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Let’s get right to the point: Now that you have no chance of winning money off your bracket, I’m going to give you a little insight into the Sweet 16 matchups on Thursday and Friday.
Midwest Region
9 Northern Iowa vs. 5 Michigan State: After defeating University of Nevada, Las Vegas and Kansas to get here, people are starting to believe Northern Iowa has what it takes to continue to advance in this tournament. They have a blue-collar mentality on defense and the ability to go inside out on offense. Michigan State’s point guard Kalin Lucas is done for the season after rupturing his Achilles against Maryland. Without Lucas, the Spartans struggle offensively. Expect this game to be a grind. My pick: Northern Iowa 61-56.
6 Tennessee vs. 2 Ohio State: This is an intriguing matchup, as I’m not convinced either of these teams are elite. However, there is one thing that separates the two: Evan Turner. He’s arguably the best and most versatile player in the country and he plays for the Buckeyes. Therefore, my pick: Ohio State 69-60.
East Region
1 Kentucky vs. 12 Cornell: Kentucky has been the most dominant team in the tournament thus far (with Syracuse a close second). Cornell is another mid-major that has been impressive and, in my opinion, is the best of the five left. Unfortunately, they don’t have the athletes to match up with Kentucky, and Kentucky’s speed will allow them to neutralize some of Cornell’s outside shooting. I’d love to pick Cornell, but I just can’t. My pick: Kentucky 83-71.
11 Washington vs. 2 West Virginia: Of all the teams left, Washington is the biggest question mark for me. Of all the lower seeds left, they have had the easiest road defeating Marquette and a New Mexico team that did not look deserving of a three seed. I’m much more familiar with the Mountaineer team led by Da’Sean Butler, a guy who does as much for his team as Evan Turner does for Ohio State. I think West Virginia was more battle-tested in the regular season and that will be the difference. My pick: West Virginia 84-75.
West Region
1 Syracuse vs. 5 Butler: There are two absolute locks to win in the Sweet 16. Syracuse is one of them. That’s all you need to know. My pick: Syracuse 71-58.
6 Xavier vs. 2 Kansas State: This is another interesting match-up with both teams balanced offensively and defensively. Kansas State has my favorite player left in the tournament in Denis Clemente and is a group of tough kids coached by a tough man in Frank Martin. When in doubt, go with the tougher team. My pick: Kansas State 80-71.
South Region
3 Baylor vs. 10 St. Mary’s: This is the most difficult game of the eight for me. Both of these teams are good, but I’m not completely sold on either. In a case like this, I usually make a decision based on who has the best player. However, that’s unclear to me as Baylor’s Lacedarius Dunn and St. Mary’s’ Omar Samhan are equally talented. Therefore, I’m going with the team that has had the tougher road so far. My pick: St. Mary’s 73-66.
1 Duke vs. 4 Purdue: This is the other game that is an absolute lock. If you want to make up for the money you lost in your tournament pool, just bet on Duke to beat Purdue. Duke is playing as well as anyone in the country and Purdue is missing their best player and just squeaked by a very average Texas A&M team in overtime. Bet big on Duke. They’re just better. My pick: Duke 69-55.
