From 65 to 16, the remaining sweet teams in the NCAA Men’s Basketball tournament face off today and tomorrow. So far in the tournament there has only been one real upset, when seventh-seed University of Nevada-Las Vegas defeated second-seed Wisconsin. Here are the remaining teams, from the charming number one seeds, to the Cinderella’s looking to see if the cut-net fits.
Midwest
1 Florida vs. 5 Butler:
Last year’s champion the Florida Gators are still alive after a 74-67 victory over Purdue. The Gators have not played their usual strong basketball in this year’s tournament, but they do have an experienced starting five, led by top-five NBA pick Joakim Noah. Florida will be in tough against Butler, which clinched its berth in the round of 16 with a hard-fought 62-59 victory over four-seed Maryland. With their victory over the Terrapins, Butler showed they can compete with any team. Florida does have a habit of starting games slowly, trailing at the half in 11 games this year. If they continue this nasty habit, Butler could pull off the upset.
3 Oregon vs. 7 UNLV:
UNLV could be considered the Cinderella team this year, as they beat two-seed Wisconsin with three late treys to pull off the 74-68 upset. They will face an Oregon team that came on strong in the second half against 11-seed Winthrop with their own barrage from the arc, leading to a 75-61 Duck victory. This is Oregon’s first appearance in the Sweet 16 since 2002. In order for UNLV to be considered the Cinderella team of this year’s tournament, they will have to beat an Oregon team that is strong beyond the arch and extremely fast on the breakout. Evenly matched, these two teams might produce the best game of the bunch.
West
1 Kansas vs. 4 Southern Illinois:
No surprises in this conference as both top seeds in the top portion of the bracket meet. The high-scoring Jayhawks may meet their match with Southern Illinois, as the Salukis feature a strong and tenacious defence capable of shutting down the high-powered Kansas offence. If Southern Illinois can keep up their strong outside shooting, they might be able to pull off the upset. Kansas needs to find a way to exploit the Salukis defence or the Jayhawks might be eating crow early.
2 UCLA vs. 3 Pittsburgh:
While they are the top seeds in the lower portion of the west bracket, both the Bruins and the Panthers are hanging by the hair on their chins. Pittsburgh blew a 19-point lead in the second half before pulling out an 84-79 overtime victory over 11-seed Virginia Commonwealth. UCLA had a similar experience, losing their steam late in the second half, but managed to hold on against a late Indiana rally. Both UCLA and Pittsburgh can put up the points, but what this game will come down to is who can overcome the flaws made evident in the prior round.
South
1 Ohio State vs. 5 Tennessee:
Ohio State is lucky to still be in the tournament, needing a last-second three-pointer to overcome an 11-point deficit and force overtime against nine-seed Xavier. Tennessee was able to mount a second-half comeback and defeat four-seed Virginia with a timely free-throw shooting in the last minutes of the game. For Tennessee to contain the Buckeyes’ strong offence, they will have to tame the beast in the post that is Greg Oden. The most sought-after player in the U.S.A. can single-handedly dominate a team, like he did against 16-seed Central Connecticut State. Tennessee will have to control the ball to avoid Oden and the Buckeyes from getting their offence rolling.
2 Memphis vs. 3 Texas A&M:
Memphis is coming off a 78-62 victory against seventh-seed Nevada. While the score might show a strong victory, Memphis was on the verge of meltdown when their lead was cut down to two points in the second with their top scorer, Jeremey Hunt, out getting X-rayed. They managed to buckle down and generate the momentum for the victory and for the round of 16. This year is a stark change for A&M, which three years ago went winless in the Big 12. Now they are three wins away from a championship. Both teams will have huge boosts, surging forward on the strength of their tournament successes thus far. Look for a close, high-scoring game where the winner will be decided at the line, and by successful clock management.
East
1 North Carolina vs. 5 S. California:
Both teams have had a relatively smooth road to the Sweet 16. UNC’s potent offence, led by Tyler Hansbrough’s 18 points per game, has led to double-digit victories against 16-seed Eastern Kentucky and nine-seed Michigan State. Southern Cal has surprised many with their huge 87-68 victory over four-seed Texas, and has shown strong signs of a sound defensive, disciplined team. In order to keep up with the Tarheels, Southern Cal will have to continue that defensive pressure and not let UNC’s offence take control of the ball. Otherwise, this game could be over in a hurry.
2 Georgetown vs. 6 Vanderbilt:
Georgetown looks to continue its strong play after a solid 62-55 victory against their old Big East rivals, seven-seed Boston College. Georgetown was able to overcome the two-three defensive zone of Boston College, and two crucial treys late sank the Eagles. Vanderbilt was able to persevere for the upset against three-seed Washington State in double overtime, led by Derrick Byars’ five three-pointers, his crucial blocked shot, and rallying enthusiasm in overtime. Vanderbilt will need that leadership against a physical Big East juggernaut in Georgetown. The Commodores will also have to keep the Hoyas from netting their average field-goal percentage at nearly 51 per cent.
