NCAA Tournament Schedule 2013: Most Exciting Sweet 16 Matchups to Watch

Busted tournament brackets are par for the course with the first three rounds of action in the books. With so many upsets scattered throughout the tournament, the Sweet 16 has a lot to live up to.

Eleven top-four seeds remain, but tournament darlings Florida Gulf Coast and La Salle have an opportunity to pull off an incredible feat with a win in the Sweet 16 and an Elite Eight berth. Between Cinderella contenders, superstar scorers and some of the nation’s best coaches still in the action, there isn’t a Sweet 16 game worth missing.

We’ll break down the top three matchups to watch on Thursday and Friday, highlighting the key players and storylines from each. The full schedule of Sweet 16 action can be found at SportsMediaWatch.com.

*All stats and rankings acquired from ESPN.com and TeamRankings.com.

No. 2 Duke vs. No. 3 Michigan State: Friday, March 29 at 9:45 p.m. ET on CBS

Duke and Michigan State are two of the best tournament teams in recent history, led by two of the most impressive coaches in college basketball. If you’re looking for a well-coached game between two exceptional squads, this will be the one to watch in the Sweet 16.

Despite a potentially difficult matchup against the high-powered offense of Creighton in the third round, the Blue Devils held the Bluejays to just 50 points on 16-of-53 shooting and 2-of-19 from behind the arc. Duke hasn’t been lauded for its defense this season (No. 119 in the country), but Mike Krzyzewski’s squad played terrific defense in that contest.

Michigan State freshman guard Gary Harris was exceptional in the third round of action, leading the Spartans with 23 points in their decisive 70-48 win over No. 6 Memphis. Paired with junior center Adreian Payne, Michigan State has the backcourt scorer and dominant frontcourt present to match up particularly well with Duke.

The Blue Devils will counter Michigan State’s versatility with star guard Seth Curry and two talented big men in Mason Plumlee and Ryan Kelly. Both Plumlee and Kelly got in early foul trouble against Creighton, and Michigan State would be wise to employ the same physical style against the two in order to limit their minutes in this contest.

The winner of this game has a potential matchup with No. 1 overall seed Louisville on the horizon. Given the big talent and terrific coaching in this contest, the team to emerge with be a dangerous squad to face in the Elite Eight.

Prediction: Michigan State 62, Duke 60

No. 1 Kansas vs. No. 4 Michigan: Friday, March 29 at 7:37 p.m. ET on TBS

Kansas has shown some weakness in the first three rounds of action. Western Kentucky was within striking distance of an upset in the round of 64 and North Carolina dominated the action early in the third round before giving way to a 70-58 Jayhawks win.

The South Region’s No. 1 seed is led by freshman guard Ben McLemore, but he hasn’t been a factor in the tournament thus far (6.5 PPG). If the Jayhawks are to escape the Sweet 16 with a win over Michigan, they need their best player to establish himself as a scoring threat early in the contest.

Kansas’ best backcourt weapon will face some tough matchups against arguably the best backcourt in the nation. The Michigan Wolverines boast two 14-plus point scorers at the guard positions in Trey Burke and Tim Hardaway, Jr., who combined for 32 points and 10 assists against VCU in the third round.

Quality guard play makes tournament games exciting, and this matchup offers a trio of the nation’s best backcourt players.

Kansas’ offense ranked No. 19 in the nation during the regular season (74.9 PPG), but Michigan wasn’t far behind (74.4 PPG). Given the bevy of explosive scorers in this contest, expect to see a high-scoring affair with the potential for late-game fireworks.

Prediction: Kansas 74, Michigan 70

No. 3 Florida vs. No. 15 Florida Gulf Coast: Friday, March 29 at 10:07 p.m. ET on TBS

The Eagles of Florida Gulf Coast made history with their win over San Diego State in the third round, becoming the first No. 15 seed to advance to the Sweet 16.

Florida Gulf Coast has done it with flair, earning its “Dunk City” moniker with high-flying action and up-tempo full-court basketball. With an average margin of victory of 10 points in the first three rounds, the Eagles have shown tremendous ability and the potential to take down any team in the tournament.

No. 3 Florida probably wasn’t expecting an in-state matchup in the Sweet 16, but the Gators have also made an impressive run through the first three rounds, besting a Minnesota team in the round of 32 that topped UCLA by 20 points in its first contest.

Led by senior guard Mike Rosario and his 25 points on 6-of-9 shooting from behind the arc, the Gators cruised through the round of 32 without major contributions from Kenny Boynton (seven points) or Patric Young (five points).

As well as both teams have played in the tournament, the quality of play alone should be enough to tune in for this game, though the prospect of a Florida Gulf Coast Elite Eight appearance will undoubtedly steal the show.

Look for the Eagles to get another strong performance from sophomore guard Bernard Thompson (23 PPG in the tournament) in a close affair that should come down to the wire.

Florida 67, Florida Gulf Coast 64

Link to Printable PDF

Link to Live Bracket

Follow all the exciting NCAA Tournament action with March Madness Live