Commentary: Making sense of the remaining madness
With the shock of last weekend's upsets wearing off, it's time to look forward to the remaining games in this year's NCAA Tournament. Throw out your brackets and enjoy the final weeks of college hoops. The Sweet 16 will have its own share of excitement. Enjoy these expected bests: Kentucky will come out on top as the best team of the Sweet 16. A mirror image of the 2008 runners-up, this team has better talent and athleticism than does any other team in the field. John Wall and Eric Bledsoe make up the most athletic backcourt in the country, while DeMarcus Cousins and Patrick Patterson can score inside better than any other duo. With Kansas out, I do not see a team in the field that matches up well against Kentucky. My preseason pick to win it all will be cutting down the nets in Indy in a few weeks.
Watch for Evan Turner to distinguish himself as the all-around best individual left in the tournament. This competition is not as close as you might think. Compared to John Wall, Turner has taken a team with far less talent to a No. 2 seed and the final 16 teams in the tournament. Turner had a miraculous recovery from a freak back injury, and at 6' 7", leads his team in points (by more than five a game), rebounds (by almost four a game) and assists (by three a game). No player has done more with less and means as much to his team as Turner does.
Don't miss the most thrilling matchup this weekend in Northern Iowa against Michigan State. Do you hop on the Northern Iowa bandwagon and ride the Cinderella team to the Elite 8, or take the major-conference team with the experienced and proven coach? I have absolutely no idea who to side with in this game. Picking against Tom Izzo last year killed my bracket, but without Kalin Lucas running the point, the Spartans are a different team. Michigan State needed a career night from Durrell Summers and a buzzer-beater to get by Maryland in the second round. And who doesn't love Northern Iowa, the small school from the Missouri Valley Conference who just knocked off everybody's favorite? The pick: I'm going with the Spartans. I won't be bested by Izzo again.
While Evan Turner has distinguished himself as the top individual, Omar Samhan of St. Mary's and Ekpe Udoh from Baylor promise the best remaining one-on-one matchup. Samhan has charmed the country with his charisma and leadership for the Gaels in the first two rounds. The productive post player is a traditional back-to-the-basket threat with an arsenal of moves and superb footwork on the offensive end. Anything that Samhan lacks in athleticism, he makes up for in experience and craftiness. But in Udoh, Samhan faces a long and athletic big man with superior leaping ability and a penchant for big blocks, as he led the Big 12 with 3.8 blocks per game. In short, Udoh is the most prolific shot-blocking big that Samhan will face all season. The winner of this matchup will likely decide the winner of the game.
Nothing is sure once the tournament reaches the Sweet 16, but Duke's defeat of Purdue comes pretty close. After losing Robbie Hummel at the end of the season to injury, the Boilermakers have made a somewhat surprising run to the Sweet 16 by playing defense and rebounding well. But Duke is an experienced, talented, well-coached squad with three bonafide scoring threats that pose a number of matchup problems for Purdue. With almost a week to prepare, I expect Coach K to exploit the voids left in the Purdue defense by the loss of Hummel and lead his team to victory.
Don't let this upset surprise you: Tennessee will be ending Ohio State's journey. Since star player Tyler Smith was dismissed, the Volunteers have played above their talent level to get to the Sweet 16. This veteran squad appeals to me for the upset bid because they have a balanced scoring attack and defensive length to offset Turner's playmaking ability. Ohio State does not play a high-octane style that can overwhelm Tennessee's lack of dominant scoring. Bruce Pearl will have his team pumped to take on the Buckeyes, and I like the odds for the Vols to pull the upset.
Lucas O'Rear of Northern Iowa earns the distinction of best muttonchops still playing, or for that matter, in the whole darn tournament. O'Rear's chops combine style with ruggedness and truly anchor Northern Iowa's bid for a Final Four berth. They are often used to intimidate opponents in the low post, and also distract guards on the perimeter who are mesmerized by their aggressiveness and tenacity. If Northern Iowa takes down Michigan State this weekend, the sideburns of their 6' 6" bench player will be the main reason.
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