2013 March Madness (East and West Regions) - Sweet 16 and Elite 8

This season's Sweet Sixteen field is one of the most intriguing I can remember. I have a legitimate interest in all eight of the games. Tonight begins with most of the top seeds going against each other, and a battle of Cinderellas thrown in. Some of the storylines to watch are, can Jim Larranaga recapture the magic he found in 2006 in the Sweet 16 and Elite 8 when he was last at the Verizon Center for the NCAA Tournament? Which Arizona team will show up against Ohio State? The one that started off the year so hot and who has looked great in two tournament wins, or the team that suffered a malaise through most of the latter part of the season? Who will prevail between Syracuse and Indiana in a game that might remind some of the 1987 national championship game? Finally, which Cinderella mid-major will you be cheering for? The Missouri Valley Conference's Shockers or the Explorers from the Atlantic Ten?


East Regional Semi-Final

#3 Marquette (25-8) vs. #2 Miami (29-6)

The Hurricanes got some bad news this week as the injury bug has once again hit Reggie Johnson. Johnson had minor knee surgery and won't play again this season unless Miami reaches the Final Four. Johnson hasn't quite been the same player since the injuries started piling up, but he does give the Canes some muscle inside. However, against Marquette he won't be missed quite as much as the Golden Eagles aren't much of a rebounding team. In fact, their leading rebounder Davante Gardner only averages 4.9 rebounds per game. The strength of Marquette's game is they shoot well, including free throws and they have some of the best named players in the NCAA. Guard Vander Blue led the Golden Eagles in scoring and was awesome in a Third Round win against Butler, pouring in 29 points. Their other awesomely named player is guard Junior Cadougan who led the team in assists, averaging almost 4 per game.

Miami has stars all around the court, starting with one of the best point guards in the country, Shane Larkin. Larkin hit a huge basket against Illinois in the Third Round that sealed the victory for the Hurricanes. While they will be without Johnson, they still have plenty of big men, and will have a huge advantage in that area over Marquette. Kenny Kadji and Julian Gamble are 6'11 and 6'10 respectively and will tower over Gardner. Backup guard Rion Brown was the Canes savior against Illinois, scoring 21 points and keeping Miami in the game when the offense stagnated.

Miami can be prone to bouts of ineptness on offense but are so good defensively that they can usually overcome them. With that massive size advantage they have over Marquette, it is hard to envision a scenario where they will lose. Even if they don't shoot well, it will be hard for Marquette compete with the Canes on the glass.

Prediction: Miami 68, Marquette 61


West Regional Semi-Final

#6 Arizona (27-7) vs. #2 Ohio State (28-7)

Arizona had their path to the Sweet Sixteen open up when Harvard knocked off overrated New Mexico. The Wildcats dominated Harvard from start to finish and are filled with confidence heading into their game with Ohio State. The Wildcats receive contributions from many, with their best players being guard Mark Lyons, the transfer from Xavier who is in his second straight Sweet Sixteen, forward Solomon Hill, center Kaleb Tarczewski, and guard Nick Johnson. The Wildcats have skill players at every position and can be a matchup nightmare for opposing coaches. Lyons is playing his best basketball of the year and will be a chore for the Buckeyes to try to keep up with.

The Buckeyes aren't hurting for stars either. Forward Deshaun Thomas has taken a major leap in his junior year, averaging almost 20 points per game and 6 rebounds. But the player that receives the most pub on the Buckeyes is point guard Aaron Craft. Craft played three of the worst minutes of basketball I had seen late in their game against Iowa State. That all faded away though when he calmly hit the game winning three pointer to knock out the Cyclones. Craft is very up and down, and there is not much in between with his game. Trying to slow down Lyons will mostly fall on Lenzell Smith, Jr. His offensive game has been non-existent for the last month, so he really has to step it up on the defensive side.

The seeds indicate otherwise but I think Arizona is a better team than Ohio State. I think that their best player, Lyons will outplay the Buckeyes guards, and I think the Wildcats have the bigs to keep Thomas in check.

Prediction: Arizona 78, Ohio State 72


East Regional Semi-Final

#4 Syracuse (28-9) vs. #1 Indiana (29-6)

The Hoosiers got forced into slow down basketball against Temple but showed why they are an elite team by playing someone else's game and still winning. The next challenge is the zone of the Orange. Offensively, these teams are worlds apart. The Hoosiers will win this game going away if it turns into a track meet. The key for Syracuse will be to drag Indiana to their level, forcing them into tough shoots and not allowing the Hoosiers prolific offense to get rolling. Easier said than done when you have to stop players like Victor Oladipo, Cody Zeller, and point guard Yogi Ferrell. Ferrell doesn't get talked about as much as Oladipo and Zeller, but no one might be more key to Indiana's success. Ferrell didn't play well against Temple and was a major reason that game turned into such a slugfest.

Ferrell will have his hands full with Michael Carter-Williams. Carter-Williams is a passing machine but with that comes a tendency for him to commit way too many turnovers. C.J. Fair and James Southerland gives the Orange an advantage inside and will make Zeller work for everything in this game.

These teams are pretty evenly matched but the Hoosiers are much more efficient at scoring and that will be the difference in this game. Indiana can play good enough defense and get down and dirty with Syracuse, but Syracuse can't match the Hoosiers offensive production.

Prediction: Indiana 70, Syracuse 63


West Regional Semi-Final

#13 LaSalle (24-9) vs. #9 Wichita State (28-8)

This game is what makes March Madness fun. Two teams from mid-major conference doing battle on a grand stage to go to the Elite Eight. Wichita State beat the piss out of Pittsburgh and then got hot from three to take down number one seed Gonzaga. LaSalle has already won three games in the tournament, knocking off Boise State in the First Four, then surviving Kansas State and Mississippi. For the Explorers to win this game they will have to shoot the ball extremely well, as they are no match on the glass for the Shockers. If LaSalle can't shoot they will get eaten alive on the boards as the Shockers average seven more rebounds per game. The Explorers guards Tyreek Duren and star Ramon Galloway are excellent shooters. Galloway has been dominant the entire tournament while Duren came up big against Mississippi. Jerrell Wright will continue to have to play without center Steve Zack beside him. The Explorers have been okay without Zack so far but might really miss him against the Shockers.

While LaSalle is all about their guards, the Shockers are carried by their forwards. Carl Hall and Cleanthony Early do the scoring and the rebounding for Wichita State. Malcolm Armstead and Demetric Williams, and Ron Baker will be tasked with trying to slow down Duren and Galloway. Williams saw limited action against Gonzaga, as the freshman Baker came in and lit it up from three point land. They also got unexpected strong play from Fred Van Vleet against Gonzaga.

A major reason Wichita State upset Gonzaga is they shot the ball at a rate they hardly ever do. I don't think that is something sustainable, while the Explorers have shown that they can consistently shoot it well. The Shockers defense will give LaSalle some more problems than they are used to, but I don't think Galloway's hot hand will be cooled off. I like LaSalle to win this battle of Cinderellas.

Prediction: LaSalle 75, Wichita State 71


In Saturday's Elite Eight, I believe that Arizona will end the fairy-tale run of LaSalle in a high-scoring back and forth battle. In the other game, Miami and Indiana will be a classic, but missing the size of Reggie Johnson will come back to haunt the Canes, and Zeller and Oladipo will make big plays late to send Indiana back to the Final Four for the first time in over a decade.