Kansas forward Jalen Wilson and the Jayhawks are the NCAA Tournament West Region's No. 1 seed.
The defending national champion is looking to pick up where it left off last March.
Even though the Kansas Jayhawks (27-7) lost to Texas in the Big 12 tournament Saturday night, theyβre still one of the top teams in the country.
And theyβve proven it this year, hence their No. 1 seeding in the West Region.
Kansas came into the Big 12 tournament No. 6 in NET Rankings and No. 1 in NET strength of schedule, racking up 17 Quadrant 1 wins, which is the most in the country.
The Jayhawks will open up the NCAA Tournament against No. 16 Howard (22-12) on Thursday in Des Moines, Iowa.
Kansas is +800 odds to win its second consecutive NCAA title, according to DraftKings.
The No. 2 seed in the West bracket is UCLA (29-5), led by star guard Jaime Jaquez Jr., who averages 17.4 points and 8 rebounds per game, both good enough to put in him in the top five in the Pac-12 in each category. The Bruins are +1200 to win the national championship.
Gonzaga (28-5), the regionβs No. 3 seed, is making its 24th consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance and is +1600 to win it all, while No. 4 UConn (25-8) is +1800.
FrontPageBets breaks down what you need to know about the West Region.
Most interesting first-round matchup
No. 4 UConn (25-8) vs. No. 13 Iona (27-7), Friday
UConn enters its third consecutive NCAA Tournament berth with its highest win total since 2016. The Huskies finished fourth in the Big East.
Iona, led by Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino, is fresh off a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference tournament championship and has won 14 games in a row.
The two teams will face off on Friday in Albany, N.Y.
Perhaps overshadowing this matchup on the court is the story line off of it. Pitino, who spent plenty of time in the Big East as a head coach, could be returning to the league to lead St. Johnβs after this season ends.
Team to watch: VCU
VCU won its first Atlantic 10 Conference tournament championship in eight years, using a suffocating second-half defense to beat Dayton, 68-56, on Sunday afternoon in Brooklyn, N.Y. The Rams didnβt allow the Flyers to make a field goal in the last 10 minutes of the contest.
VCU (27-7) earned an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament with the win, as it most likely would have been left out with a loss, as incredibly the A-10, according to many experts, was just a one-bid league this year.
But the Rams left little to be desired Sunday, just like they have all season.
Led by A-10 player of the year, junior guard Ace Baldwin, who is averaging 12.6 points and 5.8 assists per game, VCU has won nine in a row.
The Rams open the NCAA Tournament as a 12 seed against No. 5 Saint Maryβs (26-7) on Friday in Albany, N.Y. Again, that 5-12 matchup could provide fireworks.
For more on VCU, read the Richmond Times-Dispatch
Final Four pick
Kansas has the experience and talent to not only again make it to the Final Four, but win the whole thing.
Junior forward Jalen Wilson leads Kansas β and the Big 12 β in points (19.8) and rebounds (8.4) per game.
The Jayhawks are also expected to have back head coach Bill Self, who spent a few days during the Big 12 tournament in the hospital after βchest tightness.β
Self was released from the hospital on Sunday after undergoing a procedure to treat blocked arteries, according to the AP, and is expected to make a full recovery.
That will certainly give the Jayhawks a lift.
The pick: Kansas
Houston is the No. 1 seed in the Midwest and the Cougars are looking to make it back to their hometown for this year's Final Four.
Can Alabama, the region and the tournament's No. 1 overall seed, make it to their first-ever Final Four?
2023 NCAA Tournament: FrontPageBets breaks down the East Region
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