If you’ve been paying attention to the tournament this past week, you already know it’s been a crazy one. A number 2 seed losing in the first round for the second year in a row. Two number 1 seeds losing, one in the round of 32, one in the Sweet 16. A 9 seed in the Elite 8, and a 15 seed with a legitimate shot at the Elite 8. There have been buzzer-beaters, blow-outs, and miraculous, come from behind victories, all clustered together in one big blur of awesomeness that is the NCAA tournament.
Yesterday was full of games that were fun to watch, starting off with Miami vs Marquette. People don’t realize it, but Miami played a great game aside from the fact that they couldn’t score. I also loved the fact that Marquette was so aggressive against the full-court press in the second half. Coach Buzz Williams clearly had his players prepped and ready for that press and executed beautifully against it.
Syracuse came out and put it to Indiana right from the start. Michael Carter-Williams and Brandon Trice combined for 38 of the Orange’s 61. The dynamic back court and tremendous defense was just too much for the upstart Hoosiers to overcome.
My prediction for Saturdays matchup: Syracuse defensive prevails in a low scoring matchup. Syracuse 58 – Marquette 53
The other side of the bracket had a great game between Ohio State and Arizona. Two very disciplined teams who gave everything they had. The Buckeyes hit big shots down the stretch and held of a hot Arizona team led by Solomon Hill, who took the game over for several minutes at one point.
In the night-cap, we saw a very impressive Wichita State team punch a very good LaSalle team right in the mouth, and then never let them back up. The Shockers dominated this game in pretty much every aspect. This is a dangerous team led by Malcom Armstead and Carl Hall.
Saturdays prediction: Ohio State is too good defensively and the Shockers don’t have an answer for Deshaun Thomas. Ohio State 67 – Wichita State 60
Here are my predictions for the other half of the Sweet 16.
The all-around talent of Louisville is going to be too much for Oregon to handle. Louisville’s defensive pressure will get to the Ducks young backcourt, but it will still be a high scoring affair.
Louisville 76 – Oregon 65
Kansas and Michigan will probably be the most exciting of the night. Two explosive, well-coached teams grinding it out to keep their championship hopes alive. It’s gonna come down to two players: Trey Burke and Jeff Withey. I think Kansas will prevail in an awesome game that will come down to the last possession.
Kansas 72 – Michigan 70
Michigan State and Duke will probably be just as close as KU and Michigan, but a much slower pace will be less exhilarating. This will be another game that comes down to clutch free throws and a big shot at the end of the game. Duke has a recent history of big shots at the end of games. Look for Seth Curry to hit the game winner.
Duke 64 – Michigan State 62
Florida Gulf Coast is still a much better team than anyone thinks they are. Their five starters can all handle the ball and are interchangeable defensively (to an extent). They are incredibly explosive and everybody knows nothing is scarier than a team that has nothing to lose. It wouldn’t surprise me if FGCU wins, but I think the size of Patric Young and Eric Murphy inside will be the deciding factor.
Florida 64 – FGCU 54
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