It's tough to argue that this year's NCAA Tournament hasn't been exciting. The upsets have come in spades, as Florida Gulf Coast University, the first 15-seed to ever reach the Sweet 16, has dunked its way past Georgetown and San Diego St., and La Salle has fought its way to the fourth round, most recently knocking off the polarizing Marshall Henderson and Ole Miss. Everyone who picked Gonzaga for the Final Four are grieving over Wichita St.'s rout of the Bulldogs, while Oregon has showed why that No. 12 seed they received was a bit misleading.
Whether your bracket has been busted or ranks in the top percentile, the games have been thrilling across the board. Here's our preview of the Sweet 16:
No. 1 Louisville vs. No. 12 Oregon
The No. 1 overall-seeded Louisville Cardinals have carried their momentum after winning the Big East Championship, dominating in their first two rounds of play with wins of 31 and 26 points, respectively.
Junior guard Russ Smith has been nothing short of brilliant, scoring 27 on Saturday against No. 8 Colorado St., and the Cardinals have won 12 straight since their big five-overtime loss to Notre Dame.
While Oregon might be considered an underdog up against coach Rick Pitino, if there's any team as hot as Louisville, it's the Ducks. After receiving a questionable No. 12 seed, the Pac-12 champions have dominated, rolling past No. 5 Oklahoma St. and then No. 4 St. Louis, 74-57. The Ducks will need to continue the strong team effort if they even have a shot at knocking off the red and black.
The Pick: Louisville Cardinals
No. 2 Duke vs. No. 3 Michigan St.
The other game in the Midwest region will feature an even level of talent on both sides of the floor. After falling as a 2-seed last year in the Round of 64, coach Mike Krzyzewski's Duke Blue Devils have proven they won't go down easily in 2013, cruising to easy victories over Albany and Creighton to reach the Sweet 16.
NBA prospects Mason Plumlee and Seth Curry have carried their squad, combining for a whopping 76 in the two games, but the Blue Devils will face a much stauncher challenge when they square up against Tom Izzo's perennial Big-10 powerhouse in Michigan St.
Though the Spartans struggled down the stretch of the regular season, the men in green are officially back on the map behind the stellar play of freshman guard Gary Harris and senior forward Derrick Nix. This matchup will come down to the wire, but we like the team that will win the battle and wear down its opponent in the paint.
The Pick: Michigan St. Spartans
No. 2 Ohio St. vs. No. 6 Arizona
Senior guard Aaron Craft's last-second 3-pointer against Iowa St. sealed a Sweet 16 berth for the Buckeyes and prevented yet another top-seeded team from falling in the West.
The playmaking abilities of the Buckeyes, along with strong performances from junior forward and Big-10 leading scorer Deshaun Thomas, have kept the team alive going into their matchup with No. 6 Arizona. The Wildcats easily handled No. 14 Harvard, aided by 27 points from senior guard Mark Lyons. But while Arizona has the talent to compete and has not lost a game outside of the Pac-12 this season, Ohio St.'s leadership and defense may be too much for the Wildcats to handle.
The Pick: Ohio St. Buckeyes
No. 1 Kansas vs. No. 4 Michigan
One of the most intriguing matchups of this year's Sweet 16 comes from the South, where the No. 1 Kansas Jayhawks will take on the No. 4 Michigan Wolverines. Both teams have been dominant all year in their conferences, and have shown thus far in the tournament that they are squads to be feared.
After getting by the Jackrabbits of South Dakota St. in the Round of 64, the Wolverines shocked many with a laugher over VCU and coach Shaka Smart's "Havoc" defense. Big-10 Player of the Year Trey Burke has struggled to score at times, but role players like freshmen Mitch McGary and Glen Robinson III have picked up the slack and have shown flashes of stardom.
On the other hand, the Jayhawks' defense will be as tough as ever, and if freshman Ben McLemore returns to his regular shooting form, Bill Self and company will be hard to stop.
The Pick: Kansas Jayhawks
No. 3 Florida vs. No. 15 Florida Gulf Coast University
The Cinderella story of this year's tournament is without a doubt the No. 15-seeded Eagles of FGCU. The school itself was established just 22 years ago, and the basketball program has only had full Div. I status for a mere 591 days.
Yet the Eagles were arguably the most exciting team to watch last weekend, led by high-flying alley-oops and terrific guard play behind senior guard Sherwood Brown. Not only has FGCU handled historic opponents like No. 2 Georgetown in convincing fashion, but it's also clear these guys are having fun.
The run may end, however, after a Sweet 16 matchup Friday with in-state opponent No. 3 Florida. The Gators, despite falling in the SEC Championship game to Ole Miss., seem to be back on track after convincing wins over Northwestern St. and Minnesota.
Florida has been inconsistent throughout the course of the season, dropping games to Arkansas and Kentucky, so FGCU has at least a chance to break down the stingy Florida defense and continue its historic run.
The Pick: Florida Gators
No. 2 Miami vs. No. 3 Marquette
Tonight in Washington, D.C., the regular-season champs from the ACC and Big East conferences will square off, both featuring superstar point guards who can shoot and get to the basket with ease.
No. 3 Marquette has won its first two matchups by a combined three points over No. 14 Davidson and No. 6 Butler, and junior Vander Blue has exceeded expectations by putting up 45 points between the two contests. While winning and advancing is the name of the game in this tournament, it's unlikely that these narrow escapes can be sustained.
On the other side of the court, Miami's Shane Larkin has been terrific all season, averaging 14.5 points for the team that took home convincing wins over No. 15 Pacific and No. 7 Illinois last weekend. Hurricanes coach Jim Larranaga has been to this rodeo before with 2006 Cinderella George Mason, and with Coach of the Year hardware secured for this season, look for Miami to continue their success going forward.
The Pick: Miami Hurricanes
No. 1 Indiana vs. No. 4 Syracuse
In one of the most exciting Sweet 16 matchups of the weekend, the high-powered Hoosier offense will take on the legendary 2-3 zone of the Syracuse Orange tonight at the Verizon center.
Junior guard Victor Oladipo, who hit a 3-pointer with 14 seconds left to secure a win over No. 9 Temple, and sophomore center Cody Zeller must be impressive in transition offense if the Hoosiers hope to break down the Syracuse defense.
The Orange will need to be effective in the half-court, as the team struggled from the free throw line against No. 12 California despite big numbers from junior forward C.J. Fair and senior forward James Southerland. Though coach Jim Boeheim's zone defense made up for the offensive mistakes, Syracuse may not have the same luck against the more talented Indiana team.
The Pick: Indiana Hoosiers
No. 9 Wichita St. vs. No. 13 La Salle
In the most unlikely Sweet 16 matchup, the No. 9 Wichita St. Shockers will take on one of the tournament's "last four in" and A-10 upstart, the La Salle Explorers.
The Shockers come into Los Angeles fresh off an upset of No. 1 Gonzaga, in which they limited the Bulldogs to just 35.6 percent shooting from the floor. They'll hope to maintain their success by continuing to impress on the glass, where they rank among the top 30 in the nation.
On the other bench, La Salle comes into the matchup having already faced some of the best teams in the country. The Explorers knocked out both No. 4 Kansas St. and No. 12 Ole Miss to reach this point, but while senior guard Ramon Galloway has been an exciting player to watch, a slim margin of victory in those two contests may not be enough for the team to get past a fired up Wichita St. squad.
The Pick: Wichita St.
