2015 Sweet 16 Odds & Predictions: West Region Free Picks – NCAA Tournament Bracketology

2015 Sweet 16 Odds & Predictions: West Region Free Picks – NCAA Tournament Bracketology: If there is a “region of death” remaining in the 2015 NCAA tournament, it is without a doubt the West Region. Top-seeded Wisconsin and second-seeded Arizona were arguably the toughest pair of top seeds heading into the NCAA tournament bracket, and both are still alive. They will be joined by another perennial power, North Carolina. The Xavier Musketeers are the sleeper of the group, but as a No. 6 seed, they are part of a West Region that has best collection of remaining teams, at least as far as seeding is concerned.

2015 Sweet 16 West Region Matchup Previews

No. 4 North Carolina vs. No. 1 Wisconsin: Both teams in this matchup are loaded when it comes to overall talent. After all, the Badgers welcome back all but one starter from a team that went to the Final Four last year, including Wooden Award frontrunner Frank Kaminsky. Meanwhile, the Tar Heels are led by highly-touted players like point guard Marcus Paige, Brice Johnson and Justin Jackson. In fact, the Tar Heels are the more impressive team on paper, ranking in the top 20 nationally in scoring and ranking second in both rebounds and assists. However, the difference between these two teams is that while Wisconsin has been able to perform well down the stretch of big games, North Carolina has consistently faltered.

If you looked strictly at the athleticism and collection of individual talent on both sides, this game could be a coin flip. The problem is that the Tar Heels have yet to show they can live up to their potential for a full 40 minutes, and it is going to take a complete performance if they have any hope of knocking off the Badgers. Not to mention the fact that North Carolina big man Kennedy Meeks is likely to miss the game with a knee injury, making it even harder for the Tar Heels to defend Kaminsky. At the end of the day, Wisconsin’s experience and ability to play as a team will carry them through to the Elite Eight.

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2015 Sweet 16 West Region Projected Winner: Wisconsin

No. 6 Xavier vs. No. 2 Arizona: It will be the student versus the teacher in this one as Xavier head coach Chris Mack faces his former boss Sean Miller, who coached the Musketeers before leaving to take the job with Arizona. Granted, the players that Miller coached at Xavier are gone, but you can bet the Musketeers will still be plenty motivated to pull off an upset against the school’s former coach.

Unfortunately for Xavier, it takes more than motivation to knock off a team as balanced as Arizona. Last year, the Wildcats relied almost exclusively on their defense. This season, they still rank fourth nationally in defensive efficiency, but the Wildcats also rank in the top 25 in scoring and sixth in field goal percentage. The return of forward Brandon Ashley from a knee injury and the addition of dynamic freshman Stanley Johnson give this year’s team so much more offensive firepower. The Musketeers have taken advantage of a matchups with 11th-seeded Ole Miss and 14th-seeded Georgia State thus far, but their run ends here.

2015 Sweet 16 West Region Projected Winner: Arizona

2015 Sweet 16 West Region Favorite to Make the Final Four

Arizona: The Wildcats were my pick to win the West Region of the NCAA Tournament Bracket before March Madness began, and they are still my pick now that the Sweet 16 is set. I feel that a rematch with Wisconsin is almost inevitable, and after losing by one in overtime to the Badgers in the regional final last year, I expect the Wildcats to flip the script. They are still a dominant defensive team, but they are so much more balanced compared to last year’s squad thanks to their added offensive firepower.