Sweet 16 2012: Breaking Down Every Matchup

The first weekend of the 2012 NCAA tournament is in the books and it was a wild one, full of crazy upsets and incredible games.

Only a few Cinderella teams made it past the opening rounds and into the Sweet 16, but that doesn’t mean March Madness is going to get stale anytime soon.

Keep reading for a complete breakdown of all eight upcoming games, including where to watch them, who to look out for and a prediction on the winner.

No. 4 Wisconsin vs. No. 1 Syracuse on CBS

Thursday, March 22 at 7:15 p.m. EDT

Key Storyline

Syracuse may be one of the few No. 1 seeds in tournament history that many fans and analysts are skeptical of and truly don’t believe have what it takes to win it all.

After Fab Melo was suspended and No. 16 UNC-Asheville gave them fits in the Round of 64, the Orange answered in a big way. They had a solid outing against the Kansas State Wildcats, and freshman Rakeem Christmas filled in adequately at the starting center spot.

‘Cuse will be taking on a stingy Wisconsin team that was able to limit Vanderbilt stars John Jenkins and Jeffery Taylor to 7-of-25 shooting from the field in the third round.

The Badgers' reliance on the three will be important to watch, as they went just 10-of-33 from beyond the arc in that game and will have to be better in the Sweet 16 if they want to advance.

Players to Watch

Dion Waiters

The sophomore guard came up huge against K-State and contributed 18 points, three rebounds, two steals and an assist off the bench for the Orange.

They’ll need his electricity and instant offense once again to move on to the Elite Eight. 

Ryan Evans

The Badgers junior forward had a solid outing and did a little of everything in their win over the Commodores.

His final box score read 11 points, five rebounds, five assists, a steal and a block in 31 minutes. He’ll have to improve on those to overcome ‘Cuse.

Prediction

Syracuse 65, Wisconsin 62

No. 4 Louisville vs. No. 1 Michigan State

Thursday, March 22 at 7:47 p.m. EDT on TBS

Key Storyline

Michigan State is living up to their No. 1 seeding despite having seven losses and struggling at times against top competition.

They stumbled a bit against an extremely tough St. Louis Billikens team, but are looking to recover and get better defensively and on the glass against Louisville.

The Cardinals are hoping to repeat what UConn did in last year’s tournament and make a run through the finals after winning the Big East tourney.

Their length, athleticism and stamina while running a full-court press could be the key to doing that.

Players to Watch

Draymond Green

The Spartans forward is far and away the MVP of this tournament so far and has put the team on his back.

He played huge, both literally and figuratively, with 16 points and 13 rebounds against St. Louis.

Russ Smith

The sophomore guard from New York came up big off the bench for Louisville.

He piled in 17 points and nailed all three of his three-point attempts to give the Cardinals the boost they needed on offense to rally past New Mexico.

Prediction

Michigan State 72, Louisville 71

No. 6 Cincinnati vs. No. 2 Ohio State

Thursday, March 22 at 9:45 p.m. EDT on CBS

Key Storyline

These two Ohio-based teams are out for blood when they meet in the Sweet 16.

Cincinnati is looking to continue to kill off giants, having first beaten Big 12 powerhouse Texas before eliminating the ACC-winning Florida State Seminoles.

They’ll have their hands full against an experienced Buckeyes team looking to make it back to the Final Four for the first time since 2007.

Ohio State is the favorite, but Cincinnati may be one of the hottest teams in the tournament, and their size and shooting touch could make a difference.

Players to Watch

Jared Sullinger

The sophomore forward is trying to lead his Buckeyes past the Sweet 16 and prove it was worth it for him to stay an extra year in Columbus.

He overcame a poor shooting display in the Round of 64 and helped beat Gonzaga in the third round with 18 points and four rebounds.

Yancy Gates

The senior big man is an absolute force in the paint and can seemingly out-muscle anyone inside to get a big rebound or bucket.

He’ll need to stay huge and avoid foul trouble to give his Bearcats a chance.

Prediction

Cincinnati 72, Ohio State 70

No. 7 Florida vs. No. 3 Marquette

Thursday, March 22 at 10:17 p.m. EDT on TBS

Key Storyline

The Golden Eagles are going to have their hands full attempting to stop the long-range gunners on the Gators.

They did well against the Murray State Racers’ guards and forced a number of turnovers and low percentage shots.

It’s going to be tougher against a Florida team that decimated Norfolk State from beyond the arc and inside the paint.

