NCAA Tournament West Region Brings Star Coaches to Providence

Rick Pitino, Bill Self, and John Calipari headline a stacked coaching lineup as St. John’s, Kansas, and Arkansas prepare for first-round matchups.

Rick Pitino returns to Providence, where he first rose to prominence, leading St. John’s to its first NCAA Tournament since 2019 after winning the Big East title.
Kansas’ Bill Self and Arkansas’ John Calipari, with three national championships between them, will face off in a first-round game at the Amica Mutual Pavilion.
UConn, the two-time defending national champions, enters the tournament as a No. 8 seed and will face Oklahoma in the first round.
Potential first-round upsets in the West Region include No. 10 Arkansas over Kansas and No. 11 Drake over Missouri, with analysts highlighting key player matchups.
The West Region is noted for its depth, with Florida and St. John’s leading the pack, while Texas Tech is considered a sleeper pick for its strong offense and free-throw accuracy.