The 2024 NCAA Tournament is set as 68 teams will try to turn their Final Four teams into a reality. The West Region should be a really competitive corner of the bracket as it has a good mix of familiar powers and mid-majors that could do some damage
Below, we’ll go through the West Region field and make a prediction of who will be its representative for the Final Four in Glendale, AZ.
2024 March Madness prediction: West Region
No. 1 North Carolina vs. No. 16 Howard/Wagner
No. 8 Mississippi State vs. No. 9 Michigan State
No. 5 Saint Mary’s vs. No 12 Grand Canyon
No. 4 Alabama vs. No. 13 Charleston
No. 6 Clemson vs. No. 11 New Mexico
No. 3 Baylor vs. No. 14 Colgate
No. 7 Dayton vs. No. 10 Nevada
No. 2 Arizona vs. No. 15 Long Beach State
This is another region that could see its fair share of upsets and what better way for No. 4 Alabama head coach Nate Oats to celebrate the massive extension he just received than to drop a first-round game to No. 4 Charleston.
Teams like No. 1 UNC and No. 2 Arizona could wreck shop if their firing on all cylinders, but are also vulnerable for an early exit. I’m bullish on Saint Mary’s and think that it can go on a run to the Elite Eight after winning the West Coast Conference title.
However, this region sets up perfectly for Baylor to make a run and I think Scott Drew’s squad will book its first trip to the Final Four in three seasons.