March Madness West Region Preview

This is March. The West Region is home to some of the hottest teams in college basketball, featuring Florida, St. John’s, Drake, and Colorado State.

West Region

1 Florida Gators (30-4)

• Strength: Offensive rebounding

• Weakness: Free-throw shooting

• X-Factor: G Alijah Martin 

Florida is an elite team that can win games in different ways. It starts with their three veteran guards Walter Clayton Jr., Alijah Martin, and Will Richard who terrorize defenses with their athleticism, intellect, and ability to score at all three levels. Clayton should be an All-American, while Martin was the cog in Florida Atlantic’s 2023 Final Four run. The frontcourt is loaded too, with forward Alex Condon breaking out on both ends of the court in his sophomore season. As a team, the Gators rank first in adjusted offense and 10th in defense on KenPom. Todd Golden’s squad isn’t great at shooting free throws (71.8%, 201st), but that’s truly the only semblance of a weakness for Florida. It’s been well over a decade since Billy Donovan won back-to-back titles, but this very well could be the year that the Gators reemerge as the champions of March Madness. 

2 St. John’s Red Storm (30-4)

• Strength: Two-point defense 

• Weakness: Three-point shooting

• X-Factor: G Kadary Richmond

The saying goes that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks; however, Rick Pitino’s renaissance at St. John’s challenges that notion. The Johnnies bully-balled their way to a two seed, ranking as the number one defense in the country (via KenPom). Guard Kadary Richmond transferred in from Seton Hall and has been great, but it’s been the continuity development of wing RJ Luis and forward Zuby Ejiofor that pushed St. John’s to the top of the Big East. This team’s glaring weakness is three-point shooting, as the Johnnies rank 338th in the country with a 30.4% success rate from deep. It didn’t slow them down or cost them in the regular season, but is worth noting when considering possible matchups with elite teams later in the tournament. St. John’s has the defensive pedigree; they just need to realize their offensive potential and maximize Richmond’s impact to get to the Final Four. 

3 Texas Tech Red Raiders (25-8)

• Strength: Three-point shooting

• Weakness: Getting to the free-throw line

• X-Factor: G Christian Anderson

If you like high-flying offenses oozing with athleticism, Texas Tech is the team for you. New Mexico transfer forward JT Toppin is possibly the most ferocious downhill scorer in the sport, while forward Darrion Williams is a physical beast in his own right. The Red Raiders supplement their inside scorers with quick trigger guards that consistently knock down jump shots. Guard Chance McMillian is a battle-tested veteran, while freshman Christian Anderson is a spark plug off the bench. Texas Tech is so incredibly well-rounded and efficient that it's hard to imagine them slipping up before the Sweet Sixteen at minimum, with the real possibility of going all the way to the Final Four. 

4 Maryland Terrapins (25-8)

• Strength: Defensive rebounding 

• Weakness: Depth

• X-Factor: G Selton Miguel

Maryland’s starting lineup, nicknamed the “Crab Five,” can go toe-to-toe with any five in the country. Freshman center Derik Queen is a star, averaging just a rebound shy of a double-double. Queen’s interior dominance, along with forward Julian Reese, isn’t the only thing that defenses have to worry about, as guards Ja’Kobi Gillespie and Selton Miguel shoot over 40% from three-point range. A concern for the Terrapins is their lack of quality depth, which is often crucial during a long tournament run. Maryland’s best five are really good, but impactful bench performances are going to dictate if they can keep on going deep into March. 

5 Memphis Tigers (29-5)

• Strength: Three-point shooting

• Weakness: Turnovers

• X-Factor: F Dain Dainja

Memphis was rewarded for their standout performances in non-conference play, earning a five seed out of a weak AAC. It’s all about transfer guard play for coach Penny Hardaway, as Tulsa transfer PJ Haggerty averages over 20 points per game and Texas transfer Tyrese Hunter is a marksman from deep. With Hunter (ankle) possibly unavailable for the start of the tournament, more pressure falls on forward Dain Dainja, who has broken out big time as a post player, to produce majorly in the scoring department. The Tigers can shoot the ball well, but the potential absence of Hunter weakens that strength and could emphasize their glaring weakness, which is turning the ball over. Memphis has the talent and experience, but injuries and a tough matchup could spell an early exit for the Tigers.

