I went 3-1 for Day One of the Sweet 16. Thus, I now sit at 41-11 for the tourney overall. I had Memphis over Missouri, despite my love affair with Mike Anderson. Mizzou kind of flew under the radar all season long, but, if the Tigers can upset UConn in the Elite Eight, basketball fans will get the chance to become more familiar with a team that is a load of fun to watch. As they showed during their 102-91 win over Memphis, Missouri likes to run. They also like to press and trap...for pretty much the entire game. Oh, and they also have two 6-8-plus post players who run the floor like gazelles and can play with their backs to the baskets -- seniors DeMarre Carroll and Leo Lyons who both flirted with the NBA Draft after their junior years and who are possibly the best kept secrets in college basketball. Carroll, in particular, is a unique player. Besides his Predator-like appearance and top-level athleticism, the guy brings a blue-collar mentality to the game and is in non-stop motion for forty minutes.
On to the second batch of Sweet 16 picks.
12 Arizona vs. 1 Louisville [7:07 ET]
The Pick: Louisville
-Depth is the name of the game in this one. Louisville has it in excess, while Arizona's bench is woefully thin. The Wildcats' Big Three (Jordan Hill, Chase Budinger, and Nic Wise) will give the Cards trouble, but look for them to be gassed by the second half.
3 Syracuse vs. 2 Oklahoma [7:27 ET]
The Pick: Oklahoma
-I actually like Syracuse more than Oklahoma, but I just can't get past the feeling that Jim Boeheim's club is due for a letdown. 'Cuse has been playing great basketball for weeks now, but their regular season body of work does not lead me to believe they can put together this many wins in a row. That being said, Boeheim has about four post players to rotate on Blake Griffin. Willie Warren is going to need a big scoring game for the Sooners.
3 Kansas vs. 2 Michigan State [9:37 ET]
The Pick: Michigan State
-This one is going to be close. I love the Sherron Collins-Cole Aldrich combo, but I'm not sure the Jayhawks' young supporting cast is up to the challenge of a veteran Michigan State squad. Perhaps most importanly, Tom Izzo has a host of big bodies to throw at Aldrich.
4 Gonzaga vs. 1 North Carolina [9:57 ET]
The Pick: North Carolina
-If UNC is going to get beat, it's going to be to a team that focuses for for forty minutes and plays a physical-style of basketball. Gonzaga is not that team. The Bulldogs have the talent but are too soft and suffer from their own mental lapses.
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