CBB: Sweet Sixteen Predictions
The first weekend of the NCAA Tournament was incredible per usual, as (12) Middle Tennessee State upset (5) Minnesota, (8) Wisconsin slipped by (1) Villanova, (11) Xavier blew past (3) Florida State, (7) Michigan took down (2) Louisville, (1) North Carolina came back to defeat (8) Arkansas, and (7) South Carolina shocked (2) Duke. And now it's time for the Sweet Sixteen. Tunde Aduroja and I have complied a top-25, predictions for all of the Round of 16 games, and Most Outstanding Player rankings. Let's take a look at how the second weekend of March Madness will play out.
Composite Top-25:
1. Kansas (30-4)
2. Gonzaga (34-1)
3. North Carolina (29-7)
4. UCLA (31-4)
5. Arizona (32-4)
6. Baylor (27-7)
7. Oregon (31-5)
8. Kentucky (31-5)
9. Purdue (27-7)
10. Florida (26-8)
11. Butler (25-8)
12. Wisconsin (27-9)
13. West Virginia (28-8)
14. South Carolina (24-10)
15. Xavier (23-13)
16. Michigan (26-11)
17. Villanova (32-4)
18. SMU (30-5)
19. Wichita State (30-5)
20. St. Mary's (29-5)
21. Cincinnati (30-6)
22. Duke (28-9)
23. Florida State (26-9)
24. Louisville (25-9)
25. Notre Dame (25-10)
(7) Michigan vs. (3) Oregon
(4) West Virginia vs. (1) Gonzaga
(4) Purdue vs. (1) Kansas
(11) Xavier vs. (2) Arizona
(4) Butler vs. (1) North Carolina
(7) South Carolina vs. (3) Baylor
(3) UCLA vs. (2) Kentucky
(8) Wisconsin vs. (4) Florida
Tournament Record: 38-10.
Overall Record: 171-65.
Winning Percentage: 72.5%.
(7) Michigan vs. (3) Oregon
(4) West Virginia vs. (1) Gonzaga
(4) Purdue vs. (1) Kansas
(11) Xavier vs. (2) Arizona
(4) Butler vs. (1) North Carolina
(7) South Carolina vs. (3) Baylor
(3) UCLA vs. (2) Kentucky
(8) Wisconsin vs. (4) Florida
Tournament Record: 35-13.
Overall Record: 67-29.
Winning Percentage: 69.8%.
(7) Michigan vs. (3) Oregon
(4) West Virginia vs. (1) Gonzaga
(4) Purdue vs. (1) Kansas
(11) Xavier vs. (2) Arizona
(4) Butler vs. (1) North Carolina
(7) South Carolina vs. (3) Baylor
(3) UCLA vs. (2) Kentucky
(8) Wisconsin vs. (4) Florida
Tournament Record: 42-6.
Overall Record: 120-48.
Winning Percentage: 71.4%.
Video Credit: NCAA March Madness on Youtube.
Pre-Season Final Four Picks:
Pre-Tournament Final Four Picks:
*Champion is highlighted, Runner-Up is boldfaced.
Why We Picked Our National Champion:
Post: I believe there are eight teams that have a chance to win the title (Arizona, Duke, Kansas, Gonzaga, Michigan, North Carolina, UCLA, and Villanova), but my pick is for NORTH CAROLINA to take home the championship. Even in the one-and-done era, the senior laden teams like 2010 Duke, 2011 UCONN, 2013 Louisville, and 2016 Villanova have been able to finish the job. North Carolina has experienced players that are used to playing in March in Nate Britt, Joel Berry II, Justin Jackson, Isaiah Hicks, and Kennedy Meeks. Jackson (18.1 points, 4.6 rebounds per game), the ACC Player of the Year, has been outstanding. With his length, he is able to attack the basket and finish around opponents' big men, as well as knock down shots on the perimeter. Hicks and Meeks are great rebounders and dominate the offensive and defensive backboards. Not to mention Berry II being a great shooter and ball handler, Britt being a lockdown on-ball defender, and a deep bench with Tony Bradley Jr., Luke Maye, Theo Pinson, and Seventh Woods. Lastly, the Heels are led by Roy Williams who has been to the Final Four 8 times and has won it all twice. This team has all of the makings to avenge their heartbreak from last season.
Aduroja: UCLA scares me a lot (not always the most intense team defensively) but I'm banking heavily on their fantastic offense, led by Lonzo Ball, Bryce Alford, T.J. Leaf, and Isaac Hamilton. Ball has an amazing ability to read the floor and find open teammates, and UCLA's up-tempo pace means that they tend to play a high-scoring brand of basketball that most teams simply can't match. They spread the floor extremely well, and Ball has shown the ability to score whenever the Bruins need him to. Expect the boys from Westwood to cut down the nets in April.
Most Outstanding Player Rankings:
1. Frank Mason (Kansas PG) — 20.8 points, 5.8 assists per game.
2. Lonzo Ball (UCLA PG) — 14.7 points, 7.6 assists per game.
3. Caleb Swanigan (Purdue PF) — 18.5 points, 12.6 rebounds per game.
4. Justin Jackson (North Carolina SF) — 18.1 points, 4.7 rebounds per game.
5. Josh Jackson (Kansas SF) — 16.6 points, 7.1 rebounds per game.
Photo Credit: Campus Insiders.
