There’s so much buildup to the NCAA Tournament. Teams have been practicing since October and
playing games since November. For 68
teams, the success of the season comes down to six games in March. The tournament always flies by. Before we know it, we’re watching the
national championship game on a Monday night, and can’t wait until next
November to start it up again.
There’s only one team that will win their last game, but
that doesn’t mean that it won’t be a successful season for the 67 teams who
don’t cut down the nets in New Orleans.
Now that we’re through the first full weekend, we’re down to the final
sixteen. Here’s my Sweet (and Sour) 16.
WINNERS
1.
Kentucky
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Freshman Anthony Davis has become more of an
all-around player this year. |
There is no denying that the Kentucky Wildcats are the best
team in the tournament. Their number one
overall seed was no fluke, and they only lost once before the SEC Tournament
championship game. They’ve annihilated
both teams they played so far in the tournament (although Iowa State kept it
close for 25-30 minutes before I blinked and Kentucky went up by 20). Indiana was the only team to beat them in the
regular season, on a last second three in Bloomington. It pains me to say that I think the Wildcats
get their revenge on Friday night.
2.
Kansas
The Jayhawks had no trouble with Detroit in the Round of 64,
but they ran into an, in my opinion, underseeded Purdue team playing with a
chip on their shoulder. Having watched
Robbie Hummel play his entire career in West Lafayette, I can say that he’s one
of those kids I would pick for my team anytime, anywhere. They’ll take on a pretty decent NC State team
who (patting myself on the back here) I predicted would make it this far. I think the Jayhawks’ athleticism gives them
the clear advantage here.
3.
North Carolina
They’ve shown that they can be the best team in the
country. They’ve also shown that they
can run and hide with the best of them.
The Tar Heels come in banged up.
John Henson sat out their second round matchup against Vermont, and
point guard Kendall Marshal had wrist surgery on Monday. Marshall may try and play, as the wrist he
broke is on his off arm. There’s just no
way he can be as effective as he needs to be though, especially as the primary
ball handler. They can probably beat the
Bobcats of Ohio without him, but an Elite Eight matchup with Kansas would be
different.
4.
Syracuse
What a season for the Orange. Bernie Fine, eligibility issues, drugs, and
now Fab Melo won’t play for the rest of this season. To say it’s been a roller coaster for the
Orange is an understatement. It’s been
more like Apollo 13. Give Jim Boeheim
credit for keeping his team on the right track through all the
distractions. Say what you will about
the end of their second round matchup against #16 UNC-Asheville, but the Orange
are one of the best teams in the country, even without Melo. That being said, the loss of Melo most likey
will derail their ultimate goal—the National Championship.
5.
Marquette
Buzz Williams is one of the best coaches to watch on the
sidelines. He’s got to be the most
hyperactive coach in college basketball.
If I were him, I’d buy 35 new shirts every season, because he sweats so
much during a game it probably ruins the shirt.
Nevertheless, he’s got the Golden Eagles playing at an extremely high
level. Jae Crowder and Darius
Johnson-Odom makeup one of the best one-two combos in all of college
hoops. I’ve got them in my Final Four,
and they could find themselves playing in the championship game.
6.
Ohio State
The Buckeyes fall this far down on my list because I don’t
fully believe in them. Don’t get me
wrong, they can be one of the best teams out there, but there’s just something
about them that I don’t like, and I can’t put my finger on it. Get Jared Sullinger in foul trouble, and
their advantage on the block goes out the window. On the other hand, I believe that one of the
ingredients to winning in March is good guard play and Aaron Craft provides
that, especially on the defensive end of the floor. If William Buford gets hot, the other team
had better run and hide. They take on in
state rival Cincinnati in the Sweet 16.
7.
Michigan State
Gotta love a Tom Izzo team in March, right? This group of Spartans is no different. While the injury to Brandon Dawson hurts,
Draymond Green is the type of player, the type of senior, who will do ANYTHING
to make sure his team wins. Keith
Appling provides strong backcourt play.
Travis Trice and Adreian Payne are part of the young core. Add in the Izzo effect, and the Spartans will
be a tough out the rest of the way.
