March Madness is upon us, and the release of Sunday's 2024 NCAA Men's Tournament No. 68 means it's time to start analyzing the seedings, matchups and potential Cinderellas.
Who will make it out of Detroit and get a ticket to Phoenix? Here is our preview and prediction for the Midwest region.
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State of the No. 1 seed: Purdue Boilermakers
The Boilermakers carry more baggage than anyone, after a devastating first-round loss to the No. 16 Fairleigh Dickinson Knights last year and previous flameouts against the Saint Peter's Peacocks (2022), North Texas Mean Green ('21) and Little Rock Trojans ( '16). That said, the Boilers are good enough to go to the Final Four for the first time since 1980—if they can get out of their heads. Center Zach Edey is the best player in the tournament and the supporting cast is experienced and deep. Purdue's guards must prove they can match up defensively with an athletic backcourt, and the TCU Horned Frogs could provide that challenge as early as the second round. But with the history of the Boilers, it's foolish to look even one round ahead.
Toughest draw: No. 4 Kansas Jayhawks
They've been injured, played poorly of late, and bring a tough middle spread to the No. 13 Samford Bulldogs (29–5) in the first round. Samford will pressure Kansas for 40 minutes, which could highlight the Jayhawks' questionable depth. If Kansas survives that matchup, it could face the Gonzaga Bulldogs in the second round — and Gonzaga has advanced to at least the Sweet 16 in eight straight tournaments. This is the longest active streak in the sport.
Team that could blow your bracket: No. 13 Samford Bulldogs
Samford is a great shooting team with a problematic style of play. The Bulldogs are shooting 39.3 percent from three-point range and 55.5 percent from two, both of which are in the top 20 nationally. If they get hot and create turnovers with their defensive pressure, watch for a potential Cinderella run.
Player to watch: Zach Edey, Purdue
Edey is both the best player and the biggest lightning rod, given the difficulties of refereeing him fairly. He leads the nation in fouls drawn per 40 minutes with 9.7, with opponents convinced he makes it all and Purdue fans convinced he gets hacked a lot more often than he's told. He has some interesting bigs possibly headed his way in this region, starting with the Utah State Aggies' double-double Great Osobor in the second round, then either Gonzaga's Graham Ike or Kansas' Hunter Dickinson in the third round, and possibly Creighton Bluejays 7-foot Ryan. Kalkbrenner in the regional final.
Edey could match up against a number of talented big men in the Midwest.
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Most Interesting Matchup: Tennessee Volunteers vs. Texas Longhorns
A potential second-round game between No. 2 Tennessee and No. 7 Texas would pit Vols coach Rick Barnes against his old school, which he took to the 2003 Final Four. It would also be a battle of the highly effective Texas offense (No. 19 nationally, according to KenPom) against Tennessee's wire-to-wire defense (No. 3 nationally).
Regional finalists: Purdue and Creighton
Pick to win the region: Creighton Bluejays
It's time for Creighton to crush its first Final Four. And to extend the pain of Purdue (no Final Four since 1980) and Tennessee (no Final Four ever) in the process.