6 Missouri Tigers (22-11)

• Strength: Getting to the free-throw line

• Weakness: Defensive rebounding

• X-Factor: G Caleb Grill

It’s been quite the ride for coach Dennis Gates, who surprisingly took Missouri to the tournament in 2023 in year one, went winless in conference play in 2024, and is now back dancing in 2025. The Tigers were quietly infused with talent from the portal, headlined by Duke transfer forward Mark Mitchell. A lot of their revival can be attributed to the improved health of guard Caleb Grill, who has reached his potential as a high-level outside scorer. As a whole, the Tigers are an efficient and effective offensive team, ranking fifth in adjusted offense on KenPom. Their defense, on the other hand, is lackluster and needs to be close out better on jump shots. Overall, Missouri falls in the middle tier of the legendary 2025 SEC, capable of making the second weekend, but susceptible to an upset bid if they don’t get better contests on defense.

7 Kansas Jayhawks (21-12)

• Strength: Two-point defense

• Weakness: Free-throw shooting

• X-Factor: G Zeke Mayo

It’s been a rocky season in Lawrence, as Kansas enters the tournament with their lowest seed in the Bill Self era. Despite that pessimistic outlook, the Jayhawks are still talented, experienced, and have the tools to make noise in March. Fifth-year center Hunter Dickinson is a walking double-double and a nightmare in the paint on both ends of the floor. After a well-documented slump, guard Zeke Mayo has refound his early season form and is tricky to stay in front of. Transfer guards Rylan Griffen (Alabama) and AJ Storr (Wisconsin) have been incredibly disappointing all season long, but a postseason resurgence can’t be ruled out. This Kansas team is significantly more flawed than the average Jayhawks squad, but it would be foolish to write off Bill Self in March Madness. 

8 Connecticut Huskies (23-10)

• Strength: Two-point offense

• Weakness: Three-point defense

• X-Factor: F Alex Karaban

The two-time defending national champions have had their fair share of hiccups this season, but UConn can undoubtedly score the rock. The forward duo of talented freshman Liam McNeeley and veteran junior Alex Karaban is tough to match up with. Similarly challenging is trying to contest or alter the jump shot of guard Solo Ball, who converts 42.2% of his three-point attempts. For as electric as the Huskies offense can be, their defense suffers too many lapses. Dan Hurley’s group doesn’t defend the perimeter nearly well enough, ranking 257th in three-point defense and 291st in forcing turnovers. While the path to a three-peat is grueling and unlikely, riding with UConn in March is a practice that I can’t blame folks for employing.

9 Oklahoma Sooners (20-13)

• Strength: Three-point shooting

• Weakness: Rebounding

• X-Factor: G Jeremiah Fears

Oklahoma entered conference play 13-0, then subsequently went 6-12 in SEC regular season play. The Sooners are a tough team to get a gauge on, but it’s not hard to see how exciting freshman guard Jeremiah Fears is. Fears is a fearless scorer that also orchestrates the offense as a passer, which keeps him as a positive impact player even when his jump shots aren’t falling. Fears has an inconsistent jumper, but the team as a whole is stellar from three, shooting 37.0% (35th) from beyond the arc with guards Duke Miles (44.0%), Brycen Goodine (43.4%), and forward Jalon Moore (39.1%) leading the way. Scoring isn’t the issue for Oklahoma; rather, an inability to stop teams inside is what continues to plague them. Ranking 322nd in two-point defense (54.9%) is a massive red flag that is pretty tough to overlook, even if the Sooners are a strong shooting team.  

10 Arkansas Razorbacks (20-13)

• Strength: Blocking shots

• Weakness: Three-point shooting 

• X-Factor: G Boogie Fland

John Calipari sent shockwaves through college basketball when he became Arkansas’s head coach last offseason, but ultimately this Razorbacks team looks very similar to some of his last few squads at Kentucky. Down the stretch, Arkansas has been without its top two scorers in forward Adou Thiero (15.6 PPG) and guard Boogie Fland (15.1 PPG), although Fland is expected to return for the start of the tournament. His return could be huge in terms of his scoring production, but also maybe to take a load off of guard Johnell Davis and allow him to play loosely. Davis was a star at Florida Atlantic, but has looked like a shell of himself in Fayetteville. Center Zvonimir Ivisic has started to tap into his potential as a versatile seven footer with a legit jump shot. Big Z can shoot it, but Arkansas as a team doesn’t shoot well from outside or create enough consistently open looks. The cupboard isn’t bare of talent for the Razorbacks, but an anemic offense doesn’t inspire confidence for Calipari and co. to pull off a ton of upsets. 

