The Sweetest Sixteen of them all?

Siena shook the brackets as they overcame Ohio State in

round one and even gave Louisville a run

in round two before losing 79-72.

For the first time in NCAA tournament history, the top three seeds from each region have moved onto the Sweet Sixteen as they gave little room for "Cinderellas" to sneak in. Personally, I've had a very unsatisfactory bracket but have looked beyond that as plenty of drama and excitement has overwhelmed this year's tournament. Eight and Nine seeds battled as they would exchange leads and it just seemed like the game couldn't be decided until the final seconds went off the clock. Twelve seeds played up to expectations once again as three of the four #12 seeds advanced to the round of 32 (Arizona, Wisconsin, Western Kentucky). #11 seeds made some noise as well. West Virginia fell victim to the Dayton Flyers while UCLA and Marquette both had scares when winning by just one point in each respective match-up to VCU and Utah State. #4 seed Wake Forest, once the top ranked team in the entire nation, was the highest seeded team to get knocked off in the opening round as first game jitters struck early and Cleveland State never looked back. #1 seeds, Louisville and Pittsburgh didn't stroll their way into the Sweet Sixteen but had plenty of challenges as the underdogs did all they could to bring down the top powers.

Byron Eaton flies in
for an and-one layup
that pulled the Cowboys
ahead of the Vols in the
final seconds in a first
round showdown.

Cleveland State proves doubters wrong
as they knock off #4 Wake Forest.

Had enough? You can't leave out the last second lay up by freshman Demetri Goodson who came into the tournament averaging just under four points a game. Take him out of the last few seconds of the game and you could probably forget about Gonzaga still playing in this year's dance. How about the bizarre finish in Boise? When Marquette had a final opportunity to win the game when trailing by two with a little over five seconds, the referee called a very accurate inbounds violation that gave the ball back to Missouri as the Tigers survived to move onto the next round. All that and we haven't even begun the Sweet Sixteen...

Freshman guard, Demetri
Goodson, stepped up
during a crucial situation
when he nearly drove
down the length of the floor
to sink a tie breaking layup
with just 0.9 seconds left
on the clock.

Without having shot a single free throw in the
entire game, Kim English calmly stepped
up to the line as he sank both free throws
for an injured J.T. Tiller to put
the Tigers up by two.

As I observed the field of 65 prior to the start of the tournament, I told my peers and myself that there was no way all #1 seeds would proceed to the final four for a second straight season and just the second time in NCAA history. So far, I'm as wrong as wrong could be and the chance of another all #1 seed Final Four is very possible. An all #1 Final Four? How about an all #1 and #2 Elite Eight. Can someone check the records for that? Teams have a few days to rest their bodies and reflect on their performances in the firs two rounds as they prepare for the following round that will being on March 26th and you know coaches are going to be all over game film as they look for all of their opponents' weaknesses and vulnerabilities as well as their own.

The Elite Eight

The Midwest Region

#12 Arizona has a heavy task coming their way as they will take on the top seeded team in the entire tournament while being the only double digit seed remaining in the tournament. So far, the Cats are playing more like a top seed than an underdog. The Cardinals better come prepared. The defending national champion Jayhawks have a regular season non-conference rematch with Tom Izzo's Spartans. In the regular season, the inexperienced Jayhawks fell behind early to Michigan State and didn't seem to find a flow as the score concluded at 75-62. Can Kansas find enough to avenge their regular season loss or will the deep Spartans put on a pounding to remind Kansas to stay away for a while?

Louisville's Terrence Williams has taken his game to
another level here in tournament play
as he is the main reason the top
seed is still in it.

#1 Louisville vs #12 Arizona

Louisville hasn't let their fans down so far but have worried many when they showed that they weren't so invincible. In their first game vs the Play-In game winners, the Cardinals found themselves up by just two at halftime and Rick Pitino quickly shook his players up to remind them that this is a single elimination battle to the top. The game concluded in a 20 point victory and Louisville advanced hoping to find a more complete game against Siena. The Saints didn't approve of Louisville's plans and came in with their own thoughts of the Sweet Sixteen as they led by four with just minutes to play. A huge scare for Louisville nation as they managed to escape the grasps of Siena in the final minute.

Arizona on the other hand have picked up their flow at the right time. Facing a giant in the first round in 7'2" Luke Nevill, Arizona was not fazed as they quickly went to work and took the All-American out of his comfort zone. The Cats had never looked better this season. Now they face the toughest challenge in the entire season and are not looking to back down. The Arizona Big-3 is playing at another level as all three of the leaders are playing above their season averages.

