NCAA tournament: Saturday’s West Region review

The West Region nightcap on a drama-heavy Saturday of second-round games had it all: star power, a frenetic pace and huge momentum swings. This was a tough draw for Gonzaga, the NCAA tournament’s top overall seed. Memphis entered the tournament scorching hot, playing much better than your typical No. 9 seed. The Zags survived, earning a seventh consecutive Sweet 16 appearance and setting up a bevy of potential compelling storylines going forward.

Here’s a look at what happened Saturday in the West Region.

Most impressive performance, team: Memphis. Let’s take a moment to credit Penny Hardaway for turning around a season that seemed on the brink of free fall a couple of months ago. Hardaway had the blow-up with the media. Emoni Bates was hurt and nowhere near returning. After so much hype from its recruiting coup — securing Bates and Jalen Duren — the season could have turned into a disaster amid on-court struggles and chemistry issues. Few would have imagined in January that this Tigers team — with Bates and Duren playing roles — would push the nation’s top-ranked team to the brink of elimination in the second round of the NCAA tournament. The Zags were better and displayed the second-half poise and scoring burst that was required. But this season ultimately was a clear success for Hardaway, a feat that seemed highly improbable in the dead of winter. 

Most impressive performance, individual: Gonzaga F Drew Timme. Had Gonzaga lost, much of the criticism would have fallen squarely on Timme’s shoulders. With his team trailing by 10 at halftime, Timme knew he needed to awaken in the second half — and quickly — or the top overall seed in the tournament would be done. After looking invisible for much of the first half against a supremely athletic and deep Memphis team, Timme was assertive immediately in the second half, scoring the Bulldogs’ first 11 points. He was a totally different player, scoring 21 of his 25 points after halftime. He also added 14 rebounds. 

What we’ll be talking about from the West Region on Sunday: Gonzaga is the top overall seed for a reason. At halftime, trailing by 10 points, it’s almost as if the Bulldogs said, “OK, Memphis, you want to run? Let’s run.” When it needed to be at its best, Gonzaga was at its absolute best early in the second half, quickly wiping away the 10-point deficit. The top-ranked Bulldogs flirted with disaster against a Memphis team that displayed a level of athleticism that Gonzaga has not been accustomed to in the West Coast Conference. A return to the Final Four is no sure thing for Mark Few’s team. Gonzaga could lose to any team remaining in the West Region. But the Zags remain the team to beat, having survived against a team playing well above its seed. 

Hard to explain: It’s a tie. It was bad enough that Memphis standout freshman Jalen Duren picked up his third foul early in the second half. To make matters worse, Hardaway inexplicably decided to keep Duren on the floor. And at the 14:20 mark, Duren was whistled for his fourth, sending him to the bench. And Arkansas star J.D. Notae fouled out after committing all five fouls in the second half against New Mexico State, including four charges. You don’t see that every day.

Key numbers: New Mexico State’s statistics at halftime were something to behold. The Aggies shot 24 percent from the field, including only three 2-point baskets. They turned the ball over 12 times and had two assists. New Mexico State had seven more turnovers in the second half. … Ten players scored for Memphis in the first half. That’s depth. … Gonzaga was just 13-of-24 from the line, but sank several clutch ones in the waning moments. … Memphis outrebounded Gonzaga 40-38 and had 14 offensive boards. … Notae finished with eight steals, and as a team, Arkansas had 12. … Gonzaga and Memphis combined for just 12 turnovers (only five by the Tigers) and 30 assists (including 18 by the Zags). … Three Arkansas starters played 40 minutes.

Game results

No. 1 Gonzaga 82, No. 9 Memphis 78

Main takeaway: No examination of this highly entertaining game would be complete without proper kudos to Gonzaga senior G Andrew Nembhard. He is one of the nation’s elite players at his position, but a player who often plays in the shadow of more high-profile teammates Holmgren and Timme. He finished with 23 points and was 5-of-10 from 3-point range and 6-of-7 from the line.
Up next: Gonzaga vs. No. 4 Arkansas in the Sweet 16, Thursday in San Francisco

No. 4 Arkansas 53, No. 12 New Mexico State 48

Main takeaway: Arkansas’ Au’Diese Toney played a key role in hounding New Mexico State scoring machine Teddy Allen, helping to hold him to 5-of-16 shooting and just 12 points. Bottom line: This game was not easy on the eyes. The Razorbacks won despite shooting 27.5 percent from the floor. To say they will need to play dramatically better in the Sweet 16 is a massive understatement.
Up next: Arkansas vs. No. 1 Gonzaga in Sweet 16, Thursday in San Francisco