North Carolina carries No. 1 seed, but Arizona could be the big winner

Sometimes the miracles start off the court.

Like the mini-miracle of Dan Monson, the Long Beach State coach who got fired last week but still is on the job after his team made the tournament. What happens if Long Beach State stuns second-seeded Arizona? Does Monson keep his job?

There are other great storylines in the West Region -- Michigan State coach Tom Izzo leads the Spartans to a 25th consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament; Arizona's Caleb Love potentially is on a collision course with his former team, North Carolina; and the Colgates and the Charlestons and the others vying for the glass slipper.

But the real miracle involves Grand Canyon’s Tyon Grant-Foster, who almost two years ago collapsed at halftime of a DePaul game after suffering a cardiac arrest.

His heart was shocked back into rhythm three times.

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After surviving the life-threatening scare, he underwent heart surgery and considered quitting basketball. Instead he transferred to Grand Canyon, with other schools fearful of the health risks.

But 16 months after the incident, he was cleared to play. Now Grant-Foster, a 6-7 swingman who averages 19.8 points per game, is trying to lead Grand Canyon to its first NCAA Tournament victory in program history.

“It’s really gratifying at the same time because of everything I’ve been through and now it’s finally here," Grant-Foster told reporters last week. "It’s a surreal feeling.”

USA TODAY Sports breaks down the NCAA Tournament West Region:

Best first-round matchup: Dayton vs. Nevada

This game won’t go down as one of the most-watched of the tournament. In fact, bluebloods might not even bother to watch it considering it’s a matchup of two mid-majors. What a shame.

The No. 7 Dayton Flyers and the No. 10 Nevada Wolf Pack are dangerous teams and should make for an entertaining matchup.

Nevada plays methodically and boasts two stellar guards — Kenan Blackshear and Jarod Lucas, who average a combined 32.9 points per game.

Dayton will be in no rush, either. The Flyers are disciplined about finding good shots, which is the reason they’re averaging 40.7 percent from three-point range — third-best in the country.

Don’t be surprised if it comes down to the wire, with Dayton a 1.5-point favorite.

Potential upset in first round: Grand Canyon vs. St. Mary’s

The Grand Canyon Antelopes won’t be shaking in their hightops when they take the court against St. Mary’s.

Yes, St. Mary’s has won 23 of its last 25 games, including a 69-60 victory over Gonzaga in the championship of the West Coast Conference tournament. But this will be Grand Canyon’s third NCAA appearance in four years.

Though it’s hard to know exactly how these teams will match up, they do have a common opponent: San Diego State. On Nov. 17, St. Mary’s got clobbered by San Diego State, 79-54. On Dec. 5, Grand Canyon beat San Diego State, 79-73. (It was Grand Canyon’s first win over a ranked opponent, with San Diego State then ranked No. 25.)

The points and victory won’t come easy. St. Mary’s ranks second in the country, allowing 58.7 points per game. Grand Canyon likely will need a strong performance from Tyon Grant-Foster, a 6-7 guard who leads the team in scoring with 19.8 points per game and Ray Harrison, a 6-4 guard who scored a game-high 23 points in the victory against San Diego State.

The sleeper: Alabama

The Crimson Tide rank 346th nationally in scoring defense, allowing 81.1 points a game and are just five spots ahead of Houston Christian, the nation’s worst ranked scoring defense. More bad news: The Crimson Tide have lost four of their past six games, and in three of those defeats gave up more than 100 points.

Which are valid reasons to be snoozing on Alabama – at your own risk.

The Crimson Tide can heat up in a hurry. They rank No. 1 in the country in scoring offense with 98 points per game and their 3-point shooters are among the best in the country. Three of their players are shooting better than 40 percent from behind the three-point stripe.

Despite the defensive deficiencies, the SEC has helped prepare Alabama for the tournament. If the Crimson Tide play at their high-octane best, they could be in position for a Sweet 16 shocker against North Carolina. 

The winner: Arizona

The long wait is over for the Wildcats.

They’ll win the West Region and head to the Final Four for the first time since 2001, when they won the national championship.

Sure, the skeptics are howling: But Arizona lost two of its past three games! Including a 78-65 setback against lowly Southern California!

Nonetheless, these Wildcats are built for an extended run thanks to a versatile eight-man rotation.

Scoring? Got it. Arizona ranks third in scoring offense with 87.7 points per game. Caleb Love, the senior guard, leads the team in scoring at 18.1, and each of the team’s four other starters are averaging 9.8.

Size? Ample. Oumar Ball, the 7-footer from Cameroon, is averaging 13.1 points, a team-best 10.1 rebounds and leads the team in blocks with 40. Arizona also can bring in 7-2 freshman Motiejus Krivas and cause shooters to think twice in the paint.

The bench? Good enough to keep the starters fresh.

Yes, Arizona lost to Oregon in the Pac-12 Conference Tournament championship. But don’t forget the Wildcats also beat Duke in Durham, North Carolina, when the Blue Devils were ranked No. 2.

NCAA Tournament West Region schedule

In Charlotte

No. 1 North Carolina vs. No. 16 Howard/Wagner

No. 8 Mississippi State vs. No. 9 Michigan State

In Spokane

No. 5 Saint Mary's vs. No. 12 Grand Canyon

No. 4 Alabama vs. No. 13 College of Charleston

In Memphis

No. 6 Clemson vs. No. 11 New Mexico

No. 3 Baylor vs. No. 14 Colgate

In Salt Lake City

No. 7 Dayton vs. No. 10 Nevada

No. 2 Arizona vs. No. 15 Long Beach State