Tag: grand canyon lopes

March Madness: NCAA Tournament West Region odds, picks and predictions

Looking at March Madness futures odds to win the 2024 NCAA Tournament West Region, with expert picks, predictions and best bets.

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The regions and seeding for the NCAA Tournament have been decided with Selection Sunday in the rearview mirror. The West Region includes quite a few notable teams with a chance to make some noise in the tournament.

Below, we look at BetMGM Sportsbook’s NCAA Tournament West Region futures odds and and make our expert college basketball picks and predictions.

The North Carolina Tar Heels (27-7) earned the top seed in the West Region, while the Howard Bison (16-15) and the Wagner Seahawks (18-16) will meet Tuesday in the First Four to determine who faces the Tar Heels in the round of 64. The region’s 2-3-4 seeds are Arizona (25-8), Baylor (23-10), and Alabama (21-11).

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West Region futures odds

Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook’s access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Monday at 5:57 a.m. ET.

1 seed: North Carolina +300 (bet $100 to win $300)

2 seed: Arizona +280 (bet $100 to win $280)

3 seed: Baylor +800 (bet $100 to win $800)

4 seed: Alabama +750 (bet $100 to win $750)

5 seed: Saint Mary’s +1600 (bet $100 to win $1,600)

6 seed: Clemson +3000 (bet $100 to win $3,000)

7 seed: Dayton +3000 (bet $100 to win $3,000)

8 seed: Mississippi State +2200 (bet $100 to win $2,200)

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9 seed: Michigan State +2200 (bet $100 to win $2,200)

10 seed: Nevada +3000 (bet $100 to win $3,000)

11 seed: New Mexico +3000 (bet $100 to win $3,000)

12 seed: Grand Canyon +6600 (bet $100 to win $6,600)

13 seed: Charleston +20000 (bet $100 to win $20,000)

14 seed: Colgate +40000 (bet $100 to win $40,000)

15 seed: Long Beach State +20000 (bet $100 to win $20,000)

16 seed: Howard/Wagner +40000 (bet $100 to win $40,000)

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West Region expert pick and prediction

Arizona Wildcats (+280)

The Wildcats (25-8) have the talent to win the whole darn thing, but can they put it together for 6 straight games? That’s the big question. They ended the regular season with a disappointing loss on the road to a middling USC squad and were ousted in the Pac-12 tournament by the eventual champs, the Oregon Ducks. So why I do I like them to win the West Region? Because they have the clearest path to the Elite Eight of anyone in the West.

Guard play is vital in the NCAA Tournament and Arizona has All-American G Caleb Love, who was in the 2022 Final Four with North Carolina. He led the team in scoring at 18.1 points per game (PPG). Arizona also has a pair of 7-footers in the low block, headlined by C Oumar Ballo who averaged a double-double for the season (13.1 points, 10 rebounds). The Wildcats will be a tough out for anyone in this tournament.

Top 25: USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll

West Region contenders

North Carolina Tar Heels (+300)

I’d be remiss not to mention North Carolina (27-7) as a threat in the West Region as the No. 1 seed. UNC features 4 players averaging double-figures in scoring, led by 1st-team All-American point guard R.J. Davis (21 PPG).

North Carolina is balanced outside and inside with their senior leader F Armando Bacot, who averages a double-double (14.1 points, 10.2 rebounds). He and Davis enter this tournament with big chips on their shoulders from their 2022 National Championship 72-69 loss to Kansas. They are the biggest challenger to the Arizona Wildcats.

Clemson Tigers (+3000)

Clemson (21-10) played an outstanding non-conference schedule and beat NCAA Tournament teams UAB, Boise State, Alabama, South Carolina, and TCU. The Tigers finished 3rd in field-goal percentage offense and defense in the ACC. They may have finished in a tie for 5th in the ACC, but make no mistake, this team earned their spot in the Big Dance.

Senior C PJ Hall leads the Tigers with 18.8 PPG and had 7 double-doubles this season. Clemson got a huge offensive boost from 5th-year senior Syracuse transfer G Joseph Girard III (15.7 PPG). This squad brings a lot to the court which could give other team fits.

