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2015 NCAA Tournament: Bracket Busters in the West Region

By Daniel Tran

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The West Region of the 2015 NCAA Tournament is shaping up to be one of the toughest. That does not mean that it is impossible to beat one of the powerhouse teams.

There is always one region in the NCAA Tournament that leaves fans dazed and confused by the level of talent on every single team. In the 2015 iteration of college basketball’s greatest spectacle, it is the West that will be the strongest battleground for the teams in their region.

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Wisconsin has obvious talent with Frank Kaminsky and Sam Dekker, but the bracket also has the strongest (read: healthiest) two seed in the all the tournament in Arizona. Also in the region is a hot North Carolina team and seventh seeded Virginia Commonwealth just itching to implement their blitzing press.

With the overall competition raised, it is highly possible that a lower seeded team in the region can make a deep run in the tournament. There is much potential for many ruined dreams in the West Region.

No. 10 – Ohio State Buckeyes

We all admire the college game for being team centric and playing the game with a focus on getting everyone involved. However, some teams can be successful riding the hot hand of one player while other players support him. Ohio State can conceivably pull off this strategy with their star guard D’Angelo Russell.

Although Russell is just a freshman, he has done an excellent job of lighting up his opponents, averaging 19.3 points and 5.1 assists per game. His passing is routinely overshadowed by his scoring, but he can impact games just as much by creating for his teammates if opposing teams start keying in on him.

Shannon Scott has been a recipient of the space Russell creates, shooting 46.2 percent from the field and averaging 14.3 points in his last four games. Marc Loving, The Buckeyes sharpshooter from the outside, has lost his confidence as of late, but if he can recapture his range that resulted in shooting 46.5 percent from beyond the three-point line, Ohio State could be a dangerous team to face.

No. 12 – Wofford Terriers

Tough to be intimidated by a team that is ranked 92nd in the Kenpom index and coming from the Southern Conference, but the Terriers are not a team to be overlooked. There may be a number of hot teams coming into the 2015 NCAA Tournament, but Wofford is sizzling.

The Terriers went 16-2 to win the Southern Conference regular season title. They have also won eight straight games and picked up a Southern Conference Tournament Championship on the way.

Though they play in a weak conference, they still sport a top 30 defense in terms of points allowed, only giving up 59.8 points per game. Offensively, they are led by a capable backcourt of Karl Cochran and Spencer Collins, but the team is balanced enough to where everyone is a threat to contribute and keying in on one player may not be a prudent strategy.

Wofford may be one of the forgotten mid-majors of the NCAA Tournament, but they are playing their best basketball in March and that kind of momentum can carry teams deep into the tournament.

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    • No. 14 – Georgia State Panthers

    The feel-good story may be Kevin Ware’s return to the NCAA Tournament after his horrific injury, but the Georgia State Panthers are a legitimate tournament team that can give teams fits if they are healthy.

    The Panthers will have junior guard R.J. Hunter and his explosive scoring production at 19.8 points per game. The previously mentioned Kevin Ware was Georgia State’s savior in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament Championship where he led team with 18 points and is looking to carry that performance over to the biggest stage in the nation.

    The team is awaiting word from doctors to clear senior guard Ryan Harrow to play on Thursday. He missed the conference championship due to a hamstring injury and is questionable to play against Baylor. However, if Harrow gets healthy, the Panthers have a VERY dangerous scoring backcourt that can light teams up and carry Georgia State to the Elite Eight if they can carry over their successful conference run into the 2015 NCAA Tournament.

    Next: Bracket Busters in the East Region

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