Sweet 16 Friday Games Preview: Madness in March

The 16 will soon be chopped down to eight, then to four, after this weekend’s slate of Sweet 16 and Elite Eight action takes place at respective regional sites, beginning on Thursday.

The South region is down to ninth-seeded Kansas State and 11th-seeded Loyola-Chicago.

Two days later, CMU went on a 20-1 run in in the second quarter to silence over 3,000 Ohio State fans and advance after winning the second NCAA Tournament game in program history.

In Thursday’s 69-68 win over Nevada, it was Marques Townes with the dagger with six seconds left to help Loyola punch its Elite Eight ticket.

No. 1 Kansas vs.

This isn’t simply the matchup no one expected. You have to win one more game, regardless of what number is by your name. Their two-point upset of Miami is still their biggest win.

“Every time we thought we had something going forward, they took it right back and got a big stop or a big bucket”, Gonzaga forward Corey Kispert told reporters of FSU after the game.

– Charles Odum reporting from Atlanta. “Feels like a dream“. They return most of the stars that led them to the national title game last season, including 6-foot-7 standout Teaira McCowan.

If the Wolverines stick around long enough, the national press might discover that they represent the antidote for all the bad press college basketball has justly received this year, from FBI investigations to assault charges to whatever mess comes out next.

Although CMU has been tabbed as a tournament “Cinderella” by ESPN and other sports commentators, the Chippewas are confident heading into the Sweet 16. “I’m also staying composed because we have another game to go”.

The two teams have plenty in common, from their “let’s shock the world” mentalities to their on-court similarities. And it’s a team that’s got national title written all over it. MI hammered Texas A&M, a team that beat defending champ North Carolina convincingly last weekend, by 27 points on Thursday.

OR has the eighth highest scoring offense in the country averaging 82.6 points per game, just behind CMU, which averages 82.7 points per game.

“I took more time in this race more than I ever really have in my career to look into the stands and really take in the moment the best that I could”, said McHugh. It turned offensive sets into target practice and rarely missed the mark, hitting 61.9 percent from the field and 58.3 percent outside.

“I am very proud of these guys”, Studd said. A 45% three point shooter could be the different down the stretch if he is hitting shots and is able to make this tough, hard-nosed Clemson defense defend him at the three point line. There was maybe 2,000 people that were at a regional championship game.

West Virginia (26-10) is known for its defense, but rode its hot-shooting offense into the Sweet 16 for the third time in four years. The Falcons entered the tournament as the fifth seed. When he drew two defenders, he flipped the ball over to freshman Jordan Poole, who hadn’t scored a point the entire half.

Florida State looks as underwhelming as it gets on paper. Coach John Calipari’s squad is the highest-seeded team remaining in a bracket that became the first in tournament history to have the four top seeds eliminated on the first weekend.

Sister Jean burst onto the scene when her beloved Ramblers upset the University of Miami in the first round of the tournament with a down-to-the-wire three-point basket. Penn State foil fencer Lodovica Bicego earned All-American honors, and Isabella Zuzulo placed 13th in the championships.