How will the West be won this year? We’re about to find out now that the Madness is here.
This year’s West semi-finals and regional final will be played in San Francisco at Chase Center, home of the NBA’s Golden State Warriors. Below we will look at odds to win the region as well as game lines for each West Region contest.
BetMGM March Madness Special Offer! Bet $10 on a moneyline and win $200 if either team makes a 3-pointer!
2022 NCAA Tournament: West Region Bracket odds
Here are live odds for which team will emerge victorious out of the region.
No. 1 Gonzaga vs. No. 4 Arkansas
Gonzaga and Arkansas will clash in the Sweet Sixteen on Thursday, March 24 at 7:10 p.m. ET from the Chase Center in San Francisco, CA.
No. 2 Duke vs. No. 3 Texas Tech
Duke and Texas Tech will clash in the Sweet Sixteen on Thursday, March 24 at 9:40 p.m. ET from the Chase Center in San Francisco, CA.
West Region: What has happened recently?
Gonzaga was not only the top seed in the West Region but the top seed overall in last year’s NCAA men’s basketball tournament. The Zags proved mostly worthy of their seed, making it all the way to the National Championship game where it fell to Baylor, 86-70. Mark Few’s crew crushed USC in the West Region Final, 85-66.
There was just one first round upset in the West Region last year, as 13 seed Ohio took down 4 seed Virginia, 62-58.
Texas Tech was the winner of the West Region in 2019 as it toppled 1 seed Gonzaga in the Elite 8, 75-69. The Red Raiders then beat Michigan State in the National semi-finals before losing to Virginia in the National Championship game, 85-77 in overtime.
The West was chalk in 2019 as far as the Regional Final goes as 2 seed Michigan and 4 seed Florida State joined Gonzaga and Texas Tech.
First round upsets in the West three years ago included No. 12 Murray State upending No. 5 Marquette, No. 10 Florida dumping No. 7 Nevada, and No. 9 Baylor beating No. 8 Syracuse.
West Region History: First Round upsets
The West Region has had some of the more memorable first round upsets in March Madness history. In 2001, No. 15 Hampton toppled No. 2 Iowa State. Another 15 over 2 seed upset in the West occurred in 2012 when Norfolk State stunned Missouri.
The West has also had 14 seeds take down 3 seeds as Harvard did the deed in 2013 with a win over New Mexico, and in 2015 Georgia State shocked Baylor.
Here are all of the first round upsets that took place in the West over the past 23 years:
- 2021: No. 13 Ohio over No. 4 Virginia
- 2019: No. 12 Murray State over No. 5 Marquette, No. 10 Florida over No. 7 Nevada, No. 9 Baylor over No. 8 Syracuse
- 2018: No. 9 over No. 8 Missouri
- 2017: No. 11 Xavier over No. 6 Maryland
- 2016: No. 12 Yale over No. 5 Baylor, No. 11 Northern Iowa over No. 6 Texas, No. 10 VCU over No. 7 Oregon State
- 2015: No. 14 Georgia State over No. 3 Baylor, No. 10 Ohio State over No. 7 Virginia Commonwealth
- 2014: No. 12 North Dakota State over No. 5 Oklahoma
- 2013: No. 14 Harvard over No. 3 New Mexico, No. 13 La Salle over No. 4 Kansas State, No. 12 Mississippi over No. 5 Wisconsin, No. 10 Iowa State over No. 7 Notre Dame, No. 9 Wichita State over No. 8 Pittsburgh
- 2012: No. 15 Norfolk State over No. 2 Missouri, No. 9 Saint Louis over No. 8 Memphis
- 2011: None
- 2010: No. 13 Murray State over No. 4 Vanderbilt
- 2009: No. 10 Maryland over No. 7 California, No. 9 Texas A&M over No. 8 BYU
- 2008: No. 13 San Diego over No. 4 UConn, No. 12 Western Kentucky over No. 5 Drake, No. 9 Texas A&M over No. 8 BYU
- 2007: No. 11 VCU over No. 6 Duke
- 2006: No. 13 Bradley over No. 4 Kansas, No. 10 Alabama over No. 7 Marquette, No. 9 Bucknell over No. 8 Arkansas
- 2005: None
- 2004: None
- 2003: No. 11 Central Michigan over No. 6 Creighton, No. 10 Arizona State over No. 7 Memphis, No. 9 Gonzaga over No. 8 Cincinnati
- 2002: No. 12 Missouri over No. 5 Miami, No. 11 Wyoming over No. 6 Gonzaga
- 2001: No. 15 Hampton over No. 2 Iowa State, No. 13 Kent State over No. 4 Indiana, No. 11 Georgia State over No. 3 Maryland, No. 10 Georgetown over No. 7 Arkansas, No. 9 St. Joe’s over No. 8 Georgia Tech
- 2000: No. 10 Gonzaga over No. 7 Louisville
NCAA Champions from the West Region
The West Region has had the longest drought when it comes to having a team win it all. Kemba Walker’s 2011 UConn Huskies were the last team from the West Region to cut down the nets in early April. UConn accomplished the feat that season as a 3 seed.
The Huskies, despite being an East Coast school, have had great success whenever they’ve been placed in the West. UConn also captured the title in 2004 and 1999 after coming out of the West.
The 1995 UCLA Bruins and 1990 UNLV Runnin’ Rebels are the only other two programs to win the championship out of the West Region in the past 33 years. The West has produced the least amount of champions (five) out of any NCAA tournament region during that time.
Here is a list of NCAA tournament champions over the past three decades.
| Year | NCAA Champion | Region | Seed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Baylor | South | 1 |
| 2020 | *Tournament canceled due to COVID-19 pandemic | N/A | N/A |
| 2019 | Virginia | South | 1 |
| 2018 | Villanova | East | 1 |
| 2017 | North Carolina | South | 1 |
| 2016 | Villanova | South | 2 |
| 2015 | Duke | South | 1 |
| 2014 | UConn | East | 7 |
| 2013 | Louisville | Midwest | 1 |
| 2012 | Kentucky | South | 1 |
| 2011 | UConn | West | 3 |
| 2010 | Duke | South | 1 |
| 2009 | North Carolina | South | 1 |
| 2008 | Kansas | Midwest | 1 |
| 2007 | Florida | Midwest | 1 |
| 2006 | Florida | Midwest | 3 |
| 2005 | North Carolina | East | 1 |
| 2004 | UConn | West | 2 |
| 2003 | Syracuse | East | 3 |
| 2002 | Maryland | East | 1 |
| 2001 | Duke | East | 1 |
| 2000 | Michigan State | Midwest | 1 |
| 1999 | UConn | West | 1 |
| 1998 | Kentucky | South | 2 |
| 1997 | Arizona | South | 4 |
| 1996 | Kentucky | Midwest | 1 |
| 1995 | UCLA | West | 1 |
| 1994 | Arkansas | Midwest | 1 |
| 1993 | North Carolina | East | 1 |
| 1992 | Duke | East | 1 |
| 1991 | Duke | Midwest | 2 |
| 1990 | UNLV | West | 1 |
How the West Region is selected
Thirty-two NCAA teams receive automatic bids into the NCAA tournament. The rest of the field is chosen by the NCAA Div. 1 men’s basketball “Selection Committee,” headed by Southland Commissioner Tom Burnett. The committee chooses at-large teams via their season record, strength of schedule, scoring margin, location of wins and losses, net offensive and defensive efficiency, and quality of wins and losses.
Top teams will be placed in tournament regions that are geographically close to where they are from. Teams that barely squeak into the tourney might have to do some traveling.