Collegiate Times

Every team in the West region will be trying to play their way to Phoenix, Ariz. for a chance to make it to Atlanta and the Final Four.

The West region is home to the AP No. 1 team, the Gonzaga Bulldogs and national Player of the Year-candidate Kelly Olynyk. But the Bulldogs will have their hands full with the tough competition the NCAA tournament presents.

The West region is probably the most wide-open region, with a number of popular upset picks with the potential to make it to the Sweet Sixteen and possibly beyond.

The favorites to take the West region’s bid into the Final Four are the Bulldogs, the second-seeded Ohio State Buckeyes, and the third-seeded New Mexico Lobos. Outside of those three, though, fifth-seeded Wisconsin Badgers and sixth-seeded Arizona Wildcats — both of which have spent time ranked in the top 10 this year — will present a tough out.

What really gives the NCAA Tournament its March Madness nickname, though, is first round upsets, and the West region is filled with upset candidates.

The team with perhaps the best chance to pull of some major upsets is the 12th-seeded Ole Miss Rebels and their controversial star Marshall Henderson. Henderson is a prolific three-point shooter, and if he can get hot, the Rebels could go far.

While the West region is home to some top teams with Final Four and championship, potential anything can happen in March.

A version of this article appeared in the Mar 21 issue of the Collegiate Times.