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If Kansas is fortunate enough to make the Final Four, their opponent in that game will come out of the West Bracket. Will it be the best Oregon Ducks team in more than a decade? Will it be a third meeting with Buddy Hield and Oklahoma? The West, it would appear, is wide open.
West Region Bracket
#1 Oregon vs #16 Holy Cross/Southern - Friday, 3/18 @ 6:27 p.m. (CT) on truTV
Oregon Ducks
Record: 28-6
Coach: Dana Altman - NCAA Tourney Record 6-11
Leading Scorer: So. Forward - Dillon Brooks 16.8 ppg
Kenpom Rating: #9
Tournament Appearances: 14 - Most Recent 2015
Deepest Tourney Run: National Champions - 1939 (most recent shown)
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Play-in Game - #16 Holy Cross vs #16 Southern - Wednesday, 3/16 @ 5:40 p.m. (CT) on truTV
Holy Cross Crusaders
Record: 14-19
Coach: Bill Carmody - NCAA Tourney Record 1-2
Leading Scorer: Fr. Forward - Malachi Alexander 12 ppg
Kenpom Rating: #268
NCAA Tourney Appearances: 13 - Most Recent 2007
Deepest Tourney Run: National Champions - 1947
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Southern Jaguars
Record: 22-12
Coach: Roman Banks - NCAA Tourney Record 0-1
Leading Scorer: Sr. Guard - Adrian Rodgers 16.6 ppg
Kenpom Rating: #226
NCAA Tourney Appearances: 9 - Most Recent 2013
Deepest Tourney Run: Round of 32 - 1993
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Holy Cross is the lone school in the 2016 field with a losing record. It happens pretty much every tournament that one of these teams sneaks their way in after a run through their conference tournaments.
As for the Oregon Ducks, head coach Dana Altman once coached at Kansas State. In fact, he was the successor to one Lonnie Duane Kruger as Wildcats' coach. Altman's firing in Manhattan coincided with the K-State's program tanking. All Altman did was go on to turn Creighton into an NCAA Tournament mainstay before turning Oregon into one of the best teams in the Pac-12.
#8 Saint Joseph's vs #9 Cincinnati - Friday, 3/18 @ 8:57 p.m. (CT) on truTV
St. Joseph's Hawks
Record: 27-7
Coach: Phil Martelli - NCAA Tourney Record 6-6
Leading Scorer: Sr. Forward - Isaiah Miles 18.4 ppg
Kenpom Rating: #37
NCAA Tourney Appearances: 21 - Most Recent 2014
Deepest Tourney Run: Final Four - 1961
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Cincinnati Bearcats
Record: 22-10
Coach: Mick Cronin - NCAA Tourney Record 4-7
Leading Scorer: Jr. Guard - Troy Caupain 13.2 ppg
Kenpom Rating: #31
NCAA Tourney Appearances: 30 - Most Recent 2015
Deepest Tourney Run: National Champions - 1962
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The Cincinnati Bearcats had their hearts ripped out by UCONN in a four overtime marathon in the American Conference Tournament semifinals. Will they have anything left for the NCAA Tournament?
#5 Baylor vs #12 Yale - Thursday, 3/17@ 1:45 p.m. (CT) on CBS
Baylor Bears
Record: 22-11
Coach: Scott Drew - NCAA Tourney Record 8-5
Leading Scorer: Sr. Forward - Taurean Prince 15.5 ppg
Kenpom Rating: #24
NCAA Tourney Appearances: 10 - Most Recent 2015
Deepest Tourney Run: National Runner-Up - 1948
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Yale Bulldogs
Record: 22-6
Coach: James Jones - NCAA Tourney Record 0-0
Leading Scorer: So. Guard & Sr. Forward - Makai Mason & Justin Sears 15.8 ppg, a piece
Kenpom Rating: #38
NCAA Tourney Appearances: 4 - Most Recent 1962
Deepest Tourney Run: Sweet Sixteen - 1949
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Counting this season, Baylor has made the NCAA Tournament just 10 times. Current Bears head coach Scott Drew is responsible for six of those appearances. Twice, his Bears have knocked on the door of the Final Four.
#4 Duke vs #13 UNC Wilmington - Thursday, 3/17 @ 11:15 a.m. (CT) on CBS
Duke Blue Devils
Record: 23-10
Coach: Mike Kryzewski - NCAA Tourney Record 88-26 with 12 Final Fours ('86, '88-'92, '94, '99, '01, '04, '10, '15 Duke) & 5 National Championships ('91-'92, '01, '10,'15 Duke)
Leading Scorer: So. Guard - Grayson Allen 21.6 ppg
Kenpom Rating: #22
NCAA Tourney Appearances: 40 - Most Recent 2015
Deepest Tourney Run: National Champions - 2015
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UNC Wilmington Seahawks
Record: 25-7
Coach: Kevin Keatts - NCAA Tourney Record 0-0
Leading Scorer: Jr. Guard - Chris Flemmings 16.1 ppg
Kenpom Rating: #74
NCAA Tourney Appearances: 5 - Most Recent 2006
Deepest Tourney Run: Round of 32 - 2002
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Many fingers are pointing to this game as a trendy opening weekend upset pick at the expense of Coach K and his defending national champoin Devils.
