The NCAA tournament bracket was released Sunday, and the tournament is set to tip off Thursday. The Blue Zone is here to break down the top teams and possible upsets in each region. Check out our previews for the West, East and South regions as well:
The No. 1 seed: Purdue Boilermakers
Following a heartbreaking first-round exit in last year’s NCAA tournament, Purdue again enters the tournament as a No. 1 seed. The Boilermakers have made their dominance known all season long, posting significant wins over fellow contenders Tennessee, Marquette and Arizona.
Senior center Zach Edey has continued to propel his program to dominant seasons. The Toronto native leads all of Division 1 basketball in scoring, averaging 24.4 points per game — over two points higher than last season. Despite his team’s loss against Wisconsin in the Big Ten tournament semifinals, Edey became the all-time leading scorer for Purdue during the game. The two-time Big Ten Player of the Year is even heating up just in time for March Madness, averaging 28.4 points per game over his last five starts.
As a team, the Boilermakers have the 12th highest scoring offense, featuring consistent contributions from sophomore guard Braden Smith and senior guard Lance Jones. Key to Purdue’s success is a cohesive group effort — not solely a highlight reel performance from Edey.
The other contenders: Recent Losses and Potential Upsets
The Midwest features top opponents struggling as of late and lower seeds with the opportunity to make a run. Creighton, Kansas and Tennessee were unable to make a deep run in their respective conference tournaments while Oregon earned its ticket to March Madness after claiming the Pac-12 championship game.
The fourth-seeded Jayhawks entered the preseason as the No. 1-ranked team in the country and mostly stayed true to their position throughout the first half of the season. They delivered early statement wins over Kentucky and Tennessee and looked sharp. The second half of the season proved to be a different story for Kansas, though, as the program enters the tournament with losses in four of its last five games. The bright spots for the team are Texas Tech transfer Kevin McCullar and Michigan transfer Hunter Dickinson — both were named to the All-Big 12 First Team. McCullar led the Big 12 in scoring, averaging 18.3 points per game, while Dickinson finished right behind him at 18 per game. Unfortunately, recent injuries to both of the Jayhawks’ leaders will be the dominant story of their tournament run. Dickinson suffered a dislocated shoulder and has been practicing with the squad while McCullar’s return from knee injury is still unknown. Evident from Kansas’ Big 12 tournament performance, the team requires the presence of both its leaders to have any success.
No. 3-seed Creighton also underperformed in its conference tournament, losing to Providence in the quarterfinals of the Big East. Still, the Bluejays delivered a statement win against then-No. 1 UConn Feb. 20 and always prove to be a strong contender in March.
Other top contenders include No. 2-seed Tennessee and No. 5-seed Gonzaga. The Volunteers dropped in the final week of the Ap Poll after losing to Mississippi State in the quarterfinals of the SEC tournament. The Volunteers, led by AP First Team All-American Dalton Knecht, will take on a familiar fan-favorite in No. 15-seed Saint Peters. The Peacocks became the first ever 15 seed to advance to the elite eight in the 2022 tournament and can prove a defensive challenge for Tennessee.
Also looking to complete the upset is Oregon, coming off a win against a dominant Arizona team and ultimately taking home the Pac-12 championship. The Ducks may enter the NCAA Tournament as a No. 11-seed, but they have proven capable of competing with top teams and could shock Creighton.
The potential Cinderella: Colorado State
As Colorado State head coach Niko Medved put it, the Mountain West felt disrespected by the committee, believing their teams deserved higher seeds on Selection Sunday. The Rams pulled off notable wins against the Bluejays, Utah State and St Mary’s. The team also defeated then-No. 23 Nevada in the semifinals of the Mountain West Tournament before ultimately falling to New Mexico.
Colorado State will first have to face Virginia in a play-in game before having a chance at No. 7 seed Texas. The Rams are led by senior guard Isaiah Stevens, who averages 16.5 points per game and became the program’s all time assist-leader. The Allen, Tex., native has extra motivation to propel his team to a battle against his hometown state.
The regional narrative: Road to Redemption
Higher seeds like Gonzaga and Kansas have struggled as of late, making Purdue’s route to a championship a bit more attainable. The overall No. 3 team is seeking redemption after becoming the second ever No. 1 seed to lose in the first round. If the Boilermakers can display a consistent and holistic effort, they should find themselves successful in the tournament.
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