The Sweet 16. The place where the Cinderella teams usually begin to bow out of the NCAA Tournament. It is not for lack of trying. You know they are giving it their all on the court. Every game is history for the college. Win or go home, happy to just have made it to the elite group. This year we are left with one double-digit seed, the #15 Princeton Tigers. Two of the #1 seeds, Kansas and Purdue were knocked out in the first weekend. Just like the early rounds, there are no guarantees in the Sweet 16. That is the beauty of the NCAA Tournament.
The Tigers are no strangers to the NCAA. This will be their sixth Sweet Sixteen appearance. They made it to the Final Four, once in 1965. Overall, they have made it to the dance 26 times. This year may be different. Comeback wins in the second half of the Ivy League Championship and against the #2 seed Arizona Wildcats proved their toughness. A wire-to-wire blowout victory over the #7 Missouri Tigers showed who is the king of the jungle. A win over the #6 Creighton Bluejays will put them in the Elite Eight.
The Elite Eight and the later rounds look a lot different from the 2022 tournament. Houston, Miami, and Arkansas are the only three teams that remain from last year’s eight. No teams are still in it from last year’s Final Four. We will definitely not have a repeat winner this year. The days of the back-to-back NCAA winner may be over. The transfer portal is very busy. The NBA is calling. Most teams look different year after year as the players are jockeying for a better place. The failure of the Big 10, only having Michigan State representing them in the Sweet 16. The resurrection of the Big East, with three teams still dancing. That is what makes the tournament so interesting.
Take the Points
One of the most interesting matchups will be between the #6 Creighton Bluejays and the #15 Princeton Tigers in Louisville on Friday night. Both teams have lights-out shooting, but the pressure of the Sweet 16 can change that. Both teams play viciously on defense. A size advantage in the paint favors the Bluejays, who are double-digit favorites. The Tigers are a live underdog at that number. Take the points. Let Creighton beat you rather than lose because you did not take Princeton.
Kansas State is not getting any respect from the odds makers. The #3 seed Wildcats come in as a two-point underdog to the #7 seed Michigan State Spartans. This will be a homecoming for All-American Markquis Nowell, as he plays in Madison Square Garden. Nowell was born in Manhattan and was named Brooklyn’s Player of the Year in 2018 by the New York Daily News. Markquis played all 40 minutes against Kentucky in the second round, dropping 27 points and nine dimes. He is surrounded by a talented group, including All-American Keyontae Johnson.
Michigan State is the last team standing from the Big 10 and will have a lot of pressure on them. They are well-rounded and have one of the best coaches of all time, with Tom Izzo preparing his men for the Big Apple appearance. The question will be can he shut down Nowell in front of the NYC crowd?
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