2010 NCAA Tournament Bracket Breakdown: West Region

The East Region could get pretty interesting. Is Arinze Onuaku's quad ok? Will UTEP be a favorite against Butler? Is it possible that the six and seven seeds are better than the two and three seeds?

Syracuse, with a healthy Onuaku, is the best team in the bracket. But there's no telling how serious is injury really is. Is it bad enough that he can't play, or is Boeheim rolling the dice, hoping he can get his center back to 100% for the second weekend? What kind of shape will he be in when he gets back?

So with that in mind, here is your East Region breakdown:



Final Four Favorite: Syracuse Orange

The Cuse, who I'm assuming will be without Arinze Onuaku for the first weekend but will be getting him back for the Sweet 16, have a pretty difficult road assuming chalk holds. I think both Gonzaga and Vanderbilt match up well and are well suited against a zone. K-State rebounds the ball well, which is something that is always difficult to do against a zone. That said, the length Syracuse has at every position in this zone makes it very unique. You rarely see a team as good as they are at forcing turnovers in their zone. Jim Boeheim made a point after the Georgetown game -- once they get out of the Big East, they will be playing people unfamiliar with the zone. Their last two losses are to Louisville (Rick Pitino plays a 2-3) and Georgetown (played Syracuse three times, finally figured out the zone late in the third game).


And if they lose?: Kansas State Wildcats

A lot of people have been doubting Kansas State, but I like this team. Overall, there is not an overwhelming about of basketball skill on this team. What they do have is a couple of stars in the back court and a front line loaded with aggressive athletes. And the Wildcats play to that stile. Frank Martin lets Jacob Pullen and Denis Clemente create and take advantage of their skill, and relies on guys like Jamar Samuels, Curtis Kelly, and Dominique Sutton to go clean up the mess. If there is one flaw to this team, its how much they foul. The Wildcats pressure defensively and force a lot of turnovers, but its results in a lot of fouls and a lot of free throws for their opponent's.


Sweet 16 Sleeper (10 or lower): UTEP Miners

The addition of Derrick Caracter to this team made them complete. They have a dynamic scorer in their back court. They have size inside. They have a playmaker on the perimeter. And now they have a bruiser in the paint. The Miners are largely unproven. They lost to the two Ole Miss and BYU, and their only two good wins came against UAB. But UTEP won their last 16 games before the C-USA final, they defend, and they have the "look" of a major conference team.


Final Four Sleeper (5 or lower): Xavier Musketeers

Xavier may have a new coach, but this is still the same old Musketeer program. This team is tough. They were left for dead after losing their five marquee non-conference games, but the Muskies rallied. They won 16 of their last 19 games, which included wins at Florida and against Richmond. Xavier has a ton of size inside, led by the underrated Jason Love, and a good back court. Jordan Crawford may struggle with shot selection at times, but there is no doubt that the kid can score. Terrell Holloway is a steady point guard that can create and has a knack for hitting big shots down the stretch. Most of all, this is a program with a culture of winning. I don't generally like statements like that, but its true. Think about the tournament runs Xavier has made in the past. They expect to win; winning is a mentality. Xavier has it.


Seeded too high: Butler Bulldogs

Don't get me wrong, Butler is a quality basketball team. You don't go undefeated in your conference, regardless of the conference, if you are not a quality basketball team. But their only wins of note are against Ohio State (without Evan Turner) and Xavier (at home and at the buzzer). Look, I love what Brad Stevens has done with this program. I think the world of Gordon Hayward and Shelvin Mack as basketball players. Matt Howard is a bulldog in the paint. But Butler simply cannot handle the length and athleticism of the best teams in the country. Matt Howard is a land warrior that is ineffective against bigger players. Their power forward is 6'3" Ronald Nored, who is a scrapper and a defender but doesn't have a jump shot. I also think it deserves mention that Florida, who many believe was the last team in, got a 10 seed. But that low in the bracket, seeding quirks lead me to believe it had more to do with bracketing rules than with merit.


