2022 NCAA Tournament: Gonzaga, Duke, Texas Tech, Arkansas and UConn headline West Region
By Tuck Clarry
Players to watch
Chet Holmgren, Gonzaga
One of two potential top-overall picks in the upcoming draft that is in this region, Chet Holmgren is a player that affects every facet of the basketball game. He’s the purest example of a unicorn we’ve seen in college basketball in years, serving as one of the nation’s best shot-blockers, transition-break initiators, and trailing three-point specialists.
When Gonzaga lost in the national championship last season, they were punched in the mouth early and often with Baylor attacking the rim in pick-and-rolls and forcing Drew Timme to be on an island. Holmgren is the antidote to that issue and does so much more to impact the game. He has an offensive rating of 127 and a defensive rating of 78.
Paolo Banchero, Duke
The other top-three prospect is Duke’s Banchero. Without a true point guard at Duke, Banchero has been asked to do a bit of everything for the Blue Devils as an offense initiator. The 6-foot-10 forward can score at multiple levels and is a nightmare attacking the basket with his ability to score and dump pass to one of the other four potential draft picks on the roster.
He’s one of the best interior and mid-paint scorers in the country and is a mismatch against whoever he plays. If Banchero’s three-point shot is on, the Blue Devils are one of the toughest teams to guard with multiple dribble-drive threats.
JD Notae, Arkansas
One of the most unsung heroes of the season, Notae is one of the few potential Kemba candidates to carry a team deep in March. The point guard somehow missed the postseason award shortlists despite averaging 18.4 points and 3.7 assists this season. He’s been asked to be the Razorbacks’ everything on offense, taking nearly a third of the team’s shots on the season.
He’s a nightmare for big men in the pick and roll with his top-flight speed and can create offense albeit not in the most efficient manner (averaging 40% from the field). But he’s also the spearhead of Eric Musselman’s defense, averaging 2.2 steals per game.
Bryson Williams, Texas Tech
This senior season for Williams has been a revelation. He led the Big 12 in effective field goal percentage and was the third-best three-point shooter hitting at a 40% rate. He helped save the Red Raiders’ season when they lost several key guys to injuries and continues to be a focal point of their offense.
For Texas Tech to play into the second weekend they need to find consistent offense to match their ferocious defense and Williams is the best player to supply that necessary scoring.
Jalen Duren, Memphis
There’s another high lottery prospect in the region joining Holmgren and Banchero. Through a topsy-turvy freshman season, it looks like Duren has confidently found his footing and playing his best basketball. He’s still piecing it together as an 18-year old that declared a year early.
He’s 6-foot-11 with a 7-foot-6 wingspan and is absolutely explosive when given space to leap and reach full speed. He’s become one of the best shot blockers in the country as well and averaging 14 points and 9 rebounds the last two months of the season, including the conference tournament.
Adama Sanogo, UConn
The sophomore big has been a major two-way player for Dan Hurley as his team battled throughout the season. Sanogo is averaging 14.9 points and 8.9 rebounds per game while protecting the rim at a high level. For the Huskies to survive this week they will need Sanogo to win the rebounding battles and protect the rim, which he’s more than capable of.
He’s averaging two blocks per game and is a great provider of second-chance points, with the 14th highest offensive rebound percentage in the country. How he fairs against a scrappy New Mexico State and potentially Jaylin Williams of Arkansas will make the Huskies’ run hopes evident.
Jaden Shackleford, Alabama
We’re all aware of the Jekyll and Hyde nature of Alabama so let’s cut to the chase and talk about the special talent of Shackleford when the Tide is right. Playing over 84% of his team’s minutes, the talent off-guard is able to score at three levels of the offense and is a dangerously streaky shooter.
He shoots it a lot, averaging 8.7 three-point attempts a game this year, and is one of the more reliable scorers despite the absurdly high amount of perimeter attempts he takes. If Alabama is playing on Saturday and beyond, it’s because Shackleford was not just hot but getting his guys easier looks because of opponents’ need to zero in on him.