The brackets have been revealed. Each area has its issues to observe, however the 2025 NCAA Match’s West Regional, specifically, is loaded with expertise and large names.
The West Regional has all of the makings of being essentially the most aggressive among the many 4 teams. Particularly, the trail for its No. 1 seed is tougher than any of the opposite prime groups. There’s a surplus of notes to be aware of when filling out your West Regional bracket, so let’s check out the 5 most essential issues to concentrate on and to think about relating to that decrease left quadrant.
1. Is Florida School Basketball’s Finest Staff Proper Now?
The SEC is sending a file quantity of groups to the Large Dance, as 14 of its 16 members are nonetheless taking part in. Whereas Auburn is the general No. 1 seed, the SEC’s greatest shot at successful all of it could belong to its different No. 1 in Florida. The West Regional is loaded with skilled coaches and groups, which makes the trail for the Gators tougher to traverse than Duke’s within the East.
That being mentioned, no crew is hotter in faculty basketball proper now than Florida. Not solely did the Gators simply win the SEC Convention event in opposition to the Midwest’s No. 2, Tennessee, however they did so in convincing vogue. First, it was a 14-point win over Missouri adopted by a 22-point blowout in opposition to Alabama. Florida then knocked off the Vols by 9 factors. They’re additionally on a 15-2 run since mid-January, with 11 of these wins over groups within the event.
Florida and St. John’s headline the West Area 🚨 pic.twitter.com/XX2904ZSKa
— SLAM College (@slam_university) March 16, 2025
The aim of this whole event, in fact, is to show which crew is one of the best within the nation. Proper now, Florida seems to be a well-liked decide to make it to the Remaining 4 and to be one of many final groups standing. If it will possibly escape the tightly contested West, will probably be as battle-tested (and purple scorching) as any of the remaining three colleges.
2. Corridor of Fame Coaches Aplenty
How typically do you get to see a regional through which the likes of John Calipari, Invoice Self, and Rick Pitino are all competing for a similar few spots? It is a made-for-TV bracket as irrespective of the way it shakes out, Calipari’s No. 10 Arkansas shall be seeking to upset Self’s No. 7 Kansas. The winner will then — most definitely — get No. 2 St. John’s and Pitino assuming the Johnnies care for enterprise in opposition to No. 15 Omaha. Pitino has essentially the most wins all-time by an energetic coach (884) with Calipari behind him at 875. Self (831) isn’t far behind, both.
The decrease half of the West is brimming with Corridor of Fame teaching expertise, which ought to make for some entertaining basketball. There are additionally some recognizable coaches scattered by the highest half of the grouping, together with No. 5 Memphis’ Penny Hardaway, who has completed an amazing job in bringing that program again to relevancy. Oh, and to not be misplaced within the shuffle of all the names, the reigning back-to-back champion is on this group in UCONN’s Dan Hurley. Speak about a who’s who of modern-day faculty basketball coaches. 4 coaches on this regional have gained a nationwide championship and none of them belong to No. 1 in Florida’s Todd Golden, who’s aiming to convey residence his first.
3. Drake Is perhaps the Finest Mid-Main
In the case of March, everybody desires to know which mid-major could be this 12 months’s 2006 George Mason or 2011’s VCU. This 12 months, it seems there are two prime candidates, and certainly one of them is located within the West Regional. No. 11 Drake is certainly one of solely six groups within the nation who’ve gained 30 or extra video games this season. 4 of these groups are both No. 1 or 2 seeds, and the opposite occurs to be the opposite mid-major who may play the position of Cinderella within the College of California, San Diego.
When wanting on the metrics, the Bulldogs are 2-0 in Quad 1 video games and 4-0 in Quad 2 contests. In addition they have opponents capturing 31 p.c from 3-point vary, which isn’t far off from a number of the prime defenses within the nation like Michigan State and Tennessee, who restrict the opposition to 27 proportion from deep. Come tourney time, video games could be gained or misplaced from lengthy vary, so Drake’s means to defend the three shall be crucial if it desires to go on a run.
Drake has a Spherical of 64 date with No. 6 Missouri, so its path gained’t be straightforward getting a powerful SEC faculty proper out of the gate. Drake has a High 50 Defensive Score on KenPom, which shall be put to the take a look at in opposition to a Tigers crew that has the fifth-best Offensive Score at KenPom. If Drake can get Missouri to play at its slower velocity, a distinction to Mizzou’s high-speed tempo, the 11-over-6 upset can definitely occur. Drake’s defensive means, combined with some stellar capturing on the again of Bennett Stirtz, makes them a well-liked crew to shock a couple of groups en path to a Candy 16 bid.
4. Colorado State’s Nique Clifford shall be Enjoyable to Watch
In case you aren’t acquainted with Clifford’s recreation, you’ll be in for a deal with come No. 12 Colorado State’s Spherical of 64 recreation with No. 5 Memphis. A reputation that NBA scouts have develop into acquainted with, Clifford has put up 19.0 factors and 9.7 rebounds per recreation as a senior. Many mock drafts have Clifford as a 2025 first-round decide.
Throughout his crew’s present 10-game successful streak headed into the Large Dance, which additionally contains the Mountain West Match title, Clifford has established himself as one of many nation’s greatest gamers. He has 24 or extra factors in every of the final 4 contests. Over Colorado State’s 10-0 run, he’s averaging a tick above 22 factors per recreation with 4 double-doubles in that stretch. If Colorado State goes to go on a run, will probably be as a result of Clifford is getting it completed.
5. The ‘Crab 5’ are Actually, Actually Good
No. 4 Maryland has a troublesome draw together with the remainder of the West Regional being how aggressive all of those groups seem on paper. That being mentioned, there will not be one other crew that may level to having a beginning 5 as sturdy because the Terrapins. A fan gave the crew’s beginning 5 the ‘Crab 5’ moniker this season, which speaks to how influential the group has develop into. There was a recreation this 12 months through which all 83 of Maryland’s factors in its win over Nebraska had been scored by its staring unit.
No beginning 5 has extra video games this season through which each member has reached double-digit scoring figures than Maryland does (six instances). The group consists of Ja’Kobi Gillespie, Rodney Rice, Shelton Miguel, Julian Reese, and potential NBA lottery decide, Derik Queen. The group is averaging slightly below 70 factors per recreation, essentially the most within the nation. Queen leads the way in which with 16.3 factors with Miguel rounding out the group together with his 12.0 factors per recreation. The subsequent closest scorer off the bench is Tamara Gapare with 3.6 factors per contest.
A Maryland tourney run will virtually definitely be as a result of its beginning 5 proves to be too daunting for its opposition.
