The Wild, Wild West is rocking! We get Arizona/Arkansas, Texas/Purdue as the two Sweet Sixteen matchups.
How we got there:
Texas had to come out of Dayton and the first four matchups to make its way to the Sweet 16. After a Mark buzzer beater, they toppled AJ Dybantsa and BYU in the opening round. To make it to the Sweet Sixteen, they took care of Gonzaga, winning 74-69. Matas Vokietaitis is killing it in the tournament, going for 15/8, 23/16, and 17/9 in the three games mentioned above.
Purdue thoroughly dominated Queens in the first round, and they were able to handle a feisty Miami squad, winning 79-69. Braden Smith and co. will face a step up in competition this weekend though.
Arizona faced a bit of an easier path to get to the Sweet Sixteen, going through Long Island (16 seed), and winning 92-58. They then won in a tough battle with Utah State, winning 78-66. They continue to have an extremely balanced attack, with 4 guys in double figures against Utah State.
Arkansas dominated Hawaii in the opening round, winning 97-78. However, their second round matchup was a shootout, but they were able to hold on to win 94-88 against High Point.
The Sweet 16 Power Rankings:
Mar 26, 7:10 PM ET: Texas vs. Purdue – Kenpom.com projects Purdue to win here.
Purdue features the most efficient offense in the nation, however, they play at an extremely slow pace, leading to 82 points per game. They rebound the ball well, but struggle to get to the free throw line, and they are among the worst in the country at getting to the rim. On defense, they give up a high % from inside the arc, and they struggle to turn teams over. However, they do well at limiting teams to just 1 shot, and they play without fouling.
Texas is one of the hottest teams in the country, and the prototypical team who comes in as a 11 seedand makes noise. Shawn Miler, despite the local Cincinnati sentiment, is a hell of a coach. The Longhorn offense is elite at getting to the free throw line, and makes 75% of their shots from the stripe. They take good care of the ball, and they shoot well overall. They do struggle to turn teams over, and they have a bit of a problem with fouling on defense.
The biggest area I’m monitoring in this matchup is the 3 point line. Can Texas stay hot? Can they hold Purdue down? It’ll be interesting!
I’ll take Purdue to win.
Mar 26, 9:45 PM ET: Arizona vs. Arkansas
The nightcap is one of the matchups I’ve been wanting to see since the bracket was released almost two weeks ago.
Arizona comes in 4th in offensive and 3rd in defensive efficiencies. They play at a ridiculously fast pace. On offense, they rebound 39% of their missed shots, however, they shoot the ball very well all around. They are 12th in the nation in getting to the free throw line. They struggle slightly at shooting free throws. On defense, they’re just as elite, with the only thing they do poorly being turning teams over.
Arkansas also loves to play fast; they have the 5th most efficient offense in the country, but they do struggle some on defense (53rd). The Razorbacks take care of the ball at the best rate in the country, turning it over just 12% of the time. They are also top 10 in shooting the ball from deep at a 39% rate. However, they do struggle to defend without allowing open looks at the rim. Additionally, they do not turn teams over much. Rebounding, though, is a bit of a weakness, and something they will have to mitigate when playing Arizona.
I’ll take Arkansas to take the win here!
Now, Arkansas vs. Purdue would be the matchup in the Elite 8. I’ll take Arkansas to head to Indy, and the final four!
