North Carolina has secured the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament West Region, a year after not being included in the bracket.
The Tar Heels, ranked fourth, will start off the March Madness in Charlotte on Thursday against the winner between Howard and Wagner.
North Carolina coach Hubert Davis mentioned the significance of playing in the NCAA Tournament and emphasized the fun of participating in the tournament, especially playing close to home in Charlotte and being near the fans for the first two rounds.
The West Region also features Arizona, Alabama, Baylor, and Michigan State as they make their way to Los Angeles for the regional final.
Last year, in Davis' second season, North Carolina experienced an unusual situation, going from being ranked No. 1 in the preseason to not making it to the NCAA Tournament.
Led by RJ Davis and Armando Bacot, the Tar Heels started this season ranked 19th in the AP Top 25 and gradually moved up in the rankings, reaching No. 3 for a period of three weeks.
North Carolina achieved an overall record of 27-7 and a 17-3 record to secure its first outright Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season title in seven years before losing to North Carolina State 84-76 in the ACC tournament championship game.
In his senior season, Davis performed exceptionally well, leading the ACC with an average of 21.4 points per game. Bacot continued his dominant performance in the paint, averaging 14.1 points and 10.2 rebounds. Both players participated in the 2022 national championship game.
The Tar Heels also received significant contributions from Stanford transfer Harrison Ingram and sharpshooter Cormac Ryan, ultimately defeating their rival Duke.
NO. 2 WILDCATS
For the second consecutive season, Arizona has secured a No. 2 seed. The Wildcats, ranked sixth, are aiming for a better result than last year, when they were eliminated by No. 15 seed Princeton in the first round.
Arizona (25-8) is certainly equipped to make a much deeper run.
The Wildcats have size, depth, and are the third highest-scoring team in the country, with an average of 87.9 points per game. They also have Caleb Love.
During his single season in the desert, the North Carolina transfer, Caleb Love, performed exceptionally well and was honored as the Pac-12 player of the year, leading the Wildcats with 18.1 points per game.
Arizona will start their 2024 bracket against Long Beach State on Thursday in Salt Lake City. The Beach emerged as the winner of the Big West tournament less than a week after the school announced the departure of coach Dan Monson after 17 seasons.
HIGH-SCORING TIDE
Arizona is not the only high-scoring team in the West.
The fourth-seeded Alabama is making its fourth consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament under coach Nate Oats, including a Sweet 16 trip last year.
The 19th-ranked Crimson Tide lead the nation in scoring, with an impressive average of 90.8 points per game, and have four players who achieve double figures, led by Mark Sears with 21.1 points.
Alabama will start their NCAA Tournament journey against No. 13 Charleston (27-7) on Friday in Spokane, Washington.
BATTLING BEARS
Baylor was eliminated from the Big 12 tournament with a 76-62 loss to Iowa State due to poor shooting, but their performance during the regular season was enough to earn them a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Led by Ja’Kobe Walter and RayJ Dennis, the Bears (23-10) achieved victories against No. 7 Iowa State, No. 12 Auburn, No. 16 Kansas and No. 20 BYU during the regular season.
Baylor won the 2021 national championship and aims to have a deep run after getting eliminated in the second round the past two seasons. The Bears start the 2024 bracket on Friday against No. 14 Colgate (25-9) in Memphis.
SPARTY TIME
Michigan State had to anxiously await its 26th consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance.
The Spartans experienced a fluctuating season and ended up on the NCAA bubble after losing four of their final five regular-season games, and then to No. 3 Purdue in the Big Ten quarterfinals.
Michigan State (19-14) did sufficient work to enter the bracket as a No. 9 seed and will confront No. 8 Mississippi State (21-13) on Thursday in Charlotte.
THE REST
Saint Mary’s showed to be the top team in the West Coast Conference, finishing No. 17 Gonzaga’s four-year reign as tournament champion. The 21st-ranked Gaels (26-7) are the West’s No. 5 seed and will encounter WAC champion and No. 12 Grand Canyon (29-4) on Friday in Spokane.
Led by high-scoring big man DaRon Holmes II, Dayton (24-7) is back in the bracket for the first time since 2018 as the West’s No. 7 seed. The Flyers will confront No. 10 Nevada (26-7) on Thursday in Salt Lake City.
NCAA selection committee Chairman Charles McClelland said New Mexico “stole” a bid by defeating San Diego State in the MWC title game. The theft earned the Lobos a No. 11 seed and a match against No. 6 Clemson (21-11) on Friday in Memphis.
