NCAA Tournament: Thursdays Sweet 16 Previews & Picks

The Sweet 16 is sweeter than ever as big underdogs litter the field. Thursday’s games promise to impress as four of this tournament’s sweethearts go at it against powerhouse 1 and 2 seeds. Butler got the most respect of the “small schools” grabbing a 5 seed and Xavier wasn’t far behind with a 6, but Cornell has been ripping it up from the 12 slot, and Pac-10 Conference Tournament Champion Washington has taking their mascot a little too seriously, proving the Dawgs have more bark than many expected. But Syracuse, Kentucky, West Virginia, and Kansas State will be trying to show those underdogs why 1 and 2 seeds almost always win the Championship. Here’s a short rundown of each game.

Butler @ Syracuse (-6.5): The Orange have dominated in their first two games, showing no ill effects of their lost big man. They’ll be down a starting center once again for their tilt with Butler, but if they’re shooting well, it won’t matter much for the 5 seed in this one. Wesley Johnson has been an amazing player in this tournament, and if he continues his streaky ways, he has a few more good games in him. I like the Orange to win by double digits.

Washington @ West Virginia (-5): The Mountaineers have been one of the best teams in basketball all season long. The Washington Huskies have turned it up a notch over the home stretch of the season, and have played as well as anyone during this tournament. The Mountaineers have lost their starting point guard as well, and right now the line is dropping. The Mountaineers are favored by just 4 at most books. But I still like West Virginia in this one. They play tougher than Washington, and the Huskies won’t be able to out-athlete WVU.

Xavier (+5) @ Kansas State: I really like Kansas State and I wouldn’t be surprised if they won here. This is a tough game for me, but the way Xavier plays defense, and the way K-State’s stars shot lights out last game – well that combo equals out to be a lower scoring game with a closer outcome, and thus I like the points. Xavier is a very good team and K-State will have trouble with their solid defense.

Cornell (+9) @ Kentucky: Kentucky hasn’t had a close game in this tournament, and not many are expecting this to be close. Cornell has gotten a lot of hype, but can these kids really play with the likes of lottery picks like Xavier Henry, Patterson, and even the likely #1 pick, John Wall? You bet. Why? They can shoot the rock. Yes, Cornell can shoot the rock and they will. I like them to stay within double digits, making these 9 points worth their price in gold.