NCAA Tournament Simulation: First Round, West Region
A shocking upset ends a dream season abruptly
Contact/Follow @andrewdieckhoff & @MWCwire
Our NCAA sim heads out West as the first round rolls on.
The results are already in from the Midwest and East regions, and now our third slate of games comes from the West Region. Gonzaga, San Diego State, and Oregon are all playing in the Pacific time zone, while Seton Hall is staying close to home to start things off.
As a reminder, we here at Mountain West Wire are using the final bracket generated by the Bracket Matrix and simulating games via WhatIfSports. A hearty thanks to both for helping us get some catharsis in these trying times. As a further reminder, each game is only simulated once — whatever happens, happens. That’s the beauty of the Big Dance.
Without further ado, let’s jump into the results.
(#4) Oregon 69, (#13) Akron 67
Full Box Score and Play-by-Play
SPOKANE, Wash. — The first game of this Spokane pod is an absolute classic. The Ducks survive a scare from the Zips, thanks to a Payton Pritchard buzzer-beater. Akron’s Loren Jackson led all scorers with 26 points. The 13-seed jumped out to an early lead, but the Ducks stormed back in the second half. An 8-0 run from Akron tied the game with 3:25 to play, and the teams mostly traded baskets down the stretch. Thankfully for the Ducks, their All-American had the final shot — and he did not miss.
(#6) Penn State 77, (#11) Wichita State 63
Full Box Score and Play-By-Play
ALBANY, N.Y. — The most successful season of the Pat Chambers era continues as the Nittany Lions never really had to sweat in this one. Wichita State kept it respectable, but a 20-point performance from Lamar Stevens kept the Shockers at arm’s length all game. In the aftermath of the loss, six Wichita State players announce they are transferring out of the program, unexpectedly throwing head coach Gregg Marshall into the hot seat. Penn State moves on to face the winner of the Seton Hall-Hofstra game.
(#8) LSU 87, (#9) Rutgers 78
Full Box Score and Play-by-Play
SPOKANE, Wash. — The second Spokane pod gets started with this 8-9 matchup of two teams who were both in the Top 25 during the season. Though the Scarlet Knights can officially celebrate their first NCAA Tournament berth in 30 years, the party is short-lived as Will Wade’s club wages a balanced attack. All five starters end up in double figures for LSU, but off-the-court distractions start to pop up as buzz builds for a new documentary detailing the FBI investigation into college basketball, which brings Wade’s past improprieties back into the national zeitgeist.
(#3) Seton Hall 86, (#14) Hofstra 66
Full Box Score and Play-by-Play
ALBANY, N.Y. — The Pirates easily dispatch their seaboard compatriots, but curiously, Naismith candidate Myles Powell is relatively quiet in this one. The star guard scores just 12 points on 5-of-10 shooting and attempts just two three-pointers all game. Instead, Seton Hall relies on strong performances from Sandro Mamukelashvili and Jared Rhoden. The CAA champs trailed by 18 at the half and never really threatened an upset. A bit of a dull game as we head into the midday doldrums.
The late games provide a few snoozers — and a shocking nightcap.
(#1) Gonzaga 99, (#16) Boston University 65
Full Box Score and Play-by-Play
SPOKANE, Wash. — Though national interest in this afternoon game wanes, the fans in Spokane are in full voice to support their hometown team. Gonzaga makes easy work of the Terriers, who upset the Patriot League’s best team (Colgate) to get here. But this is as far as BU will get, as six Gonzaga players get into double figures — with Corey Kispert and Drew Timme not among them. The Zags look like a legitimate national title contender, though they face a potentially tough test against LSU in the next round.
(#10) Texas Tech 96, (#7) Illinois 79
Full Box Score and Play-by-Play
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Though the Red Raiders started to fade down the stretch, something about March Madness must have awoken something in this team. Texas Tech comes out swinging in their first game on the road back to the Final Four, knocking down 14 of 24 three-pointers (58%) and dropping a cool 51 points in the first half alone. Jahmi’us Ramsey leads the charge, but it’s TTU’s balanced scoring that puts the Illini away for good. Illinois showed promise during the 2019-20 season, but were unable to get over the hump into the realm of elite teams. A tough first round draw sees them out of the Big Dance early, as Chris Beard’s squad awaits a likely matchup with San Diego State.
(#5) Butler 70, (#12) Stephen F. Austin 54
Full Box Score and Play-by-Play
SPOKANE, Wash. — In what could have been a 5-12 matchup for the ages, this one is a bit of a dud. The Lumberjacks made headlines early in the year when they beat Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium, and became the subject of many bracketology debates about whether they should have been considered for an at-large bid. All of those arguments will be set aside for now, though, as the Southland’s automatic qualifier goes out with a whimper. Butler’s stifling defense helps make up for a somewhat anemic offensive performance. The Bulldogs advance to play Oregon, pitting Kamar Baldwin against Payton Pritchard in what could be one of the tournament’s most electric games.
(#15) Eastern Washington 95, (#2) San Diego State 90 (OT)
Full Box Score and Play-by-Play
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The first round of the West Region began with a classic and it ends with one, too. SDSU’s magical run through the season ends in massive disappointment as the Big Sky champions — led by Jacob Davison and Mason Peatling — pull off what will likely be the upset of the tournament. Malachi Flynn turned in an All-American performance with 31 points, six assists, six steals, and five rebounds. Despite his herculean effort, the Aztecs fell behind early and were unable to complete their signature brand of comeback in the second half. Though Flynn had the hot hand, he was unable to get the ball for any of the most important possessions down the stretch. It was a dream season for San Diego State, but it ends in a nightmare as the Eagles move on to face Texas Tech.
That’s it for the first round of the West Region. Keep checking back for more of the Mountain West Wire 2020 NCAA Tournament simulation!
(Sorry, SDSU.)
