South
The South Bracket will be in action tonight starting with (3)Miami and (2)Villanova before (1)Kansas vs (5)Maryland.
Miami is led by point guard Angel Rodriguez who is averaging 26 points in the tournament including a huge 3-point dagger to hold off Wichita State. Villanova has coasted to the Sweet 16 with two 20+ point wins. Miami will have their hands full tonight with the Wildcats.
The winner will advance to a dance with the winner of Kansas and Maryland. Kansas is arguably the best team in the tournament, largely thanks to their defense. The 'Terps are also a solid defensive team and have Melo Trimble who may be the best point guard left in the tournament. They will need to find him some help and avoid the scoring slumps which have haunted them this season. Duke transfer Rasheed Sulaimon was a great compliment to Trimble last round sparking a 14-0 run. If they want to overcome Perry Ellis and the Kansas Jayhawks who have won their last 16 games, they will probably have to shoot better than 5% from behind the arc like they did vs Hawaii.
These should both be very good games and lead to a great elite eight matchup. Kansas is the clear favorite but all three of these teams have a great shot at the Final Four.
West
Tonight will also showcase the western bracket featuring (1) Oregon vs (4) Duke and (3) Texas A&M against (2) Oklahoma.
Both Oregon and Duke have played their best basketball as of late. Duke has been led by Brandon Ingram and Grayson Allen who have each scored 20+ in their first two tournament games. The guard play has been great for the Blue Devils but outside of Miles Plumlee, their front court has really struggled with its lack of depth. The Blue Devils rely largely on star power whereas the Ducks rely on balance. 4 players are averaging double digit scoring figures this season for Oregon led by Dillon Brooks, the star sophomore forward.
As for the late game, Texas A&M probably shouldn't be in the tournament still - but they are. Their historic comeback wins them a chance to take on arguably the best scorer in the nation - Buddy Hield. Hield dropped 36 points last round and the Sooners needed every one of them. He is averaging 31.5 over the first two rounds but if the Aggies can force someone else on Oklahoma to beat them, their incredible run should continue.
If Buddy Hield continues to stay hot - and I think he will - I don't see anyone stopping the Sooners on their way to the Final Four except maybe Oregon whose balanced talent could be the difference.
East
The East bracket will have to wait until tomorrow to start action with (1) North Carolina vs (5)Indiana and (6) Notre Dame vs (7) Wisconsin.
UNC is another team that has completely coasted through the first two rounds of the tournament, largely thanks to seniors Marcus Paige and Brice Johnson. The Tar Heels are very deep and balanced and are also playing some of their best basketball when it matters most. Their foe Indiana is coming off of a huge win over Kentucky, meaning we don't have to listen to another John Calipari interview. 8 Hoosiers recorded a bucket in that game. That balance and someone who can stop Bryce freaking Johnson will be the key to a Hoosier victory tomorrow night.
Ducks are flying in white and apple green tonight to match those new @nikebasketball kicks. #GoDucks pic.twitter.com/87RoAOJbXm— GoDucks (@GoDucks) March 24, 2016
Notre Dame and Wisconsin is a game of two middle-of-the-pack teams that are playing great basketball down the stretch. Wisconsin won an absolute thriller the other night off of two legendary threes from Bronson Koenig. The Badgers are looking to make it to the Final Four for the third straight year but they have their work cut out for them. Notre Dame boasts one of the best offenses in basketball and is coming off of a thriller of their own. The Irish needed a tip in at the last minute to defeat 14th-seeded Stephen F. Austin. This game should be no different.
This region is UNC's to lose. If one of the three other teams want to advance to the Final Four, they will need superb efforts to take the spot from the Tar Heels.
Midwest
Another region who will have to wait until tomorrow night, the Midwest features (1) Virginia against (4) Iowa State and (11) Gonzaga vs (10) Syracuse.
Butler gave Virginia all they had in the last round but the Cavaliers used a big second half to advance. They are a disciplined and balance team - as usual - and has championship potential behind Seniors Anthony Gill and Malcolm Brogdon. Iowa State has cruised to the Sweet Sixteen facing a 12 and 13 seed on their way. Their high-powered offense is fueled by Georges Niang who dropped 28 in each of their first two rounds. Sean is really kicking himself for not picking the Cyclones deep into the tournament for the first time in the past three years and the Cyclones hope they will continue to upset him.
The winner will face a Cinderella team. Gonzaga and Syracuse were both ranked as top 10 teams earlier this year and are playing like it as of late. Senior forward Gbinije has been the do-it-all man for the Orange all season averaging 17, 4, and 4 (rebounds). Gonzaga absolutely dismantled 3rd seeded Utah last round with super efficient offense. The Bulldogs look like the team people thought they were at the beginning of the season, almost outing them as a "Cinderella".
I think that Virginia may be the best team in this region but if Gonzaga continues playing like they have been, they should represent the Midwest.
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