Top-ranked Gonzaga (26-3) grabbed the overall No. 1 seed in the West Region and is Caesars Sportsbook's 7-to-2 favorite to win the 2022 NCAA Tournament, but they've got a lot of danger spots in the bracket, including some teams that have a unique sets of skills that can give the Zags trouble. It's almost as if the committee put deep thought into the type of teams that can knock off the WCC champions. "Here you go, Gonzaga," they might have said, "if you get through the gauntlet of the West, you're projected to play coach Mike Krzyzewski and No. 2 seeded Duke on a farewell tour in the West final. But first, we give you Georgia State as a No. 16 seed when the No. 15 (Fullerton) and No. 14 seed (Montana State) both have team ratings 4.5 points less than Georgia State."

Yes, on a neutral court, Georgia State would be -4.5 against either the No. 14 or 15 seed. That doesn't seem very fair for the overall No. 1 seed, does it? If the Zags get past Georgia State, the committee gives them a doozy 8-9 game with disciplined MWC champion Boise State or athletic Memphis that has been reborn lately and allows only 39% shooting. 

Get past that and waiting for the Zags in the Sweet 16 will be No. 5 seeded Connecticut, who holds opponents to 40% shooting and is No. 2 in the nation blocking 6.6 shots per game, or you get the organized chaos of No. 4 seed Arkansas. If Duke gets knocked out, Gonzaga could get either No. 3 seed Texas Tech, No. 6 seed Alabama, No. 7 Michigan State, or No. 10 Davidson.

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Sure, the Zags lead the nation in several categories on both sides of the ball, beginning with the top-scoring margin of 22 points per game for an average score of 87-65. But they play in the WCC to build all those great stats, right? They went 26-0 last season before losing to Baylor in the championship game.  

Caesars odds to win the 2022 NCAA Tournament among top West teams have Duke at 10-to-1, followed by Texas Tech at 22-to-1, Arkansas at 40-to-1, Connecticut at 70-to-1, and Alabama at 80-to-1. Michigan State is at 100-to-1, Memphis 125-to-1, Boise State 150-to-1 and if you're looking for the craziest Cinderella ever, Georgia State is 1,000-to-1.    

Before you lock in your bracket, here's everything you should consider about the West Region.

More regional breakdowns: West | Midwest | East | South

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