Bracket Breakdown: The West Region

· Yahoo Sports

Mar 15, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; A view of the tournament logo on the court during the second half between the Michigan Wolverines and the Purdue Boilermakers during the men's Big Ten Conference Tournament Championship at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Following their victory in the B1G Tournament against the Michigan Wolverines, Purdue was able to elevate themselves into the 2-seed in the West Region. The Boilers set themselves up as well as they ever have for a run in the NCAA Tourney and will first square off against 15-seeded Queens. With the first stop in St. Louis, if Purdue wins their round-1 matchup, they will face off against either 7-seeded Miami (FL) or 10-seeded Missouri.

Let’s take a look at the West Region overall.

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  • No. 1 Arizona (32-2): After capturing the Big 12 tournament title, the Wildcats enter the tournament as one of the favorites to win the whole tourney. The Wildcats have a NET ranking of #3 and a matching KenPom rank of #2 with the 5th best adjusted offense and 3rd best adjusted defense. They boast 16 Quadrant 1 victories, led by potential top-five NBA pick Brayden Burries. Arizona is one of the most well balanced teams in the country, similarly statistically to Michigan and Duke.
  • No. 2 Purdue (27-8): Purdue secured the No. 2 seed by winning the Big Ten Tournament with a dominating performance against Michigan. They hold a NET ranking of #9 and are #8 in KenPom, supported by 11 wins over the NET top 100. The Boilers had a mid-season struggle but used the B1G Tourney to vault themselves into their 2-seed with a renewed effort on defense and the best offense in the country.
  • No. 3 Gonzaga (30-3): The Zags swept through the WCC to finish with 30 wins. The Bulldogs are ranked in the NET at #6 and a KenPom rank of #10. Despite injuries to star Braden Huff and Jalen Warley, they maintain 7 wins against the top 100 and one of the best defenses in the country. They don’t have the guards they once did but their frontline, when healthy, is one of the best in the country.
  • No. 4 Arkansas (26-8): John Calipari’s Razorbacks claimed the SEC Tournament crown behind Darius Acuff Jr., the first player since 1970 to lead the SEC in both scoring and assists. The freshman won the SEC Player of the Year and has played his way into what will likely be a lottery pick in the upcoming NBA Draft. They sit at #17 in the NET and #15 in KenPom with 14 top-100 wins. The Razorbacks
  • No. 5 Wisconsin (24-10): The Badgers finished strong in the Big Ten with their victory at Purdue and then gave Michigan all they could handle. Behind one of the nation’s best backcourt duos in Nick Boyd and John Blackwell, the Badgers ended with a NET rank of #25 and a KenPom rank of #22. They had to play the last several games without starting center Nolan Winter but he is expected to return. That gives the Badgers more of a presence inside as they are one of the more outside reliant teams in the tourney.
  • No. 6 BYU (23-11): Led by the nation’s leading scorer and likely #1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft AJ Dybantsa, the Cougars enter with a NET rank of #23 and KenPom rank of #23. They have 12 wins over the top 100 and a style of play that leads the nation in three-point attempts. The loss of Richie Saunders to injury has hampered BYU a bit but having the best player in the tourney will make any team dangerous.
  • No. 7 Miami (FL) (25-8): The Hurricanes finished with a NET rank of #32 and KenPom rank of #31 after a solid ACC campaign. They possess 11 wins over top-100 opponents and high-level tournament experience but failed to really win any marquee games with their highest rated Kenpom win coming against #29 UNC.
  • No. 8 Villanova (24-8): Making their return to the Big Dance for the first time since 2022, the Wildcats hold a NET rank of #35 and KenPom rank of #33. They play a slow-paced, methodical style of offense that can frustrate high-tempo teams while their defense is similarly ranked to the Boilers. Villanova defeated Queens 94-74 early in the season.
  • No. 9 Utah State (28-6): The Aggies won the Mountain West Tournament to secure an automatic bid in a conference that always seems to be very strong. They are highly ranked in both the NET and Kenpom, going #26 and #30, respectively. They have 12 wins against the top 100 and rank in the top 25 for rebounding margin. Many bracketologists see their matchup with Villanova as a literal “coin flip.”
  • No. 10 Missouri (20-12): Missouri didn’t really test themselves in the early part of the season but their tough SEC schedule and wins against Florida, Vanderbilt, and Tennessee vaulted them into an at-large bid. They finished with a NET rank of #58 and KenPom rank of #47 (Offense: 50 | Defense: 78). The Tigers are a classice at-large, lower seeded major conference team that doesn’t do anything spectacular but has enough talent to beat anyone if they catch someone asleep at the wheel.
  • No. 11 Texas (18-14) / NC State (20-13): : Many thought Texas would be a prime candidate for a First Four matchup but they were able to avoid that. The Longhorns are NET ranked of #42 and KenPom rank of #37. They have some good defensive metrics and victories over tourney teams NC State, Alabama, Vanderbilt, and Missouri. Former Purdue player Cam Heide is one of the best shooting wings from behind the arc in the country and an important role player.

    In his first year at the helm, coach Will Wade has the Wolfpack back in the Big Dance with a NET ranking of #36 and a KenPom rank of #34. They enter the tournament with 11 wins over top-100 NET teams, powered by the nation’s 10th-best three-point shooting attack and an offense that ranks #19 in efficiency. While they struggled down the stretch, losing six of their last seven regular-season games, this ‘First Four’ matchup is a rematch from the Maui Invitational where Texas won 102-97.
  • No. 12 High Point (30-4): The Panthers dominated the Big South, finishing with 30 wins and strong NET (#76) and Kenpom (#92) rankings. While they have only 3 top-100 NET wins, their efficient offense makes them a popular pick for an upset in round 1 over #5 seeded Wisconsin. Not sure High Point has the ability to defend the high level guard play from Wisconsin but they don’t turn the ball over and force a lot of turnovers on defense (21.2 turnover percentage)
  • No. 13 Hawaii (24-8): The Big West champions will bring with them one of the more unique defensive schemes in the tourney as they generally do not bring help defense. They want to force teams to make one on one shots and prevent ball movement as much as possible. They’ll enter with a NET rank of #114 and KenPom rank of #108. They recorded 2 top-100 wins and rely on a high-pressure defense that forces turnovers. This will be an intriguing matchup with Arkansas and point guard Darius Acuff in the first round.
  • No. 14 Kennesaw State (21-13): The Owls won the CUSA tournament to earn their spot, carrying a NET rank of #155 and KenPom rank of #163. They play at one of the fastest tempos in the country and that could cause some problems for their round one matchup against Gonzaga. That tempo had led to the Owls being one of the best teams at getting to the free throw line at 27 times per game. They don’t have a lot of size but they play a version of basketball that, if the offense is clicking, could serve to be a problem for a Gonzaga’s focus on their big frontcourt.
  • No. 15 Queens (21-13): Making their first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance in the first season they are eligible to do so after moving up from Division 2, the ASUN champs will square off against Purdue. One of the lowest ranked teams in the NCAA Tourney in the NET at 189th and KenPom at 181st with no top-100 wins. Purdue will have a distinct advantage at every position on the floor but none-so-much as the power forward position where Trey Kaufman-Renn should dominate on the interior.
  • No. 16 LIU (24-10): The Sharks won the NEC and will face top-seeded Arizona. They hold a NET rank of #198th and KenPom rank of #216th, entering with a 10-game winning streak. While heavy underdogs, they play a zone defense and feature a well shooting team from behind that arc that also limits their opponent’s three point shooting.

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