NCAA Basketball Scores 2012: Round 2 Winners Who Will Land in Sweet 16

There's nothing worse than winning in the second round, getting your hopes up for greater things to come and then getting your face smashed.

These teams don't need to worry about that, though.

They will power through any challenges that rise up to win their third-round matchups and move on to the Sweet 16.

Louisville (4)

After getting knocked out in the second round in each of the last two years, head coach Rick Pitino and the Cardinals finally overcame their first-game jitters and beat Davidson 69-62.

Louisville is riding a six-game hot streak, beating their opponents by an average of just under eight points a game. 

Seniors Kyle Kuric and Chris Smith lead the way for the Cardinals. Their veteran leadership and the experience of losing in the last two tournaments will be crucial to the success of the team.

It was Peyton Siva who was the spark plug for their second-round victory, though. 

The Cardinals have three players who score more than 10 points per game, but there are three more who average over nine, giving Louisville six players that can score nine or more points on the floor.

That kind of balance is too tough to defend, and it gives Louisville a tremendous advantage against any opponent.

They will play against either New Mexico or Long Beach State in the third round, but neither of those schools should give them any trouble, moving them into the Sweet 16.

Wisconsin (4) 

The Badgers bring the nation's top-ranked scoring defense into the tournament, allowing a measly 52.9 points per contest.

They put their defensive prowess on full display in the second round, destroying Montana 73-49 and cruising into the third round without hardly breaking a sweat.

Wisconsin is a veteran team, led by senior point guard Jordan Taylor, senior center/forward Jared Berggren and junior forward Ryan Evans. 

They play a methodical half-court game in an attempt to limit the possessions of their opponents, and they're usually successful.

Their opponent in the third round will likely be Vanderbilt. Vandy relies on more outside shooting to get the job done, with Festus Ezeli down low trying to clean things up on the glass. 

Ezeli is a big man, at 6'11" and 255 pounds, but he plays much smaller than his frame. 

Berggren will eat him alive on the boards.

Wisconsin has a chance to go even further in the NCAA tournament, but at the very least they'll move on to the Sweet 16.

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