NCAA Tournament East Regional: Sweet Sixteen Predictions

Despite the fact that the Orange were restricted from postseason action this spring, the thrill of the NCAA Tournament has still reached Syracuse, with Sweet Sixteen action occurring tonight in the Carrier Dome.

Syracuse Orange

Here’s what to expect in tonight’s matchups:

8. NC State vs. 4. Louisville, 7:37 p.m. 

The emergence of the backcourt tandem of Terry Rozier and Quentin Snider carried the Cardinals to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament, however it will be the dynamic backcourt of the Wolfpack that will decide the outcome of this contest.

NC State boasts a two-headed monster at the 1 and 2, with lighting-quick Anthony Barber running the point, and the savvy Trevor Lacey complementing him at the shooting guard position. Barber exposed LSU to the tune of 17 points in 36 minutes in the Second Round, while blazing past Villanova for 13 points in the Wolfpack’s Third Round upset. Lacey, who excels at beating his defender off the dribble and creating an open shot for himself, lead his team with 17 points against the Wildcats after posting a team-leading 15.7 points per game during the regular season.

Mar 21, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack guard Anthony Barber (12) shoots the ball over Villanova Wildcats guard Dylan Ennis (31) during the second half in the third round of the 2015 NCAA Tournament at Consol Energy Center. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Look for Lacey to outmatch his counterpart, Rozier, on the offensive end. Also, expect to see a plethora of fast break buckets from Barber, who is infatuated with pushing the tempo and beating the retreating defense off of a missed shot.

The Wolfpack feature a powerful frontcourt as well, headed by 300-pounder Beejay Anya, who scored the game-winning bucket in the closing seconds to defeat the Tigers in the Second Round, and Kyle Washington, who racked up 9 points against LSU. Look for these two to wreak havoc down low and cause problems for Louisville leader Montrezl Harrell.

7. Michigan State vs. 3. Oklahoma, 10:07 p.m. 

In the nightcap, I like the Spartans (a 2.5-point favorite) to advance to challenge eighth-seeded NC State in the Elite Eight.

The reason why? Experience.

Michigan St. boasts an incredibly mature Big Three of Travis Trice, Brandon Dawson, and Denzel Valentine, players who have all competed at this stage before, unlike the young Sooners.

Mar 20, 2015; Charlotte, NC, USA; Michigan State Spartans guard Travis Trice (20) drives to the basket against Georgia Bulldogs forward Cameron Forte (11) during the second half in the second round of the 2015 NCAA Tournament at Time Warner Cable Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Trice, who averaged 15.0 points per game throughout the regular season, destroyed Virginia in the Third Round with a 23-point outburst, with 13 of these points coming in the game’s opening minutes. With this outing, Trice cemented his worth as a dangerous threat, one capable of catching fire at any time. Look for him to have a big game against Oklahoma, who barely breaks the top 75 in the nation in scoring defense.

Despite going just 1-for-6 against the Cavaliers, Valentine is also a scoring threat, posting 16 points against Georgia in the Second Round and 23 in a Big Ten tournament victory over Ohio State two weeks ago, while also being capable of putting up a near triple-double at any point in time. On the defensive end, the Spartans feature the ferocious Dawson, who grabs 9.1 boards per game to accompany his average of 12.1 points, while also swatting 1.6 attempts per contest.

If you can’t attend tonight’s action, both games will be televised on TBS.