Saturday, March 21, 2015

NCAA Tournament, Day 4: Complete the Sweet

The Sweet 16 will be set by the end of today. Which of the teams below will join the 8 who are already through? We'll find out soon.

12:10PM, CBS - (7) Michigan St. vs. (2) Virginia - This has the potential to be a very, very good game. Virginia has been one the best teams in the country all season long, but they haven't been the same team since Justin Anderson's injury. He's back now but hasn't looked full strength yet. Michigan St. has played their best basketball of late. They just took Wisconsin to overtime in the Big 10 title game and beat Georgia easily in the first round. Will Virginia get back to the way they played earlier this season? Will Michigan St. be able to score enough? We'll find out.

2:40PM, CBS - (8) San Diego St. vs. (1) Duke - Speaking of can they score enough, San Diego St. has struggled to put the ball through the basket all season long. Their defense has carried them. That was before their game against St. John's. The Aztecs put up 76 points, their highest total since January 20. They will need every bit of that offense if they are going to knock off the Blue Devils. Duke is one of the best offensive teams in the country and should put up points even against SDSU's stellar D.

5:15PM, CBS - (7) Wichita St. vs. (2) Kansas - What an intriguing matchup. Wichita St. has been trying to schedule Kansas for years. The Jayhawks would have none of it. They can't avoid the game now, though. The Shockers will surely want to prove they are in a league with Kansas, and Kansas will want to prove they had no business playing Wichita St. Our guess is that this will be a hotly contested and evenly matched game. Circle this one. You want to miss it.

6:10PM, TNT - (11) Dayton vs. (3) Oklahoma - Dayton has won two games in this tournament already, but they are undersized and undermanned. Do they have enough in the tank to win another and get back to the Sweet 16? Oklahoma hasn't been to the Sweet 16 since 2009, but the Sooners have one of their best teams in recent memory. If they can wear down Dayton, they should move on. But we have learned by now not to count out the Flyers no matter the odds.

7:10PM, TBS - (7) Iowa vs. (2) Gonzaga - The Zags didn't exactly struggle in their opening game against North Dakota St., but they weren't impressive either. Iowa, though, was nothing but impressive. The Hawkeyes absolutely dismantled Davidson. If they play like that, they will give Gonzaga all they can handle. The Zags, once Sweet 16 regulars, haven't been since 2009. Fans of the Bulldogs want to see their team playing in the second weekend again. Mark Few does too.

7:45PM, truTV - (8) Oregon vs. (1) Wisconsin - Kentucky would have been our last pick for a number one seed to lose in the second round. Wisconsin is our second to last pick. The Badgers have been playing extremely well for quite awhile now. Then again, so has Oregon. The Ducks have won 8 of 9 and won't be afraid of going against a number one seed.

8:40PM, TNT - (5) West Virginia vs. (4) Maryland - This might start sounding like a broken record, but if Maryland can keep from turning the ball over they should beat WVU. That's easier said than done, of course. The Mountaineers pressure has been dominant this season and fueled them to this point. If they can create problems for the Terps' offense, WVU can get their shot at Kentucky.

9:40PM, TBS - (5) Northern Iowa vs. (4) Louisville - The Cardinals escaped UC Irvine. Was that their test on the way to a longer tournament run or was it a sign of things to come for Louisville? They have not played particularly well since dismissing Chris Jones. Northern Iowa's defense could cause some problems for Louisville who sometimes has trouble scoring. It should be a lower-scoring game that will come down to the wire.

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