2016 NCAA Tournament: Matchups, Breakdown, Predictions

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Mar 11, 2016; Washington, DC, USA; Miami Hurricanes guard Angel Rodriguez (13) reacts after being called for a foul in the second half against the Virginia Cavaliers during semi-finals of the ACC conference tournament at Verizon Center. Virginia Cavaliers defeated Miami Hurricanes 73-68. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports /

Sweet 16

South

Kansas vs. Maryland

Now’s when we find out whether or not this Maryland team is as good as we expected them to be, or if it was all merely a mirage we tried to believe.

Backcourt plays will be at a premium in this contest with Mason and Graham going against Trimble and Rasheed Sulaimon. Only one of these players has ever made it past the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament. That would be Sulaimon, who went to the Elite Eight while still with Duke.

Winner: Maryland

Miami vs. Villanova

A really hard game to predict. Both teams are very talented and have several senior leaders mixed with youthful talent. One key component will be Jalen Brunson, Villanova’s freshman point guard. Brunson hasn’t been the standout he was earlier in the year, but he’s solid on both ends of the floor and can score.

How he responds to Rodriguez’s scrappy defense will be the key for Villanova. Also, the Wildcats have a tendency to shoot themselves out of games, something they won’t have the luxury of doing here.

Winner: Miami

East

North Carolina vs. Kentucky

This season was the first time in a long time that Kentucky and North Carolina didn’t play each other in the regular season, so getting this matchup in the NCAA tournament is justice for all!

It’s new school against old school as UNC’s seniors and experienced team goes against UK’s talented but relatively inexperienced group. In a field this wide open, it’s experience that’s usually the key.

Winner: North Carolina

West Virginia vs. Xavier

Two different defenses with West Virginia’s press and Xavier’s use of the 1-3-1. Two very talented teams and rely on smaller players and one big to carry the load. Xavier is much freer offensively, which leaves them open to vulnerability against the press, but Chris Mack’s squad is disciplined enough to overcome a few mistakes here and there.

Both teams are very balanced offensively. The Mountaineers have two averaging double-digits in the scoring column (Jaysean Paige at 13.9 and Devin Williams at 13.3) but four others average between 8.9 and 9.7 points per game while the Musketeers have four averaging double-digits and two others at just under 10 points per game. That extra bit of scoring does the trick.

Winner: Xavier

Mar 10, 2016; Kansas City, MO, USA; Iowa State Cyclones forward Georges Niang (31) shoots a layup as Oklahoma Sooners forward Khadeem Lattin (12) defends in the first half during the Big 12 Conference tournament at Sprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports /

Midwest

Virginia vs. Iowa State

Offense against defense. Iowa State’s come this far without crumbling on the heavy minutes load for their starters, but it starts to catch up with them here. Georges Niang and Jameel McKay cannot afford to get into foul trouble in this game, something Virginia will no doubt take advantage of.

Deonte Burton will be the x-factor for this game. Whether or not he’s able to utilize his length and shooting ability to take some of the pressure off of his teammates could be the difference.

Winner: Iowa State

Utah vs. Michigan State

Is there somebody for Utah that can contain Denzel Valentine? Is there anybody in the country that can contain him? That’s something we’ll find out in this tournament as Valentine is one of the most important players in the NCAA Tournament.

Poeltl will likely get his, but it’s hard to see the Spartans letting the rest of Utah get to them. Bryn Forbes’ outside shooting is too much to match.

Winner: Michigan State

West

Oregon vs. Baylor

Remember the eye sore of this game that was played earlier this season? It’s back and better than ever. Oregon was not at full health in that game and still came away with a win. The Ducks are a metric ton better (an actual thing, I think) than they were in that game.

Baylor’s zone defense isn’t enough to contain Oregon’s outside shooting and Chris Boucher handles himself well in the post against Gathers.

Winner: Oregon

Texas vs. Oklahoma

The Sooners needed a Hield three to win in the first meeting with the Longhorns and lost by 13 at Texas. It’s hard to see Oklahoma getting outplayed by Texas a third time in a season, though both are rather evenly matched.

Isaiah Cousins against Isaiah Taylor may be the matchup that helps determine this one. Whether or not Cousins can be a go-to scorer in crunch time and whether Taylor can play an instrumental role in Texas’ offense. Taylor has a chance to put himself into the NBA Draft conversation once again.

Winner: Oklahoma

Next: Elite Eight

2016 NCAA Tournament: Bracket, Preview, Breakdown & Predictions

By Nathan Giese | Mar 14, 2016