Seeded too low: Gonzaga Bulldogs

I don't have a huge issue with the Zags seed, although I think they probably deserved a six or a seven seed. I think that losses to Loyola Marymount and San Francisco in conference, combined with a blowout loss to Duke at Madison Square Garden. The Zags were also hurt by there schedule -- which looked so daunting in the preseason -- ended up being less than great as teams like Michigan State, Cincinnati, Oklahoma, and Illinois underperformed. But I also think this Gonzaga team is good. Elias Harris is a star in the making. Matt Bouldin is as good of a guard as you will find at this level. Steven Gray and Robert Sacre are both above average players at their position. Mark Few is a fantastic coach. If Gonzaga can get by Florida State, I think they match up well with Syracuse.


Player to Watch (8 and up): Jimmer Fredette, BYU

Did you really think it would be someone else? Fredette is one of the most exciting players in the country to watch. A little bit Steve Nash, a little bit Deron Williams, and a little bit Hot Sauce, Fredette is always a threat to go for 40 points. He has in-the-gym range -- even when shooting off the dribble with a hand in his face. He has and-1 mixtape handle. He hits big shots, he can pass the ball, and he is the catalyst for the high-powered BYU offense. BYU has a talented roster -- and sophomore Michael Lloyd has been a more than capable backup -- but Fredette is the guy that makes BYU a threat to get out of the first weekend.


Player to Watch (9 and lower): Marqus Blakely, Vermont, and Randy Culpepper, UTEP

Marqus Blakely is a fantasy stud. How many players have ever led their team in points, rebounds, assists, blocks, and steals at any level? Randy Culpepper is a dynamic scoring point guard, capable of going for 30 any night. But that's not why you want to watch them. This is. And this. And this, this, this, and this.


Best Matchup -- 1st Round: #4 Vanderbilt vs. #13 Murray State

You know, there really aren't any great first round games here. So I'll say this -- Murray State and Vanderbilt are 2 hours and 20 minutes apart, according to Google Maps. They will have to go to San Jose to play each other -- and use this as a chance to talk about Vanderbilt. The Commodores are a very good team this season. They are big, they have athletes, they have a couple of shooters, and they have Jermaine Beal, who is starting to get some recognition nationally. Vanderbilt is very well coached, run a ton of different plays, and are one of the most difficult teams in the country to prepare for. Don't be surprised to see them make a run.


Best Potential Matchup: #6 Xavier vs. #2 Kansas State

The Muskies and the Wildcats are both tough, physical teams. They both have excellent guard play, and they both have big front lines. They both play extremely hard for passionate, intense coaches. This game would no doubt be a dogfight, and who doesn't enjoy a game like that?


Upset Alert!!!: UTEP, Xavier, BYU

I really like UTEP over Butler. I think the Miners have enough athleticism to frustrate Butler, and I think that Brad Stevens is going to have trouble finding somewhere to use Ronald Nored, especially defensively. But everyone is going to have that pick. As much as I like this Kansas State team, I think that Xavier and BYU both match up well with them. I wouldn't be shocked if any of those three teams made the Elite 8.


Anything Else?:

• There are so many quality point guards in this region. Jimmer Fredette, Jacob Pullen/Denis Clemente, Kenny Boynton/Erving Walker, Jermaine Beal, Matt Bouldin, Randy Culpepper, Shelvin Mack. Does anyone else find it ironic the best team in the region doesn't have a player on that list?
  


• You might as well call this the bubble region. Minnesota, Florida, and UTEP were all among the last few teams into the dance.
  


• The last time Syracuse and Vermont played in the tournament was in the 2005 first round. The Catamounts beat the Orange in overtime as Gus Johnson unleashed the classic line "He hit that one from the parking lot!" Speaking of rematches, who else remembers the classic Pitt and Xavier played last season?