Maneater Bracketology: West regional breakdown
Here is your West Region breakdown:
Best team: Syracuse. Despite two losses to end their season, the Orange won't see any competition until the Elite 8. But an injury to Arinze Onuaku could spell trouble for Syracuse and wear them down.
Contenders: Only three other teams I see with a chance to come out of this bracket: No. 2 Kansas State, No. 3 Pittsburgh and No. 6 Xavier.
Best matchup: No. 5 Butler vs. No. 12 UTEP. The Miners dominated Conference USA with just one loss, but Butler did them one better and rolled through the Horizon League without a loss. These two conference giants could provide a great game.
Game we want to see: No. 1 Syracuse vs. No. 6 Xavier, Elite 8. Sure, Kansas State would be the best opponent to face 'Cuse. And yes, Pitt vs. the Orange would be a great Big East thriller. But I want to see the Big East against the Atlantic 10, a game in which I think we could see the smaller eastern conference hang with the big dogs.
Cinderella: No. 13 Murray State. The Racers are actually close to being favored against Vanderbilt, and a second-round matchup against the Butler/UTEP winner bodes well if they get there.
So, who wins?: No. 2 Kansas State. Syracuse's insulting losses added to injury, and that worries me. Their zone should get them to the Elite 8 without any trouble, but a lack of competition in the early rounds could have them off-balance in the regional final.