2011 NCAA Tournament - Sweet 16

Yesterday was not a great day for me. I went 5-3 straight up and 2-6 against the spread. VCU, Florida St., and Marquette joined Richmond as double digit seeds to advance to the Sweet 16. We all get to catch our breath for a couple days before the action heats back up on Thursday. Here is a look at how I expect the Sweet 16 to unfold.

Southeast Regional - New Orleans

2 Florida -2.5 vs. 3 BYU

I picked Florida to represent this region in the Final Four on Selection Sunday. I have not seen anything in the first weekend of play that would make me waver from that. Florida dominated UCSB and pulled away in the final minutes to defeat UCLA. BYU was just the opposite. The pulled away late to beat Wofford in the Round of 64 and then blew out Gonzaga on Saturday. This game comes down to depth. I like the Gators to get contributions from a variety of players and be too much for the Jimmer to overcome on his own.

Prediction - Florida 75 BYU 67

4 Wisconsin -4 vs. 8 Butler

Both of these teams advanced further than I thought they would. Wisconsin has impressed so far with wins over very talented Belmont and Kansas St. teams. Butler has proved to be more then a one-year wonder. The Bulldogs knocked off both Old Dominion and Pitt in dramatic fashion. This is a matchup of very gritty, disciplined teams. Which ever team takes care of the ball better will move on to the Elite 8. I think Jordan Taylor will be the best player on the floor.

Prediction - Wisconsin 65 Butler 56

West Regional - Anaheim

2 San Diego St. +1 vs. 3 UConn

This is pretty much a pick 'em game. The Aztecs staved off elimination by beating Temple in double overtime to reach the Sweet 16 for the first time in school history. UConn has made it a habit of reaching the Sweet 16. The beat Big East foe Cincinnati in the Round of 32 to continue their recent hot streak. I picked this matchup when the brackets were revealed. I picked UConn to win at that time. Nothing has changed. Kemba Walker continues his epic run through March.

Prediction - UConn 72 San Diego St. 60

1 Duke -9 vs. 5 Arizona

Duke is still alive in their bid for back to back national titles, barely. They saw a last second shot by Michigan's Darius Morris bounce off the rim and give them a 73-71 victory to advance to the Sweet 16. Freshmen sensation Kyrie Irving has returned to give the Blue Devils a boost off the bench. They face super Sophomore Derrick Williams who again showed he has a flare for the dramatic. He got an and-one in the final seconds to lead Arizona to a one point win over Texas in the Round of 32. Both teams are very talented, but Duke's experience pays off in the end.

Prediction - Duke 73 Arizona 72

East Regional - Newark

2 North Carolina -4.5 vs. 11 Marquette

There were many prognosticators that had North Carolina advancing to this point in the Tournament. Hardly any saw Marquette getting this far. North Carolina has won two high scoring affairs versus Long Island and Washington. The ladder needed a late rally for victory. Marquette on the other hand, is the first team with 14 losses to make it to the Sweet 16. They beat Big East rival Syracuse in the Round of 32. The Big East has struggled, and the Golden Eagles falling will leave them with only one Final Four hopeful.

Prediction - North Carolina 80 Marquette 74

1 Ohio St. -5 vs. 4 Kentucky

To show how surprising some of the outcomes have been in the 2011 NCAA Tournament, this is the only 1-4 matchup in the Sweet 16. This is one I saw coming all along. No team has looked better than Ohio St. They have won their first two games by 29 and 32 points respectively. Against George Mason in the Round of 32, they made 16 threes. When they shoot like that nobody can beat them. Kentucky has the talent to hang with the Buckeyes. They will need to use their athleticism to stay in this game. The Buckeyes come at you from all angles though, and will be too much for the Kentucky youngsters to handle.

Prediction - Ohio St. 72 Kentucky 64

Southwest Regional - San Antonio

1 Kansas -10.5 vs. 12 Richmond

The Jayhawks appear to have the easiest path to the 2011 Final Four. Remaining in the Southwest are Kansas, and three double-digit seeds. The first one they are asked to get past is Richmond. The Spiders dominated Morehead St. to reach their first Sweet 16 since 1988. It won't be easy to reach their first ever Elite 8. They will have to find a way to handle Kansas' Morris twins. Marcus and Markeiff will take this game over and end Richmond's dream run.

Prediction - Kansas 72 Richmond 57

10 Florida St. -4 vs. 11 VCU

This unlikely Sweet 16 game, assures us that at least one double-digit seed will reach the Elite 8. This would be the first time since 10th seeded Davidson did so in 2008. Remember in 2006 when George Mason went to the Final Four? That team has a lot in common with VCU of 2011. Both schools are in Virginia, hail from the CAAC, received controversial at-large bids, and rolled through power conference competition to reach the Sweet 16. Can VCU reach the Final Four as well? They will have to get past the nation's most imposing defense. I think VCU has just enough to get past FSU and set up a match with Kansas.

Prediction - VCU 61 Florida St. 59

Ringer's NCAA Tournament Record
ATS: 25-27
SU: 36-16