For Louisville, Terrence Williams is turning it up a notch and is looking for Earl Clark to complement him with a breakout performance. Freshman sensation, Samardo Samuels, is more than impressive and hopes to help his team overcome a possible upset as the path to the Elite Eight draws near. In this match-up, both teams show height, athleticism, and speed. Louisville proves to be a little bigger and displays a little more athleticism but Arizona should not be looked easily upon.

Kansas center, Cole
Aldrich, has been arguably
the most improved big
man from last season and
is looking to bring home
a possible second straight
national championship.

#3 Kansas vs #2 Michigan State
The defending national champions in Kansas and the ironically favored squad in Michigan State face off for not the first but second time this season as the two historical teams are in for a legendary match-up. Bill Self vs Tom Izzo, Baby Jay vs Sparty, fans vs fans, and the most important of all; the players. Most looked at the Jayhawks and doubted their abilities as the entire championship starting lineup left for the NBA and left little for Coach Self to work with.

On of the other side, Coach Izzo was full of fresh talent and veteran leadership as he had plans of a national championship. The two faced an epic encounter on January 10th as Michigan State showed that Kansas just wasn't up to their talent level this season. Both won their respective conferences' regular season but found little success in their tournaments as they headed towards the exit doors early.

As March Madness began, players stepped up and things started going Michigan State and Kansas' way. The Jayhawks didn't have too much on their hands as they took down North Dakota State and Dayton both by double digits. The Spartans cruised through the first round but needed all 40 minutes to take down a USC team that was on the rise. Now, the two head into the Sweet Sixteen for a highly anticipated match-up.

Do you think Kansas is thinking about the regular season loss right now? Nope. Maybe Michigan State is using the regular season win to remind themselves that they are better. Not a chance. Both sides know that they have both improved greatly since that early January game and after over two months have passed, they will play each other with two "brand new" squads. Who wants it more? We will just have to find out for ourselves on Friday.

Kansas gave Dayton little opportunity to pull a second
straight upset as the Jayhawks advanced to
possibly get a rematch against the favored
Spartans. Will the defending national
champs' season end here?

The West Region

The #5 Purdue Boiler Makers are surprisingly the lowest seed in this region as the rest of the three spots left in the region are held by the top three seeds. After battling it out in the first to rounds, Purdue finds itself in the Sweet Sixteen. Their next challenge? Jim Calhouns mighty Huskies. In the other match-up, two teams represented by the same animal as their mascot pair up in what could be one of the fastest paced games possible. Memphis comes in with an explosive offense that likes to go up and down the court with little time to waste. Missouri loves to spend plenty of time in ways of forcing their opponents to cough up the ball while using up the entire length of the court with quick guard play. Which feline will come out victorious? The Tiger of course.

It has been a tough journey for the Boilermakers, but
they have found themselves a spot in the
Sweet Sixteen and have even sweeter
plans.

#1 Connecticut vs #5 Purdue

The Boilermakers journey has been more than impressive but you would have to think that it is going to come to an end here. Connecticut had their fair share of time as the top ranked team in the nation as the Huskies have had a very successful season. In the tournament, the Huskies have played excellent defense and have held their teams to 47 and 66 respectively while averaging 97.5 for themselves. Coach Calhouns team has the largest average margin of victory in the tournament so far and seem almost impossible to slow down.

Purdue has done things a little differently. Winning by an average margin of 3.5 points, The Boilermakers already had to deal with plenty of pressure and crunch time decisions as they pulled through in two tight matches. It is almost guaranteed that this Big 10 team will give the Huskies a far more difficult time than the first two teams did. What could be a crucial factor in this game? UConn hasn't faced any pressure so far and a closer score in this game could cause some confusion for the Huskies. For all I know, this might not even be close. Thabeet and his crew might run off with another large victory but even a little spark or a margin such as ten points can give Purdue a shot.

The Boilermakers come in with a talented line up with Robbie Hummel, E'Twaun Moore, JaJuan Johnson, and Keaton Grant. Matching up against a lineup that contains Hasheem Thabeet, Stanley Robison, Jeff Adrien, Craig Austrie, A.J. Price, and Freshman Kemba Walker things could get really heated and quite interesting. Both have more than enough players that will be able to step up and the coaching will be the x-factor in this one. UConn fans, maybe you shouldn't have complained about the boring blowouts. Some teams' fans only hope and wish for such feats. Keep your television sets on for this one.

