NCAA Tournament: Virginia, Tennessee, Purdue and Oregon remain in South Region
Who gets out of the South Region?
Virginia vs. Oregon
All good runs come to an end at some point, and Oregon is not about to win the championship. People may look at the Duck’s winning streak and the Cavaliers’ tournament history as a reason to predict an upset, but Virginia has their confidence back. Oregon went over nine minutes in the middle of the UC Irvine game without scoring. That may be survivable against the Anteaters, but a run like that against the Cavaliers will end their season, and saying the Virginia will be better on defense than the UC Irvine is an understatement. At the end of the day, while Oregon’s defense is good, the Virginia defense will prove why they are great.
Score: Virginia wins 72 – 54
Purdue vs. Tennessee
This game should turn out to be the most tightly contested in the entire Sweet Sixteen. The two are ranked one after another in overall efficiency. Purdue possesses a slightly more efficient defense compared to Tennessee, but the Volunteers have the slight advantage on the offensive end. The Volunteers have struggled more in the tournament so far, but every game is a new opportunity to bounce back. The break should benefit them as they regroup and prepare for Purdue. At the end of the day, Tennessee has more weapons to turn to in the final moments of a close game. This should give them a slight edge.
Score: Tennessee wins 74-72
Next. Ranking the Sweet 16 teams. dark
Virginia vs. Tennessee
Virginia is too good of a program to continue to fall before reaching the Final Four. Right? Perhaps they will embarrass themselves yet again, but all signs point to this team being the one to finally get Tony Bennett over the hump and challenge for a National Championship in Minnesota. If they take care of Oregon and come in to the Elite Eight fresh against Tennessee, or Purdue for that matter, they will have no excuse.