We’re down to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament, and what a first weekend it was. We had monumental upsets, half-court buzzer-beaters, crazy collapses, Cinderella stories and redemption runs (who had Syracuse vs. Gonzaga in the Midwest?)
We’re previewing all of the regional semifinal games:
10. Syracuse
First round: Def. 7 Dayton, 70-51
Second round: Def. 15 Middle Tennessee, 75-50
Yes, this Syracuse team benefitted greatly from Middle Tennessee’s shocking upset of Michigan State, but it also ran through Dayton in the first round, winning by 19. Maybe this team didn’t deserve its spot in the NCAA Tournament, but it’s making the most of it now that it’s here. This Syracuse squad looks like any other that has reached the Sweet 16 under Jim Boeheim–it’s long, athletic, and has some difference-making players, including 6-7 senior Michael Gbinije (17.8 ppg, 4.4 apg), who is playing his best basketball of the season and put up 23 in the big win over Middle Tennessee in the second round.
If freshman Malachi Richardson (13.1 ppg) plays like he did in the first round against Dayton, when he put up 21 points, this team is going to be dangerous. Trevor Cooney and Tyler Lydon have stepped up in the NCAA’s as well. The Orange didn’t exactly run through a gauntlet to reach the Sweet 16, but they’re here, and because of the talent this team has, and Boeheim, they’re dangerous.
11. Gonzaga
Def. 6 Seton Hall, 68-52Def. 3 Utah, 82-59
The Zags were underrated by the selection committee, which penalized this team for some early-season losses against quality nonconference opponents. This group has grown into one of the better teams in the country under head coach Mark Few, and as its guards have matured, so have the ‘Zags.
Gonzaga still has two of the players that made it special last season–senior forward Kyle Wiltjer (20.4 ppg, 6.4 rpg) and 6-11 sophomore Domantas Sabonis (17.5 ppg, 11.7 rpg), who have pillaged their way through the Midwest bracket, dominating talented squads in Seton Hall and Utah.
Like Syracuse, this team is playing with a major chip on its shoulder, and with a team of its talent, that’s scary. This should be an outstanding matchup.
PREDICTION: Gonzaga 79, Syracuse 74. Syracuse is red-hot, but we think Gonzaga is the better team. The Bulldogs have the length and three-point shooting ability to expose the Syracuse zone, but the key to this game is going to be their defense and rebounding. If Gonzaga can shut down Gbinije and keep the Orange cold from beyond the arc, it should be able to come away with the win. The best two players on the court are Wiltjer and Sabonis, and we expect them to be the difference in this one.
