With the round of 32 coming to a close Sunday Night, we are coming into the good part of the Ncaa Tournament. The Sweet 16 matchups are now set, and there will be some competitive basketball played. This is where heart matters more than talent, as players have to earn everything from this point on. Let's take a look at the eight matchups, and see which teams might come out on top.
Wisconsin vs. Florida
Wisconsin is coming off a nail-biter win against the top seeded Villanova Wildcats. The Badgers are being led by their senior players, bringing them to another sweet sixteen appearance.
If they want to win against Florida, they need to stay out of foul trouble. Early fouls to two key pieces forced them to sit, letting Nova's offense get going. They also should feed Nigel Hayes early, as he is a unique talent that needs touches early to get going.
Florida is coming off a dominant win against Virginia. Their defense was excellent, holding UVA to just 39 points. They need to have that same defensive effort to beat Wisconsin. They will need to crash the boards, as the Badgers are dominant on the glass. Florida needs to show their dominance early in order to beat the seasoned Badgers squad.
Gonzaga vs. West Virginia
Gonzaga is coming off a nail-biting win against Northwestern. They now face a West Virginia squad and their full-court press.
West Virginia can cause turnovers at a great clip, so ball security will be a number one priority. Nigel Williams-Goss will need to have another all-around game to carry the Zags. The Zags need to shoot better from three-point range, as they are only shooting 25 percent from three-point range.
West Virginia is coming off a good win against Notre Dame.
Their press defense caused 14 turnovers that game, but their offense finally got it going. They will need a perfect mix of their chaotic defense, and offensive scoring to beat the mighty Zags. Jevon Carter will need to have another big scoring game to carry the Mountaineers. But the big story will be that defense, and if it can throw off Gonzaga, as that is their bread and butter.
Arizona vs. Xavier
Arizona won their game against Saint Mary's on Saturday. Arizona is a well-coached team, showing great balance. They are good on offense and defense, led by Louis Markkanen. They will need a big game from him to stop this Xavier team. Xavier was great against FSU, confusing them with their zone defense. Arizona will need Allonzo Trier to give them a scoring boost as well.
Xavier dominated Florida State from the jump, holding them to 19 percent from three. They shot over 60 percent from three, and they need more of that against Arizona. Trevon Blueitt led the way with 29, but he will need an even better game. Their offense needs to keep shooting well, as they look for their third straight upset as an 11 seed.
North Carolina vs. Butler
North Carolina escaped from Arkansas, but they need to be better in order to beat Butler. They need to shoot the ball way better, shooting under 40 percent for the entire game. One thing they should do is keep going to the free-throw line, as that is what saved them in this game. Their stars need to play bigger and better next game if they want to make it to the Elite Eight.
Butler's offense got it going vs. Middle Tennessee, as they shot over 50 percent from the field in their win. They need to get down and dirty on defense, as they are facing a North Carolina team that has the ability to get hot at any moment. Butler's defense held three of Middle Tennessee's starters scoreless, so they should use the formula they used against UNC. The way to win will be on defense for the Bulldogs
These are only four of the eight matchups for the Sweet 16, as we are getting treated to some great basketball.
