Just one short week ago 64 teams were gearing up for the NCAA tournament. Now, 48 of those teams are home, sitting on the couch getting ready to watch 16 other teams play in a game they believe should have theirs.
After the blitz of the first rounds, it is going to be weird not having basketball on the TV practically 24/7 this weekend. In fact the last week was so quiet as we took our time shaking off the blowouts of Monday and preparing for the Sweet 16.
With only four games being played on Saturday and four on Sunday, there isn't much need for you to try and decide which ones you are going to watch. It is basically going to be back to back to back to back games staring at 3:00 PM EST.
Oregon State/Loyola Chicago has the potential to be a really good game. I wouldn't be shocked if we saw the 8 seed Ramblers make it to the Elite 8 like they did in 2018.
Another really good game could be the Oral Roberts/Arkansas game. The Golden Eagles have some momentum behind them and some huge upsets already. Taking down a 3 seed team wouldn't be too far beyond the realm of possibility.
I expect Baylor will advance past Villanova and if I had to guess Houston will likely have an easy win over Syracuse. This is March though and anything can happen in March!
The action on Sunday starts at 2:10 PM EST and it basically runs the same way Saturday did. Game after game until it is time for you to call it a night and put your bracket back on the fridge or throw it away if it is busted.
If I had to pick two key must watch games for Sunday, it would be the Florida State/Michigan game and the Oregon/USC game. Creighton is a scrappy team, but I have a feeling Gonzaga will be able to easily handle them. Alabama has been on fire, so even though UCLA is a good team with some momentum behind them I expect the Crimson Tide to roll.
I remember at the beginning of the tournament the commentators were talking about how awesome a FSU/UofM matchup would be in the Sweet 16. I have to agree with them even though I was honestly hoping for Michigan to be knocked out long before this round.
Both teams had some rocky spots through their season. They had epic meltdowns and some moments of greatness. I think they are going to be fairly evenly matched and apparently Vegas thinks so too with the bet line being a mere -2.5 to Michigan. Personally, I will be cheering for FSU.
The sports book has the Oregon/USC game fairly close to at -2 to USC. I wouldn't want to call this game one way or the other. I just wish it was on earlier because I likely won't be able to stay up this late on a school night!
I think it is going to be a fast paced game with the potential for a really high score. The camera man should earn his paycheck this weekend moving the camera back and forth!
Are you ready for the Sweet 16? Is your bracket busted or are you still in the race? What game are you looking forward to this weekend? Let me know in the comments!