NCAA Bracket 2019: West Region Predictions, Upsets, Picks, Players to Watch

Finally we get to the West Region that is headlined by Gonzaga and loaded with some really exciting players to watch.

The Teams

#1 Gonzaga Bulldogs vs. #16 First Four Play In

#2 Michigan Wolverines vs. #15 Montana Grizzlies

#3 Texas Tech Red Raiders vs. #14 Northern Kentucky Norse

#4 Florida State Seminoles vs. #13 Vermont Catamounts

#5 Marquette Golden Eagles vs. #12 Murray State Racers

#6 Buffalo Bulls vs. #11 Arizona State Sun Devils

#7 Nevada Wolfpack vs. #10 Florida Gators

#8 Syracuse Orange vs. #9 Baylor Bears

Key Questions Answered

Who wins the West Region?

I think this Region comes down to Gonzaga, Michigan or Florida State. That Regional semi-final of the Seminoles and Zags should be a good one. But ultimately I am going with Michigan here. Jon Beilein is just too good at getting his team ready for the tournament and I won’t pick against him when his team is good.

Who has the best mascot in the region?

Murray State Racers are not only the best mascot but they have the most exciting player who embodies their mascot. What’s a Racer? Who cares, it’s cool.

Tip of the hat to Northern Kentucky Norse.

Who are the players to watch?

This is a loaded bracket with really good players throughout, not just concentrated on the top teams.

Ja Morant is maybe the most exciting player in the tournament and we should all hope the Racers stick around as long as possible to get to enjoy watching him. He is averaging 24.6 points, 10 assists and 5.5 rebounds per game while shooting over 50% from the field.

Rui Hachimura is a Japanese born player who leads Gonzaga and an All-American player.

Markus Howard is also an All-American caliber player for Marquette.

Caleb Martin of Nevada was once a possibly lottery pick who seems to have seen his stock fall a bit, but another NBA caliber player playing for a non-power 5 team.

Who wins the #5 vs. #12 matchup?

Go Racers. I actually like Marquette in this game but I want Murray State to win on the back of Morant.

Who is the Guaranteed Upset Special?

Florida over Nevada is the certain upset of this one. Nevada seems to be a team that isn’t exactly peaking in March, Florida is much better defensively and if they can keep Nevada from getting to the line, they will win.,