Times Free Press columnist Mark Wiedmer breaks down the NCAA men's tournament by region:
EAST
Most important player: Villanova guard Jalen Brunson. It's not just that the 6-foot-3 junior has averaged 19.4 points, 4.7 assists and 3.1 rebounds per game this season. In last weekend's Big East title game win over Providence, he scored 31, which probably saved the Wildcats from slipping to a No. 2 seed. He is as close to a perfect guard as you'll find this season.
Best opening-round matchup: The East may have the best collection of first-round games in the tournament, but after St. Bonaventure outsmarted and outhustled UCLA in a First Four game Tuesday night, the Bonnies versus Florida could have the makings of a matchup with a last-second finish.
Best bracket buster (No. 8 or worse seed): Assuming Alabama post player Danta Hall has cleared concussion protocol by the time his team takes the court against Virginia Tech tonight in Pittsburgh, the ninth-seeded Crimson Tide could win this whole region. Point guard Collin Sexton was arguably the Southeastern Conference's best player down the stretch, and Bama is long and athletic.
Most likely round of 32 upset: Not much of an upset, but fifth-seeded West Virginia could easily knock off fourth-seeded Wichita State in the second round if it can hit enough shots to keep its press on.
Best potential Sweet 16 game: No. 2 seed Purdue versus No. 3 seed Texas Tech. Both teams are loaded with veterans and inside power. Because the latter upset Kansas on the road during the regular season, there's no reason to think the Red Raiders can't beat the Boilermakers if they can harass their 3-point shooters.
Projected regional final: Villanova versus Texas Tech.
Projected regional champ: Villanova.
Trivia: Dashing Villanova coach Jay Wright guided the Wildcats to the 2009 Final Four and the 2016 national championship. But in every other year since that 2009 appearance, 'Nova has failed to advance past the first weekend, missing out altogether in 2012 when it posted a losing record.
SOUTH
Most important player: Arizona center Deandre Ayton, who reminds many of a more polished Shaquille O'Neal. The 7-foot-1, 250-pound freshman has averaged 11.5 points and 20.3 rebounds per game this season for the Wildcats. But in the Pac-12 tournament semifinals and championship game, he upped those averages to 32 ppg and 16 rpg. If he continues that pace, he could almost single-handedly guide the Cactus Cats to their first Final Four since 2001.
Best opening-round matchup: Davidson's 12th-seeded Wildcats versus Kentucky's fifth-seeded Wildcats. Davidson has not only won 11 of its past 13 games, the former Southern Conference member has converted 39 percent of its 3-point attempts this season, making an average of 10.7 per game. If Davidson can duplicate those numbers against Kentucky, the Blueblood Cats - whose standouts include former Hamilton Heights Christian Academy star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander - could go home early.
Best bracket buster (No. 8 or worse seed): Loyola-Chicago, a No. 11 seed. In addition to boasting a 28-5 record, the Ramblers have made more than 50 percent of their shots from the field this season and nearly 40 percent from 3-point range, and they won at Florida in December. With inconsistent Miami their first challenge, the Ramblers could make the most of their first NCAA tournament appearance since 1985.
Most likely round of 32 upset: The Nevada-Texas winner over second-seeded Cincinnati.
Best potential Sweet 16 game: The Arizona-Kentucky winner (assuming the seeds hold) versus Virginia.
Projected regional final: Tennessee versus Virginia.
Projected regional champ: Virginia.
Trivia: A quarter of the teams in this quarter of the bracket - Arizona, Davidson, Kansas State and Kentucky - answer to Wildcats. Tennessee is the only team among the top four seeds that has never reached the Final Four.
MIDWEST
Most important player: Having won both player of the year and freshman of the year for the Atlantic Coast Conference, Duke forward Marvin Bagley III might be the most talented player in the entire NCAA tourney. But Kansas senior guard Devonte Graham - with per-game averages of 17.3 points, 7.5 assists and 3.9 rebounds this season - is the most unflappable one in the field, as well as a possible Wooden Award winner as the nation's top player. In last week's Big 12 title game win over West Virginia, he scored 18 points and handed out 13 assists.
Best opening-round matchup: Fifth-seeded Clemson versus 12th-seeded New Mexico State. The latter beat NCAA tournament teams Davidson and Miami back to back during the regular season. There's no reason the Aggies can't surprise the Tigers on Friday in San Diego after Clemson's long plane ride.
Best bracket buster (No. 8 or worse seed): The top of this region is so heavy, it's hard to see anyone but one of the top three seeds - Kansas, Duke and Michigan State - making any kind of run. But 11th-seeded Syracuse, which beat Arizona State 60-56 in a First Four game Wednesday night, might surprise somebody.
Most likely round of 32 upset: The Clemson-New Mexico State winner over fourth-seeded Auburn.
Best potential Sweet 16 game: Duke versus Michigan State, which is probably worthy of taking place in the Final Four. Duke won 88-81 in November. The rematch could be even better.
Projected regional final: Duke versus Kansas.
Projected regional champ: Duke.
Trivia: There's more than one reason the Midwest is viewed as the so-called Regional of Death this year. For starters, there have been 39 Final Four appearances among the 16 teams in this quarter of the bracket. Arguably just as impressive, there have been 13 national championships, which tops every other regional.
WEST
Most important player: Top-seeded Xavier guard Trevon Bluiett has the statistics - per-game averages of 19.5 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.5 assists this season - and Missouri freshman Michael Porter Jr. has the potential now that he has finally returned from a back injury, but North Carolina senior point guard Joel Berry II (17.1 ppg, 3.3 apg) is the guy likely to decide who comes out of the West to reach the Final Four. He played and starred in the past two, winning a title last year after losing to Villanova on a last-second basket in 2016.
Best opening-round matchup: No. 7 seed Texas A&M versus No. 10 seed Providence. The latter nearly shocked Villanova in the Big East tournament final. The Aggies, though less reliable than a Yugo, sometimes look like a Final Four squad. They might both stink this one up, but they also might stage a beauty.
Best bracket buster (No. 8 or worse seed): No. 11 seed San Diego State. The Aztecs not only beat a ranked Nevada team by 17 points in the Mountain West tournament, they knocked off Gonzaga back in December. With Houston having expended a lot of energy in last weekend's American Athletic Conference tourney, San Diego State might be a sleeper.
Most likely round of 32 upset: The Missouri-Florida State winner over Xavier. If Porter is even 60 percent of the player he was supposed to be, the Tigers will have a real chance in this one if they can escape the Seminoles, who can also disrupt the Xavier offense.
Best potential Sweet 16 game: Third-seeded Michigan versus second-seeded North Carolina. Each is good enough to reach the Final Four; each is good enough to win it.
Projected regional final: Missouri versus North Carolina.
Projected regional champ: North Carolina.
Trivia: If North Carolina wins it all, it would give Roy Williams his fourth national championship and pull him within one of Duke's Mike Krzyzewski for most titles by an active head coach. It would also bring the Tar Heels to within one of Kentucky's eight national titles, which is second only to UCLA's 11. Beyond that, over the past 40 years, only Kentucky has reached three straight title games (1996, '97, '98).