Kansas surprisingly received the third overall seed, and that snub created a treacherous pathway full of potential potholes.
It included the best No. 2 seed, UCLA, loaded fourth seed UConn in a potential blockbuster Sweet 16 showdown, under-seeded TCU at No. 6 and No. 3 Gonzaga, which hasn’t lost in over a month.
Even No. 8 Arkansas and projected top-10 NBA draft pick Nick Smith won’t be easy in the second round.
VCU, the No. 12, has not looked like a double-digit seed in weeks.
The only positive for the defending national champion Jayhawks is a free trip to Las Vegas, which is hosting the West Regional for the first time.
But they drew snake eyes with this draw.
The Rams enter the tournament red-hot, having won 11 of 12 games.
They are deep and defensively stout, and will create mismatch problems for both potential first-weekend opponents, Saint Mary’s and Connecticut.
No. 10 Boise State over No. 7 Northwestern
Boise State has the higher NET ranking and more Quad 1 and 2 wins.
It also has enviable scoring depth: Five players average in double figures.
Northwestern enters the tournament reeling, having lost four of five, and won’t have a long stay.
No. 4 Connecticut vs. No. 13 Iona
This could be a Big East preview, if Iona’s Rick Pitino does in fact take the job at St. John’s as has been reported as a distinct possibility.
Pitino and Connecticut’s Dan Hurley have big personalities, commanding presences that will make the first-round matchup in Albany so intriguing.
But it runs far deeper than that.
The Huskies are looking to avoid a third consecutive opening-round defeat, and the Gaels have the potential to pull the stunner, led by Pitino and his dynamic backcourt of MAAC Player of the Year Walter Clayton Jr. and Daniss Jenkins.
A lights-out 3-point shooter who shoots it at a 41.2 percent clip, the freshman is set to become the next great guard at the California school, following in the footsteps of Patty Mills and Matthew Dellavedova.
The 6-foot-5 sophomore is a projected first-round NBA draft pick after making a major leap, developing into far more than just a jump-shooter.
He’ll be looking to atone for his 2 of 11, five-point showing in a Big East Tournament semifinal loss to eventual champion Marquette.
Gonzaga
The Zags won’t be a popular pick, particularly after past failures as a No. 1 seed.
This team won’t be burdened by expectations.
It is surging at the right time, riding a nine-game winning streak.
TCU will be tough in the second round, and so will the 2021 Final Four rematch against UCLA.
The Bruins losing standout defender Jaylen Clark to a torn Achilles tendon will be felt then.
In the regional final, Gonzaga takes down Cinderella VCU, which takes down three of the top five seeds — Kansas, Saint Mary’s and Connecticut — to reach the Elite Eight.
But it has no answer for skilled big man Drew Timme, the Most Outstanding Player in the West.