NCAA Tournament Sweet 16: Odds of Advancing for Remaining Teams

As the Sweet 16 begins this upcoming Thursday, a double-digit seed looks like a big threat to make the Final Four.

That team?

NC State.

Of the 16 remaining in the NCAA tournament, two of them (NC State and Ohio) are double-digit seeds. All four No.1 seeds are still in play, while only two of the No. 2 seeds are still dancing up to this point.

Let's take a look at the upcoming matchups in the Sweet 16 and concurrently, the odds of each team advancing to the next round.

No. 1 Kentucky Wildcats v. No. 4 Indiana Hoosiers (Friday, 9:45 p.m. ET)

Kentucky fans won't forget this shot by Indiana forward Christian Watford, as it sent Assembly Hall into complete hysteria on national television.  

The then-unranked Hoosiers gave the Wildcats their first loss of the season. Following the heart-breaking loss was a 24-game winning streak by Kentucky.

It's safe to say that UK used that loss as motivation.

In part two of the tilt, both teams meet in the Sweet 16. Kentucky handily disposed of Western Kentucky and Iowa State while Indiana beat New Mexico State and squeaked by upstart VCU.

I don't see Kentucky losing this game to Indiana. Aside from the overall difference in talent, the factor of revenge is a huge facet in Kentucky's favor.

IU point guard Jordan Hulls will be under a mass amount of pressure. He has to take care of the ball and make smart decisions. UK will undoubtedly look to make him turn the ball over.

Terrence Jones needs to have a big game and dominate his matchup with Watford. His effectiveness of scoring in the paint will open up shots on the perimeter for Doron Lamb and Darius Miller.

If freshman guard Marquis Teague can replicate his performance against Iowa State (24 points, seven assists, four rebounds), Kentucky should have no problem and will move on to the Elite Eight.

No. 3 Baylor Bears v. No. 10 Xavier Musketeers (Friday, 7:15 p.m. ET)

This game represents a very intriguing matchup.

The No.10 seeded Xavier Musketeers underachieved in the regular season after entering with lofty expectations. Despite that, they've gotten hot at the right time and are looking to upset the Bears of Baylor.

Xavier, unlike Baylor, is a veteran team—relying on grit, toughness and guile. The Musketeers are led by veteran guards Tu Holloway and Mark Lyons. 

Holloway is Xavier's best player—averaging 17 points per game on the season. He loves to penetrate the lane and create off the bounce for himself. Against Baylor, he needs to be aggressive from the get go if they are to advance.

Baylor is a younger squad with big time upside. In terms of talent, you'd be hard pressed to find a team outside of Kentucky with the overall quality of Baylor.

Despite that, the Bears are still prone to lulls on the offensive end and often don't play up to their immense potential.

The key matchup in this contest will be Xavier's guards versus Baylor's big men.

For Baylor, Perry Jones III has to be assertive on the offensive end. If he's floating around the perimeter, he's effectively taking himself out of the game. In addition, both Quincy Acy and Quincy Miller need to crash the boards.

Xavier does has size in 7'0" center Kenny Frease, and he needs to play big.

Xavier does have a decided advantage in the backcourt with Holloway and Lyons. If they can effectively slash to the basket and get teammates involved, they can pull the upset.

However, if Baylor controls the boards and clamps down on Holloway, they should be victorious.

This should be an extremely close game, but I think Baylor ultimately pulls it out.

The X Factor will be Baylor guard Brady Heslip. In the last four games, he's shot 22-36 from three-point range. He also had a stellar game against Colorado over the weekend—tallying 27 points on nine three-point makes.

No. 1 Michigan State Spartans v. No. 4 Louisville Cardinals (Thursday, 7:47 p.m. ET)

A Tom Izzo coached team v. a Rick Pitino squad is always fun, isn't it?

The veteran Spartans hope to make a Final Four run, but the Cardinals have other ideas.

Draymond Green leads Michigan State. He might be the most unique prospect the college game has seen in some time. He's essentially a point forward, but also has the capabilities to bang down low. To me, he's a hybrid of Boris Diaw and Craig Smith.

In addition to Green, MSU has two good guards in Valparaiso transfer Brandon Wood and Keith Appling.

