Sweet (N Low) 16 – Part 2

Today, we pick up where we left off from yesterday, examining the eight remaining teams in the Southwest and Southeast regions of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.


Southwest Region

(1) Kansas Jayhawks vs (12) Richmond Spiders

I personally expected Richmond to beat Vanderbilt (citation) and reach the round of 32. It is no surprise that the Spiders were able to dispose of Moorehead State. The clock strikes midnight for the Cinderella Spiders against the #1 seed in the bracket. The question, to me, is not how much Marcus and Markieff Morris pile on Richmond, but at what point Kansas coach Bill Self calls the dogs off and removes them from the game, giving some of the bench players some playing time.

Kansas' Marcus Morris dropping 2 of his 16 points on Boston Univeristy in the 2nd round. 1

Kansas racks up too many points. They shoot too well. They move the ball too well. And, oh by the way, they are tough on defense, too. Richmond is a good, quality Atlantic 10 team that has had a good run, but they are not big enough nor do they shoot well enough to keep up with Kansas. If the margin of victory for Kansas is 10 points or less, chalk it up as a moral victory for Richmond because I’m “going with chalk” in this matchup.

Advantage: Kansas


(11) Virginia Commonwealth Rams vs (10) Florida State Seminoles

Virginia Commonwealth is this year’s George Mason (from 2006). The overwhelming sentiment in the sports media was that VCU did not deserve to be in the First Four over more deserving teams like Clemson, Virginia Tech, or Colorado; The Selection Committee made a mistake. I completely agree.

THAT’S…why they PLAY the GAMES! It does not matter what I think, what Dick Vitale thinks, what Jim Rome thinks, or what any person running his trap thinks. VCU made the field and now they are in the Sweet 16. Rams coach Shaka Smart has played the “us versus the world” card to the Nth degree and has motivated and willed his overachieving team to the Sweet 16.

Florida State is no stranger to succeeding as an underdog, having beaten Duke during the regular season and obliterating #2 seed Notre Dame, whom many analysts had in the Final Four. Personally, I think FSU was done a disservice by being seeded as low as 10th. The Seminoles finished third in the ACC and three of its 11 losses, late in the season, were in the absence of their best player, Chris Singleton. Singleton is back, albeit with limited action. FSU has made a vociferous statement in the second and third rounds of the tourney. I think that “the world” finally gets the better of coach Smart and Florida State advances to the Elite Eight.

Advantage: Florida State

VCU came to play. You'd better recognize! Purdue did. 2

Southeast Region

(8) Butler Bulldogs vs (4) Wisconsin Badgers

Last year’s runner up continues pushing through the tournament, similarly to how it did in 2010. Wisconsin is The Daily Hat Trick’s pick to advance from this region to The Final Four. Something’s gotta give!

This game could be the ugliest among the regional semifinal games. Butler is no stranger to winning ugly, in its bizarre win over #1 seed Pittsburgh in the final seconds, fueled by a pair of offsetting stupid fouls by both teams. Wisconsin is a team that has been proud to win ugly, playing physical defense, being unafraid to foul, and controlling the tempo of the game – often a very slow tempo.

Butler’s Matt Howard vs Jon Leuer….Shelvin Mack vs Jordan Taylor of the Badgers…Butler Coach Brad Stevens vs Wisconsin’s Bo Ryan…. Let me say that I would not bet a dime on this game. Actually, I would not bet a dime AGAINST Butler. This team, with its bright, young coach, has spent the past two seasons beating the odds and beating everyone in their way. Still, Wisconsin’s Taylor has been money on the big stage throughout the season and in the tournament. I am going go with my gut and my original pick from this bracket.

Advantage: Wisconsin


(3) BYU Cougars vs (2) Florida Gators

The Jimmer Show vs the Gator Chomp…. Those of you who have read the Hat Trick throughout the season have witnessed me referring to Florida as “overrated” and suggesting that their bubble will burst eventually. Yet here they are, the #2 seed in the region and in the Sweet 16. Originally, I expected the Gators to bow out at this point in the tournament, but now I am not so sure.

I expected that Florida would face St. John’s in the Regional Semifinals, but that prediction crashed and burned on the first full day of tournament action. Florida has two speedy, sharp shooting guards in its backcourt in Erving Walker (15 PPG) and Kenny Boynton (14 PPG). BYU’s backcourt is not known for its defense. BYU’s frontcourt matches up well against low percentage shooting teams, but Florida is not one of them. I think this game will shape up into a battle of backcourts and jumpers and, as impressive as Jimmer Fredette is, the game has to be played on both sides of the court.

Advantage: Florida

Flordia forward Chandler Parsons, AKA "The White Mamba" 3

Updated Hat Trick Elite Eight: Florida vs Wisconsin, Florida State vs Kansas, Connecticut vs Duke, North Carolina vs Ohio State


Don’t forget to vote in the fan polls!

To advertise with The Daily Hat Trick or to submit a guest column, please contact the editor at eric@thedailyhattrick.info.

1,2) Images from kansascity.com
3) Image from bleacherreport.com