Sweet 16: East Region

by James Finneral

(1) North Carolina Tar Heels: 

This Tar Heel team is arguably the most talented team in the entire tournament. They took first place in a very competitive ACC. The senior duo of Brice Johnson and Marcus Paige have lead this team to where they are now. Brice Johnson has had a monster year. Johnson has improved his offensive game this season. He can use his athleticism when he is close to the rim, but he has also shown a solid mid-range game. Johnson is also a terrific rebounder and defender. Paige has been a great leader for the Tar Heels. Although he has not shot the ball as well as he would like, Paige has still been productive. Joel Berry completes the back-court with Paige. Berry is a very athletic guard who is very effective at getting to the rim. Isaiah Hicks and Kennedy Meeks provide more size and strength in the post. Hicks is an athletic big who shoots a very high percentage from the field. Meeks is very powerful and difficult for defenders to contain in the post. Justin Jackson is another consistent producer for the Tar Heels. Jackson can play out on the wing, but at 6-7 he can still rise above players when he is close to the rim. The Tar Heels are difficult for any team to match up against.

(5) Indiana Hoosiers:  

The Indiana Hoosiers are coming off a huge win against Kentucky and they are ready for the next challenge. The Hoosiers are lead by senior guard, Yogi Ferrell. Ferrel is a playmaker who can score and pass the ball. James Blackmon is the other guard in the back-court for Indiana. Blackmon is a knock down three point shooter, but he is also very athletic and can get to the rim. Thomas Bryant has been great for Indiana down low during the tournament. Bryant has a nice arsenal of post moves to get by defenders. Troy Williams is a wing player for Indiana who has been pretty consistent in terms of production. Williams is very athletic and rebounds very well for a wing player. Lastly Robert Johnson is another guard for Indiana who can shoot the three. When Indiana starts hitting three pointers they are extremely difficult to stop. It will be interesting to see how Indiana deals with the talented roster of North Carolina.  

Prediction: North Carolina over Indiana: 82-74
North Carolina has too many weapons of offense for Indiana to contain. Indiana is talented and athletic, but North Carolina presents many matchup problems for them.

(6) Notre Dame Fighting Irish: 

Notre Dame has lost some talent since last year, but they are still a very strong team. The Fighting Irish performed well in the tough ACC. This team feeds off the point guard-forward combination of Demetrius Jackson and Zach Auguste. Jackson is one of the most athletic point guards in the entire tournament. He can get to rim as well as shoot the ball. Jackson is also a strong passer who gets his teammates involved. Zach Auguste has been on the receiving end of many of Jackson's passes. Auguste is a strong and physical big man who can push around defenders in the post. Auguste has been a double-double machine for the Fighting Irish this year. V.J. Beachem is a junior forward who has made a tremendous improvement in his game since last year. Beachem is now a vital part of the Notre Dame offense. Junior guard, Steve Vasturia was a big part of Notre Dame's run in last year's tournament. Although he has been struggling with his jump-shot lately, do not be surprised to see Vasturia put up a big game. Bonzie Colson is a tough forward who likes to mix it up down low. Colson is a big piece of Notre Dame's rebounding game and he must play well for Notre Dame to advance. There is no doubt that Notre Dame wants to at least match their performance last year.

(7) Wisconsin Badgers:

Wisconsin is another team that is trying to at least replicate what they did last year. The Badger's run to the national championship game last year was nothing short of phenomenal. They have lost some strong players, but they still have Nigel Hayes. Hayes has assumed a leadership position on this Badger team. Hayes is an extremely athletic player who is very affective at driving to the basket. Hayes has been a reliable scoring source for Wisconsin all season. Junior guard, Bronson Koenig is coming off an amazing game winning shot against Xavier. Koenig is a strong three point shooter that the Badgers will need in order to advance in the tournament. Forward, Ethan Happ has been a strong contributor for Wisconsin in his freshman season. Happ gives the Badgers some size and rebounding down low. Vitto Brown is another forward for Wisconsin who could have an impact in the game. Brown is a tough guy to contain in the post, but he has also displayed his shooting range this season. In the past two games Wisconsin has shown that they want a championship badly and they do not care who they have to go through to get there.

Prediction: Notre Dame over Wisconsin: 75-73  
These two teams are both hungry, but Notre Dame has the more talented roster. The Wisconsin big men may be strong, but they have no one that will be able to contain Zach Auguste. Look for both Auguste and Jackson to have big games for the Fighting Irish.