BY: SOME GUY NAMED STEVE
They call it March Madness for a reason folks!
With sixteen upsets already in the tournament, almost everyone’s bracket is busted after just two rounds! Now we move onto the sweet sixteen with four double digit seeds still alive, and I’m sure there will be a lot of chaos that ensues. I will break down each match-up and give you my predictions for who I think advances to the elite eight!
Saturday’s Games (Midwest and South Regions)
No. 12 Oregon State vs. No. 8 Loyola Chicago
It’s impossible to talk about this game without mentioning the return of Sister Jean. Sister Jean is back at it again, using her magical powers to thrust Loyola Chicago to the final four once again. She has become an icon in college basketball that no team wants to go up against. Besides Sister Jean, Loyola Chicago is an incredible basketball team. Coming into the tournament, Loyola Chicago had the best defensive rating in the country, and it showed why during its first two games. The Ramblers held two of the best offensive teams in the country (Georgia Tech and Illinois) to 60 and 58 points. Loyola Chicago won both games by double digits by completely shutting down the talented offenses and dictating the pace. Loyola forced its opponents into 29 combined turnovers and held both teams to under 30% from three-point range.
A month ago, Oregon State wasn’t even in contention for the NCAA tournament, but after winning the Pac-12, the beavers are red hot and in the sweet sixteen. Oregon State’s success in the NCAA tournament is due mostly to dominance on the glass. Oregon State outrebounded its first two opponents (Tennessee and Oklahoma St) by 27 boards! Not only did Oregon State dominate on the glass, but it also held Tennessee to 33% shooting and Oklahoma State to 27% shooting.
This game will come down to which defense lets up. Both defenses have been elite so far this tournament and although Oregon State has been on fire, I am going to trust the defense that has been among the top all year long. I’m not betting against Sister Jean.
Prediction: Loyola Chicago 64 Oregon State 60
No. 5 Villanova vs No. 1 Baylor
I tried to warn all of you that Baylor was the most disrespected No. 1 seed in the tournament. For those that have Baylor going far, thank you for listening. But for those that didn’t….shame on you! All year Baylor has been dominant in the areas that teams need during the NCAA tournament. Baylor shoots the ball well, forces opponents into a lot of turnovers, and most importantly, has a very deep roster. In its first two games (Hartford and Wisconsin), Baylor outscored its opponents by 37 points, made 19 threes, had five different players score in double digits, and forced THIRTY-EIGHT turnovers. The Bears are more than capable of winning the national championship and look to be as dominant as they once were at the start of the season.
Villanova has once again proved that you should not overreact to injuries when filling out a bracket. With the loss of Collin Gillespie, everyone panicked, and a lot of “experts” picked Winthrop to upset Villanova in the first round. However, we were all treated to the cold hard truth that a great coach with a deep roster will overcome adversity. Villanova cruised to wins in its first two games, winning by double digits in both and looking dominant while doing so. A lot of the success came from the offense that generated 70+ points in both games, shot 45-plus percent from the floor, and made 23 total 3 pointers.
Villanova will get its first true test of the tournament when it faces Baylor on Saturday. This shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone, but I am again taking Baylor. Villanova has won its first two games behind a great offense, but Baylor’s is just better, and Baylor will be able to force Villanova into enough mistakes to outscore them in a shootout.
Prediction: Baylor 81 Villanova 72
No. 11 Syracuse vs No. 2 Houston
We should have all seen this coming. Once again, a double-digit seeded Syracuse has made its way to the Sweet Sixteen. As usual, the Orange did it thanks to a dominant effort from the 2-3 zone that always seems to play at another level come tournament time. However, this year Syracuse has been unconscious from the three-point range, and a lot of the credit has to go to the coach’s son, Buddy Boeheim. Buddy has hit a tournament-high 13 three-pointers already and has done so at a great rate (57%). Good shooting has been contagious as Syracuse as a team has hit 29 total three pointers and has shot over 50% from the floor in each game.
Despite being the two seed, Houston needed an eight-point comeback in the final four minutes’ vs. Rutgers just to get here. Once again, Houston looked underwhelming vs. a better opponent, which could be a big concern vs. Syracuse. Houston’s story has been the same all year long, numbers wise the Cougars look great, but they don’t always pass the eye test. On paper, Houston is elite. The Cougars rank 4th overall according to Kenpom and are top 11 in both offensive and defensive efficiency.
Houston may be the better overall team, but I continue to trust experience and the hot hand for this one. Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim knows how to win in March, and apparently, his son knows how to shoot. The 2-3 zone has looked unstoppable in the first two games, and since Houston only shoots 35% from three (100th), I don’t think the cougars will have a counter.
Prediction: Syracuse 72 Houston 70
No. 15 Oral Roberts vs No. 3 Arkansas
I had to save the best game of the night for last. *here comes my best Merekat impression*
FOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLLKS ORAL ROBERTS HAS MADE IT TO THE SWEET SIXTEEN!!!!!
Talk about a call of a lifetime. I took my shot before the tournament started and said not only would Oral Roberts keep it competitive against Ohio State, but it would win that game and the next, and those Golden Eagles came through! Everyone has fallen in love with oral this season!
Oral Roberts’ success can be credited to doing what it has done best all year long. The Golden Eagles have been carried by their two stars Max Abmas and Kevin Obanor, who have scored 55 and 58 points this tournament. Both players will shoot the ball from anywhere on the court and are playing as confident as anyone in the country. As a team, the Golden Eagles have capitalized on two key stats that have carried them all year long, turnovers and free throws. Oral Roberts has won the turnover battle convincingly (18 to 36) and shot better from the line than its opponents in both tournament games.
Arkansas is another team I loved coming into this tournament, and the Razorbacks have not fallen short of expectations. Arkansas has not shot that well this tournament and found themselves in big holes in both the first and second round. Still, its athleticism and interior defense have been able to overcome all deficits. The Razorbacks have one of the most emotional head coaches in all of college basketball, Eric Musselman. He has created a culture where Arkansas’ intensity rises drastically as the game progresses.
Earlier this season, Oral Roberts and Arkansas played each other, with Arkansas winning by 11 but was trailing by 10 at the half. Who would’ve guessed that the game on December 20th was a prediction for a Sweet Sixteen matchup? Both teams have improved greatly since that game and are playing their best basketball currently. I love Oral Roberts and will always love Oral Roberts, but all good things must come to an end, right? Arkansas is a freight train right now, and I don’t know if Oral Roberts will be able to hold the Razorbacks off for 40 minutes. I’m going to pick Arkansas to win, but I will gladly take the 11 points with Oral Roberts and cheer my heart out for the 15 seed to reach the Elite Eight.
Prediction: Arkansas 88 Oral Roberts 83
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