The 2026 NCAA Tournament bracket has arrived, and here’s a breakdown of some of the key players, teams and storylines in the West Region. Fittingly, two of the best programs in the West are the Nos. 1 and 3 seeds.
Power Watch
The All-America teams haven’t been announced yet, but there’s a good chance West Region teams will be well-represented. BYU 6-foot-9 freshman forward AJ Dybantsa leads the nation in scoring at 25.3 points per game and is the potential No. 1 NBA Draft pick in June. Another star freshman is Arkansas 6-foot-3 guard Darius Acuff, who led the SEC in scoring (22.7 points per game) and assists (6.4 per game). He’s the first SEC player to lead the league in both categories since Pete Maravich in 1969-70.
Top-seeded Arizona is led by Big 12 Player of the Year Jaden Bradley, a 6-foot-3 senior guard who averages 13.3 points and 4.5 assists. Gonzaga has the West Coast Conference Player of the Year in Graham Ike, a 6-foot-9 senior forward who averages 19.7 points and 8.2 rebounds. And there’s a good case that the best overall player might be Purdue 6-foot senior guard Braden Smith (14.0 points and 9.0 assists per game), last season’s Big Ten Player of the Year who’s on the verge of setting the NCAA career assists record.
Under the Radar
While Acuff gets most of the attention at Arkansas, 6-foot-5 freshman guard Meleek Thomas (15.6 points per game) also has been stellar for the Razorbacks, including a 29-point outing in an OT win over Ole Miss in a SEC Tournament semifinal. No. 5 seed Wisconsin has one of the best backcourts in the nation, with 6-foot-3 senior Nick Boyd (20.6 points and 4.2 assists) and 6-foot-4 junior John Blackwell (19.0 points per game).
Among the lower seeds, 30-win High Point has a star in 6-foot-6 senior guard Terry Anderson (16.0 points and 6.0 rebounds per game). And Texas has a future pro in 6-foot-7 junior Dailyn Swain, a Xavier transfer who averages 17.8 points and 7.6 rebounds.
Matchups We Want to See
Gonzaga finds itself with a couple of intriguing scenarios, depending on how the bracket works out. The obvious potential matchup is in the Round of 32 against BYU, a former WCC rival. The Cougars have evolved quite a bit since joining the Big 12, including landing players of Dybantsa’s caliber. Yet Gonzaga remains Gonzaga, and if BYU can’t make it to the Sweet Sixteen in one of the most anticipated seasons in program history, that would be devastating to the Cougars.
The other potential reunion would be current Arizona coach/former longtime Gonzaga assistant Tommy Lloyd, who could face former boss Mark Few. The Wildcats and Gonzaga have had good games in past battles between the top two programs in the West, but haven’t met since the coaching change. With a spot in the Final Four on the line, it would be an awesome storyline during the second weekend.
BRACKET BREAKDOWN
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Best Storyline
Coming off a Big Ten Tournament-record 46 assists, Purdue’s Smith finds himself two assists shy of setting the NCAA career record, held by former Duke guard Bobby Hurley (1,076). There’s a great chance Smith will set the record in the first few minutes against 15th-seeded Queens on Friday night. How many Smith finishes with is something to watch, as it could be a while before someone again approaches that number.
Bracket Buster
Numerous No. 11 seeds have come out of the play-in game in Dayton to make a run. Either Texas or NC State has a favorable path because of injuries. BYU has struggled without 6-foot-5 senior guard Richie Saunders (18.0 points per game), who is out with a torn ACL. And No. 3 seed Gonzaga has been without 6-foot-10 junior forward Braden Huff (17.8 points per game), who has yet to be cleared after suffering a lower-body injury in early January. The Wolfpack and Longhorns have the talent to take advantage and make a run.
The Pick
The one concern with Arizona is whether a team that doesn’t shoot the 3-ball much (bottom 10 nationally in 3-point attempts) can win six consecutive games in March. Yet after cruising through the Big 12 Tournament, this looks to be the best chance for the Wildcats to break through after recent early exits (they haven’t been past the Sweet Sixteen since 2014-15). After massive struggles in the past month of Big Ten play, No. 2 seed Purdue showed its high ceiling, beating mighty Michigan for the Big Ten Tournament title. Youth and injuries throughout the rest of the region makes it tough to envision anyone to get to the Elite Eight, so look for the Wildcats to finally make a return trip to the Final Four; it would be their first since 2000-01.
Meet your guide
