16 Hampton Pirates: We know that the Pirates won’t have this type of luck in the NCAA Tournament, but they really did crack down the defensive intensity against the MEAC this season. Though they only went 11-5 in conference in the regular season, they were clearly the best team in the bunch and deserve to be dancing. Teams only shoot 37.9 percent against this team from the field, ranking No. 4 in the country. Darrion Pellum and Kwame Morgan are the only two hopes for scoring, as they’re at 17.7 and 16.5 points per game respectively, but they’re both shooting under 39 percent for the year.

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