NCAA Tournament West Region capsulesThe Associated Presson March 15, 2021 at 4:42 am

Top overall seed Gonzaga is the team to beat; Iowa, Kansas and Virginia are seeds 2-4.

Gonzaga

Spokane, Wash. 26-0.

Nickname: Bulldogs. Coach: Mark Few.

Conference: West Coast. Bid: Automatic.

Region: West. Seed: No. 1

Tournament History: 34-22, 1 Final Four in 22 appearances.

Last appearance: 2019, lost to Texas Tech in the Elite Eight.

Season Stats

Scoring: 92.1 points per game; 55.1 fg pct; 36.5 3-pt pct; 72.7 ft pct.

Top Scorers: Corey Kispert 19.2; Drew Timme 18.7; Jalen Suggs 14.3.

Rebounds: Timme 7.1; Joel Ayayi 7.0; Avg team margin (plus-7.3).

Assist/Turnover Ratio (1.51): Suggs (4.5/2.8), 108 assists.

Last 10 Games: 10-0.

Best Win: 99-88 vs. Iowa on Dec. 19.

Worst Loss: N/A.

The Skinny: Will this be the year the Zags finally win their first national championship? To do so they’ll have to be perfect, or at least their record will be as they go to Indianapolis with a 26-0 mark after qualifying for their 22nd consecutive NCAA Tournament (including last year’s canceled event). They have the personnel to pull it off with three Wooden Award finalists in Jalen Suggs, Corey Kispert and Drew Timme. The Zags, with the nation’s top scoring offense, notched a slew of wins over traditional powers before laying waste to the West Coast Conference.

Norfolk State

Norfolk, Va. 16-7.

Nickname: Spartans. Coach: Robert Jones.

Conference: Mid-Eastern Athletic. Bid: Automatic.

Region: West. Seed: No. 16.

Tournament History: 1-1 in 1 appearance.

Last appearance: 2012, lost to Florida in the Second Round.

Season Stats

Scoring: 75.2 points per game; 43.6 fg pct; 36.8 3-pt pct; 70.6 ft pct.

Top Scorers: Devante Carter 15.5; Joe Bryant Jr. 11.6; Jalen Hawkins 9.4.

Rebounds: Carter 5.3; J.J. Matthews 4.8; Avg team margin (minus-0.8).

Assist/Turnover Ratio (0.94): Carter (4.0/2.4), 93 assists.

Last 10 Games: 8-2.

Best Win: 68-65 at George Mason on Dec. 26.

Worst Loss: 64-74 at home to Coppin St. on Feb. 8.

The Skinny: The Spartans return to the tournament for the first time in nine years after beating Morgan State 71-563 in the MEAC Tournament title game. In 2012, the Spartans beat No. 2 seed Missouri in their NCAA opener before losing to seventh-seeded Florida. The Spartans’ tallest starter is 6-foot-9 but they’ve done a good job clogging the paint, leading the MEAC in field-goal percentage defense and second in scoring defense.

Appalachian State

Boone, N.C. 17-11.

Nickname: Mountaineers. Coach: Dustin Kerns.

Conference: Sun Belt. Bid: Automatic.

Region: West. Seed: No. 16.

Tournament History: 0-2 in 2 appearances.

Last appearance: 2000, lost to Ohio St. in the First Round.

Season Stats

Scoring: 70.9 points per game; 41.5 fg pct; 32.4 3-pt pct; 73.7 ft pct.

Top Scorers: Adrian Delph 13.2; Justin Forrest 10.0; Michael Almonacy 12.9.

Rebounds: Donovan Gregory 6.0; James Lewis Jr. 5.1; Avg team margin (plus-0.8).

Assist/Turnover Ratio (1.01): Almonacy (2.9/1.6), 82 assists.

Last 10 Games: 5-5.

Best Win: 80-73 vs. Georgia St. on Mar. 8.

Worst Loss: 56-69 at home to Troy on Jan. 1.

The Skinny: The Mountaineers took four victories in the Sun Belt Tournament to get back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2000, when it won the Southern Conference championship. Tournament MVP Michael Almonacy scored 32 points in the title win over Georgia State. A guard-heavy lineup made 10 3s in that game and finished with a tournament-record 44 during the four-day run.

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Oklahoma

Norman, Okla. 15-10.

Nickname: Sooners. Coach: Lon Kruger.

Conference: Big 12. Bid: At-Large.

Region: West. Seed: No. 8.

