NCAA Tournament Schedule 2012: Predicting the Heroes of the Sweet 16

The Sweet 16 of the 2012 NCAA tournament begins on Thursday night, and there are some exciting matchups that will produce the level of drama that March Madness is known for.

With so many lower-seeded teams remaining in the Sweet 16, many players will have the opportunity to step up and be heroes on the biggest stage in college basketball.

Let's predict who the heroes of the Sweet 16 will be.

William Buford, G, Ohio State

William Buford is a tremendous outside shooter, and he stretches the floor with his ability to knock down three-point shots on a consistent basis.

However, Buford is not shooting all that well in two Buckeyes wins thus far, making just five of his 14 three-point shots.

If Buford can get hot from the outside, then Ohio State will have little trouble beating the Cincinnati Bearcats on Thursday.

Buford needs to find his shooting touch if the Buckeyes want to reach their goal of winning the national championship. Expect him to play a major role In Ohio State's matchup with Cincinnati.

Tu Holloway, G, Xavier

Tu Holloway is one of the finest scorers left in the NCAA tournament. He has scored 46 points through two impressive wins by Xavier.

The Musketeers guard can score in a variety of different ways, whether it's off the dribble and driving to the basket or shooting outside shots.

Against a Baylor team that doesn't have any elite perimeter defenders, Holloway could dominate the Bears and put a lot of pressure on them defensively.

If Baylor does not do a good job of containing Holloway, then expect Xavier to upset the Bears in the Sweet 16.

P.J. Hairston, G, North Carolina

With starting North Carolina point guard Kendall Marshall coming off a wrist surgery earlier in the week, reserve guard P.J. Hairston must step up in the minutes he receives.

Hairston plays more minutes than most of the Tar Heels bench players, and he is a talented outside shooter. However, Hairston has struggled with his outside shooting throughout the tournament and is a combined 2-of-9 from beyond the arc over two games.

Hairston will have an opportunity to really make an impact in the Tar Heels' game against Ohio with Marshall unlikely to play his normal amount of minutes.

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