#3 Missouri vs #2 Memphis

A sweet match-up as the two Tiger teams come in with a very fast pace. These two teams could possibly have the two fastest game styles in the entire nation this season. Both squads have relied heavily on their guard play and showcase little advantages in their big men. Okay so maybe Memphis holds a slight advantage in size with Robert Dozier and Shawn Taggart but Missouri hasn't let big men slow them down. They're in the Big 12 for crying out loud. On top of the similarities of having the same mascot and game style, the two share a very mutual emotion. Their hate for the Kansas Jayhawks.

Missouri has a traditional hate for Kansas over the past however many years of rivalry but Memphis has a different bitter hate that they developed for the Jayhawks after falling face flat in the championship game in 2008. Even though the chances aren't too high, knowing that the winner of this game could possibly face off with Kansas in the final four will force an extra drive into them as the two Tiger teams head into this Sweet Sixteen match. Seniors Leo Lyons and DeMarre Carroll, two very diverse forwards that can play up to four positions on the court, could possibly be putting on a Missouri uniform for their final time. Tyreke Evans, a freshman for Memphis, could possibly be putting on a Memphis uniform for his last time. Overall, the Tigers of Missouri start three seniors and the Tigers of Memphis start two. This one could get emotional.

Memphis will be led
by another Freshman
for the second straight
season. This time, it's
Tyreke Evans.

Missouri will display
plenty of depth in their
guard play as they
look to take down
the other Tigers.

The East Region

The top four teams have safely arrived to the Sweet Sixteen and all four have bigger plans of making it to the next round. Unfortunately, there are only two spots in the Elite Eight for these four hungry teams. A possible Big East showdown in the Elite Eight is in the works and a previous Sweet Sixteen match-up between Xavier and Duke is possible for a rebirth. These teams all have what it takes to reach the Final Four but have to win two more games before thinking about all that. Each team has already faced a challenge in their journey and are prepared to get another win under their name.

#1 Pittsburgh vs #4 Xavier

The Musketeers had avoided an upset as they overcame and 11 point half time deficit to #12 seed Wisconsin in Sundays game and now find themselves two games away from the final four. The only thing is they must face Pittsburgh now. The Panthers haven't gotten much of a break as #16 East Tennessee State played amazing basketball by hanging with #1 Pittsburgh for almost 40 minutes and #8 Oklahoma State gave them a run for their money as well. It doesn't get any easier as the Panthers face Xavier. The Panthers have truly kept it safe as they focused on not losing rather than trying to blow their opponents out of the water. A smart approach it has been as that mentality will help them try to overcome Xavier.

The Musketeers have yet to accomplish any such goal as the sweet sixteen was something expected from this team and a ticket to the elite eight would be the next step for the Atlantic 10 champs. The Panthers' senior, Sam Young broke loose in round two as he dropped 32 points and 8 rebounds as he made a statement for his team. Overall, Young could be the best player in NCAA this season with athleticism and size along with excellent skill and knowledge on both sides of the ball. If he can continue to perform at the level he did on Sunday, The Panthers could make a convincing run to the championship. But first, they must get past the Musketeers from Xavier, Ohio.

#3 Villanova vs #2 Duke

The Wildcats have stayed focused in the tournament as they have proven to be one of the most impressive teams so far. Led by Dante Cunningham, Villanova has faced little trouble after defeating a feisty American team by double digits and a young but talented UCLA team by 20. With hopes of an Elite Eight bid, the Wildcats now face off the Duke Blue Devils. Duke has struggled in the tournament over the past few seasons but have managed to slip themselves into this year's Sweet Sixteen after pulling away late against a Texas Longhorns team that forgot all about their poor regular season performance and focused on getting as far as they could. Duke hasn't really shown dominance in the season but have shown composure game in and game out. Coach K has kept his team focused on the task ahead as he did not let frustration take over his team at any point.

Villanova is a very quick team that likes to move up and down the floor while Duke is a team that likes to go half court offense and spend as much of the 35 second shot clock as they can while calling out plays. A stat that is probably less than important but nice to know is that Dukes only other Big East for this season was Georgetown as the Blue Devils defeated them by nine. Villanova on the other hand fell to a struggling Hoya team by two in a low scoring bout. So two teams coming in with completely different styles will get 40 minutes to go at each other. Duke wins with defense and ball control but Villanova wins in a high speed game with plenty of baskets being traded. What is really going to happen? It's March Madness, you'll have to see for yourself.

Villanova has had an interesting season and they're pretty good. Actually, they're really good and they're hungry for more.

The Blue Devils are pretty good too and they have different plans
for Villanova as they have hopes of
sending the Wildcats home.