Tournament History: 42-32, 5 Final Fours in 32 appearances.

Last appearance: 2019, lost to Virginia in the Second Round.

Season Stats

Team Scoring: 74.8 points per game; 44.2 fg pct; 33.8 3-pt pct; 74.4 ft pct.

Top Scorers: Austin Reaves 17.7; De’Vion Harmon 12.9; Brady Manek 10.8.

Rebounds: Reaves 5.7; Manek 5.1; Avg team margin (0.0).

Assist/Turnover Ratio (1.21): Reaves (4.7/2.9), 108 assists.

Last 10 Games: 4-6.

Best Win: 66-61 at home to Alabama on 66-61.

Worst Loss: 57-62 at Kansas St. on Feb. 23.

The Skinny: The Sooners finished the regular season in sixth place in the league, and snapped a four-game Big 12 Tournament losing streak with a win over Iowa State in an opener. It was Oklahoma’s first tournament win since 2016. Earlier this season, Oklahoma became just the third team in NCAA history to beat top-10 teams in back-to-back-to-back games by defeating No. 9 Kansas, No. 5 Texas and No. 9 Alabama,

Missouri

Columbia, Mo. 16-9.

Nickname: Tigers. Coach: Cuonzo Martin.

Conference: Southeastern. Bid: At-Large.

Region: West. Seed: No. 9.

Tournament History: 19-26 in 26 appearances.

Last appearance: 2018, lost to Florida St. in the First Round.

Season Stats

Team Scoring: 73.6 points per game; 44.9 fg pct; 32.0 3-pt pct; 69.8 ft pct.

Top Scorers: Xavier Pinson 14.1; Dru Smith 14.1; Jeremiah Tilmon 12.3.

Rebounds: Tilmon 7.0; Kobe Brown 6.3; Avg team margin (plus-0.3).

Assist/Turnover Ratio (0.98): Smith (3.9/2.4), 97 assists.

Last 10 Games: 4-6.

Best Win: 81-78 at home to Illinois on Dec. 12.

Worst Loss: 70-80 at Georgia on Feb. 16.

The Skinny: The Tigers are looking to regroup with new energy for the NCAA Tournament. Missouri peaked on Feb. 8 when it was ranked 10th following a 68-65 win over then-No. 10 Alabama and went 2-5 to finish the regular season, 1-1 in the SEC Tournament. Dru Smith and Xavier Pinson anchor the backcourt but Mizzou’s wild card is forward Jeremiah Tilmon. At times in his career, the senior has been one of the best big men in the SEC but has struggled of late. His return to form could bring a huge boost that propels the Tigers beyond expectations.

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Creighton

Omaha, Neb. 20-8.

Nickname: Bluejays. Coach: Greg McDermott.

Conference: Big East. Bid: At-Large.

Region: West. Seed: No. 5.

Tournament History: 12-22 in 21 appearances.

Last appearance: 2018, lost to Kansas St. in the First Round.

Season Stats

Scoring: 77.0 points per game; 47.6 fg pct; 36.7 3-pt pct; 64.2 ft pct.

Top Scorers: Marcus Zegarowski 15.5; Denzel Mahoney 12.5; Damien Jefferson 12.1.

Rebounds: Bishop 5.9; Jefferson 5.5; Avg team margin (minus-0.4).

Assist/Turnover Ratio (1.42): Zegarowski (4.3/2.0), 113 assists.

Last 10 Games: 7-3.

Best Win: 86-70 at home to Villanova on Feb. 13.

Worst Loss: 66-70 at Butler on Jan. 16.

The Skinny: Creighton was stunned by Patrick Ewing’s Georgetown squad in the Big East Tournament game, giving the Hoyas their first NCAA appearance since 2015. Georgetown won with a dominant performance inside Madison Square Garden, reminiscent of Ewing’s playing days at the school. Creighton is now 0-3 in Big East title games since joining the conference for the 2013-14 season. The Bluejays, the most accurate shooting team in the Big East, scored a season-low 48 points and shot 29% from the field. It’s been a little more than a week since Creighton coach Greg McDermott was suspended by the school for making racially insensitive remarks to his team. McDermott missed the regular-season finale before being reinstated for the tournament.

UC Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, Calif. 22-4.

Nickname: Gauchos. Coach: Joe Pasternack.

Conference: Big West. Bid: Automatic.

Region: West. Seed: No. 12.

Tournament History: 1-5 in 5 appearances.