Players to Watch

Darius Johnson-Odom

The senior guard is the leader of this team. He put up a respectable 17 points against the Racers but buried just one of his six attempts from three.

He needs to find his stroke or the Gators will eliminate his team.

Kenny Boynton

Boynton managed to snag eight rebounds in his last game despite being just 6’2”, 189 pounds.

If he can continue to crash the boards and score (he put up 20 points against the Spartans), the Gators are going to advance.

Prediction

Florida 79, Marquette 70

No. 10 Xavier vs. No. 3 Baylor

Friday, March 23 at 7:15 p.m. EDT on CBS

Key Storyline

Baylor had some big game concerns going into March Madness, but they seemed to have answered any questions.

Everyone was focused on Perry Jones, Quincy Acy and Quincy Miler, but Brady Heslip has been the star with his shooting.

Xavier is looking to continue their Cinderella run and will have to shift their focus to the Bears’ backcourt if they want to accomplish that.

The Musketeers are back in the Sweet 16 for the fourth time in five years, but it will be the end of the line if they cannot stop the three-ball.

Players to Watch

Brady Heslip

This guy may be the favorite to become a Steph Curry-type of player, whose fearless gunning is the talk of the tourney and the reason why his program moves on to the Elite Eight.

Through two games so far, he’s nailed 14 treys on 23 attempts and has completely opened up Baylor’s game.

Kenny Frease

Frease has been here before and knows that he must muster up a solid performance to get to the next round.

He certainly did against Lehigh, piling in 25 points and 12 rebounds in a 70-58 victory.

Prediction

Baylor 79, Xavier 65

No. 13 Ohio vs. No. 1 North Carolina

Friday, March 23 at 7:47 p.m. EDT on TBS

Key Storyline

UNC was rolling through the tournament and looked like favorites to win the national championship before Kendall Marshall fractured his right wrist.

This is a huge blow for a team that is already dealing with John Henson’s questionable health from his own wrist injury.

It won’t be easy for them to overcome the No. 13-seeded Bobcats who will have the crowd on their side and magic in the air.

Players to Watch

Walter Offutt

Offutt put together a great performance against USF, knocking down all four of his three-pointers on the way to 21 points, four steals and three rebounds.

If he can keep banging treys like this, Ohio has a chance against anyone.

Stillman White

Never heard of him? Don’t blame you. He’s a rarely-used backup point guard who might see a big role if Marshall cannot play.

He had two points and an assist in four minutes of play last game.

Prediction

Ohio 65, UNC 64

No. 4 Indiana vs. No. 1 Kentucky

Friday, March 23 at 9:45 p.m. EDT on CBS

Key Storyline

Indiana handed Kentucky their only loss of the regular season back in mid-December, and they are looking to repeat that incredible feat in the Sweet 16.

The Hoosiers will have their hands full against easily the most talented team, as the Wildcats are loaded with future NBA stars and an elite coach in John Calipari.

It’ll be tough for them to find that magic twice.

Players to Watch

Anthony Davis

Barring something crazy, Davis is going to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2012 NBA draft.

He’s been living up to the hype during the tournament and piling in points and rebounds while swatting anything near him.

Jordan Hull

The junior guard needs to step up against Marquis Teague on Friday. If he can play like he did against New Mexico State (22 PTS, 3 AST, 3 steals STL, 2 REB) and not against VCU (5 PTS, 4 REB, 2 STL, 1 AST), the Hoosiers will have a chance.

Prediction

Kentucky 85, Indiana 75

No. 11 NC State vs. No. 2 Kansas

Friday, March 23 at 10:17 p.m. EDT on TBS

Key Storyline

The Wolfpack are another darling in this tournament, and they are hoping to continue their miracle March against the Jayhawks, who needed their own luck to get into the Sweet 16 against Purdue.

Kansas is the favorite in this game based on their regular season performances, but NC State is clicking at the right time and has a good a chance as anyone to advance.

Players to Watch

Lorenzo Brown

Brown stuffed the stat sheet against the Georgetown Hoyas to the tune of 12 points, seven assists, six rebounds and a steal.

The sophomore guard has the ability to take over a game and will need to turn it on this Friday to get into the Elite Eight.

Elijah Johnson

The junior guard turned it on towards the end of the contest against the Boilermakers, making big plays to help the Jayhawks advance.

If he can continue to be Mr. Clutch, it’s going to be near impossible to knock out Kansas.

Prediction

Kansas 65, NC State 60