The NCAA men’s basketball tournament resumes Friday. By the evening’s end the Sweet 16 will officially be down to the Elite Eight, just one step removed from a trip to the Final Four in San Antonio next weekend.
The action begins in Atlanta, where a miniature SEC-Big Ten challenge is in the offing. Shortly thereafter events will tip off in Indianapolis, where the top four seeds that includes last year’s national runner-up, take the floor.
Once again,, we’re here to take you through the night’s matchups. Happy viewing, and good luck if you still have a dog in the fight. Well, you probably don’t since all the canine mascots have been eliminated* – but we digress.
No. 2 Michigan State vs. No. 6 Mississippi
Time/TV: 7:09 p.m. ET, CBS
Seeding as well as historical precedent would seem to favor the Spartans, who are Sweet 16 regulars while the Rebels have reached this round just once before – in 2001. Michigan State should also enjoy a considerable depth advantage, particularly among the guards where Jaden Akins does a little of everything, Jase Richardson and Tre Holloman make plenty of big shots and Jeremy Fears sets up his teammates. The Rebels’ negative rebounding margin of nearly five a game is also a concern, though that is to an extent a function of life in the SEC. All of this is not to say Ole Miss has no chance, especially if Sean Pedulla keeps knocking down treys, but he’s going to need help from his frontcourt teammates.
No. 2 Tennessee vs. No. 3 Kentucky
Time/TV: 7:39 p.m. ET, TBS/TRUTV
From Tennessee’s perspective, Kentucky is either the one fellow SEC team it did not want to see in the tournament, or the one that it did in order to achieve a measure of redemption. As for the Wildcats, they’ll look to do what worked against the Volunteers twice before in victories this season – always easier said than done. The common factor in both prior encounters was that Vols’ leading scorer Chaz Lanier was held in check. He’s been on a tear of late so that could change, but the Wildcats have also been shooting well. Tennessee’s usually strong perimeter defense was lacking in its second date with the Wildcats in Lexington, and the Kentucky offense should now have even better ball security with Lamont Butler back in the lineup.
*Yes, we know about Smokey, but the actual canine usually doesn’t attend basketball games.
No. 1 Auburn vs. No. 5 Michigan
Time/TV: 9:39 p.m. ET, CBS
After dominating the SEC for much of the season, Auburn’s closing stretch was cause for concern. The Tigers’ victory margins in their first two games only went so far to alleviate those misgivings, most notably Johni Broome’s struggles against Creighton big man Ryan Kalkbrenner. That might not bode well for this matchup with the Big Ten tournament champion Wolverines, particularly when Michigan’s big lineup is on the floor with both Vlad Goldin and Danny Wolf. The good news for Auburn is Tahaad Pettiford and Chad Baker-Mazara have been accurate from outside the arc, and the Tigers are still quite disruptive at the defensive end. But Tre Donaldson, Michigan’s primary ball handler, will be facing his former team and should be familiar with the Tigers’ tendencies.
No. 1 Houston vs. No. 4 Purdue
Time/TV: 10:09 p.m. ET, TBS/truTV
The Boilermakers will have the bulk of the home-state crowd on their side for the nightcap in Indianapolis. But Houston is more than accustomed to hostile environs, having prevailed in all 10 of its road contests in the Big 12. Purdue hit a four-game skid in February, and the Cougars, who have lost just four times all season, have experienced no such streak. Purdue can play with anybody when everything is working, which begins with Braden Smith handing out dimes to Trey Kaufman-Renn and Fletcher Loyer. But the Cougars are all about making sure everything is not working, as they hold opponents to a mere 58.4 points a game while forcing 13.7 turnovers on average. While L.J. Cryer and Emanuel Sharp hit many of the shots, the Houston offense usually runs through the capable hands of Milos Uzan.