(Photo : (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)) INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – MARCH 24: Zach Edey #15 of the Purdue Boilermakers celebrates a basket from the bench in opposition to the Utah State Aggies throughout the second half within the second spherical of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on March 24, 2024 in Indianapolis, Indiana.
The rounds of 64 and 32 have come and gone, and we’re left with a Sweet 16 subject within the males’s NCAA Tournament that options only one double-digit seed and an entire lot of firepower when it comes to present high quality and traditionally elite packages.
Half of the tickets to the Elite 8 have been punched, with reigning champion UConn shifting on to the Elite 8. Who will be part of them?
As we anxiously await these incredible matchups, listed here are our official predictions for tonight’s 4 Sweet 16 video games.
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(11) NC State vs. (2) Marquette
Time: 7:09 PM EST, Friday
Channel: CBS
How They Got Here: NC State defeated Texas Tech, Oakland. Marquette defeated Western Kentucky, Colorado.
Odds: Marquette -6.5
There is an fascinating historical past wrinkle to this matchup. Before Marquette head coach Shaka Smart left VCU to take over Texas, he turned down the NC State job in 2011. When NC State gained its first nationwide championship in 1974, the group they beat within the title sport was Marquette.
None of that may matter on Friday, although. This NC State group that was left for lifeless simply two weeks in the past has discovered new life and is enjoying at a particularly excessive degree proper now led by viral sensation D.J. Burns at middle, a harmful duo of guards in Michael O’Connell and D.J. Horne, and a powerful solid of supporting characters all enjoying their roles completely on the proper time.
It’s laborious to challenge precisely how the Wolfpack will proceed to play at this degree within the face of fatigue, however it’s a must to assume it is staying round. Marquette can have its arms full on Friday.
Speaking of Marquette, the return of star guard Tyler Kolek from harm has given the Golden Eagles an enormous carry on the offensive finish, and so they wanted each little bit of that carry to beat an upstart Colorado group. Marquette performs at a excessive degree on each ends of the court docket, and so they’ll want to make use of the press to drive NC State into turnovers to win this one. The Wolfpack hardly ever flip the ball over out of the half court docket, however they’re extra weak in opposition to the kind of strain that Smart has traditionally drawn up in his profession.
Between Burns and Mo Diarra, NC State might have a really important edge within the paint on this one, and the Wolfpack have the defenders in Casey Morsell and Jaden Taylor to doubtlessly maintain Kolek from successful the sport himself.
The Pick: 78-72, NC State
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(5) Gonzaga vs. (1) Purdue
Time: 7:39 PM EST, Friday
Channel: TBS
How They Got Here: Gonzaga defeated McNeese State, Kansas. Purdue defeated Grambling State, Utah State.
Odds: Purdue -5.5
Super star middle Zach Edey delivered a masterclass within the first two rounds for Purdue, and the Boilermakers backcourt mixture of Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer has been on the prime of its sport.
If Purdue goes to proceed this run, that might want to proceed in opposition to a Gonzaga group that may run and rating the ball at a really excessive degree. The Bulldogs play quick and have 4 gamers averaging over 12.5 factors per sport, which incorporates distributor extraordinaire Ryan Nembhard, who averages 6.9 assists per sport.
This has been billed because the weakest iteration of Gonzaga basketball shortly, nevertheless it actually doesn’t seem like that proper now. McNeese State was a really fashionable upset choose, however the Zags made fast work of placing that notion to mattress.
The two groups met within the common season on the Maui Invitational with Purdue successful 73-63, and there are some things we are able to glean from that sport, way back as it could have been.
Gonzaga truly was absolutely in command of that sport into the second half, earlier than the Boilermakers tightened up defensively and compelled the Bulldogs into a number of prolonged scoring droughts. Both groups shot the ball miserably from three-point vary, so anticipate a higher-scoring sport this time round.
Edey dominated the glass with 14 rebounds in that sport, and whereas we expect this one shall be shut, Zach Edey’s capacity to seize second-chance alternatives and spring his offense with defensive rebounds ought to show to be the distinction.
The Pick: 79-75, Purdue
(4) Duke vs. (1) Houston
Time: 9:39 PM EST, Friday
Channel: CBS
How They Got Here: Duke defeated Vermont, James Madison. Houston defeated Longwood, Texas A&M.
Odds: Houston -4.5
Despite almost seeing their season finish in beautiful trend on Sunday, the Houston Cougars are a group that has a lot going for them proper now. Their trademark defensive toughness below Kelvin Sampson continues to be there, and their guard duo of Jamal Shead and L.J. Cryer make them very tough to decelerate on the alternative finish.
Duke is available in enjoying in addition to it has all 12 months, as their first half romp of James Madison may be very arguably the most effective half of basketball the Blue Devils have performed all season. Duke will get its common contributions from veteran guard Jeremy Roach and sophomore massive Kyle Filipowski, however the sharpshooting of Jared McCain is a large X-factor for this group proper now, as he obtained scorching in a rush on Sunday to place the Dukes away shortly.
Texas A&M and Houston performed an uncharacteristically fast-paced sport on Sunday, so I’d search for the Cougars to attempt to get again to their slower methods on Friday. Duke will possible be high-quality with that, because the Blue Devils have been a reasonably deliberate group below Jon Scheyer.
Both groups function dynamic scoring guards, however Duke might discover considerably of a bonus down low, the place Filipowski and Mark Mitchell look poised to offer Houston suits within the rebounding division. Despite that, Houston has discovered methods to beat its rebounding shortcomings all season lengthy, together with in that final sport in opposition to the Aggies.
The Pick: 68-64, Houston
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(3) Creighton vs. (2) Tennessee
Time: 10:09 PM EST, Friday
Channel: TBS
How They Got Here: Creighton defeated Akron, Oregon. Tennessee defeated Saint Peter’s, Texas.
Odds: Tennessee -2.5
There are all kinds of thrilling issues about this matchup on paper, beginning with a showdown between two of probably the most prolific scorers in faculty basketball in Tennessee’s Dalton Knecht and Creighton’s Baylor Scheierman.
While Knecht carries his group on his again offensively, Scheierman has important assist in the type of middle Ryan Kalkbrenner (17.4 factors per sport) and Trey Alexander (17.7 ppg).
This is a results of Creighton’s three-point blissful, fast-paced offense that permits their stars numerous possessions to get alternatives. Scheierman and Alexander shoot the ball effectively from deep, and Kalkbrenner creates all kinds of mismatches down low whereas ending up loads of misses on the offensive glass.
They’re going to satisfy match for that type on this sport, as Tennessee options middle Jonas Aidoo to attempt to line up in opposition to Kalkbrenner, whereas the Volunteers have loads of robust defenders at guard and on the wing and can look to sluggish the tempo of the Bluejays down to some extent they’re extra snug with.
Normally on this kind of matchup, I’d choose the sooner and extra offensively gifted group, and there is no doubt that Creighton is that, however we have seen bodily groups give the Bluejays bother in recent times, and there is no group extra bodily than Rick Barnes’ Volunteers. We have seen this group get into slugfests within the match, drag a group right down to their type, and beat them. Last 12 months’s win over Duke instantly springs to thoughts. Vols, shut.
The Pick: 67-64, Tennessee
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