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The Sweet Sixteen is here, and I don’t mean a bunch of whiny rich kids who cry when their parent’s give them a Lexus instead of an Escalade. Boo hoo.
So here are the Sweet Sixteen matchups and what to look for in each game.
#1 North Carolina vs. #4 Washington State. As much as I’m a schill for the Pac-10, the Cougars of Washington State are totally outmatched in this game. They have to deal with both guard Ty Lawson’s quick moves and Tyler Hansbrough’s puppy dog eyes. And the Cougar’s better not get Hansbrough all fired up lest we all have to endure his I’m-five-and-throwing-a-tantrum style of celebration. Go gettem ugly.
#2 Tennessee vs. #3 Louisville. This is a close match-up, but I’m going to stay with my bracket and say Louisville will pull off the upset. Of course seeing as how the rest of my bracket has gone, Tennessee will win it.
#1 UCLA vs. #12 Western Kentucky. Yeah the Hilltoppers are a good story, but really now. UCLA will have a much easier time this time around.
#3 Xavier vs. #7 West Virginia. I didn’t expect the Mountaineers to get this far, but they do create matchup problems against most teams they play. I don’t know exactly what it is, but I have a slight hunch that West Virginia will upset Xavier.
#1 Kansas vs. #12 Villanova. Nova has been a good story, but seeing how Kansas has been playing I don't know how they will be stopped for now.
#3 Wisconsin vs. #10 Davidson. The Wisconsin Badgers are one of those teams most people outside of the Big 10 country haven't heard a lot of, but they are good. What's funny is that I think Davidson got more press than Wisconsin did leading up to the Tournament because of having the longest win streak in Division I. With Davidson upsetting Georgetown on Sunday, I think it gives Wisconsin an easy road to the Elite Eight.
#1 Memphis vs. #5 Michigan State. This is the match up I predicted last week, and I am keeping my prediction of a Spartan upset. As shown in the waning moments against Mississippi State, Memphis cannot hit a free throw for the life of them. This will hurt the Tigers no matter what coach John Calipari says. Another 30-win season, another underachieving tournament run for Memphis. By the way, who would've thought there would be an uglier Hansbrough brother?
#2 Texas vs. #3 Stanford. Another matchup I predicted, and I will stick to my guns. I love the play of Robin and Brook Lopez in the middle for the Cardinal. But for Stanford to win, they need to get stout on the perimeter quickly. I think they will pull it off because the gritty personality of their head coach Trent Johnson really does rub off on his kids.
AP Photo by Chuck Burton
