Who is in the 2014 Sweet 16?
By Loot, NCAA Basketball Handicapper, Lootmeister.com
The Sweet Sixteen is here, as the NCAA tournament has narrowed the field down to 16 teams--all of whom have their sights firmly set on winning the whole thing and putting their names and team in the record books. Winners of these games go to the Elite Eight, one win away from the Final Four. Four games will be played on Thurday with the other 4 being played on Friday. Let’s look at the remaining field.
The 16 Remaining Teams
Thursday, March 27, 2014
Dayton Flyers vs. Stanford Cardinal, 7:15pm (EST), Memphis, Tennessee
Not too many people predicted this would be a Sweet 16 matchup, with the 11th seed Dayton Flyers meeting the 10th seed Stanford Cardinal. The 25-10 Flyers scored a pair of upsets to get here by beating Ohio State in the round of 64, before scoring an even bigger upset over third-seeded Syracuse. Stanford, meanwhile, has also scored two upsets, first upending New Mexico, before beating the 2-seed in Kansas. This rare Sweet 16 matchup of double-digit seeded teams features the two longest shots to win the tournament with Stanford at 50/1 and Dayton a robust 100/1.
Baylor Bears vs. Wisconsin Badgers, 7:47pm (EST), Anaheim, California
The 26-11 Baylor Bears have been flying high as a 6-seed, with two conclusive wins. Part one was a 14-point win over Nebraska, followed by a real stunner in beating the 3rd-seeded Creighton by 30 points in an eye-opening 85-55 win. Wisconsin, 28-7, opened the tourney with a 40-point romp over American, before beating the Oregon Ducks by 8 to earn a Sweet Sixteen appearance. Wisconsin is 16/1 to win the tournament, with Baylor at 20/1.
UCLA Bruins vs. Florida Gators, 9:45pm (EST), Memphis, Tennessee
The 28-8 Bruins face the 34-2 Florida Gators in what should be one of the better games in the Sweet Sixteen. The Bruins scored two wins, each by 17 point margins--over Tulsa and then Stephen A. Austin to earn this spot. The top-seeded Gators beat Albany, before upending Pittsburgh. Florida is the favorite to win the NCAA tournament at 7/2. UCLA is 18/1, a number that’s sure to go down if they pull off this upset.
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San Diego State Aztecs vs. Arizona Wildcats, 10:17pm (EST), Anaheim, California
The Aztecs needed overtime to upend a surprisingly-plucky New Mexico State team, before squashing North Dakota State by 19. They have their work cut out against a top-seeded Arizona team that beat Weber State and then really looked good against Gonzaga, beating the Zags by 23 points. The Wildcats are 6/1 to win the tournament--the 4th-biggest favorite out of the 16 remaining teams.
Friday, March 28, 2014
Tennessee Volunteers vs. Michigan Wolverines, 7:15pm (EST), Indianapolis, Indiana
The Volunteers had to win an overtime game just to get into the tournament as an 11-seed, but have shown they belong, with a 19-point win over UMass and a 20-point win over Mercer. At 24-12, they have a big task against a peaking 2-seeded Michigan team that has had things go their way in wins over Wofford and Texas. Michigan is 16/1 to win the NCAA, while Tennessee is 28/1.
Connecticut Huskies vs. Iowa State Hawkeyes, 7:27pm (EST), New York, New York
The third-seeded Iowa State got here despite losing top contributor Georges Niang in the round of 64. The three-seed beat North Carolina Central, before winning a thrilling come-from-behind game against North Carolina. They face a peaking Connecticut Huskies team, a 7-seed that has impressed in wins over St. Joe’s and even more so in a 12-point win over 2-seed Villanova. Connecticut is fetching 33/1, with Iowa State at 18/1.
Kentucky Wildcats vs. Louisville Cardinals, 9:45pm (EST), Indianapolis, Indiana
Eighth-seeded Kentucky hit their stride at the right moment, easily beating Cal Poly, before upsetting undefeated top-seed Wichita State to get to this spot. They will have to beat the defending champion Louisville Cardinals, who have also looked good with wins over Manhattan and St. Louis. The 31-5 Cardinals are the third top choice to win the title at 5/1.
Michigan State Spartans vs. Virginia Cavaliers, 9:57pm (EST), New York, New York
Many people picked the Spartans to win the whole thing and they are the second choice on the boards at 9/2. Standing in their way is top-seeded Virginia, who at 31-6, has beaten Coastal Carolina and looked even better dismantling Memphis by 18 points to land in the Sweet 16. With Virginia the 5th-leading choice at 10/1, this game features two of the top 5 betting favorites left in the tournament making it the undisputed power-matchup of the Sweet 16.