Last appearance: 2011, lost to Florida in the First Round.

Season Stats

Team Scoring: 76.5 points per game; 48.5 fg pct; 35.1 3-pt pct; 75.0 ft pct.

Top Scorers: JaQuori McLaughlin 16.2; Amadou Sow 13.7; Ajare Sanni 11.2.

Rebounds: Sow 7.6; Miles Norris 4.5; Avg team margin (plus-5.5).

Assist/Turnover Ratio (1.48): McLaughlin (5.2/2.0), 129 assists.

Last 10 Games: 9-1.

Best Win: 69-58 at home to Loyola Marymount on Dec. 7.

Worst Loss: 52-68 at UC Riverside on Feb. 27.

The Skinny: The Gauchos lost back-to-back games on Dec. 27 and 28 to two-time defending conference champion UC Irvine to open their conference slate and fall to 4-3 overall. They have since won 18 of 19, including a 79-63 win over the Anteaters in the Big West title game, behind senior guard JaQuori McLaughlin, the conference player of the year, and 6-foot-9 junior Amadou Sow, a first-team all-Big West selection. UCSB plays complimentary basketball, limiting opponents to just 62.8 points per game (No. 19 nationally) while shooting 48.5% (No. 20) from the field and ranking second in the Big West in scoring (76.5).

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Virginia

Charlottesville, Va. 18-6.

Nickname: Cavaliers. Coach: Tony Bennett.

Conference: Atlantic Coast. Bid: At-Large.

Region: West. Seed: No. 4.

Tournament History: 35-22, 3 Final Fours, and 1 National Championship in 23 appearances.

Last appearance: 2019, beat Texas Tech in the National Championship.

Season Stats

Scoring: 68.6 points per game; 48.0 fg pct; 38.1 3-pt pct; 81.7 ft pct.

Top Scorers: Sam Hauser 16.0; Jay Huff 13.1; Trey Murphy III 11.3.

Rebounds: Huff 7.1; Hauser 6.7; Avg team margin (plus-2.6).

Assist/Turnover Ratio (1.48): Kihei Clark (4.6/2.2), 110 assists.

Last 10 Games: 7-3.

Best Win: 60-48 at home to North Carolina on Feb. 13.

Worst Loss: 60-61 vs. San Francisco on Nov. 27.

The Skinny: The Cavaliers were the champions in 2019 and there was some concern that COVID-19 issues might keep them out of the NCAAs after they had to withdraw from the ACC Tournament. “We went from an exhilarating game-winning shot to beat Syracuse to a gut punch regarding the positive COVID-19 test within our program,” coach Tony Bennett said. Virginia will look to build upon the positive momentum freshman Reece Beekman gave them with the buzzer-beating 3 against the Orange.

Ohio

Athens, Ohio. 16-7.

Nickname: Bobcats. Coach: Jeff Boals.

Conference: Mid-American. Bid: Automatic.

Region: West. Seed: No. 13

Tournament History: 7-14 in 13 appearances.

Last appearance: 2012, lost to North Carolina in the Sweet Sixteen.

Season Stats

Team Scoring: 80.9 points per game; 48.9 fg pct; 36.1 3-pt pct; 70.1 ft pct.

Top Scorers: Jason Preston 16.6; Dwight Wilson III 14.9; Ben Vander Plas 12.8.

Rebounds: Wilson III 7.5; Preston 6.8; Avg team margin (plus-1.3).

Assist/Turnover Ratio (1.49): Preston (7.2/2.9), 130 assists.

Last 10 Games: 9-1.

Best Win: 87-80 vs. Toledo on Mar. 12.

Worst Loss: 75-83 at home to Bowling Green on Dec. 30.

The Skinny:Ohio dominated from the start of the championship game to win its first Mid-American Conference Tournament since 2012, denying Buffalo’s attempt at a record third straight title. In its last appearance in the NCAA Tournament, Ohio shocked Michigan on its way to the Sweet 16. This season, second-year coach Jeff Boals and the Bobcats had just three games over a 36-day period after several postponements or cancellations due to the pandemic. Tournament MVP Jason Preston led the Bobcats with 22 points in the title game.

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USC

Los Angeles. 22-7.

Nickname: Trojans. Coach: Andy Enfield.

Conference: Pacific 12. Bid: At-Large.

Region: West. Seed: No. 6.

Tournament History: 14-19, 2 Final Fours in 17 appearances.

