So now that most of our brackets are marked up more than a high school math test, the madness can end and the best basketball of the NCAA Tournament can begin.
Here are my picks for the Sweet 16:
1Ohio State vs. 4Kentucky: Not that it means much, but I still have the Buckeyes winning the national championship. They have by far the most balanced team left in the tournament, with Jared Sullinger inside and David Lighty on the perimeter. And no team has been more dominant, after they destroyed a good George Mason squad. Kentucky (as always) has a pair of talented freshmen in Terrance Jones and Brandon that can keep it close, but that’s about it. The Wildcats don’t have much depth, which will hurt them against the deepest team in the country.
3North Carolina vs. 11Marquette: I underestimated Marquette by picking the Golden Eagles to lose in the first round…but I won’t make it up to them by picking them here. They got this far despite not having much size, and that might kill them against UNC. The Tar Heals should tear them apart inside with center Tyler Zeller, who can them kick it out to Harrison Barnes for open three-pointers when double-teamed.
1Duke vs. 5Arizona: Arizona might give Duke some trouble in this one because of their size. Forward Derrick Williams is an NBA player waiting to happen and he will have a big game either way. Duke’s only problem is that the Blue Devils might have too much talent. With freshman sensation Kyrie Irving back in the lineup, seniors Nolan Smith and Kyle Singler might not get as many opportunities. And that’s scary because The Blue Devils were already starting to make people feel stupid for picking against them. I’m already regretting my UCONN-to-the-Final Four pick.
2San Diego State vs. 3Connecticut: Speaking of UCONN, expect the Huskies to win one more game before they face almighty Duke. As well as SDSU (32-3) has played, they just don’t stack up well against a quality Big East team. UCONN’s Kemba Walker is one of the best and most clutch players in the country, which counts for a lot in a tournament without many great players. He should have another big game against the Aztecs after putting up 33 points in the last round.
1Kansas vs. 12Richmond: My one shining moment of the tournament was when I picked Richmond to beat Vanderbilt in the first round. I liked the Spiders then, but I don’t like them enough to beat Kansas. Only Ohio State has the size to defend Kansas’ twin brothers Marcus and Markiff Morris, who can both run the floor like guards and dominate inside like centers. After Mizzou’s disappointing season, I’m starting to feel bad for selling my soul to pick Kansas. Oh well.
10Florida State vs. 11Va. Commonwealth: Ah, the good old 10/11 matchup. You really can’t go wrong with either team, so the rule here is to take the hottest team. That would be VCU, which is on a mission to prove it actually deserved an at-large bid. The Rams also seem to playing at a higher level rift now after beating both Georgetown and Purdue by double-digits.
4Wisconsin vs. 8Butler: We still remember Butler as the team that came this close to doing us the favor of beating Duke for the NCAA title last year. But this isn’t the same Butler team, with Gordon Hayward now playing for the Utah Jazz. Wisconsin might have scored one of the most impressive victories of the tournament when the Badgers beat Kansas State despite giving up 37 points to Jacob Pullen. And considering the amount of respect I have for Pullen as a player, I have to now transfer that respect to Wisconsin. The Badgers play the most boring style of basketball there is and should be able to slow this game down enough to beat Butler in a close game.
2Florida vs. 3BYU: The only thing more annoying than hearing players yelling “AND ONE!!” after every shot? Hearing players yell “JIMERRR!!” before every shot, and then proceeding to air ball said shot. I really hope this trend dies a slow, painful death. However, Jimmer is the one player in the tournament that can carry his team without much help. The Gators may be a more complete team, but BYU has the classic advantage of having the best player on the floor. And now that Florida’s best defender apparently has an ankle injury, I can see him winning this game by himself. Even if it means hearing “JIMERRR!!” for another week.
Enjoy the games.
