Four games each will take place Thursday and Friday, respectively. The East and West regions will play their regional semifinal games on the first night, with the Midwest and South affairs on Friday. Many different headlines fill the line-up of games, as the dance floor continues to shrink.
Thursday’s Previews
East Region
#2-Seed Miami vs. #3-Seed Marquette at 7:15 pm at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C.
The Hurricanes will be without big man Reggie Johnson, who averages seven rebounds per game and 6.7 points per game. Johnson is Miami’s main hustler off the bench. Marquette will try to take advantage of the absence of the 6’10 center by going to their bench presence, Davante Gardner, who scored eight points in the 74-72 Round of 32 win over Butler. Vander Blue leads the way for the Golden Eagles, as he put up a 29-point performance last Saturday against the Bulldogs. The ‘Canes, who are the Atlantic Coast Conference champion, are led by 5’11 guard Shane Larkin. He averages 14.5 points per game and scored 17 in a tight win over Illinois, 63-59. Miami looks to continue their run for a national title going, as the program has never appeared in a Final Four. It’s a very interesting coaching match-up, as old-time Jim Larranaga faces the jumping, vibrant Buzz Williams. Tow teams who like to move in transition face off in D.C. Marquette has won their first tow tournament games by a combined three points. I think that the Eagles are solid, but Miami’s backcourt can wear down Marquette if they continue to attack the rim. Marquette has been clutch, but you can only have so many close calls in the Big Dance in my opinion. I like Miami to win.
#1-Seed Indiana vs. #4-Seed Syracuse at 9:45 pm at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C.
It’s two storied programs in college basketball facing off in the Sweet 16 in the East Region. Syracuse has been up-and-down throughout the year, with three straight losses to Georgetown, Marquette, and Louisville at one point (February 23-March 2), and Jim Boeheim’s team has swings like the run to the Big East Tournament Title Game two weeks ago. C.J. Fair will face a big test in containing Cody Zeller and the physical Hoosiers of Indiana. Fair, the 6’8 forward, averages 14.5 points per game and pulls down 6.9 boards per game. James Southerland, the 6’8 forward, puts up 13.7 points per game and averages 5.3 rebounds per game. Averaging 3rd in points per game in the country, Indiana scores 80 points per game. Offensively, Cody Zeller and Victor Oladipo are the big man-guard combination for Tom Crean’s team. They average 30.5 points per game for the Hoosiers. Indiana can play quicker and slower, while Syracuse needs the transition game. I see Indiana bringing pressure to the Orange. Jim Boeheim’s team can get very vulnerable against a stifling trap. I see top-seeded Indiana coming out on top.
West Region
#2-Seed Ohio State vs. #6-Seed Arizona at 7:47 pm at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California
Six years ago, Thad Matta and Sean Miller met in the NCAA Tournament when Ohio State edged Xavier in the NCAA Tournament on March 17 of 2007. They shared an office at Miami of Ohio almost two decades ago as well. The match-up to watch is point guard Aaron Craft meets a defensive challenge from guard Mark Lyons, who is a physical guard that will be a defensive challenge for Craft as well. He averages 15.4 points per game and leads a quick-paced, high-octane offense of the Wildcats out in LA Thursday. Ohio State comes off of a 78-75 win over Iowa State in the Round of 32, as Craft hit a game winner with .5 seconds left to lift the Bucks. Deshaun Thomas scores 19.7 points per game, but it is important that extra contributors like Lenzelle Smith, Jr. (9.4 ppg), LaQuinton Ross (7.7 ppg), and company also pitch in for the Buckeyes. Ross scored 17 points last Sunday against Iowa State. The Wildcats of Arizona have won both their tournament games by a combined 40 points. Forward Solomon Hill (6’7, 220 lbs) will try to contain Deshaun Thomas and the Bucks’ tough attack. I think that the team that wins the rebounding battle wins this game. Craft and Lyons make up quite a match-up. I see Ohio State fighting off the Wildcats defensively because Thad Matta had a good amount of time to get his guys in the right mindset. I like the Buckeyes out in LA.
#9-Seed Wichita State vs. #13-Seed La Salle at 10:17 pm at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California
Bracketbusters make this tournament the great success that it has become. Two teams who didn’t really fathom the Staples Center in LA as a location for one of their games in the Big Dance will play one another tomorrow. La Salle has gone through the “First Four” play-in round, where they beat Boise State. They took down Kansas State and Ole Miss this past weekend. Out of the Atlantic 10, they finished fourth in the regular season standings. 6-foot-11 center Steve Zack return for La Salle Thursday. He missed six games in a row due to a foot injury. For the Shockers, they aren’t shocked by themselves at all. Wichita State is led by guards Malcolm Armstead (10.6 ppg) and Cleanthony Early (18.5 ppg). The Shockers are out of the Missouri Valley Conference, in which their fellow foe, Creighton, was bumped by Duke on Sunday. Either La Salle or Wichita State will be in the Elite Eight, which is amazing. I like the Shockers of Wichita State because of their constant transition and their inside-out approach offensively. They locked up Gonzaga pretty solidly last weekend, I see Wichita State moving on.
The East games will be on CBS (Verne Lundquist, Bill Raftery, Rachel Nichols) while the West will be on TBS (Kevin Harlan, Reggie Miller, Len Elmore, and Lewis Johnson).
The Big Dance is heating up even more on Thursday, as March Madness rolls on into the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament.
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VIDEO OF THE DAY: Aaron Craft’s game winning three-pointer to lift Ohio State over Iowa State in an instant classic.
