Arizona Leads West Region

0:00On March 17, Arizona leads the West region as the number 3 national title favorite with plus 400 odds at Bidem GM. The top seed Wildcats won the Big 12 tournament convincingly and into the dance on a 9-game winning streak after just two losses all season. Purdue sits at 30-1 as the number 2 seed, fresh off a Big 10 tournament title, while Gonzaga at 55-1 earns a top 3 seed for the first time since 2023. Two bounced back strong by winning four straight in the conference tournament, including a 16-point victory over Nebraska. Arizona dominated top teams like Kansas, Houston, and Iowa State during their streak, making them heavy favorites at minus 105 to reach. The final four, Gonzaga relies on steady forward Graham Ike, who is averaging nearly 20 points while shooting over 57% from the field. Eyes are on potential upsets, like number 12 high point against number 5 Wisconsin. The panthers average 90 points per game, and lead the nation in steals, which could

1:02force turnovers if they control the pace. Number 13 Hawaii might challenge hot number 4, Arkansas, especially given coach John Calapari's recent struggles with high seeds. Standout players include Arizona Guard, Braden Burries, the team's leading scorer who's dropped 20 plus points in key wins, and eyes top 10 NBA, draft status. Produce Braden Smith needs just two assists to break a career record held by Bobby Hurley at Duke. Games tip off Thursday and Friday, with Arizona facing Long Island first at 135 PM Eastern in San Diego. This region looks chalky, but Arizona's balance from guards to bench makes them the pick to advance deep toward Indianapolis.