Sweet 16 Breakdown

I am excited for the games tomorrow and can't wait for all of the action. I will now break down each Sweet 16 game and give some analysis on them. Should be another excellent and exciting weekend of intense College Hoops.

Midwest Region
Florida vs Butler
Florida is definitely the favorite here. They have a huge height advantage. Butler is a guard-oriented team and Florida's guards will be too much for them. They depend a lot on the three ball. Florida is just too loaded and experienced for this Bulldogs team. Al Horford has been outstanding in the tournament and should continue to impress. If Butler wants to make this any type of game, AJ Graves must score at least 30 points. Gators will roll into the Elite 8

The Pick: Florida (obviously, couldn't you tell by the above paragraph?)

Oregon vs UNLV
This is one of the toughest of all the games to predict. It could easily go either way. It will all depend on the play of Oregon's Aaron Brooks and Tajuan Porter. UNLV must play great defense in this game in order to win, if they can pressure Brooks and Porter and gain some confidence early, UNLV can take it. If UNLV can force an up-tempo game and get Oregon's guards to play out of control, look for UNLV to cook the ducks.

The Pick: UNLV- I just like the Runnin Rebels in this game. They have multiple options and all the Ducks have are Brooks and Porter. Wendell White will lead the Rebs to another stunner.

West Region
Kansas vs Southern Illinois
This should be a relatively low-scoring game, possibly in the 50's or 60's. Kansas is the hottest team in the tournament right now. The Jayhawks weren't tested against Niagara and Kentucky, but they could be in for a tough game if they don't protect the ball and make free throws. Southern Illinois plays tough, physical defense. They can play right with KU with their stellar defense, but the Jayhawks are just too athletic and talented overall.

The Pick: Kansas

UCLA vs Pittsburgh
Probably the second toughest game to predict. It could literally go either way. All of UCLA's losses this season (with the exception of WVA) were to teams with a big, physical defense and a big post presence. Aaron Gray and Levon Kendall can cause problems for UCLA. UCLA's guards will out-perform Pitt's, but will they be able to handle the big guys for Pitt?

The Pick: Pittsburgh- I just have a feeling that Pitt can pull this off, their big interior defense will wear down UCLA.

East Region
UNC vs USC
This should be a great game. USC's guards are great and should play well against UNC's young guns. USC will keep it close the whole way. Like I've said before, USC is battle-tested and will no doubt be ready for the high-powered Tar Heels. But will the Tar Heels deep bench get to the Trojans?

The Pick: UNC- I can definitely see them falling in this one, but UNC is just too deep.

Georgetown vs Vanderbilt
I love the Hoyas right now. Roy Hibbert and Jeff Green have been outstanding lately. Vanderbilt is a little shaky and rely's too much on the 3-pointer, but if they catch fire, they may be able to make it a game.

The Pick: Georgetown- Too big and physical for the Commodores

South Region
Ohio St. vs Tennessee
This should be a great game as well. High scoring, three's dropping from everywhere. Ohio St. showed that they can be exposed easily if you can knock down key shots and execute efficiently. Chris Lofton and Co. can bring it to the young (and old) Buckeye guards. If the Vols can hit their 3's there may be an upset brewing in San Antonio.

The Pick: Tennessee- I've been anticipating them topping OSU since the brackets came out, and there's no reason for me to switch now.

Texas A&M vs Memphis
I always believed Memphis could surprise some people, (even as a 2 seed) they're a little under appreciated. But now with Chris Douglas-Roberts most likely out, there's no way they can top the Aggies. The Aggies are just too good of a team with their great defense, 3 point shooting, guard play, and the best PG in the country -Acie Law-. Plus you gotta love the home-state advantage.

The Pick: Texas A&M- Memphis is deep and can play right with the Aggies, but if Chris Douglas-Roberts (one of the most underrated players in the country) is out or not close to 100%, the Tigers are toast.