The first weekend of March Madness has passed. Non stop games from 12:00pm to 12:00am are now over. Now, there are the Sweet 16 and Elite 8 games.
Sports Writers Noah and Nate take a look into all eight matchups of the Sweet 16.
South Region
No. 1 Auburn vs. No. 5 Michigan
Auburn: Defeated No. 16 Alabama State 83-63 and No. 8 Creighton 82-70
Michigan: Defeated No. 12 UC San Diego 68-65 and No. 4 Texas A&M 91-79
Noah’s Outlook: Auburn has not looked its best as of late and Michigan has been playing very well. The key matchup in this game will be Auburn’s Johni Broome going up against Michigan’s Danny Wolf. Broome is averaging 11 points and 11.5 rebounds in this tournament, while Wolf is averaging 11.5 points and 10 rebounds. This will be a back and forth game, but the supporting cast Broome has on Auburn will propel them to a win.
Nate’s Outlook: After a big win against Texas A&M, this Michigan team has been unstoppable. With the help of the seven foot duo of Danny Wolf and Vladislav Goldin, Michigan does not allow many second chance points. The Auburn Tigers have shown no chance of slowing down in the tournament either. The issue so far has been that Unanimous First-team All-American superstar, Johni Broome, who has not looked like his regular season form.
Noah’s Pick: Auburn, 81-71
Nate’s Pick: Auburn, 73-58
No. 2 Michigan State vs. No. 6 Ole Miss
Michigan State: Defeated No. 15 Bryant 87-62 and No. 10 New Mexico 71-63
Ole Miss: Defeated No. 11 North Carolina 71-64 and No. 3 Iowa State 91-78
Noah’s Outlook: Ole Miss has shocked me this tournament, as I did not even think that Ole Miss would win their first game against North Carolina. Sean Pedulla has been the leader for the Rebels, averaging 20 points and 6.5 assists in the first two games. Michigan State has not looked good, coming out very sluggish in their first two games. Their lack of three point shooting will cause them to lose this game, and I have the Ole Miss Rebels pulling off the upset win.
Nate’s Outlook: Ole Miss is one of the most inconsistent teams left, but this far into the tournament, the Rebels have been playing some of their best basketball. So far Michigan State has not shot above their season average of 46% in either game. I believe that the key to winning for this Michigan State team is to force Ole Miss to take mid range shots, and keep them inside the three point ark.
Noah’s Pick: Ole Miss, 75-72
Nate’s Pick: Michigan State, 71-67
East Region
No. 1 Duke vs. No. 4 Arizona
Duke: Defeated No. 16 Mount St. Mary’s 93-49 and No. 9 Baylor 89-66
Arizona: Defeated No. 13 Akron 93-65 and No. 5 Oregon 87-83
Noah’s Outlook: Duke has been unstoppable this tournament. Duke has two 20 point wins, with all of their players playing well. Surprisingly, Cooper Flagg has not been leading the Blue Devils this tournament; It has been Tyrese Proctor. Proctor is averaging 22 points and 3.5 assists in the tournament so far. Arizona’s defense will not be able to stop Duke, and Duke will cruise to another 20 point victory and a trip to the Elite 8.
Nate’s Outlook: It’s no secret that Duke has looked the best out of every team in the tournament. In the second game against Baylor, Duke won 89-66 while shooting 54% from three. I believe that once Cooper Flagg starts becoming a key contributor to the team as Duke expects him to be, no team will stand a chance against the Blue Devils. The only way for Arizona to win this game is if the efficiency from Caleb Love stays constant.
Noah’s Pick: Duke, 83-63
Nate’s Pick: Duke 81-63
No. 2 Alabama vs. No. 6 BYU
Alabama: Defeated No. 15 Robert Morris 90-81 and No. 7 Saint Mary’s 80-66
BYU: Defeated No. 11 VCU 80-71 and No. 3 Wisconsin 91-89
Noah’s Outlook: This game has a good chance of reaching 200 total points. Both of these teams play a fast paced offense and score a lot of points. Alabama relies on Mark Sears and BYU relies on Richie Saunders as their main scorers. In this back and forth game, I think Alabama will pull away with a win. Mark Sears is going to finish with 37 points in the win.
Nate’s Outlook: Leading up to this game, Alabama is one of the hottest teams in the tournament. In a win against Saint Marys, no Alabama player scored over 15 points. Bama is one of the most balanced teams in March Madness. BYU’s best player, Richie Saunders has averaged 20 points, which is almost four points better than his season average. If Alabama can continue their unselfish play, BYU will have a tough time keeping up.
