March Madness: Sweet 16 (Day 1)

I finished 7-1 on Day Two of the Round of 32 (Wisconsin over Xavier was my only miss), which puts me at 14-2 for the second round and 38-10 overall.

I should note that it's certainly much easier to pick the winner at the beginning of each round. My bracket (or what's left of it) is proof if of this fact.

Without further ado, my first batch of Sweet 16 picks.

5 Purdue vs. 1 Connecticut [7:07 ET]
The Pick: Connecticut
-Purdue is playing very good basketball, and, thanks to the teleunit scandal (pictured above) swirling around Storrs, Jim Calhoun's squad has plenty of disractions heading into Thursday's matchup. While my heart says Purdue, my head can't get past Jeff Adrien's muscle and Hasheem Thabeet's length. I look for UConn to squeak by in a close one.

4 Xavier vs. 1 Pittsburgh [7:27 ET]
The Pick: Pittsburgh
-Pitt has been in something of a funk so far in the tourney. Still, the Xavier guards will need to come up huge if the Musketeers are going to have a chance. Ultimately, I think the Panthers win in a semi-blowout due to their play in the paint.

3 Missouri vs. 2 Memphis [9:37 ET]
The Pick: Memphis
-I think this is the closest call of the bunch. Mizzou's 40 minutes of hell defense will test freshman point guard Tyreke Evans. Not to mention that he will be defended in the half-court by J.T. Tiller -- one of the nation's most talented perimeter defenders. Mizzou has the advantage in the post, but I like the Memphis wings in this one. Look for Antonio Anderson, in particular, to be a game-changer.

3 Villanova vs. 2 Duke [9:57 ET]
The Pick: Villanova
-Jay Wright's guards get all the attention, but the Wildcats frontcourt will be the difference in this one. Gerald Henderson will have to put his teammates on his back if the Blue Devils are to prevail.