#6 Texas vs #11 Northern Iowa - Friday, 3/18 @ 8:50 p.m. (CT) on TBS
Texas Longhorns
Record: 20-12
Coach: Shaka Smart - NCAA Tourney Record 7-5 with 1 Final Four ('11 VCU)
Leading Scorer: Jr. Guard - Isaiah Taylor 14.8 ppg
Kenpom Rating: #30
NCAA Tourney Appearances: 33 - Most Recent 2015
Deepest Tourney Run: Final Four - 2003
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Northern Iowa Panthers
Record: 22-12
Coach: Ben Jacobson - NCAA Tourney Record 3-3
Leading Scorer: Sr. Guard - Wes Washpun 14.3 ppg
Kenpom Rating: #76
NCAA Tourney Appearances: 8 - Most Recent 2015
Deepest Tourney Run: Sweet Sixteen - 2011
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The two coaches in this game are responsible for wrecking two of Bill Self's best Kansas teams. Jacobson and his Northern Iowa Panthers took out the 1-seeded 2010 'Hawks in the Round of 32. Smart's VCU Rams took out the 1-seeded 2011 'Hawks in the Elite Eight.
#3 Texas A&M vs #14 Green Bay - Friday, 3/18 @ 6:20 p.m. (CT) on TBS
Texas A&M Aggies
Record: 26-8
Coach: Bill Kennedy - NCAA Tourney Record 1-2
Leading Scorer: Sr. Guard - Jalen Jones 15.5 ppg
Kenpom Rating: #17
NCAA Tourney Appearances: 13 - Most Recent 2011
Deepest Tourney Run: Sweet Sixteen - 2007
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Green Bay Phoenix
Record: 23-12
Coach: Linc Darner - NCAA Tourney Record 0-0
Leading Scorer: Sr. Guard - Carrington Love 17.7 ppg
Kenpom Rating: #117
NCAA Tourney Appearances: 5 - Most Recent 1996
Deepest Tourney Run: Round of 32 - 1994
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This marks the first tournament appearance for Texas A&M since Mark Turgeon bolted for Maryland following 2011. The Aggies are coming off their first conference title season in 30 years.
#7 Oregon State vs #10 Virginia Commonwealth - Friday, 3/18 @ 12:30 p.m. (CT) on TNT
Oregon State Beavers
Record: 19-12
Coach: Fran McCaffery - NCAA Tourney Record 3-7
Leading Scorer: Sr. Guard - Gary Payton II 15.9 ppg
Kenpom Rating: #60
NCAA Tourney Appearances: 17 - Most Recent 1990
Deepest Tourney Run: Final Four - 1963
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Virginia Commonwealth Rams
Record: 24-10
Coach: Will Wade - NCAA Tourney Record 0-0
Leading Scorer: Sr. Guard - Melvin Johnson 17.4 ppg
Kenpom Rating: #35
NCAA Tourney Appearances: 15 - Most Recent 2015
Deepest Tourney Run: Final Four - 2011
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The last time Oregon State made it to the NCAA Tournament current Beavers' star Gary Payton II's father, Gary Payton Sr, was the star of the team. So, does that mean we won't see the Beavers again until GP III shows up on campus?
#2 Oklahoma vs #15 Cal State Bakersfield - Friday, 3/18 @ 3:00 p.m. on TNT
Oklahoma Sooners
Record: 25-7
Coach: Lon Kruger - NCAA Tourney Record 16-16 with 1 Final Four ('94 Florida)
Leading Scorer: Sr. Guard - Buddy Hield 25 ppg
Kenpom Rating: #7
NCAA Tourney Appearances: 30 - Most Recent 2015
Deepest Tourney Run: National Runner-Up - 1988
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Cal State Bakersfield Roadrunners
Record: 24-8
Coach: Rod Barnes - NCAA Tourney Record 3-3
Leading Scorer: Sr. Center - Aly Ahmed 12.9 ppg
Kenpom Rating: #95
NCAA Tourney Appearances: 1 - Most Recent N/A
Deepest Tourney Run: N/A
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The Oklahoma Sooners are the fifth team Lon Kruger has led to the NCAA Tournament (K-State, Florida, Illinois, UNLV, Oklahoma). This Sooners team may be the best team he's ever taken into the field though.