Last appearance: 2017, lost to Baylor in the Second Round.

Season Stats

Team Scoring: 74.8 points per game; 46.7 fg pct; 34.8 3-pt pct; 64.7 ft pct.

Top Scorers: Evan Mobley 16.8; Tahj Eaddy 13.7; Drew Peterson 9.9.

Rebounds: Mobley 8.6; Isaiah Mobley 7.4; Avg team margin (plus-7.2).

Assist/Turnover Ratio (1.10): Ethan Anderson (3.0/1.6), 63 assists.

Last 10 Games: 6-4.

Best Win: 79-53 vs. BYU on Dec. 1.

Worst Loss: 56-58 at Oregon St. on Jan 19.

The Skinny: Evan Mobley and USC needed two overtimes to outlast No. 7 seed Utah in the quarterfinals before falling to Colorado. The 7-foot freshman became the first player to win the Pac-12’s player of the year, defensive player of the year and freshman of the year awards in the same season. Mobley was a dominant force, averaging 16.1 points per game while leading the Pac-12 with 8.4 rebounds and 2.8 blocked shots. Mosley is surrounded by seasoned grad transfer Tahl Eaddy (Santa Clara), Drew Peterson (Rice), Chevez Goodwin (Wofford) and Isaiah White (Utah Valley), along with his sophomore brother Isaiah.

Wichita State

Wichita, Kan. 16-5.

Nickname: Shockers. Coach: Isaac Brown.

Conference: American Athletic. Bid: At-Large.

Region: West. Seed: No. 11.

Tournament History: 18-16, 2 Final Fours in 15 appearances.

Last appearance: 2018, lost to Marshall in the First Round.

Season Stats

Team Scoring: 72.4 points per game; 40.8 fg pct; 34.2 3-pt pct; 68.9 ft pct.

Top Scorers: Tyson Etienne 17.0; Alterique Gilbert 10.3; Morris Udeze 9.8.

Rebounds: Trey Wade 5.6; Udeze 4.7; Avg team margin (minus-1.5).

Assist/Turnover Ratio (1.17): Gilbert (4.1/2.2), 87 assists.

Last 10 Games: 8-2.

Best Win: 68-63 at home to Houston on Feb. 18.

Worst Loss: 59-60 vs. Cincinnati on Mar. 3.

The Skinny: Top-seeded Wichita State fell to short-handed Cincinnati in the semifinals of the American Athletic Conference Tournament as the Bearcats advanced to their fourth straight title game. Wichita State had won eight games in a row since a loss at Memphis on Jan. 21. Tyson Etienne, the conference’s co-player of the year, had 13 points, but the Shockers missed seven of their last eight field-goal attempts, the only make in the final 4:17 being Gilbert’s layup with 19 seconds left 60-59. It was Wichita State’s first loss in a game decided by five or fewer points since Dec. 12.

Drake

Des Moines. 25-4.

Nickname: Bulldogs. Coach: Darian DeVries.

Conference: Missouri Valley. Bid: At-Large.

Region: West. Seed: No. 11.

Tournament History: 5-4, 1 Final Four in 4 appearances.

Last appearance: 2008, lost to W. Kentucky in the First Round.

Season Stats

Scoring: 77.4 points per game; 49.4 fg pct; 37.0 3-pt pct; 71.3 ft pct.

Top Scorers: ShanQuan Hemphill 14.1; Joseph Yesufu 12.1; Roman Penn 11.2.

Rebounds: Darnell Brodie 7.2; Hemphill 6.3; Avg team margin (plus-5.0).

Assist/Turnover Ratio (1.33): Penn (5.5/2.3), 131 assists.

Last 10 Games: 7-3.

Best Win: 51-50 at home to Loyola-Chicago on Feb. 14.

Worst Loss: 57-74 at Valparaiso on Feb. 7.

The Skinny: Say what you will about a perceived competition deficiency in the Missouri Valley Conference but starting a season with 18-straight wins in and out of six postponements due to COVID-19 protocols (five in consecutive fashion) is all the more impressive for Bulldogs and their gawdy 25-4 record. Shaquan Hemphill leads five scorers in double-digit scoring. Scouting the Bulldogs could be problematic as they’ve had eight different players lead them in the scoring column.

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Kansas

Lawrence, Kan. 20-8.

Nickname: Jayhawks. Coach: Bill Self.

Conference: Big 12. Bid: At-Large.

Region: West. Seed: No. 3.

