March Madness 2017: Thursday Sweet 16 Schedule, Bracket Predictions, Odds, Tips

Thursday's slate of Sweet 16 games for the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament features one of the best stories we've seen in sports in a long time (Michigan's run following a frightening plane incident), the top team in the nation, per KenPom.com and the Sagarin ratings (Gonzaga), two of the four Naismith Player of the Year finalists (Kansas senior point guard Frank Mason III and Purdue sophomore forward Caleb Swanigan) and a team looking to play in its home state for the Final Four (Arizona).

Here's a look at the Sweet 16 schedule, the latest odds and picks for each game, with a focus on a player to watch for each team.

Thursday Sweet 16 Schedule

Matchup	Regional	Odds	Time (ET)	Television	Location
No. 3 Oregon vs. No. 7 Michigan	Midwest	Michigan (-1)	7:09 p.m.	CBS	Kansas City, Missouri
No. 1 Gonzaga vs. No. 4 West Virginia	West	Gonzaga (-3)	7:39 p.m.	TBS	San Jose, California
No. 1 Kansas vs. No. 4 Purdue	Midwest	Kansas (-5)	9:39 p.m.	CBS	Kansas City, Missouri
No. 2 Arizona vs. No. 11 Xavier	West	Arizona (-7.5)	10:09 p.m.	TBS	San Jose, California

Odds via OddsShark. Schedule via NCAA.com.

Bracket

Predictions and Players To Watch

No. 3 Oregon vs. No. 7 Michigan

Two of the hottest players in men's college basketball will face off on Thursday night.

Oregon sophomore guard Tyler Dorsey has been on fire in his past five games, averaging 23.6 points on 64.6 percent shooting (50 percent from three-point range).

It's not like he's just drilling a bunch of open shots, either. Check out this statistic from ESPN Stats & Info:

Dorsey drilled the game-winning three-pointer with 38.4 seconds left to give Oregon a 75-72 lead over Rhode Island in the second round:

That score held, and Oregon moved on to face a dangerous Michigan team led by senior Derrick Walton Jr., who is confident (rightfully so) because his Big Ten-winning team beat Oklahoma State and Louisville to open the NCAA tournament:

Walton scored 26 points and dished 11 assists against Oklahoma State. Against Louisville, he was hounded by the Cardinals defense and shot just 3-of-13, but he also made the biggest shot of the game, a running layup to give Michigan a 69-65 advantage with 29.4 seconds left:

Oregon is shorthanded after losing sophomore forward Chris Boucher, who is out for the season after suffering a torn ACL during the Pac-12 tournament. Michigan is firing on all cylinders, winning 12 of its past 14. This game is a coin flip on paper, but take the hot Wolverines to advance to the Elite Eight.

Pick: Michigan

No. 1 Gonzaga vs. No. 4 West Virginia

The battle to watch will be at the point, as Gonzaga junior point guard Nigel Williams-Goss takes on West Virginia junior floor general Jevon Carter.

Will West Virginia's press defense hound Gonzaga, or will the Bulldogs take care of the basketball?

Gonzaga has done a good job keeping possession so far in the tournament, as analyst Jon Rothstein reported:

However, the Bulldogs haven't faced a team like West Virginia yet this season. The Mountaineers are first in Division I in steals per game (10.2) and turnover margin (7.8). Carter leads the stealing effort, with 2.5 swipes per night.

Ryan Wright of The Ringer wrote more about Carter's defensive efforts:

"

Carter has developed into an all-around guard, but his defensive ability is the best aspect of his game. His team holds an 89.5 defensive rating with him on the floor, which leads the Big 12 and is 10th in the country (both rankings among players who have logged at least 800 minutes). He’s been named to the Big 12’s All-Defensive Team in each of his three seasons at West Virginia, and he won the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year award this season.

"

Like Oregon vs. Michigan, this should go down to the wire. However, Gonzaga has an even better defense on paper than West Virginia, as the Bulldogs are first in Division I in adjusted defensive efficiency, per KenPom.com. Expect the Bulldogs to win a close, low-scoring contest.

Pick: Gonzaga

No. 1 Kansas vs. No. 4 Purdue

Two of the four Naismith Award finalists will play in this game, as Kansas senior point guard Mason and sophomore Purdue center Swanigan face off in Kansas City.

Mason, the Big 12 Player of the Year, has averaged 24.2 points and 6.8 assists in his past five games. Swanigan, the Big Ten Player of the Year, has posted 18 points, 12.6 rebounds and 4.4 assists in his past five.

Both players symbolize this game. It will be a battle between Kansas' guards (they start four) against Purdue's big front line of the 6'9", 250-pound Swanigan, the 6'8", 225-pound Vincent Edwards and 7'2", 290-pound center Isaac Haas, who comes off the bench.

The edge goes to Kansas in this game for three reasons, however.

First, the matchup is in Kansas City, just a 45-minute drive from the KU campus. The Sprint Center will be a home away from home for the Jayhawks, with the added benefit of less travel.

Second, freshman phenom Josh Jackson will be the best player on the court by far in the "non-Naismith finalist" group. Jackson posted 16.6 points and 7.1 rebounds this year and is a surefire NBA draft lottery pick—DraftExpress had him third in its latest mock.

Third, 6'10" senior forward Landen Lucas is coming on strong for the Jayhawks in recent weeks, and he may be able to slow down Swanigan down low and give him some trouble on the other end as well.

Lucas has averaged 12 points and 12 rebounds in just 28.3 minutes per game in his past three outings. If he keeps up his hot streak, Purdue is in some trouble.

Pick: Kansas

No. 2 Arizona vs. No. 11 Xavier

Lauri Markkanen, Arizona's seven-foot power forward, will be playing in the NBA next season. DraftExpress has him going seventh in its latest mock, and it's easy to see why.

Markkanen shoots 49.6 percent from the field and 43.3 percent from three-point range. His incredible marksmanship led to a scoring average of 15.8 points per game this season, highlighted by a 29-point effort against UCLA in the Pac-12 tournament.

He's also improved on the defensive end, as noted by Zack Rosenblatt of the Arizona Daily Star:

"

Consider: In Arizona's first 30 games, Markkanen had 12 blocks, an average of 0.4 per game. In the last six games, Markkanen has blocked seven shots, a team-high average of 1.2 per game. That includes three in the season finale against Arizona State, one each against UCLA and Oregon in the Pac-12 Tournament and two more against Saint Mary’s on Saturday.

"

Markkanen will be a problem for Xavier, but junior guard Trevon Bluiett will present issues for Arizona. Bluiett, who averaged 18.5 points per game this season, is one of the hottest players in college hoops. In his past three halves of play, Bluiett has scored 47 points.

After a cold first half in a first-round matchup against Maryland, in which he scored only three, Bluiett caught fire in the second half, posting 18 points to lead Xavier to a 76-65 win. During one three-minute span, Bluiett made three-pointers, helping catapult the Musketeers on a 14-0 run that sealed the game.

Against Florida State in the next round, Bluiett once again played well, scoring 29 points in leading Xavier to a 91-66 rout. Xavier shot 55.6 percent from the field and 64.7 percent from three-point range that night.

As good as Bluiett has been, expect the Wildcats, who are 7.5-point favorites, to hold serve and advance to the Elite Eight, as Markkanen will present a difficult matchup for the Musketeers.

Pick: Arizona