Who's Got Next?

Here we are. Sweet Sixteen on the doorstep. Not quite as fascinating as it has been before. In fact, the biggest upset possible is UNLV winning it all. A number seven seed.

But, hell, we love this time of year, regardless of the seeds remaining. It's such a battle, with every team thinking they can win it all. Fans all painted up. Coaches sweating and ranting.

So who will win tomorrow? We thought you'd never ask.

Southern Illinois(4) v. Kansas (1): the Jayhawks seem to hold all the cards. They average 16 more points per game than the Salukis, rebound better by +10, and share the ball more evenly. This won't be an easy game for Kansas, though. Southern Illinois can defend like nobody's business, and you know, defense wins championships. But, not here. While it may be close, the Jayhawks will advance.

Memphis(3) v. Texas A&M(2): Memphis is deep, and A&M is not. The Aggies are playing close to home. How to balance those two factors? We'll take the close-to-home advantage and call this a win by Texas A&M.

Pitt(3) v. UCLA(2): we talked yesterday about this game as a potential upset. We still believe that can happen if all of the stars align for the Panthers, but we'll have to stick with our way-back original prediction that the Bruins will win this game. Call it a "feeling."

Tennessee(5) v. Ohio State (1): we also talked about this game yesterday and flagged it as a possible upset. And it could be. Check out our reasons in our "Sweet" blog entry. The down-low is that if Greg Oden can dominate this game, stay out of foul trouble, and pass effectively out of the double or triple team, then the Buckeyes move forward. If the Vols can distract and frustrate Oden, then look for Chris Lofton to take over. Rebounding may raise it's ugly head as the deciding force in this game, and, if it does, Tennessee takes the late flight back to Knoxville. All said and done, the Buckeyes win, but we would LIKE to see Lofton and his team knock off what is probably one of the most over-rated number one seeds in the past three years.

So be it. Our predictions are now etched in stone. We will own-up to any misjudgements we have made.

O que acontecerá, acontecerá.