The No. 2 vs. No. 15 matchup in the West Region sees Arizona vs. Long Beach State. The Beach looked like the saint of second chances when they won the Big 12 after their coach was effectively fired, but those chances are likely to run out in the first round against a balanced Arizona squad.

We’ve got a breakdown of the strengths and weaknesses on both sides of the matchup, plus odds, projections and expert picks. Our game previews are a collaborative effort between The Athletic staff, The Field of 68 and Brad Evans’ The Gaming Juice.

No. 15 Long Beach State

With their coach already fired, The Beach thrived off turnovers and second chances to sneak into the Big Dance.

Coach Dan Monson, effectively canned just before the Big West Tournament by the school’s athletic director, is laughing last. Soaking up the sunshine, The Beach — with Monson still coaching — played inspired ball and propelled themselves into the Field of 68. Shocking.

Long Beach stands out by applying on-ball pressure and snagging offensive boards. Over the regular season’s final month, The Beach forced a turnover on nearly 19 percent of opponent possessions. They grabbed an offensive rebound nearly 35 percent of the time.

The downside? Arizona is also great on offensive rebounds. As our Bracket Breaker experts said, it’s not fun running into a better version of yourself.

The Big West reps hung with San Diego State in November, their only encounter with an NCAA Tournament team this year. Energized by Monson’s dismissal, they could scare the Wildcats a little, provided they limit turnover mistakes and continue to generate ample additional opportunities.

—Brad Evans

No. 2 Arizona Wildcats

The most balanced team in Tommy Lloyd’s tenure. Can score, have a go-to guy, are improved defensively.

Strengths: The Wildcats have been a terrific offensive team in all three seasons under Tommy Lloyd. Caleb Love can be erratic, but he transferred in from North Carolina and filled a major need for a guard who can go get a bucket. Arizona has no shortage of experience and added another transfer in Keshad Johnson, who has Final Four experience from a year ago at San Diego State.

Weaknesses: When point guard Kylan Boswell doesn’t play well, it usually results in a loss for the ‘Cats. In their eight losses, Boswell shot 21 percent from the field and averaged 4.8 points per game. And Arizona doesn’t have another true point guard when Boswell is struggling. There’s also the concern of when Love struggles, he can really struggle.

Outlook: Lloyd has a team capable of getting to the Final Four, but it depends on the guard tandem of Love and Boswell. If they play well, Arizona can beat anyone in the country because Pelle Larsson is a terrific role player, Johnson is a terrific defender and Oumar Ballo is one of the better big men in the country. But it’s truly up to the consistency of Love and Boswell.

—Jeff Goodman

How to watch Long Beach State vs. Arizona

What: West Region, First Round

Tipoff time: 2:00 p.m. ET Thursday

TV: TBS

Location: Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah

Long Beach State vs. Arizona odds

Odds are from BetMGM and update live. Find the best ticket deals on StubHub to see your favorite team.

Expert picks

Austin Mock’s model projection: Arizona by 17.0, Total 161.0

See Austin Mock’s best futures bets.

Players to watch

Long Beach State

Arizona

• Caleb Love, senior guard, Pac-12 Player of the Year, first-team All-Pac 12
• Oumar Ballo, redshirt senior center, first-team All-Pac 12, All-Pac-12 defensive team
• Pelle Larsson, senior guard, second-team All-Pac 12

More NCAA men’s basketball tournament coverage

(Photo of Caleb Love: Christian Petersen / Getty Images)