So now that my bracket is completely busted, and the teams that I'm cheering for are pretty much all out of the tournament, I can focus on picking the winners of individual games without bias. At least mostly. So here are the matchups:
East Region
Ohio State v Kentucky: The way Ohio State has been strolling through this tournament it's hard to pick against them. They've got a strong inside player in Sullinger, and several deep threats, which makes them really hard to guard. But they also haven't played anyone as good as Kentucky yet. It will be a much more difficult game for Ohio State, but in the end they'll be too much for Kentucky and win by 6.
Marquette v UNC: UNC has essentially been getting through purely on offensive efficiency. They're defense has been absolutely horrible giving up on average 85 ppg. But they are in teh Sweet 16 despite that, and playing the 11 seed Marquette who got a big win over Syracuse to get here. On the back of 2 upsets, Marquette will be riding high. But they won't be able to stop UNC from scoring a ton of points, and their offense won't be able to keep up. UNC by 12.
West Region
Duke v Arizona: Duke is getting a huge boost by having their super freshman, Kyrie Irving, back. But it has been Nolan Smith who has been leading the Blue Devils to this point. They were a little lucky to escape with a win over Michigan, but Coach K will certainly have them ready for this game. Arizona played really well against a very good Texas team, but they were also pretty lucky with that 3 point play to win the game. Duke won't need luck in this game. Kyrie Irving and Nolan Smith will lead them to the Elite 8: Duke wins by 8
UConn v SDSU: My first upset pick in the Sweet 16. Although I'm not sure this would really count. UConn has been on fire, and they're playing for the entire Big East Conference. Both teams have had a fairly easy time getting to this point, but a couple of days rest will be more important for UConn after the long run of games up to this point. SDSU will keep it close, but Kemba Walker will lead UConn to the win in the end. UConn wins by 5.
Southeast Region
BYU v Florida: There has been a lot of talk about how this game is a rematch from the 1st round last year. Can BYU do one better and win a 3rd game? They hadn't on 2 tournament games since 1981. Of course all of the talk has been about Jimmer, but Emery and Hartsock have been playing well too. And BYU will need more than just Jimmer to win any games they have left. After dismantling a Gonzaga team that most thought would beat BYU, I think BYU will continue their strong play and beat Florida by 6.
Wisconsin v Butler: This is a hard one to pick. I don't feel like Wisconsin is a particularly good team. They play so slow and don't score many points. But they also don't turn the ball over and they play good defense. If Butler can create a fast paced game they should have a chance. But I think Wisconsin continues to play their game and game the win. This one will be the nail biter of this round and Wisconsin wins by 2.
Southwest Region
Kansas v Richmond: Richmond has done great to get to this point. My 12/5 upset pick did 1 better than I expected and beat Moorehead State in their 2nd game to get to the Sweet 16. But Kansas is a whole separate story. I think they will overwhelm Richmond by 13 and head to the Elite 8.
VCU v Florida State: The most intriguing matchup of the round simply because it means at least one double digit seeded team will make the Elite 8. Most experts didn't even think VCU deserved to be in the tourney but they crushed Purdue and Georgetown. 2 big teams from big conferences. Florida State is interesting because they play well against good teams beating Duke in the regular season and now Notre Dame. I think VCU has been the more impressive of the 2 and they will win a close one to become the "Cinderella" of the tournament. VCU by 4.
Those are my picks. Considering my track record in this tournament, take them with a grain of salt.
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