Tournament History: 107-49, 15 Final Fours, and 3 National Championships in 48 appearances.

Last appearance: 2019, lost to Auburn in the Second Round.

Season Stats

Scoring: 73.1 points per game; 44.0 fg pct; 34.4 3-pt pct; 71.2 ft pct.

Top Scorers: Ochai Agbaji 14.2; David McCormack 13.4; Jalen Wilson 12.1.

Rebounds: Wilson 8.2; McCormack 6.1; Avg team margin (plus-3.6).

Assist/Turnover Ratio (1.11): Marcus Garrett (3.7/2.0), 99 assists.

Last 10 Games: 8-2.

Best Win: 71-58 at home to Baylor on Feb. 27.

Worst Loss: 68-75 at Oklahoma on Jan 23.

The Skinny: Kansas, with 32 NCAA appearances, seven Final Fours and five national championships, is among the most high-profile of programs to survive a post-season brush with the coronavirus. The Jayhawks withdrew from the Big 12 Tournament after a 69-62 quarterfinal victory over Oklahoma. Already absent players David McCormack and Tristan Enaruna, additional COVID-19 positive tests postgame prompted the semifinal forfeit. The big questions are who can the Jayhawks send onto the court in the NCAA opener and how deep is the bench? McCormack is second on the team in both scoring (13.4 ppg) and rebounding (6.1 rpg). Kansas is basically five deep from Ochai Agbaji (14.2 ppg) to Christian Braun (9.8).

Eastern Washington

Cheney, Wash. 16-7.

Nickname: Eagles. Coach: Shantay Legans.

Conference: Big Sky. Bid: Automatic.

Region: West. Seed: No. 14.

Tournament History: 0-2 in 2 appearances.

Last appearance: 2015, lost to Georgetown in the First Round.

Season Stats

Team Scoring: 78.0 points per game; 46.7 fg pct; 35.4 3-pt pct; 78.7 ft pct.

Top Scorers: Tanner Groves 16.4; Kim Aiken Jr. 11.7; Tyler Robertson 11.3.

Rebounds: Aiken Jr. 8.5; Groves 8.1; Avg team margin (plus-1.1).

Assist/Turnover Ratio (1.31): Robertson (3.0/1.4), 67 assists.

Last 10 Games: 9-1.

Best Win: 75-63 at home to Southern Utah on Jan. 14.

Worst Loss: 63-68 at home to Idaho St. on Mar. 3.

The Skinny: In coach Shantay Legans’ fourth year with the Eagles, Eastern Washington advanced to its third straight Big Sky championship game, winning for the first time and bringing the Eagles back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2015. Conference MVP Tanner Groves leads the way, flanked by the Defensive Player of the Year Kim Aiken Jr., Top Reserve Tyler Robertson, and brother Jacob Groves. Eastern Washington won 13 of their last 14 games including the conference tournament.

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Oregon

Eugene, Ore. 20-6.

Nickname: Ducks. Coach: Dana Altman.

Conference: Pac-12. Bid: At-Large.

Region: West. Seed: No. 7.

Tournament History: 25-15, 2 Final Fours, and 1 National Championship in 16 appearances.

Last appearance: 2019, lost to Virginia in the Sweet Sixteen.

Season Stats

Team Scoring: 74.4 points per game; 47.2 fg pct; 37.9 3-pt pct; 70.4 ft pct.

Top Scorers: Chris Duarte 16.7; Eugene Omoruyi 16.7; LJ Figueroa 12.3.

Rebounds: Figueroa 6.1; Eric Williams Jr. 6.1; Avg team margin (plus-1.0).

Assist/Turnover Ratio (1.18): Will Richardson (3.6/2.5), 51 assists.

Last 10 Games: 8-2.

Best Win: 60-56 at home to Colorado on Feb. 18.

Worst Loss: 71-74 at home to Washington St. on Feb. 4.

The Skinny: The Ducks won their last five regular-season games to claim their second consecutive Pac-12 title and then beat Arizona State in the conference tournament to secure the program’s 11th consecutive 20-win season before falling to Oregon State in the semifinals, 75-64. Coach Dana Altman’s team, when healthy, is one of the most experienced in college basketball this season. Oregon’s starters are all upperclassmen: junior Will Richardson, redshirt junior Eric Williams Jr., seniors LJ Figueroa and Chris Duarte (the Pac-12 player of the year), and redshirt senior Eugene Omoruyi all of whom average at least 10 points per game.