Noah’s Pick: Alabama, 97-92
Nate’s Pick: Alabama, 71-63
South Region
No. 1 Houston vs. No. 4 Purdue
Houston: Defeated No. 16 SIUE 78-40 and No. 8 Gonzaga 81-76
Purdue: Defeated No. 13 High Point 75-63 and No. 12 McNeese 76-62
Noah’s Outlook: Houston has one of the best defenses in the country, and that will cause Purdue’s offense to struggle. Houston plays a very physical style of defense, while Purdue’s strength is getting inside. Purdue will struggle because of their skinny and small guards. The Boilermakers will not be able to defend the Cougars either, as Braden Smith, the point guard for Purdue, is a liability on defense.
Nate’s Outlook: Purdue has not played a seed above 12 in this tournament. In their most recent game against McNeese, Purdue did win, but struggled with turnovers, having 19 of them. For Purdue to win this game, the Boilermakers will need to keep up with the highpower Housten offense and limit their turnover numbers, but I do not see that happening. Houston will win this game as long as the Cougars can get control of the offensive glass.
Noah’s Pick: Houston, 73-59
Nate’s Pick: Houston, 87-78
No. 2 Tennessee vs. No. 3 Kentucky
Tennessee: Defeated No. 15 Wofford 77-62 and No. 7 UCLA 67-58
Kentucky: Defeated No. 14 Troy 76-57 and No. 6 Illinois 84-75
Noah’s Outlook: This is going to be the third time that Tennessee and Kentucky will face off this season. Kentucky has won the first two matchups. Everyone says it is hard to beat a team twice, let alone three times; but, I think Kentucky will get it done. Kentucky is an all around team, with different guys excelling in different roles. Tennessee is very reliant on Chaz Lanier for scoring. If Kentucky can stop him, it should result in a 10 point win for the Wildcats.
Nate’s Outlook: Coming off of a very early NCAA tournament loss in 2024, Kentucky has not let their past affect them. In Tennessee’s most recent game against UCLA, the Volunteers did not look like their normal selves. If Tennessee wants a chance against Kentucky, the Volunteers will have to limit turnovers; but even still, Kentucky is going to win this game.
Noah’s Pick: Kentucky, 77-67
Nate’s Pick: Kentucky, 83-78
West Region
No. 1 Florida vs. No. 4 Maryland
Florida: Defeated No. 16 Norfolk State 95-69 and No. 8 UConn 77-75
Maryland: Defeated No. 13 Grand Canyon 81-49 and No. 12 Colorado State 72-71
Noah’s Outlook: After winning the back and forth game against UConn, Florida is going to be unstoppable for the rest of the tournament. Walter Clayton Jr. has been the key to the Gators success, as he is averaging 23 points in his two games of March Madness. Maryland luckily escaped Colorado State, thanks to the buzzer beater by Derik Queen. Florida is going to win this game by 20 points, as Maryland does not deserve to be here and it should be Colorado State.
Nate’s Outlook: In their second round win, Florida barely squeaked past UConn, as the Gators had 12 turnovers. Coming off of a miracle last second shot by Freshman center Derik Queen, Maryland moved into the Sweet 16. Guard play is the most important key to winning a championship and Maryland has not had much help. If Maryland can improve guard play, and keep up efficiency from their forwards, it should be a close game, and I see the Terps pulling out on top.
Noah’s Pick: Florida, 87-65
Nate’s Pick: Maryland, 66-60
No. 3 Texas Tech vs. No. 10 Arkansas
Texas Tech: Defeated No. 14 UNC Wilmington 82-72 and No. 11 Drake 77-64
Arkansas: Defeated No. 7 Kansas 79-72 and No. 2 St. John’s 75-66
Noah’s Outlook: Texas Tech has two wins against double digit seeds, while Arkansas has two wins against teams ranked higher than them. This is going to be a low scoring game. Arkansas has the better guards, while Texas Tech has the better big men. I think Texas Tech is going to pull this win out, as JT Toppin is going to have a big game for the Red Raiders, scoring 29 points.
Nate’s Outlook: Texas Tech has had a very easy road, not playing a single seeded team yet. While every team who is in the Sweet 16 is very talented, Texas Tech is one of the weaker teams left. Contrary to this Texas Tech team, Arkansas has had no easy road to the Sweet 16. The Razorbacks defeated two teams seeded higher than them. This will be a very close game, but Arkansas’s run will end against the Red Raiders.
Noah’s Pick: Texas Tech, 63-55
Nate’s Pick: Texas Tech, 74-71