West Region long shot

Grand Canyon Lopes (+6600)

The Antelopes (29-4) won the Western Athletic Conference regular-season (17-3) and tournament titles. Grand Canyon’s average margin of victory in the WAC was 11.2 PPG. They are coached by Bryce Drew, one of the legends of March Madness. Drew hit a buzzer beater for No. 13 Valparaiso to beat No. 4 Ole Miss in the 1st round of the 1998 NCAA Tournament. He knows what it takes to win in the Big Dance.

Grand Canyon brings a balanced attack,leading the WAC in scoring defense (64.8) and 2nd in scoring offense (75.9). Senior G Tyon Grant-Foster is the WAC men’s player of the year after averaging 19.8 points and 6 rebounds per game and shooting nearly 45% from the field for the season. This team can play with anyone in the country.

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Oregon’s bats stay hot in the desert with a rout over GCU

Oregon baseball completed the brief two-game sweep over Grand Canyon with a 13-5 victory in Phoenix.

Justin Cassella crushed the first pitch of the game and that was a sign to come as the Oregon baseball team hit four home runs in the 13-5 win over Grand Canyon Wednesday afternoon in Phoenix.

Mason Neville, Jacob Walsh and Ryan Cooney joined Cassella in the home run derby.

With the win, the Ducks improved to 9-3 overall, while the Lopes dropped to 6-7.

The win was Oregon’s second straight win as the Ducks now head into Pac-12 play. Fortunately, they won’t have to travel far to Tempe where Arizona State awaits for a three-game weekend set.

After Cassella’s first-inning homer, GCU took a 2-1 lead in the bottom, but the Ducks responded right away in the second with Cooney’s solo shot to right to tie the game 2-2.

Grand Canyon scored two more in the third to take a 4-2 lead. Oregon answered in a big way when Walsh hit an absolute bomb to right where the ball may still haven’t landed.

After the third inning, Oregon pitchers set down 13 straight batters led by Ian Umlandt’s four perfect innings out of the bullpen. While the Lopes were being held off the board, the Ducks were lighting it up.

Oregon scored two runs in the fourth and fifth and then five huge runs in the sixth to take an 11-4 lead. The Ducks scored two more in the seventh just for good measure. The Ducks had 21 hits and were walked seven times.

Now the very last Pac-12 season gets underway Friday where the Ducks are the defending conference champions after winning the league tournament in Scottsdale, Ariz. last season. The Sun Devils come into the series with a 6-6 record.

WBB Recap: Ducks hand Grand Canyon its first loss of the season

In their first road test of the season, the Oregon women’s basketball team defeated Grand Canyon 64-56.

In their first road test of the season, the Oregon Ducks women’s basketball team passed with a 64-56 win over Grand Canyon.

Grace VanSlooten led the way with 21 points and nine rebounds with Phillipina Kyei adding 13 points and 16 rebounds.

With the win, Oregon moves to 3-0 on the season and the Lopes, out of the WAC, dropped to 2-1.

Chance Gray scored 11 points by going 7-of-8 from the free throw line and Sofia Bell was able to score nine points, all coming from the three-point stripe.

The Ducks were up 25-19 in a defensive first half and maintained that lead throughout the game, but GCU was able to cut the lead to two on a couple of occasions. Oregon held a double-digit lead only to watch it evaporate twice thanks to the Lopes going 5-of-6 from long distance in the third quarter.

Thankfully for Oregon, that prowess from the three-point line didn’t last for the home Lopes. They were just 1-of-12 in the fourth quarter and 7-of-28 for the game.

The Ducks weren’t exactly much better, however.

Oregon was 3-of-14 from long range and just 20-of-58 (34.5 percent) from the field overall. The Ducks did make 21-of-29 from the free throw line.

It’s no rest for the weary for Oregon as it comes home to face Santa Clara on Saturday for a 12 pm tip-off at Matthew Knight Arena. The Broncos are 3-1 for the season with their only defeat coming at the hands of California last week.