Best Bets To Win Each Region In March Madness

The annual basketball festival known as March Madness is here. The NCAA Tournament is about to roar into action, and brackets are about to get busted in a tournament which expects to have a lot of parity, a lot of close games, and a lot of surprises from start to finish. There is no giant heavyweight team this year, just a lot of really good teams. The champion is the team which can get hot and stay hot, riding the wave over the course of six games. Let’s look at the best bet in each region, knowing that upsets are bound to happen and upset the conventional wisdom.

West Region: Gonzaga

The final season for Mike Krzyzewski at Duke could end with a Final Four, but Gonzaga stands in Duke’s way, as does Texas Tech in a possible Sweet 16 matchup with the Blue Devils. Gonzaga should make the Elite Eight without too much of a problem. The Zags are noticeably stronger than their first few opponents. The Elite Eight is where they figure to be tested. However, since Gonzaga has already played both Duke and Texas Tech, the Zags are not going to be caught off guard by either opponent. They will know what’s coming. They will be ready for any adjustments Coach K or Texas Tech coach Mark Adams might make. It’s a situation in which Gonzaga doesn’t have to fear the unknown or the unexpected. The Zags should have a pronounced comfort zone in this region.

East Region: Kentucky

The Wildcats were injured for a good portion of their season, as was the No. 1 seed in their region, the Baylor Bears. Why is Kentucky the better bet than Baylor to come out of the East? Kentucky’s injury problems are not as pronounced as Baylor’s right now. Baylor forward Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua is already out for the season, and guard L.J. Cryer is going to miss the first two games of the NCAA Tournament with an injury. Even if Cryer returns to the Baylor lineup next week, it might be hard for him to get into a rhythm. Kentucky has a better starting five than Baylor when you factor in the loss of Tchamwa Tchatchoua. The Wildcats and Baylor both play elite defense, but Kentucky has a fresher and healthier team right now. That matters.

Midwest Region: Auburn

The Tigers have the most athletic and skilled team in the region. Kansas is the No. 1 seed, but the Jayhawks do not have overwhelming talent. They have a lot of pieces which fit together, but they don’t have the best NBA draft prospects, unlike Auburn with Jabari Smith. Auburn has the kinds of players who can take over a game, and it has a ceiling Kansas can’t quite match. Wisconsin, Iowa, Providence, and other teams in the top six seeds in this region are not very imposing. Auburn can take charge here.

South Region: Arizona

The Wildcats look like a No. 1 seed. They came from 10 points down against a good UCLA squad to beat the Bruins in the Pac-12 Tournament championship game, and they did so without injured guard Kerr Kriisa. It’s Arizona’s region to lose, especially since Houston in the Sweet 16 lacks its star player, Marcus Sasser, who is out for the season with an injury. Arizona’s one big test would come in the Elite Eight, but Arizona has been playing better than Villanova all year, and better than Tennessee for most of the year. Tennessee beat Arizona, but the Wildcats can make adjustments to win that game. Arizona played that game on the road. A rematch would be on a neutral court, much more friendly to the Cats.