11 Drake Bulldogs (30-3)

• Strength: Forcing turnovers

• Weakness: Two-point defense

• X-Factor: G Bennett Stirtz

Along with UC San Diego, Drake’s 30 win season is atop the list of best storylines in college basketball this season. New coach Ben McCollum reloaded with a slew of D2 transfers, headlined by iron man guard Bennett Stirtz, who is on the court for a mind boggling 98.7% of the time for Drake. Stirtz is a unicorn player that has a massive usage rate, but maintains fantastic efficiency as a 49.3% shooter from the field. The bread and butter for the Bulldogs is slowing teams down and turning them over. Drake ranks dead last (364th) in adjusted tempo and first in steal percentage (14.6%). Getting to 30 wins is no small feat, especially when you consider that this team boasts wins over power conference teams like Vanderbilt and Kansas State. They started from the bottom and now they’re here, so be wary of Bennett Stirtz and the Drake Bulldogs. 

12 Colorado State Rams (25-9)

• Strength: Two-point offense 

• Weakness: Turnovers (both sides)

• X-Factor: G Nique Clifford

There’s hot and then there’s Colorado State coming into March Madness hot. The Rams stood no chance at earning an at-large bid, so they went ahead and won ten straight en route to a Mountain West Tournament title. The unquestioned leader and catalyst in Fort Collins is guard Nique Clifford, who averages a ridiculous 19.0 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game. Clifford has the makings of a March darling who can single handedly knock off a single digit foe. Coach Niko Medved has been pulling the right strings and has his team firing on all cylinders, but it’s fair to question if Colorado State will run out of steam, similar to last year’s New Mexico. The lack of explosive secondary contributors likely hampers their ceiling, although the greatness of Nique Clifford could definitely propel the Rams to the second weekend.

13 Grand Canyon Antelopes (26-7)

• Strength: Getting to the free-throw line

• Weakness: Three-point shooting 

• X-Factor: G Tyon Grant-Foster

Grand Canyon won a tournament game last year and brought back a ton of key pieces from last year. Guard Tyon Grant-Foster was fantastic last season, but health has hindered his efficiency and effectiveness this season. The leading scorer for the Antelopes is TCU transfer forward JaKobe Coles, who used his physicality and post moves to dominate inside against WAC competition. The team as a whole is great at using their physicality to draw fouls, as Grand Canyon ranks seventh in the country in free throw rate at 43.9%. Overall offensive efficiency numbers are disappointing compared to previous years for the Antelopes, as they rank 285th in three-point percentage at 31.6% and 271st in turnover rate at 18.4%. Grand Canyon is impressively talented for a mid-major, there are just more well-rounded and explosive underdogs that seem more poised to pull off upsets than the ‘Lopes.   

14 UNC Wilmington Seahawks (27-7)

• Strength: Offensive rebounding

• Weakness: Three-point defense

• X-Factor: G Donovan Newby

Towson won the regular season CAA title, but it wound up being UNC Wilmington to earn the automatic bid from the conference tournament. The Seahawks have two big strengths that make them a viable upset pick, starting with a productive guard in Donovan Newby. Newby isn’t always efficient, but he’s capable of coming alive and taking games over. Secondly, UNC Wilmington has size in the form of center Harlan Obioha and forward Khamari McGriff, who contribute to UNCW ranking 28th in offensive rebounding. The worry for the Seahawks is on defense, where they struggle to guard on the perimeter and allow opponents to convert 34.4% of three-point shots. Their offensive profile is intriguing, but their defensive shortcomings are likely to be emphasized against high-flying Texas Tech.

15 Omaha Mavericks (22-12)

• Strength: Three-point shooting 

• Weakness: Two-point defense

• X-Factor: F Marquel Sutton

Trash cans beware, as Omaha has smashed their way to the NCAA Tournament. Coach Chris Crutchfield relies heavily on forward Marquel Sutton, who averages 19.1 points and 8.0 rebounds per game. Sutton’s inside game is complemented well with shooters on the outside, namely guards JJ White (43.9 3P%) and Tony Osburn (40.4 3P%) letting it fly from three. Where the Mavericks may be in trouble is on the defensive end, where they rank 284th in effective field goal percentage at 53.1%. Similar to UNC Wilmington, these struggles will be magnified when Omaha faces higher-level competition. 

16 Norfolk State Spartans (24-10)

• Strength: Two-point offense

• Weakness: Defensive rebounding

• X-Factor: G Brian Moore Jr. 

The MEAC was particularly weak this season, but kudos to Norfolk State for staying the course and capturing both the regular season and conference tournament title. Guard Brian Moore Jr. is a high-volume scorer with impressive efficiency rates that regularly carries the load for the Spartans. Norfolk State grades out well in two-point scoring (54.5%, 57th), but shoots only 31.3% from three-point range, ranking 306th in the country. They rely heavily on scoring inside, which will be challenging against teams with bigger paint presences. I’d love to see Norfolk State hang around with Florida, it just is hard to imagine happening. 

If you've made it this far, thanks for reading! Who do you think will win the West Region? Let me know in the comments down below!

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