Predictions: Sweet 16 Friday

We’ve got half of the Elite Eight already made up, as Arizona, UConn, Butler, and Florida were all winners last night in Sweet 16 action, with four more games on tap for tonight.

So with that being said, let’s get right to some predictions for tonight’s matchups:

2 North Carolina vs. 11 Marquette – 7:15 PM ET, CBS

Seriously, how can you not love Buzz Williams? The guys has done an incredible job leading Marquette to this point in the tournament, and while most may feel that the Tar Heels are a heavy favorite here, I don’t think that’s the case at all. I was surprised to see UNC play as well as they did against Washington, as the slow starts in the ACC Tournament were a cause for concern heading into the Big Dance. But they found a way to win against the Huskies, and not get this pesky Marquette team with a trip to the Elite Eight on the line.

I really want to pick the Golden Eagles. They have all the pieces to beat this Carolina team. Jae Crowder is physical enough inside to give Tyler Zeller some problems, and Darius Johnson-Odom and Jimmy Butler are playing some fantastic basketball right now on the outside. However, from top to bottom, North Carolina is better. And while that should make me want to pick them to win this game, sometimes you just have to go with your gut. My gut says that Marquette wins this game.

Prediction: Marquette 70, North Carolina 65

1 Kansas vs. 12 Richmond – 7:27 PM ET, TBS

In my Sweet 16 power rankings a few days ago, I had the Spiders in the 16th spot. That doesn’t mean that they’re a bad team, but I do think they are simply over matched here. While Ohio State has looked like the best team in this tournament thus far, Kansas hasn’t been too far behind them. Yes, the Jayhawks have had this particular side of the bracket open up for them quite nicely, but that doesn’t mean we should discount just how strong of a team that they are simply because of the way the other games in this region have played out.

Richmond will clearly try to slow the pace in this one, and get Kevin Anderson going early on. He’ll have to have a big game if they want to keep this close, as I’m not sure he can get enough help on the offensive end of the floor to upset the top seed in this region. On the other side, Kansas simply has too many weapons, and while Richmond has played great defense to this point, it’s going to be hard for them to contain the Morris twins and the rest of the supporting cast for the Jayhawks.

Prediction: Kansas 69, Richmond 56

1 Ohio State vs. 4 Kentucky – 9:45 PM ET, CBS

Probably the best matchup in the round of 16, as both the Buckeyes and Wildcats come in red hot. Again, Ohio State has clearly been the best team in this tournament thus far, and have completely justified their number one ranking for most of the season. On the other side, while Kentucky has had their fair share of struggles on the road this season, they have been in tournament mode here lately, winning the SEC Tournament over Florida, and finding ways to beat Princeton and West Virginia in the first two rounds of this tournament.

Even though Ohio State has looked great recently, I don’t expect this to be very easy at all. Kentucky has loads of future NBA talent, and Brandon Knight and Terrence Jones are going to be difficult to contain. But the big key will be who stops Jared Sullinger. And in that particular aspect of this game, Kentucky has no answer. So when the Wildcats have to double down to try and contain him, there’s gonna be a whole lot of three pointers flying for the Buckeyes on the outside. Kentucky will be able to score with them, but defensively, I can’t see them making enough stops to knock off the top seed.

Prediction: Ohio State 83, Kentucky 75

10 Florida State vs. 11 VCU – 9:57 PM ET, TBS

For those of you who had this matchup in the Sweet 16, well, I congratulate you. Not many people saw this coming, especially not on the VCU side of things. But the Rams have let their up-tempo style speak for itself in their first three games in this tournament, winning by double digits over three power conference teams in USC, Georgetown, and Purdue. Meanwhile, Florida State has been absolutely fantastic on defense (like they’ve been for much of the year), but they’re offense has been what’s so surprising about their run. They’ve had a great flow going offensively, and they’ll need to keep that up if they want to hang with this high-scoring VCU team.

Of all of the games in this round, this is the one that stumps me the most. Can the Seminoles really continue to play as well as they have on offense? And on the other side, can VCU impose their style on a defensive juggernaut like Florida State? There’s so many different ways this game could play out, and it’s a toss-up as to which team could take control in this one. But all things considered, I think you have to have more confidence in Shaka Smart‘s squad here. They’ve proven what they can do, and if they play the same way tonight, they’ll win the game. Motivation is a concern, as they’ve already proven the doubters wrong by getting to this point. But I think they bring it once again, and Florida State struggles to keep up.

Prediction: VCU 72, Florida State 64

Who ya got in tonight’s games?

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