It was upsets galore last night, as underdogs Clemson, Alabama and Illinois all advanced to the Elite Eight. Add in another romp by UConn, and half of the Elite Eight field is set. With four huge matchups on the docket today, we break down all four games and predict who will advance.
NC State vs Marquette
Here’s another big fella for you, Marquette. Marquette just squeaked through a very similar Colorado team. You could say Eddie Lampkin Jr. (6’11, 265) is the same player as NC State’s DJ Burns Jr. (6’9, 275). Lampkin and the Buffs had every opportunity to seal the deal against Marquette, but couldn’t get it done. Marquette outshot the Buffs 61.8% to 47% inside the arc and 42.9% to 33.3% from three, yet Colorado still only lost by four. While you may be thinking NC State also escaped in overtime against 14-seed Oakland, the Wolfpack dominated in overtime and Burns had a much stronger performance than Lampkin. Considering Marquette couldn’t handle Lampkin and the Buffs, Burns and the Wolfpack will prove to be too much.
Prediction: NC State wins 75-71
Purdue vs Gonzaga
Purdue and Gonzaga handled business in the Round of 32. Purdue stomped Utah State 106-67 and Gonzaga torched Kansas 89-68. The Sweet Sixteen is bound to be a firefight between Gonzaga and Purdue. With two weaker defenses (Gonzaga 85th and Purdue 99th) and two high powered offenses (Gonzaga 7th and Purdue 11th), this game is going to be all about who can shoot it better. In the previous round, Gonzaga shot 60.3% from the field and 53.3% from three, while Purdue shot 55.9% from the field and 47.8% from three against a much weaker defense. While Edey is going to be a problem for any team, Gonzaga gives significant playing time to four different talented forwards (Gregg, Ike, Watson, and Huff), all of whom are 6’8″ or taller.
Prediction: Gonzaga wins 72-70
Duke vs Houston
Well, Duke just slaughtered James Madison University, while Houston had a narrow overtime escape against Texas A&M. This is the problem with strong defensive teams. Houston has been the number one defense all season (and really the last few seasons) but is 157th in points per game. As soon as Houston faces a team that gets hot offensively, they cannot answer. Duke is 42nd in points per game and 32nd in defense. Houston is going to have a very big problem if a guy like Jared McCain gets hot for Duke again in this game.
Prediction: Duke wins 68-67
Creighton vs Tennessee
What a matchup this is going to be. Baylor Scheierman against Dalton Kenecht is going to be electric. Two of the top scorers in the country going head to head in the Sweet Sixteen is exactly what everyone waits for in March. While this matchup is certainly going to be the focus of the media and many fans, this game will likely come down to the support Kenecht and Scheierman receive from their teammates. Scheierman was one of four Creighton players to score 18+ points last game, while no one other than Kenecht (18) had more than 11. Kalkbrenner has been fantastic for Creighton this tournament and the team seems to really be clicking as a whole. Tennessee seems to be much more reliant on their star guard. While Tennessee has a chance if Kenecht has a massive game, this one is going to the Bluejays.
Prediction: Creighton wins 71-64