Sweet 16

Sundays games were dull to say the least, well in comparison to Saturdays. Tennessee/Virginia came down to the wire but no one seemed like they wanted to win the game. There were missed free throws and if JR Reynolds doesn't get hurt, Virginia is on its way to San Antonio. But, an ankle injury to the Senior and missed desperation 3-pointer by Sean Singletary spelled disaster for the Cavs.

The biggest upset of the day was UNLV over Wisconsin. In my pool, I thought Georgia Tech would take out Wisconsin this round but UNLV did it instead. Wisconsin really had a disappointing end to a very promising season. The Brian Butch injury really killed their interior and essentially ended their title hopes.

So, the Sweet 16 is set and most of the games should be good ones. That's the advantage of having the better teams avoid the upsets in the 1st and 2nd Rounds. Last season, Bradley was a 13 seed and in the Sweet 16. This year, the highest seed is a 7, which is absolutely unbelievable considering the unpredictability of this tourney.

Previews & Predictions:

Florida v. Butler: The Bulldogs are very similar to that moth that gets inside your house and you cant catch. They are annoying. AJ Graves looks like one of those kids who had an ant farm in high school. However, they execute better than any team in college basketball and that has allowed them to take down Notre Dame, Indiana, Tennessee, Gonzaga and now Maryland this season. Having said that, they will not beat Florida. The dancing queen, Joakim Noah and Al Horford will be too much down low for the perimeter happy Bulldogs. If Butler can control the tempo, it could be close but it would be an upset of epic proportions.

Oregon v. UNLV: This is an intriguing matchup. Oregon has one of the best backcourts in the country but UNLV is Senior-laden and has the coaching edge with Lon Kruger, who took Florida to the Final 4 in 1994. I like Oregon to win a nail biter and advancing to play Florida for the right to go to Atlanta.

Kansas v. Southern Illinois: The Salukis really bit me in the ass this season. I didn't like the way they played in the MVC Championship against Creighton and I loved the Seniors on VA Tech. Boy, was I wrong. The Salukis play suffocating defense and could legitimately beat Kansas if they can get the Jayhawks to play their tempo. With that said, Kansas should have too much athleticism and length for Southern Illinois and should move on to the Elite 8.

UCLA v. Pitt: This is the sexy matchup of the Sweet 16. Ben Howland v. his old team and his protigee, Jamie Dixon. Pitt struggled at the end of the VCU game but showed great character in OT to pull it out. UCLA manhandled Indiana for 35 minutes but allowed Indiana to make a huge comeback to tie it in the final minute. However, Aaron Affalo showed why he is the clutchest player in the college game not named Acie Law by putting his team on his back to pull it out. Both teams play the same style but this will be a virtual home game for UCLA and Pitt will have to go across country. I like UCLA and of course, I have them cutting down the nets in Atlanta so I have to pick that.

UNC v. USC: Before the tourney started, I told my brother that if USC got to this game they could beat North Carolina. The Trojans have amazing athleticism and is the most under publicized defensive juggernaut in college basketball. They will need Nick Young to be a star. Carolina struggled with Michigan State but pulled away late. I look for their depth to put them over the top and I dont like that USC has to go across country to New Jersey to play this game. NOTE: USC could be on an emotional mission though considering their PG was shot to death last year, this could be a tribute. Either way, USC will be nasty next year with the addition of the troubled but highly talented OJ Mayo.

Vandy v. Georgetown: Georgetown struggled with BC but the Eagles were familiar with their style of play from their days in the Big East. Vandy won a classic 2OT thriller against Washington State. If Georgetown defends the 3, this wont be close. If Vandy can get up and down and limit the backdoor cuts, this could be a good one. Advantage: Hoyas

Ohio State v. Tennessee: Ohio State showed their vulnerability against Xavier and needed a miraculous shot to get them here. These two teams played earlier in the year in Columbus and it went down to the wire with the Buckeyes pulling it out late. To me, this has upset alert written all over it. If Ohio State establishes Oden inside and then uses his success inside to kick the ball out to the 3-point shooters, the Buckeyes will advance. If Tennessee can contain either Oden or the 3-point shooting and they can get Chris Lofton some open looks, they have a chance to pull the upset. I have Ohio State in the Final 4 so my pick is Ohio State.

Memphis v. Texas A&M: The Aggies showed their grit by winning a practical road game against Louisville. Acie Law is the clutchest player in America and with the game being in San Antonio, the advantage is clearly with the Aggies. Say whatever you want about Memphis and their softer than Charmin schedule within Conference USA, they can flat out play and have amazing athleticism. However, Chris Douglas-Roberts hurt his ankle at the end of the Nevada game today. He is their leading scorer and if he cant go, they will need contributions off the bench. I love the Aggies in this one.