WEST REGION

In Los Angeles No. 3 Michigan (30-7) vs. No. 7 Texas A&M (22-12)

Time, TV: 7:37 p.m. ET, TBS

Why Michigan will win: The Wolverines know how to play defense. They haven’t shot the ball great in the tournament but held Montana and Houston to a combined 34.5% from the field. They also allow opposing teams to score only 63.1 points per game, making them the eighth-best scoring defense in the country. Michigan will need Moritz Wagner (14.2 points, 7.1 rebounds) to play well to advance.

Why Texas A&M will win: They’re huge. Starters Tyler Davis, Robert Williams and D.J. Hogg are taller than 6-9. It’s tough for opposing teams to score just because of A&M’s length. Not to mention five players average double figures, which means they have a balanced attack. The Aggies team everyone was predicting in the preseason to make a deep tournament run seems to have finally showed up; it helps that they’re finally healthy and suspension-free.

No. 4 Gonzaga (32-4) vs. No. 9 Florida State (22-11)

Time, TV: approx. 10:07 p.m. ET, TBS

Why Gonzaga will win: The guy who is arguably their best pro prospect, 6-8 sophomore forward Rui Hachimura (11.4 points, 4.6 rebounds), comes off the bench. This team might have lost a lot from last year’s Final Four squad, but it also returned very good — and improved — players, led by 6-10 sophomore forward Killian Tillie (12.9 points, 5.9 rebounds). They’re balanced, they know how to score (84.2 points per game, 10th in the country) and won’t be intimidated by the stage.

Why FSU will win: The Seminoles will hardly be intimidated by Gonzaga’s seed; they went on a 31-14 run against Xavier to advance to the Sweet 16. They’re balanced, too, with seven players who average at least seven points, led by 6-8 senior forward Phil Cofer (12.9 points, 5.0 rebounds). Against Missouri, it was 6-9 redshirt freshman Mfiondu Kabengele, who came off the bench to score 14. And while their 9-9 Atlantic Coast Conference record is somewhat underwhelming, they are battle-tested after going through the ACC.