Talking Sweet Sixteen: Friday, Part I
The early games tonight feature what could be the best game of all the third rounders. The games last night, especially the highly touted ones, were generally disappointing, so let’s hope that these teams make up for it tonight.
(12) Arizona vs. (1) Louisville, 7:07 ET-
It’s hard to believe Arizona has made it to this point when I thought for sure they’d be on their way to Madison Square Garden for the end of the NIT by now. All you people who want to say the committee got it right because Zona made it this far need to settle down though. Not too tough to beat Utah and a 13-seed to get to the Sweet 16. I know the Wildcats have three future NBA players, but they’ll need every bit of that talent to beat Louisville. The pressure will literally be on Wise to bring the ball up against the Cardinals’ defense.
You have to like Louisville in this game with their pressure and their athleticism against the Wildcats. They also have a distinct coaching advantage with Rick Pitino roaming the sidelines. I think Terrance Williams and Earl Clark will simply be too much for Arizona. The Wildcats don’t play the type of defense to get past Louisville. So far they have been able to beat teams with mainly their talent, and that will not work this round. Not much previewing needed here, as the Cards will win by double digits.
(3) Syracuse vs. (2) Oklahoma, 7:27 ET-
Easily the game I am the most excited for in the Sweet 16. We have the nation’s best player in Blake Griffin, trying to deal with the 2-3 zone of the Orange. Can Syracuse shut Griffin down? Well, it’s not all about the 2-3 vs. Blake in this game.
Syracuse has five players that average over 10 points per game. That means that they have a good chance of being in any game they play. While Eric Devendorf may have been the face of the program for a while (tough break for the program), Johnny Flynn is unmistakably the best player on the team. The way he carried the Orange through that six overtime game against UConn was as unbelievable as it was unforgettable. But back to the 2-3 against Griffin. It could be instructive to look at how they’ve handled some other bigs on the schedule. Cole Aldrich went for 15 points and 16 rebounds in a win for Syracuse; Luke Harangody had 25 and 16 in a blowout win for Cuse; DeJuan Blair had 20 and 12 in a loss against Pitt. Thabeet is a different can of worms than these guys, but it looks like there is some room for the big guys to get their numbers.
It probably won’t be much different for Griffin tonight, so the key will be how the supporting cast performs for the Sooners. In that case, hello Willie Warren, Tyler Griffin, Tony Crocker, and Austin Johnson. These guys are the key. Warren and Johnson need to find ways to penetrate into the zone and find the open man, especially if that’s Blake Griffin. The principles are the same every time you play a zone: beat it down the floor, get in the gaps, and rebound. The Sooners underachieved against Michigan on the offensive boards after Clemson dominated the Wolverines. They’ll have to come with more energy if they want to get past Syracuse.
I think this game lives up to the hype and comes down to the wire. In the end, it will come down to whether the Oklahoma guards can hit open shots, because with Warren penetrating and Griffin drawing attention they will be open. If it comes down to trading possessions at the end, the advantage goes to Syracuse because of Johnny Flynn at the point. Still, I like Griffin to carry the Sooners to the close win. Sorry, no all Big East Final Four.
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