Every Single Damn Thing You Need To Get The Juices Flowing For Thursday's Sweet 16 Games

I will say the wait from Sunday night to Thursday night is brutal. It's even more brutal after your team gets eliminated. You don't want to read anything. You don't want to look forward to games. But here we are. Also it kind of sucks going from the mayhem of the first weekend with games on all day to having to wait until 6:30 for a game to start. I wish it was 4 standalone games. Start them at 2 and go like 2, 430, 7 and 930. I don't care. Let me focus on one game at a time. 

Want to get the juices flowing? Here you go.

UCLA vs Gonzaga has always delivered in March. Let's watch the last two: 

I sneaky loved Jordan Farmar. I really thought he was just always going to be solid. That said, I want another classic tonight. Also can we get these teams to play every year? It should happen. I don't care if UCLA is going to the Big 10 (okay, I actually do care because it's so goddamn stupid) but I want Gonzaga to play UCLA, Washington and Arizona every season. 

Bracket

Equally as weird seeing Tennessee in the second weekend as it is a 15 seed. That right side of the bracket is loaded.

Schedule

4 Storylines/Game Previews

1. UCLA's injury concerns 

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Easily the best game of the day for me. We know about UCLA's injury concerns but this is getting even more and more. Singleton rolled his ankle towards the end of the Northwestern game but claims he's fine. Bona is questionable. That would be a huge loss. Bona is a damn good weakside defender that can protect the rim. It also gives you another body to throw at Drew Timme. I love this UCLA team. I think they are in the same top tier as Houston and Alabama. They have everything you want for March. But these injuries are looming and Gonzaga is flying under the radar still. We saw Timme take advantage of the mismatch against TCU and torched them. That's why UCLA needs bodies against him. 

2. Muss vs Hurley cage match

You want entertainment? Put a camera on these guys split screen the entire time. Both guys are lunatics who also coach their ass off. See, UConn I can compliment you. Muss has turned into a somewhat elite tournament coach. This is three straight second weekend trips for him at Arkansas. The biggest thing in this game will be how does Arkansas attack the UConn size. Arkansas is better without the Mitchell twins. But you don't really have a body to play with Sanogo and Clingan. They are monsters, who happen to be good. UConn also goes as far as their wings take them. They need Hawkins and Jackson to show up on both sides of the ball. The one thing Muss does arguably better than any other coach is find the mismatch and attack it over and over and over again. If Arkansas goes with their 'small' lineup, that could be on the side ball screen. They'll try to draw the bigs away from the rim, but Arkansas also can't shoot. 

3. Nowell vs Walker back in NYC

Two New York guys back in NYC and both are awesome point guards. I (refuse) to talk about what Nowell did last game, but we know. He can get hot. He can find a rhythm and just let it fly. This is all about who controls tempo. Kansas State relies on a fast tempo with rim runners and 3pt shooting. Michigan State wants to get into the halfcourt, run sets and use the ball screen to attack. Whoever controls tempo early will win this game. It sort of feels like we know Nowell/Johnson and Walker/Hoggard will produce. What teams gets that 3rd guy wins. 

4. FAU's practicing Australian Rugby for Tennessee's shenanigans 

I know I'm a little biased here because FAU is sending me to Ireland and Tennessee is, well, fucking gross. But there's also a reason this isn't a big spread for a mid-major 9 seed. Dusty May gets it too. Made a joke about studying Australian rugby rules because Tennessee will try every dirty trick in the book and try to beat you up. This matchup though is going to be the guards. FAU's guards can play with anyone. Tennessee will pressure the shit out of them, so they need to handle pressure and then get that 4-out 1-in offense running with some ball screens. You can catch Tennessee sucked in a little bit - look at Vandy. 

Picks

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107-95-3 (+16.78) on the year on Twitter, mind as well add it to the blog

15-12 (+4.53) in the NCAA Tournament

Kansas State +104

FAU +5.5

UConn -4

UCLA/Gonzaga O146