VCU

Richmond, Va. 19-7.

Nickname: Rams. Coach: Mike Rhoades.

Conference: Atlantic 10. Bid: At-Large.

Region: West. Seed: No. 10.

Tournament History: 13-17, 1 Final Four in 17 appearances.

Last appearance: 2019, lost to UCF in the First Round.

Season Stats

Team Scoring: 72.0 points per game; 45.3 fg pct; 32.9 3-pt pct; 76.1 ft pct.

Top Scorers: Nah’Shon Hyland 19.4; Vince Williams Jr. 10.6; Jamir Watkins 7.4.

Rebounds: Hason Ward 5.2; Williams Jr. 5.1; Avg team margin (minus-0.2).

Assist/Turnover Ratio (0.91): Adrian Baldwin Jr. (4.4/2.4), 111 assists.

Last 10 Games: 7-3.

Best Win: 67-64 at home to St. Bonaventure on Feb. 12.

Worst Loss: 76-79 OT at home to George Mason on Feb. 20.

The Skinny: The Rams picked up a chip on their shoulders when the Atlantic 10 preseason poll picked them to finish ninth and they rode it to a 19-win season and the A-10 tournament championship game against St. Bonaventure. But conference player of the year Nah’Shon Hyland picked up three fouls in the first seven minutes and VCU was unable to rally for the win despite his 21 second-half points. Hyland’s ability to be on the court and playing at a high level will be essential for the Rams to make a deep run in the NCAA tournament.

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Iowa

Iowa City, Iowa. 21-8.

Nickname: Hawkeyes. Coach: Fran McCaffery.

Conference: Big Ten. Bid: At-Large.

Region: West. Seed: No. 2.

Tournament History: 30-28, 3 Final Fours in 26 appearances.

Last appearance: 2019, lost to Tennessee in the Second Round.

Season Stats

Team Scoring: 83.8 points per game; 46.9 fg pct; 38.6 3-pt pct; 71.3 ft pct.

Top Scorers: Luka Garza 23.7; Joe Wieskamp 14.7; Jordan Bohannon 10.9.

Rebounds: Garza 8.8; Wieskamp 6.6; Avg team margin (plus-3.1).

Assist/Turnover Ratio (2.01): Bohannon (4.5/1.4), 130 assists.

Last 10 Games: 8-2.

Best Win: 73-57 at Ohio St. on Feb. 28.

Worst Loss: 95-102 OT at Minnesota on Dec. 25.

The Skinny: Iowa, with a No. 2 seed, has its highest NCAA Tournament seed since 1987 and in the same region as top-ranked Gonzaga, which beat the Hawkeyes 99-88 on Dec. 21. Iowa has the Big Ten player of the year in Luka Garza, the Hawkeyes’ all-time leading scorer. He ranks third nationally in scoring this season. The Hawkeyes lost in the Big Ten Tournament semis to eventual champion Illinois.

Grand Canyon

Phoenix. 17-6.

Nickname: Antelopes. Coach: Bryce Drew.

Conference: Western Athletic. Bid: Automatic.

Region: West. Seed: No. 15.

Tournament History: N/A.

Last appearance: N/A.

Season Stats

Scoring: 75.6 points per game; 49.2 fg pct; 33.2 3-pt pct; 68.6 ft pct.

Top Scorers: Asbjorn Midtgaard 14.0; Alessandro Lever 13.3; Jovan Blacksher Jr. 11.9.

Rebounds: Midtgaard 9.7; Lever 5.3; Avg team margin (plus-9.9).

Assist/Turnover Ratio (1.23): Blacksher Jr. (5.2/2.3), 120 assists.

Last 10 Games: 7-3.

Best Win: 87-77 at home to Nevada on Dec. 11.

Worst Loss: 62-65 at home to California Baptist on Feb. 20.

The Skinny: The Antelopes make their first appearance in the NCAA Tournament and it took a victory over New Mexico State, which dominated not only Grand Canyon but the entire Western Athletic Conference in the eight years since the Antelopes began the transition to Division I. The Aggies won seven of the previous eight championship games, including wins over Grand Canyon in 2018 and 2019. Coach Bryce Drew, who is in his ninth season as a head coach and his first at Grand Canyon, is taking his third team to the NCAA Tournament (Valparaiso and Vanderbilt). The Lopes make other teams work for their baskets, ranking second in the nation in field-goal percentage defense at 37.6%.

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