The South Region

Like the East region, all four of the top seeds have done their part in order to play in the Sweet Sixteen. What happens from here? Gonzaga has shown flashes of a Final Four team but haven't show completeness and UNC has displayed why they were the pre season favorites and are a top team in the nation while still being vulnerable at times. Syracuse has quieted many haters as the team has become a crowd favorite as of late, dating back to the Big East tournament when the team dueled it out with UConn in a six-overtime game. Oklahoma has struggled without their leader in Blake Griffin but have been difficult to slow down when his presence is at 100%. Four completely different teams out of four completely different conferences. Let's get it started.

Blake Griffin might not even be the best player
in the region but he sure can do damage.
Would you like to make an
argument for yourself, Blake?

#1 North Carolina vs #4 Gonzaga

Haven't heard of the Zags? You are not a college basketball fan. Coming out of the WCC, not many respect this squad but when you watch them on the hardwood, it is hard not to like them. They have every piece to the puzzle that forms what you may call a championship team in college basketball. Let's start with the floor leader in Jeremy Pargo. A little undersized but has speed, athleticism, leadership. He knows how to control the pace of the game and can take it hard to hoop as well as score from the outside while playing hard nose defense. Austin Daye is a prototype player with a 6'11" body frame while being able to handle the ball and do everything well. He can score, he can defend, he can rebound, and he can slam the ball down your throat if he wants to. Sounds like a good team huh? But I haven't even mentioned their best player. Josh Heytfelt is the big at 6'11" and is a very mobile big man that can tear down the rim with strength while displaying a show with his soft touch. On top of that, you got other scorers and role players in Matt Bouldin, Micah Downs, Steven Gray, and Demetri Goodson. So what better match-up could there be for these guys than the Tarheels?

Roy Williams represents one of the toughest back courts in Ty Lawson and Wayne Ellington. Tyler Hansbrough is the best 12 year senior in college basketball history and with all joking aside could possibly be one of the best college players ever. Danny Green can jump out of the building and do almost everything. Add in the size with Deon Thompson, Ed Davis, and Tyler Zeller and you got yourself a heck of a team. This match-up could be a Final Four game and even a championship game. Gonzaga has challenged themselves throughout the season with plenty of tough non conference games and are well prepared to take on the powerhouse Tarheels. This one should be full of tough shots, loose balls, and hard fouls as the winner of this one should more than likely proceed to the Final Four.

If there was a College Gameday for March Madness, even though there are many other great games in this round, Gonzaga vs UNC would be the College Gameday location for the Sweet Sixteen. A must watch game.

Jeremy Pargo
isn't the tallest
player but he has
plenty under his
shoes to make up
for it. See what he
does in an attempt
to break down the
mighty Heels.

#3 Syracuse vs #2 Oklahoma

The biggest question looking at this game; who is going to stop Blake Griffin? The bigs for Syracuse have played at an impressive level but their style just isn't fit to keep up with Mr. Griffin. Syracuse comes into the Sweet Sixteen after knocking off my Final Four sleeper pick from this region, The Arizona State Sun Devils so I'm all the more bitter towards the team that I was cheering on a few nights ago in the six-overtime battle.

With all biased aside, Jonny Flynn, Eric Devendorf, and Paul Harris are very good guards but they just have no chance in guarding Blake Griffin. You wonder why I would even mention them trying to guard Blake Griffin, it's because Onuaku and Jackson can. Their best bet would be Andy Rautins but the Oklahoma big man should have little trouble finding the rim at eye level. Don't count Syracuse out just because I said that though. Coach Boeheim's boys have a heart to win and are driven by their will power and that will keep their chances alive.

Freshman Willie Warren has averaged 16 in the big dance and will need to keep those numbers consisten for his team to get through another round. Tony Crocker hasn't been able to find himself in late March but will need to do more than average 4 points and 3.5 rebounds for his team. Griffin should be the x-factor in this one. Taylor Griffin that is. The only way for Syracuse to find themselves another win for this season is for Jonny Flynn to do is business. All eyes will be on the 6' Sophomore guard. And of course some eyes will be on 6'10" Sophomore Blake Griffin...

The answer to all of Syracuse's problems? Well, let's see
what the little man can do against big boy Blake Griffin.

Anything is possible in March Madness. Of course there will be no George Mason this year (Arizona is a much more prestigious basketball program than George Mason) but plenty of upsets are still left for grabs and watching highlights just doesn't do justice of how great the late March tournament really is. Make sure you tune in for the Sweet Sixteen. Oh yeah... It's sweet.

-Jason C