Monday,
I shared my reaction from the first weekend of the tournament. I loved some
things, was disappointed in others, but overall it set the stage for some great
upcoming battles. The matchups we have now lead me to think we could have many
more epic battles awaiting us.
Today,
I will go through and break down each region as it stands now. I will answer
the same questions I answered last Tuesday, but focus on the current field.
Some of the answers may have changed, others haven’t. Below are my thoughts on
the favorites, the upset potentials, the best matchups, and four players from
each region to watch.
South
Region
Favorite
Andrew: As I said last weekend,
Florida is the favorite. I think they are more of a favorite now too as there
are two double-digit seeds remaining.
Region
Darkhorse
Andrew:
I’ll go
with Stanford. Randle and Powell are a formidable combo and it seems as if they
are tough to prepare for.
Best
“Sweet 16” Matchup
Andrew:
Florida and
UCLA is very intriguing because UCLA is all about offense, Florida is
predicated on defense.
Best
Potential “Elite 8” Matchup
Andrew:
Florida vs.
Stanford would be the best game. Honestly though, Florida won’t be challenged
this weekend.
Best
Individual Matchups This Weekend (Actual/Potential)
Andrew:
Kyle
Anderson (UCLA) vs. Scottie Wilbiken (Florida). They won’t guard each other,
but each are great playmakers for their teams. They are two of the most
important players in the country as well.
Upset
Potential? (For Sweet 16 and/or Elite 8 games)
Andrew:
If an upset
happens, it will be UCLA over Florida. The Bruins could get hot and put up
enough points to pull it off.
Four
Players to Watch in This Region
Andrew:
I mentioned
Anderson and Wilbiken already, but I’ll add Dwight Powell (Stanford) who is a
matchup nightmare as well. From Dayton watch out for Dyshawn Pierre, the
leading scorer.
West
Region
Favorite
Andrew:
Arizona has
looked incredible so far and has backed up their stake as the region favorite.
They seem to be clicking on both offense and defense. Wisconsin has been good
too.
Region
Darkhorse
Andrew:
Baylor has
played great basketball in the tournament, and really has been playing well for
the last month. The way they blew out Creighton proves to me that they could go
to the Final Four.
Best
“Sweet 16” Matchup
Andrew: Baylor vs. Wisconsin is the
better of the two. Both teams have shot the ball well in the tourney, and both
are capable of solid defense.
Best
Potential “Elite 8” Matchup
Andrew:
I want to
see Baylor vs. Arizona, because both teams have great big men. It’s rare in a
“guard’s game” but the bigs would rule the day here.
Best
Individual Matchups This Weekend (Actual/Potential)
Andrew:
Xavier
Thames vs. Nick Johnson in the Sweet 16 will be tasty. Both guards are
All-American caliber, yet both have flown under the radar all season.
Upset
Potential? (For Sweet 16 and/or Elite 8 games)
Andrew:
Baylor has
the potential to upset anyone in the region. Look out!
Four
Players to Watch in This Region
Andrew:
Nick
Johnson (Arizona), Xavier Thames (San Diego State), Kenny Chery (Baylor), and
Trevon Jackson (Wisconsin). These guards are critical to their team’s success.
Whoever performs best will end up winning.
Midwest
Region
Favorite
Andrew: I said Wichita State last
week, but now it’s Louisville or Kentucky. Louisville was my Final Four pick,
but if Kentucky plays as well as they did Sunday, then they will go to the
Final Four.
Region
Darkhorse
Andrew:
Tennessee
has made it this far with ease. Outside of Iowa in the First Four, they have
blown teams away. They have terrific players in the frontcourt, and are playing
their best basketball of the season.
Best
“Sweet 16” Matchup
Andrew:
The matchup
of the week is Louisville vs. Kentucky. Top two teams in the preseason, playing
their best ball of the year, in-state rivals, and the last two national champs.
Best
Potential “Elite 8” Matchup
Andrew:
Louisville
vs. Michigan. This was the championship game last year, and it could be just as
close of a game now.
Best
Individual Matchups This Weekend (Actual/Potential)
Andrew:
Russ Smith
vs. Nik Stauskas. These two scorers could go back and forth if they play. I’m
licking my chops already.
Upset
Potential? (For Sweet 16 and/or Elite 8 games)
Andrew:
Kentucky
can take out Louisville, as they already have this season. They will need to
play their best however, just like they did against the Shockers.
Four
Players to Watch in This Region
Andrew:
Julius
Randle (Kentucky) has to play to his potential to move on. Luke Hancock
(Louisville) is the X-Factor for the Cardinals, just like last year. Jordan
McRae (Tennessee) really makes this team dynamic. And Caris LeVert (Michigan)
has become a matchup nightmare.
East
Region
Favorite
Andrew:
I said
Michigan State last week, but I’ll go with Virginia now. They’ve answered the
questions concerning them as a #1, and I was so impressed with their easy win
over Memphis. MSU has played well, but looked shaky against Harvard.
Region
Darkhorse
Andrew:
Connecticut.
I’d say Iowa State if Niang weren’t injured. But UCONN can ride Napier all the
way.
Best
“Sweet 16” Matchup
Andrew:
Michigan
State vs. Virginia should be a great game. They both rely on upperclassmen, and
both teams have great coaches.
Best
Potential “Elite 8” Matchup
Andrew:
Iowa State
vs. Michigan State would be a great game. Both teams can really score and have
some major athletes.
Best
Individual Matchups This Weekend (Actual/Potential)
Andrew:
Gary Harris
vs. Joe Harris. Which player is better? They both do everything well, so this
would be fun.
Upset
Potential? (For Sweet 16 and/or Elite 8 games)
Andrew:
I think
Michigan State can beat Virginia (since I picked MSU to win it all they
better). If that doesn’t count, then I also think UCONN can beat ISU.
Four
Players to Watch in This Region
Andrew:
I mentioned
both Harris’s… one from MSU, and the other from Virginia. DeAndre Kane (Iowa
State) is a big-time scorer. Shabazz Napier (Connecticut) could be the best point
guard in the country.
That’s
it! Feel free to make comments if you agree or disagree. Tell me what your
thoughts are on these topics. Later…
By:
The Sports Guys
No comments:
Post a Comment