Busting Brackets
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Bracketology 2020: Louisville, Ohio State headline early projected field

By Lukas Harkins

COLUMBUS, OH - NOVEMBER 13: Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Chris Holtmann looks on during the game against the Villanova Wildcats at Value City Arena on November 13, 2019 in Columbus, Ohio. Ohio State defeated Villanova 76-51. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
COLUMBUS, OH - NOVEMBER 13: Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Chris Holtmann looks on during the game against the Villanova Wildcats at Value City Arena on November 13, 2019 in Columbus, Ohio. Ohio State defeated Villanova 76-51. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH – MARCH 23: Kispert of the Bulldogs reacts. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH – MARCH 23: Kispert of the Bulldogs reacts. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /

West Region

(1) Gonzaga vs. (16) Sam Houston State

(8) Marquette vs. (9) Penn State

(4) Villanova vs. (13) Western Kentucky

(5) Utah State vs. (12) Furman

(6) Tennessee vs. (11) NC State/Indiana

(3) Arizona vs. (14) Wright State

(7) Colorado vs. (10) Oklahoma State

(2) Maryland vs. (15) South Dakota

Gonzaga lost a ton of talent this offseason but it appears as though head coach Mark Few once again has a championship-caliber roster. Filip Petrusev has been excellent in the paint while Corey Kispert is taking the next leap into stardom. Furthermore, the Bulldogs excelled on the transfer trail this offseason while securing two immediately eligible backcourt pieces to fill huge holes. Gonzaga once again boasts an elite-level offense capable of finishing around the rim with ease. If they can continue to bury 3-pointers at a high rate (40.0% so far), then they might be the best team in the country.

Moving further down the seed line, Arizona has exceeded most preseason expectations thus far. After news broke that Brandon Williams would miss the entire season, many experts dropped the Wildcats either out of their top-25 rankings or near the bottom. Yet, behind a superb freshman trio, Arizona is excelling offensively while looking like a legitimate threat for the Pac-12 and national titles. Zeke Nnaji has been incredible in the frontcourt while Nico Mannion is showing everyone why he is the point guard that head coach Sean Miller has been missing in the past.

Lastly, will this finally be the year for Penn State and head coach Pat Chambers? The Nittany Lions have missed the NCAA Tournament in every single season under his leadership (eight full campaigns so far) and the seat has seemingly gotten hotter by the year. With regard to the first few weeks of this season, though, PSU has jumped out to a 5-1 record that includes wins over Georgetown and Yale. They currently hold the No. 30 spot in KenPom and look the part of a potential tournament team as the season continues. Lamar Stevens is a bona fide star while three others are averaging in double-figures around him.

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