Sweet 16 Preview: West Regional
The West Region semifinals tip off on Thursday, March 26th, as #1 Wisconsin and #4 UNC play the early game, followed by #2 Arizona and #6 Xavier facing off. Other than Georgia State’s huge upset win over third-seeded Baylor throwing Arizona’s half of the bracket wide open, this region has been anything but the wild west, as no other region has 3 of the top 4 seeds remaining.
Injury talk dominates the Wisconsin/UNC matchup, as the Badgers are keeping close tabs on Traveon Jackson, who has been cleared to play in the Tournament but skipped the early rounds; while Carolina is similarly anxious about the status of Kennedy Meeks’ sprained left knee, which he injured in the 2nd round win over Arkansas.
If Meeks is unable to play, things may open up on the inside for Wooden Award finalist Frank Kaminsky. The all-purpose big man is a scoring threat in the paint and beyond the arc, and his ability to stretch the UNC defense was going to be a huge test for Roy Williams’ gameplan anyway. Kaminsky has been underwhelming so far in the tournament, but as the stage gets bigger, the time is ripe for his star to shine.
Should Jackson be able to play, and if his foot is fully healed, coach Bo Ryan’s offense will play at a higher tempo. That might actually play into UNC’s hands, as they refer an up-and-down transition game anyway. Conversely, if Meeks is ruled out, that will affect the Heels’ biggest strength – their rebounding game.
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Marcus Paige will be looking to control the tempo for Carolina. Averaging 17 points per game so far in the Tournament, he will keep Wisconsin’s defense honest if they attempt to force the good-shooting Heels into a jump-shooting team. Paige has the tendency to be a streaky shooter, and if he starts hitting his marks early, an upset might be on the cards.
Do not hold your breath in the other matchup, though. Arizona has been among the most impressive teams so far in advancing, and has a balance on defense (14th in the nation) and offense (22nd) that would be the envy of just about every team.
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Most of the pre-Tournament hype surrounding Sean Miller’s squad revolved around big men Stanley Johnson and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, but the play of guard T.J. McConnell so far has been the lynchpin of their impressive play. With a total of 31 points, 10 assists, 10 rebounds, and 9 steals so far, McConnell will be looking to stay on a roll.
Dee Davis has sparked Xavier’s offense, going for 17 and 15 thus far in the early rounds, and Jalen Reynolds provided a huge lift off the bench with his 27 points and 11 rebounds in both games. Shooting 68% from the floor, along with 54% from beyond the arc and 88% from the free-throw line in beating Georgia State in the 2nd round, Xavier will need to replicate that effort to pull off this upset.
The coaching matchup will also be a fascinating one to follow, as Xavier’s Chris Mack will be looking to upstage Miller, his mentor and predecessor at the Musketeers. Mack has been able to maintain Xavier’s Tournament prowess, with this year marking the 3rd straight Sweet 16 for the school, and a strong bond still remains between the two:
”He’s always been a mentor, whether it was when I was working for him, with him, or now that he’s a couple thousand miles away,” Mack said. ”There is not a challenge that I don’t bring to him if I’m struggling with something.”
As much mutual respect and love both coaches share, they will also understand that no quarter will be given and none expected when the ball is tipped around 7:17 pm local time in Los Angeles on Thursday night.
