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As we were last year, MSF will be your home for comprehensive NCAA Tournament information, commentary, and bracket advice.
This post will break down the bracket for the West Regional, with Elite 8 and Sweet 16 games to be played in Salt Lake City, Utah at Energy Solutions Arena on March 25th and 27th.
You can also view our St. Louis Midwest Regional Bracket Breakdown, Syracuse East Regional Bracket Breakdown, Houston South Regional Bracket Breakdown, or the full 2010 NCAA Tournament Bracket Breakdown.
Salt Lake City West Region Bracket
Before we get to the bracket, here is some quick meta and ticket info for the 2010 West Regional:
- West Regional Venue: Energy Solutions Arena
- Top 4 seeds: TBA
Ticket Information for First and Second Round Sites: first round locations are based on pod system. Find the location for each game below, and then follow the links below to find great deals on tickets for all first and second round sites in the 2010 NCAA Tournament.
- StubHub: Tickets to West Regional First and Second Round Games
- RazorGator: Tickets to West Regional First and Second Round Games
Ticket Information for Sweet 16 and Elite 8 Regional Final Games in Salt Lake City:
- StubHub: Tickets for Sweet 16 and Elite 8 Regional Final Games in Salt Lake City
- RazorGator: Tickets for Sweet 16 and Elite 8 Regional Final Games in Salt Lake City
Now, let’s break down the bracket for the West Region of the 2010 NCAA Tournament. First, a few quick notes:
- This should go without saying, but for any March Madness first-timers: all games are on CBS. You’ll have to check your local listings to find out which games are on in your area.
- All games can be viewed live online for free at the following link:
Watch NCAA Tournament Games Online at March Madness On Demand - The table below provides the following details on a game-by-game basis: date, time, location, announcers, and the point spread. It is updated as the information becomes available. If any piece of information is missing or wrong, please don’t hesitate to leave a comment. I’ll appreciate it. I promise.
- All NCAA Tournament announcer assignment information is courtesy of Fang’s Bites.
Here is the schedule breakdown for the 2010 Salt Lake City West Regional:
West Region Bracket, TV Schedule, Sites, Announcers
| Game | Matchup | Date | Time | Location | Announcers | Spread |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FIRST ROUND | ||||||
| 1 | #1 Syracuse 79 def #16 Vermont 56 | Fri, 3/19 | 9:30 ET | Buffalo | JOHNSON-ELmore | SU -18 |
| 2 | #8 Gonzaga 67 def #9 Florida State 60 | Fri, 3/19 | 7:10 ET | Buffalo | JOHNSON-Elmore | FSU -1.5 |
| 3 | #13 Murray State 66 def #4 Vanderbilt 65 | Thu, 3/18 | 2:30 ET | San Jose | Dedes-Wenzel | VAND -4 |
| 4 | #5 Butler 77 def #12 UTEP 59 | Thu, 3/18 | 4:45 ET | San Jose | Dedes-Wenzel | BUT -2.5 |
| 5 | #2 Kansas State 82 def #15 North Texas 62 | Thu, 3/18 | 2:40 ET | Oklahoma City | Harlan-Bonner | KSU -15 |
| 6 | #7 BYU 99 def #10 Florida 92 | Thu, 3/18 | 12:20 ET | Oklahoma City | Harlan-Bonner | BYU -4.5 |
| 7 | #3 Pittsburgh 89 def #14 Oakland 66 | Fri, 3/19 | 2:45 ET | Milwaukee | Eagle-Spanarkel | PITT -10 |
| 8 | #6 Xavier 65 def #11 Minnesota 54 | Fri, 3/19 | 12:25 ET | Milwaukee | Eagle-Spanarkel | Pick 'em |
| SECOND ROUND | ||||||
| 9 | #1 Syracuse 87 def #8 Gonzaga 65 | Sun, 3/21 | 12:10 ET | Buffalo | JOHNSON-Elmore | SU -7.5 |
| 10 | #5 Butler 54 def #13 Murray State 52 | Sat, 3/20 | 3:20 ET | San Jose | Dedes-Wenzel | BUT -4.5 |
| 11 | #2 Kansas State 84 def #7 BYU 72 | Sat, 3/20 | 8:10 PM | Oklahoma City | Harlan-Bonner | KSU -4.5 |
| 12 | #6 Xavier 71 def #3 Pittsburgh 68 | Sun, 3/21 | 4:50 ET | Milwaukee | Eagle-Spanarkel | Pick 'em |
| SWEET 16 | ||||||
| 13 | #5 Butler 63 def #1 Syracuse 59 | 3/25 | 7:07 ET | Salt Lake City | JOHNSON-Elmore | SU -7 |
| 14 | #2 Kansas State 101 def #6 Xavier 96 (2 OT) | 3/25 | 9:37 ET | Salt Lake City | JOHNSON-Elmore | KSU -4 |
| ELITE 8 - REGIONAL FINAL | ||||||
| 15 | #5 Butler 63 def #2 Kansas State 56 | Sat, 3/27 | 4:30 ET | Salt Lake City | JOHNSON-Elmore | KSU -4.5 |
If you want to view an actual bracket, here you go.
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West Region Picks & Predictions
First Round Picks
- #1 Syracuse over #16 Vermont
- #8 Gonzaga over #9 Florida State (judgment call)
- #12 UTEP over #5 Butler
- #4 Vanderbilt over #13 Murray State (judgment call)
- #6 Xavier over #11 Minnesota
- #3 Pitt over #14 Oakland
- #7 BYU over #10 Florida
- #2 Kansas State over #15 North Texas
The Indianapolis residents reading this are probably not going to like me very much…but I like the 5th seeded Butler Bulldogs could be ripe for an upset. Butler is a very good team, but so is UTEP. The Miners have an experienced backcourt, they play outstanding defense, and have been just a little bit better than Butler at protecting the ball and winning close games. Hence, according to my system, they get the nod. Otherwise, all the favorites win, although Gonzaga and Vanderbilt were close calls.
Second Round Picks
- #1 Syracuse over #8 Gonzaga
- #12 UTEP over #4 Vanderbilt
- #3 Pitt over #6 Xavier
- #2 Kansas State over #7 BYU (judgment call)
Another double-digit seed makes it into my Sweet 16 as UTEP knocks off Vanderbilt. I’m fine with this. I like the Commodores, but I also think they are a much better team at home than in road/neutral situations. That said, it’s a very close call. The rest of the favorites should win, including Kansas State, whose experience and rebounding give them an edge.
Sweet 16 Picks
- #1 Syracuse over #12 UTEP (judgment call)
- #2 Kansas State over #3 Pitt (judgment call)
Both of these games were very close calls, and I went with the higher seeds in both cases. Syracuse wins out because they have simply been one of the best teams in America all year and are battle tested. Kansas State gets the edge over Pitt based on being more experienced in the backcourt and being a little bit better rebounding team. That matchup could really go either way though.
Elite 8 Pick
- #1 Syracuse over #2 Kansas State
The Orangemen looked a little shaky in losing early in the Big East Tournament, and losing one of their best players in doing so, but perhaps the loss was a blessing in disguise and will allow the ‘Cuse to be rested for a deep tourney run. I like the grit of Kansas State, a team that definitely follows the lead of its coach, but the Syracuse was the best team in the Big East over the course of the season for a reason. Those reasons will lead them to the Final Four.
To view my Final Four picks, follow the link to my 2010 NCAA Tournament Bracket Predictions.
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About Jerod Morris
