NFL
By: Monte Perez
The first 2 rounds of the NCAA Tournament have been filled with upsets. Cinderella is alive and well. In the history of the NCAA Men’s Tournament, twenty-two No. 11 seeds have made it to the Sweet 16 and four have advanced to the Final Four.
LSU (1986), George Mason (2006), VCU (2011), and Loyola Chicago (2018) all made history as the lowest seeds to ever make the Final Four. They all lost in the semi-final round.
#1 Baylor vs #5 Villanova:
This is a great matchup with two coaches who are getting the most from their players. Baylor finished the season 24-2, they are one of the best teams in the country. Unfortunately, no one outside of Texas is paying attention t to them. This will be a coaching clinic between Jay Wright and Scott Drew. Both teams will be prepared and not beat themselves.
Baylor wins 79-72.
#3 Arkansas vs # 15 Oral Roberts:
Oral Roberts has been on a magical run. They beat No.2 Ohio State and #7 Florida. Arkansas is 24-6 for a reason. They will take over this game in the 2nd half with their speed and talent.
Razorbacks win 78-68.
#8 Loyola (IL) vs #12 Oregon State:
Loyola defeated Georgia Tech and #1 seeded Illinois. They compiled a record of 26-4 during the regular season. Cameron Krutwig looks like a WWE wrestler, but he is a skilled basketball player. He is averaging 15 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists on the year.
The Beavers have won 5 straight games. They are peaking at the right time and I would not be surprised if they pulled the upset.
In a close game, take Loyola, 67-64.
#2 Houston vs #11 Syracuse:
The Orangemen have a history of making deep runs when they are a lower seed. Buddy Boeheim has scored 27,31,30, and 25 points in his last 4 games. He has one of the quickest releases in college basketball. Kansas transfer, Quentin Grimes is averaging 18 points and 6 rebounds per game. Oklahoma has 10 players who average at least 11 minutes per game. Take the depth of Oklahoma here over 1 player in Boeheim.
Sooners win 77-71.
#2 Alabama vs #11 UCLA:
4 out of the remaining 16 teams are from the PAC-12 conference. Unfortunately, for PAC-12 fans, only 1 team will advance to the Elite 8. The Alabama Crimson Tide are the very definition of team basketball. They have 9 players who play over 11 minutes a game and 8 players who score consistently. Bama shot 48% from three-point range against Maryland. They have won 11 out of their last 12 games and 8 in row.
The Tide rolls, 87-72
#1 Gonzaga vs #5 Creighton:
Creighton beat UC Santa Barbara 63-62 and #13 seed Ohio, 72-58. Gonzaga is 28-0 and their bench players would be starters for most Division I schools in America. Mark Few has the best team in the country and they should dominate this game from start to finish.
Zags 88-67
#1 Michigan vs #4 Florida State:
FSU has the biggest team across the board in the Sweet 16, they are long and tall. Leonard Hamilton has led The Seminoles to 5 twenty win seasons over the past 6 years. Juwan Howard led Michigan to a 19-14 record in his first season and 22-4 this year. Michigan goes 8 or 9 deep on their roster and they will need everyone to contribute if they expect to beat a tough FSU team.
Michigan wins 73-68
#6 USC vs #7 Oregon:
On February 22nd, USC defeated Oregon 72-58. The Trojans outscored the Ducks 43-22 in the first half. This is a battle of two teams who know each other very well. There will be no surprises in this game. USC has seen Oregon on film and in person numerous times over the years. This will be a backyard brawl. Evan and Isaiah Mobley pace the Trojans scoring 26 points and 15 rebounds combined. USC will sometimes use 9 players in a game. Oregon goes with 5 starters and a few minutes here and there to their bench players. Chris Duarte and Eugene Omoruyi are averaging 33 points and 10 rebounds combined. The Ducks starters will have to play a ton of minutes without fouling if they want to make it to the Elite 8. I am taking the better coach here in Dana Altman.
Ducks win the rematch, 81-75
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