With Michigan State, there's no secret as to their game plan. They play very solid defense, and look to minimize mistakes on the offensive end. Izzo is a very shrewd tactician who utilizes his depth. He'll milk Green on the offensive end until the opposition can adjust.

With Louisville, they're a very hot team at the moment. After winning the Big East Tournament, the Cardinals took out both Davidson and New Mexico in order to face MSU.

Guards Russ Smith and Peyton Siva are very shifty and slithery on the floor. They both like to attack the rim and utilize their quickness and athleticism.

In the paint, forward Chane Behanan is a bull in the paint. Although not blessed with great height (6'6"), he uses a variety of crafty moves around the paint.

This game is completely about tempo. If the game is an up-and-down affair, it greatly favors Louisville. If the game resembles a grinding, slug-it-out contest, then the Spartans will be in good shape.

I think Michigan State is on a mission, and will come out with a very hard-fought victory.

The contrast in styles makes this game fascinating, but the veteran leadership of Green and Wood will help Michigan State stay composed when Louisville attempts to speed the game up via their press.

No. 3 Marquette Golden Eagles v. No. 7 Florida Gators (Thursday, 10:17 p.m. ET)

This game might be the most entertaining out of all the Sweet 16 contests. Both teams are eerily similar in the sense that they're both very guard oriented.

For Marquette, they're led by undersized forward Jae Crowder and guard Darius Johnson-Odom.

Johnson-Odom has been one of the more underrated players in the entire country this season. He's averaging 18.5 points a game on 45 percent from the field.

Florida might be the most talented No. 7 seed in the field's history. Not only do they have two really good guards in Erving Walker and Kenny Boynton, but they also have Bradley Beal - one of the most talented freshman in the country.

Marquette is a really solid team. They play with bundles of energy and enthusiasm, and it completely characterizes their coach Buzz Williams.

However, I think Florida will win this game.

Down low, Florida has both Patric Young and Erik Murphy. Young is ultra-athletic and long. He'll use that length to not only block shots, but to alter them as well.

Murphy is more of an offensive player who can stretch the floor. If he knocks down shots from the perimeter, it will open up driving lanes for Boynton and Walker.

Young's ability to block shots will affect Johnson-Odom when he drives the lane. Also, the 34-point shellacking of Norfolk State has Florida extremely confident.

No. 1 Syracuse Orange v. No. 4 Wisconsin Badgers (Thursday, 7:15 p.m. ET)

If one looks up deliberate and methodical in the dictionary, you'll find a picture of the Wisconsin basketball team.

Led by head coach Bo Ryan, the Badgers value every single possession. They don't turn the ball over - as they look to chew up all of the shot clock before getting a quality shot. When playing Wisconsin, playing with patience is requisite.

For Syracuse, they want to get out in transition and create turnovers. In essence, Wisconsin is the anti-thesis of Syracuse.

Wisconsin point guard Jordan Taylor will have to navigate through Syracuse's vaunted zone. This means making smart decisions and exploiting areas within the zone.

A zone-neutralizer is having the ability to shoot the three-point shot. The Badgers shoot the three-ball with great frequency—averaging 36.2 percent for the year.

'Cuse needs to be cognizant of both Josh Gasser and Ben Brust. Gasser is shooting a scintillating 46 percent from three-point range for the season, while Brust is at a respectable 39 percent.

Wisconsin isn't a good matchup for Syracuse. The Orange's game is predicated upon turnovers, and the Badgers rarely turn the ball over.

The bugaboo with Wisconsin is their propensity to launching threes. If they make their shots, they're very hard to beat. If they don't, they struggle big time—namely because they don't have a strong post option to get them easy baskets.

I see the Orange pulling out a low scoring, ugly game. It would not surprise me to see Wisconsin win, however.

No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes v. No. 6 Cincinnati Bearcats (Thursday, 9:45 p.m. ET)

The battle of Ohio pits perennial favorites Ohio State against the upstart Bearcats of Cincinnati.

The Bearcats have great balance on offense—four of their starters average in double-figures while their fifth averages nine points a game.

Forward Yancy Gates is one of more intimidating post players in the nation. He's not only skilled around the rim, but he's a great rebounder.

In addition to Gates, Cincinnati starts four guards with Cashmere Wright, Dion Dixon, Jaquon Parker and Sean Kilpatrick.

