NCAA Basketball: Predicting all 32 autobids for 2022 NCAA Tournament

WCC

Winner: Gonzaga Bulldogs

It is pretty elementary at this point that everyone can pencil in Gonzaga as the top seed in the WCC, one of the top seeds in the NCAA tournament, and a legitimate National Title contender. The Bulldogs seem to step their game up a level when they are playing a team that has a chance to beat them. The team that lost to Duke and Alabama is nowhere to be found.

The Bulldogs have something that no one else in the country has and that is Chet Holmgren. Holmgren is the most unique player college basketball has ever seen. He is already the National Freshman of the year, No. 1 pick, and potential player of the year. Gonzaga once again has the number one offense in the country, they play at a blistering pace and if you try to run with them, good luck not getting 100 points dropped on you. The only way Gonzaga loses is if they decide to take a loss before the tournament and reset themselves.

Sleeper: San Francisco Dons

I said it earlier this season and I do mean it. The Dons are a team that can beat Gonzaga, sure it would take a perfect game but they have the pieces that have given Gonzaga trouble in the past. San Francisco has a mobile big man, and three guards who can score a lot of points and don’t turn the ball over. The Dons play fast and shoot a ton of threes. They make a lot of threes as well and can light up a scoreboard quickly. When San Francisco is clicking on all cylinders there are not many teams who can keep up with them.

The WCC is likely going to get three teams into the NCAA tournament and the Dons are one of them. It would greatly help their cause if they could make a run to the finals of the league tournament. Jamaree Bouyea is a player who has put together a solid career in his 4 years at San Francisco. He is the type of player the fans of March Madness would fall in love with.

WAC

Winner: New Mexico State Aggies

The record keepers should put an asterisk next to the 2020-2021 season for the Aggies. They never played a game at their home arena and were destroyed by Covid 19. Sans that season New Mexico State has dominated the WAC, even this season in a new WAC, with new teams which makes it a stronger conference overall. New Mexico State is still the most talented team in the WAC and they are also well-coached as Chris Jans is one of the better mid-major coaches in the country.

Teddy Allen, the Nebraska transfer, has earned the name Teddy Buckets for a reason. He can score and score a lot, he takes a lot of bad shots but makes them, and the role players for the Aggies fit in very well with their star. The path to a title for New Mexico State will be a little tougher this year but they should still get the job done.

Sleeper: Utah Valley Wolverines

Utah Valley opened the year and it looked like they were going to be the biggest threat to the Aggies at the top of the league. As the year wore on the Wolverines fell off a bit but they still have the ultimate sleeper potential in the tournament.

Utah Valley has the ability to beat the teams it needs to be successful; they do have wins over BYU, Washington, Long Beach State, and New Mexico State. The Wolverines have one of the best big men in the country in Fardaws Aimaq who led the country in rebounding a year ago and is averaging 20 points and 14 rebounds per game this year. The problem with Utah Valley this season has been consistency.

It is hard for them to play at the same level all year. They turn it on when the opponents are the best which bodes well for a tournament of this format. They also don’t always play very well against opponents they are better than which could also lead to an early exit. I think they make a run to the finals and put a scare into New Mexico State.