NCAA Tournament 2015: Early Predictions for Sweet 16 Teams Post-Selection Sunday
It may sound like a cliche, but the only way to win the NCAA tournament is to take it one weekend at a time.
After all, the schedule is perfectly broken up into three weekend portions where teams have to navigate two games at each location. A total of 16 teams will be able to do just that during the first weekend and set themselves up for an appearance in the Sweet 16.
With that in mind, here is a look at critical information, the bracket and some Sweet 16 predictions for the 2015 tournament.
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Schedule
| March 17-18 | First Round | Dayton | truTV |
| March 19, 21 | Second and Third Rounds | Jacksonville, Louisville, Pittsburgh and Portland | CBS, TBS, TNT, truTV |
| March 20, 22 | Second and Third Rounds | Columbus, Charlotte, Omaha and Seattle | CBS, TBS, TNT, truTV |
| March 26, 28 | Midwest Regional (Sweet 16 and Elite Eight) | Cleveland | CBS and TBS |
| March 26, 28 | West Regional (Sweet 16 and Elite Eight) | Los Angeles | CBS and TBS |
| March 27, 29 | South Regional (Sweet 16 and Elite Eight) | Houston | CBS and TBS |
| March 27, 29 | East Regional (Sweet 16 and Elite Eight) | Syracuse | CBS and TBS |
| April 4 | National Semifinals | Indianapolis | TBS |
| April 6 | Championship Game | Indianapolis | CBS |
Sweet 16 Predictions
| Midwest | 1 | Kentucky |
| Midwest | 4 | Maryland |
| Midwest | 3 | Notre Dame |
| Midwest | 7 | Wichita State |
| West | 1 | Wisconsin |
| West | 4 | North Carolina |
| West | 3 | Baylor |
| West | 2 | Arizona |
| East | 1 | Villanova |
| East | 4 | Louisville |
| East | 6 | Providence |
| East | 2 | Virginia |
| South | 1 | Duke |
| South | 5 | Utah |
| South | 3 | Iowa State |
| South | 2 | Gonzaga |
Potential Sweet 16 Thriller: Kentucky vs. Maryland
Even casual basketball fans understand what Kentucky represents.
It is the big, bad Wildcats that walked right through the regular season with an undefeated campaign and have a chance to make history with a 40-0 record. They have future NBA players on the roster, a coach who has been there before, length at every position and a clutch shooter in Aaron Harrison who has made monumental shots in the NCAA tournament before.
They are such a dominant force that this tournament is largely seen as Kentucky against the field.
However, a potential Sweet 16 matchup with Maryland could be appointment viewing in the Big Dance. After all, Maryland climbed into the Top 10 of the Associated Press Top 25 poll late in the season and knocked off No. 1 seed Wisconsin in Big Ten play.
John Ourand of Sports Business Journal and Chad Ford of ESPN both commented on how strange it seems that a team as impressive as Maryland fell to the No. 4 seed in Kentucky’s region:
Sure, it seems unfair for the Terrapins, but think about it from Kentucky’s perspective. It ran through the regular season and conference tournament with a sparkling undefeated record but could get stuck playing the No. 8 team in the nation as early as the Sweet 16.
The real winner here is the fans who get to tune in for a thrilling matchup.
The bottom line is Kentucky should not overlook Maryland. The Terrapins knocked off Iowa State, Michigan State and Wisconsin and hung with Virginia early in the season even though Dez Wells and Evan Smotrycz didn’t play.
They also have a dynamic backcourt duo with Wells and Melo Trimble. The two guards combined to average 31.7 point per game, can drill three-pointers and are nearly impossible to keep out of the lane with dribble penetration. The matchup between Wells and Trimble and the Harrison twins of Kentucky will be the game within the game that fans will need to monitor.
The only way the Terrapins could potentially stun the Wildcats is with a dominant performance from both Wells and Trimble, which is certainly possible.
While that resume and the two stars are great for the Terrapins, Kentucky is also hitting on all cylinders.
Coach John Calipari suggested as much during an SEC coaches teleconference, via Tyler Thompson of Kentucky Sports Radio: “Kids have been great. They’re responding. We’re getting closer to having every player be the best version of themselves.”
The best version of the Kentucky players is a terrifying proposition for both Maryland and the rest of the field, because the best version of the Kentucky players is a borderline NBA team.
Maryland can challenge the Wildcats if the guards are hitting their shots and Kentucky overlooks it as just a No. 4 seed. However, as long as Kentucky is focused, there is just too much talent on the roster at every position.
Between the Harrison brothers on the outside, Karl-Anthony Towns and Willie Cauley-Stein on the inside, Devin Booker on the wing and a bench loaded with elite playmakers, this Wildcats squad is simply unfair. Maryland will ultimately keep the game close, but there is just too much talent on the Kentucky side.
Prediction: Kentucky not only beats Maryland, it wins the national championship.
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