NCAA tournament: Thursday’s West Region review

New Mexico State’s Teddy Allen is as brash as he is skilled. And the well-traveled 23-year-old guard is now one of the early faces of the NCAA tournament. All he did Thursday night was carry his 12th-seeded team to an upset of fifth-seeded UConn by scoring more than half (37) of his team’s 70 points.

It’s dangerous to trust Memphis, but it’s also dangerous to discount the Tigers. The winding journey of the Tigers’ uneven season will continue after beating No. 8 seed Boise State in one of the most highly anticipated first-round games. Considering where Penny Hardaway’s team was in late January with a 9-8 record, with the NCAA tournament looking like a pipe dream at the time, reaching the second round stamps this season as a success. Can it now compete with the tournament’s top overall seed, Gonzaga, which overcame first-half struggles to pull away from No. 16 Georgia State?

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

Most impressive performance, team: Memphis. Memphis was particularly impressive on defense. This was a game of contrasting tempos. Boise State relies less on transition offense than almost any team in the country. Memphis prefers a frenetic pace. But the Tigers managed to speed up the Broncos and, for much of the game, make coach Leon Rice’s team look slow. In a surprise sighting, the Tigers welcomed back celebrated recruit Emoni Bates, who had not played since January 27. He played briefly and was not integral to the game’s outcome. In fact, CBS/Turner analyst Frank Martin was spot on with this blunt halftime assessment: “He has nothing to do with the way they’ve played.” Will he see an enhanced role Saturday? How would that impact the team’s chemistry?

Most impressive performance, individual: New Mexico State’s Teddy Allen. Is this even a question? The honor goes to Allen, who scored in almost every conceivable fashion. He displayed clutch 3-point shooting and an uncanny knack at drawing fouls. He was also 13-of-13 from the free-throw line. Everyone knew Allen could play. He was the Big Ten’s sixth-leading scorer last season at Nebraska. And he was the WAC player of the year this year. But what he did Thursday night against a talented UConn team was truly impressive. 

Hard to understand: This was a banner season for the Mountain West — with “was” being the operative word. Boise State’s loss was the third for MWC teams this week in the tournament, and the league later finished 0-4. Indiana beat Wyoming in the First Four, Michigan rallied to beat Colorado State earlier Thursday, Memphis’ defense flustered the Broncos and San Diego State lost to Creighton on Thursday night. The league deserved at least three tournament bids, and Boise State easily could have received a No. 6 seed. That said, the league-wide performance was underwhelming.

What we’ll be talking about from this region Friday: The focus is squarely on the left ankle of Memphis senior PG Alex Lomax. Lomax, a Memphis native, gave an inspired effort by playing almost the entire second half after injuring the ankle in the first half. The question is whether a day off before the second-round game against Gonzaga will be enough to enable Lomax to perform at a reasonably high level Saturday. Memphis does not have another capable point guard. If Lomax is severely compromised, the Tigers look doomed against the Zags.

Key numbers: As CBS sideline reporter Andy Katz noted on the broadcast, the age range on the Memphis bench goes from 18 to 81, with the esteemed, ageless Larry Brown, who’s 81, sitting on the bench as Hardaway’s assistant. … Hardaway played 12 players — yes, 12 — in the first half. … Gonzaga’s shooting from 3-point range (5-of-18) and the free-throw line (16-of-30) was alarming. … Vermont got 20 points each from stars Ryan Davis and Ben Shungu. … UConn was 7-of-23 from 3-point range; New Mexico State was 11-of-17. … Teddy Allen was the only New Mexico State player in double figures.

Game results

No. 1 Gonzaga 93, No. 16 Georgia State 72

Main takeaway: A perceived lack of physicality is a question for the Zags, and it remains a question after allowing Georgia State to hang around well into the second half. Granted, many expected Rob Lanier’s Panthers team to earn a No. 15 seed. Georgia State’s offensive struggles aside, it looked better than the garden-variety No. 16 seed. Gonzaga will need a sharper effort from the start — and will need to hit its free throws — against Memphis, a team that can certainly match the Zags in athleticism.
Up next: Gonzaga vs. No. 9 Memphis, Saturday

No. 4 Arkansas 75, No. 13 Vermont 71

Main takeaway: Arkansas passed a stiff test in outlasting Vermont, one of the nation’s most experienced and best shooting teams. The Razorbacks won despite JD Notae scoring all 17 of his points in the second half and picking up his fourth foul with about eight minutes to play. Teammate Stanley Umude was critical with his scoring (21 points) and rebounding (nine). Vermont was just 10-of-17 from the free-throw line (Arkansas was 20-of-25), which cost it a real shot at stealing the game in the final minute. The good news for Arkansas is it now draws a No. 12 seed in New Mexico State. The bad news is it has just one day to figure out how to contain Teddy Allen. Good luck.
Up next: Arkansas vs. No. 12 New Mexico State, Saturday

No. 9 Memphis 64, No. 8 Boise State 53

Main takeaway: Memphis turned the ball over 10 times in the second half alone. Its offense may have been erratic, but its defense was consistent. Boise State made a game of it after halftime, but the Tigers had too much athleticism and too much grit.
Up next: Memphis vs. No. 1 Gonzaga, Saturday

No. 12 New Mexico State 70, No. 5 UConn 63

Main takeaway: New Mexico State will go as far as Allen carries them, and he may not be done. Coach Danny Hurley and the UConn guards had no answer for him. Credit New Mexico State coach Chris Jans for giving Allen so much freedom offensively.
Up next: New Mexico State vs. No. 4 Arkansas, Saturday