Sweet 16 Bracket

By James Sheldon on March 22nd, 2010

Sweet Kentucky Bluegrass, the Sweet 16 has never been so sweet. Sweet, sweet, sweet. The word is fun to say.

The first four days of NCAA tournament action were a definitive example of why the tournament is known as March Madness. From 64 to 16, brackets busted galore and some great match-ups beginning on Thursday to determine the Final Four.

Here is your Sweet 16 bracket breakdown.

Midwest

Northern Iowa vs. Michigan State. Northern Iowa is looking to continue their Cinderella run vs. Michigan State. After seeing the Panthers dominate the Missouri Valley Conference in 2009-2010, I wasn’t at all surprised that they played well vs. KU, but knocking the overall no. 1 seed out of the mix? Yeah. My mouth is still hanging wide open. If they play as they’re capable, UNI will give MSU as much as they can handle. With Kalin Lucas most likely out with a torn Achilles tendon, Cinderella may get to dance well into the midnight hour.

The Tennessee vs. Ohio State match-up could be one of the most competitive of the tournament. Yes, that statement is absurd after the first weekend, but here are two teams with the talent to reach the Final Four. For Tennessee, it will depend on which team shows up. Ohio State has been playing great ball for a month now, and Evan Turner has solidified himself as a household name with college basketball fans. I like Ohio State.

West

Butler vs. Syracuse. Syracuse has dominated their opponents with that tested, 2-3 zone. Offensively, they are clicking on all cylinders, and until a team steps up and strokes the three-ball, while getting up and down the floor forcing the Orangemen to play good transition defense for 40 minutes, the Orange are simply too strong. I believe Butler will find this to be the case, offering a great effort–an exercise in futility.

Xavier vs. Kansas State. Two evenly matched teams. Jordan Crawford has opened eyes to the fact that he can flat-out ball. He’s not just the kid in the confiscated “dunking on LeBron” video from a year ago. He has led Xavier to the brink of something special, unfortunately, getting through K-State will be the toughest task of the year.

East

Cornell vs. Kentucky. Congrats to the Big Red and their fans for their first trip to the Sweet 16. The stink of it: Unless they shoot 100 percent from behind the arc, the ride is going to end here. Kentucky and the Big Blue Nation is starting to hit on all cylinders. They are, hands down, the most talented team in the tournament, and proved that their depth is legit. If they continue to play as they have, they will beat anyone.

Washington vs. West Virginia. If I were a West Virginia fan, I would be really nervous about this match-up. Washington is athletic as Missouri, who gave the Mountaineers fits, but more proficient at scoring. Should be a dandy. I like another upset in this one.

South

Purdue vs. Duke. On sheer heart and determination, the Boilermakers have fought through adversity, the loss of their stud, Robbie Hummel to injury, and now they’re rewarded with playing a Duke squad that is on a run. While my head tells me that the Blue Devils are too much for the Boilermakers to handle, my heart is hoping for the team from Indiana. We’ll see what happens.

Baylor vs. St. Mary’s. Two great stories, and one will continue. St. Mary’s has benefited from some great match-ups in the first two rounds, and it didn’t hurt that Villanova absolutely sucked when they met on Saturday. Baylor will push them to the brink. Well, they’ll push them to the brink, or will be pushed to the brink. Yeah. It should be a tight one. Advantage Baylor in the realm of athleticism, and advantage St. Mary’s in the realm of fundamentals. Who’s gonna win? I don’t know. You tell me!