It’s officially Sweet Sixteen time in March, and no I’m not talking about a teenage girl’s birthday, I’m talking college basketball. The first two rounds of play saw lots of action, and lots of favorites winning.
This is only the fifth time in NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) tournament history that all 1 and 2 seeds have made it to the Sweet Sixteen. Upsets seem to be lacking this tournament. You know what isn’t lacking? My predictions. After going 12-4 in the second round, and 32-16 overall, I’m about to reveal the script for the Elite Eight.
To start, we have No. 2 Arizona vs No. 6 Clemson: I have doubted Clemson twice so far, and they’ve proved me wrong twice. As much as I look at how good these ACC teams have been this tournament, I still don’t think a team like the Tigers can compete with Arizona, leading me to advance the Wildcats to the West region final.
No.1 UConn vs No. 5 San Diego State: A rematch of last year’s national championship game where UConn beat SDSU 76-59, the defending champs will be seeing a very similar style of Aztecs squad. San Diego State’s defense-oriented team can cause problems, as they were a five seed last year who beat the number one overall seed Alabama in the Sweet Sixteen last year. However, they will not get upset this year, as UConn is just way too good. Huskies move to the Elite Eight in the East region.
No. 1 North Carolina vs No. 4 Alabama: Before I point out the matchup, I need to say that Mark Sears for Alabama is an absolute stud. In a close battle vs. a tough Grand Canyon team, he was able to keep his team ahead to win. Now they’ve got a much harder opponent this game, with North Carolina, who I’m not too high on. Michigan State wasn’t a big challenge for UNC, but Bama hasn’t played much better teams. I think Alabama if they can limit fouls will outpace UNC, so give me the Crimson Tide to upset.
No. 2 Iowa State vs No. 3 Illinois: The Fighting Illini have been very overlooked all tournament. They have two really big wins so far. However, I look at this Iowa State team and I see a championship contender, because of this, give me the Cyclones.
No. 2 Marquette vs No. 11 NC State: NC State is the only double-digit seed in the tournament still, which is upsetting as a fan. Marquette had a battle with Colorado, and NC State edged out a win against Oakland. I don’t think Marquette is the most legit team, give me NC State for the upset.
No. 1 Purdue vs No. 5 Gonzaga: Two teams who looked fantastic in the round of 32, Purdue is still a questionable team, now playing a red-hot Zags squad. Gonzaga is a different beast in March, as long as it is before the Final Four. The biggest concern is how they will limit Zach Edey, and I don’t think they will be able to. The Boilermakers move to the Midwest final.
No. 1 Houston vs No. 4 Duke: Duke impresses me a lot right now. Freshman guard Jared McCain looks awesome, as he drops 30 on your favorite team and then posts a TikTok dance in the locker room right after. However, I think the strength of the teams they’ve played doesn’t match the A&M team that Houston just had to play, and Houston pulling out a win in their OT thriller was impressive, so give me the Cougars to go to the Elite Eight.
No. 2 Tennessee vs No. 3 Creighton: SEC vs Big East, two different playing styles. I think this Tennessee team has its weak spots, which a team like Creighton will exploit. That being said, give the Blue Jays a win over the Vols, and be the final winner of the Sweet Sixteen.
Jonathan Sprenke
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