Wright is an electric player who can score the ball, while both Dixon and Kilpatrick are strong, physical athletes.

Both teams do match up extremely well. Gates and Ohio State stud forward Jared Sullinger should be a great matchup in the post.

On the perimeter, defensive dynamo Aaron Craft will look to shut down Wright. Ohio State guard William Buford wants to be aggressive early and often. If he can be effective early in the game, it opens up things for Sullinger under the basket.

The big advantage Ohio State has in this game is forward Deshaun Thomas. The burly forward can score around the rim and is equally adept at shooting from the perimeter. Cincinnati will have a hard time dealing with Thomas' physicality and overall size with their smaller lineup.

If Cincinnati can push the tempo and use their quickness, they have a chance to pull the upset. However, the trio of Sullinger, Buford and Thomas will be too much for the Bearcats.

No. 1 North Carolina Tar Heels v. No. 13 Ohio Bobcats (Friday, 7:47 p.m. ET)

Before their contest with the Cinderella No. 13 seed Ohio, UNC got some terrible news.

Their starting point guard Kendall Marshall suffered a broken wrist in their win over Creighton. Marshall underwent surgery on his wrist and his availability for the rest of the tournament is in serious question.

This is a monumental loss for North Carolina. Even if Marshall attempts to play, how effective will he truly be?

He is the engine that makes UNC go. He has pin-point accuracy on his passes, and is very clever with the ball. He doesn't need to score the ball—especially when you have a roster with John Henson, Tyler Zeller and Harrison Barnes.

With guards Leslie McDonald and Dexter Strickland out for the season, UNC will have to rely on freshman P.J. Hairston and the little used Stilman White.

Against Ohio, the talent of UNC's frontcourt should have them advance. Beyond that, it's a serious question.

For as great as Zeller, Henson and Barnes are, the lack of a point guard will immensely hurt their looks. Marshall is a maestro at setting the aforementioned trio up via his vision and passing ability.

The strength of Ohio's team does lie within their guard play.

Ohio State transfer Walter Offutt is an efficient scorer of the basketball, while quick guard D.J. Cooper averages 14.6 points per contest.

North Carolina should pound Ohio on the glass, but the Bobcats' guards should not be taken lightly—especially with the lack of healthy UNC guards.

No. 2 Kansas Jayhawks v. No. 11 NC State Wolfpack (Friday, 10:17 p.m. ET)

You heard it here first: NC State will beat Kansas and head to the Elite Eight against their ACC and state rival North Carolina.

The Wolfpack have been playing with tremendous confidence of late. After making a strong run in the ACC tournament, they upset both San Diego State and Georgetown to get to the Sweet 16.

The frontcourt pairing of Richard Howell and C.J. Leslie has proven to be very potent.

Leslie is one of the most dynamic players in all of college basketball—regardless of position. Howell is a big bodied post player who uses his body extremely well to carve out space and rebound the ball.

Much like Kendall Marshall, guard Lorenzo Brown is what makes NC State go. He's very skilled and has great size (6'4") for his position.

Although they beat Purdue, Kansas didn't play well. If it weren't for guard Elijah Johnson having a great game, the Jayhawks would be back in Lawrence.

Bill Self is a great coach—and the team up to this point has overachieved. However, I just don't think they'll beat NC State.

Kansas has the propensity to lose games in the NCAA Tournament that they should win. In this contest, I'm not so sure that they're the most talented team.

I have all the respect in the world for Thomas Robinson. I think he's a fantastic player who will be a great professional.

His matchup with C.J. Leslie is going to be wonderful to watch. The matchup with Howell and Kansas center Jeff Withey will also be a good one.

Robinson needs to slow down and not play out of control. Against Purdue, he forced a lot of shots in traffic. Similarly, guard Tyshawn Taylor needs to play better in order for Kansas to be victorious.

For Kansas to win, they need to control the glass and guard Brown effectively (most likely by Travis Releford). Also, Taylor has got to be productive and assertive offensively.

Call it a hunch, but the hot streak of NC State will continue. They're a deeper and more athletic team who will make it tough for Kansas to score.

I think it will be a relatively low scoring game, but I give a slight edge to the Wolfpack.