8.
Baylor
The Bears are a good team, and they’re certainly capable of
making the Final Four. But personally, I
haven’t been super impressed with them.
They struggled with South Dakota State, and beat a Colorado team that
won the very weak Pac 12. Perry Jones
III can be one of the best in college hoops, but he has games where he doesn’t
show up at all. The Bears will settle
for jump shots, and that’s when they struggle.
Quincy Acy needs to play well, and Brady Heslip needs to shoot well for
the Bears to have a chance.
LOSERS
1.
Ohio
The Bobcats are the most qualified to be dubbed Cinderella. That being said, I think the ball is over and
the glass slipper won’t fit anymore. I
won’t pretend to know anything about Ohio basketball. Good for them, though. They upset a good Michigan team, and then
were able to escape South Florida. They’re
at the big boy table now, though, up against the Tar Heels.
2.
NC State
The Wolfpack are a good basketball team. Mark Gottfried is one of the best coaches no one
knows about. CJ Leslie is a spectacular
player who can fill up the stat sheet and take over a game. He has some decent supporting players around
him, but ultimately not enough to go any further. I expect a close game with Kansas, but as I
said earlier, the Jayhawks are just too athletic, and too good.
3.
Xavier
Think back to December.
December 10
th to be exact.
The opponent was crosstown rival Cincinnati. What ended up being a blowout win for the
Musketeers turned ugly when a brawl erupted with just a few seconds left in the
game. Then Terrell “Tu” Holloway dropped
this gem. Xavier lost five of its next six, but somehow
they’re in the Sweet 16. Holloway made a
shot that big time players make to beat Notre Dame, then they put Lehigh back
in their place. Wouldn’t be totally
shocked to see them beat Baylor, but I don’t think so.
4.
Cincinnati
Mick Cronin is a good coach.
He handled the Xavier brawl situation with class. Some say his suspensions weren’t enough based
on the actions of his players, but that’s beside the point. The Bearcats start four guards, and I worry
about Yancy Gates’ ability to stay out of foul trouble against Jared
Sullinger. The Bearcats’ run ends here.
5.
Wisconsin
Wisconsin basketball reminds me of Big Ten football. They’re great in conference, but when it
comes time for postseason play, they can never get over the hump. They haven’t been past the Sweet 16 since
2005, when they lost the regional final to the eventual champion North
Carolina. Bo Ryan is a good coach, and
they play their game all the time. They
want to slow it down, but that’s not to say they can’t run. I think, though, they’ll have trouble with
guarding Syracuse, even without Fab Melo.
Badgers out.
6.
Florida
Billy Donovan knows success in March. Three Final Fours and two National
Championships. They got by Virginia in
the second round, then caught a break when Norfolk State knocked off Missouri
to advance to the round of 32. The
Gators quickly put them back in their place, opening a 47-19 halftime
lead. They’ll face significantly better
competition in Marquette, who as I mentioned earlier has a legitimate shot to
get to the final game.
7.
Indiana
As a Hoosiers fan, it’s been an incredible season. Tom Crean has done a great job with the
team. Quite frankly, they’ve already far
exceeded my expectations for the year. I
thought that they’d be an NIT team for sure, maybe on the bubble of the Big
Dance. I guess I underestimated the
effect Cody Zeller would have. It’s not
just Zeller, though. It’s the
improvement of Victor Oladipo and Will Sheehey, along with Christian
Watford. That all being said, they’re up
against a Kentucky team that is playing their best ball of the season right
now, and they’ll be out for blood.
Watford’s game winner at Assembly Hall in December is a moment I’ll
never forget, but Indiana must play this game in Atlanta. The Hoosiers won’t get blown out, but I don’t
think they’ll win, either.
8.
Louisville
The only question you have to ask yourself about Louisville,
is “How did Peyton Siva do?” He plays
well, they usually win. He doesn’t play
well, they usually lose. This game
against Michigan State is as much a toss-up as any of the games this
weekend. Can’t decide…but I did pick MSU
in my bracket, so I’ve got to go with Sparty.
