2010 NCAA Tournament: Ranking the Sweet 16, 16-13

Four days of NCAA Tournament play are in the books, and we’ve successfully narrowed the field down to 16.

The tournament’s been plentiful with upsets, buzzer-beaters, and wild finishes, but there are still four rounds left between now and the crowning of a national champion.

This week, we’ll be breaking down the 16 remaining teams in reverse order, beginning today with teams 16-13.

As we move closer to the top team in the rankings, consider that the odds of winning a national championship increase.

16. St. Mary’s Gaels

Seed: No. 10, South Region

How’d They Get Here?: Defeated No. 7 Richmond 80-71, Defeated No. 2 Villanova 75-68

Outlook: The Gaels got through the first two rounds on the back of WCC Player of the Year Omar Samhan. Samhan has 61 points in two upsets so far, and St. Mary’s will need him again if they want to take down the surprising Baylor Bears.

The Gaels were just scrappy and quick enough to quell the sharp shooting and athleticism of Villanova’s guards, but Baylor presents an even bigger challenge to St. Mary’s.

Not only do the Bears have the quickness to keep up with Matthew Dellavedova and Mickey McConnell, but they have the size inside to match Samhan as well. 

There’s no way Samhan gets 30 against the Bears, and without his production, the Gaels will struggle mightily to advance.

Player to Watch: Samhan is not only one of the most productive players left in the tournament, he’s also one of the most personable.

15. Washington Huskies

Seed: No. 11, East Region

How’d They Get Here?: Defeated No. 6 Marquette 80-78, Defeated No. 3 New Mexico 82-64

Outlook: The Huskies survived a tight one in the first round as Quincy Pondexter came through with a late bucket to knock off Marquette. There was no such scare in the second round, however, as Washington handled the possibly over-seeded Lobos quite easily and impressively.

The Huskies have made a great run thus far and have shown that the Pac-10 maybe wasn’t as bad as everyone thought, but it will likely end before the Elite Eight.

The Huskies come up against the red-hot Mountaineers of West Virginia Thursday, and they’ll find it difficult to match WVU’s athleticism on the perimeter.

Player to Watch: Isaiah Thomas is an electric guard that reminds UW fans of Nate Robinson, and he’ll need to dominate WVU's Joe Mazzulla with starting point guard Truck Bryant out with injury.

14. Cornell Big Red

Seed: No. 12, East Region

How’d They Get Here?: Defeated No. 5 Temple 78-65, Defeated No. 4 Wisconsin 87-69

Outlook: There’s no denying that the Big Red have looked like one of the most impressive teams in the tournament thus far in destructions of higher seeds Temple and Wisconsin. 

The Big Red were the best three-point shooting team in the nation this year, and they’ve shown it in their two games thus far. Ryan Wittman has as good a stroke as anyone left in the tournament, and if he catches fire, the Big Red can score at will. They also have a skilled seven-footer in Jeff Foote who dominates on the defensive end and is a great rebounder.

They’ll pull another impressive team in the round of 16, the Kentucky Wildcats, which will make it tough for Cornell’s Cinderella story to continue. The Wildcats are much more athletic than the Big Red and will cause matchup problems on the defensive end for Cornell, but they are also young and inexperienced. 

Cornell plays as many upperclassmen as anyone in the tournament, so they hold an advantage in a tight game where smart play and free throw shooting will decide the winner. They may not be able to avoid being blown out, however.

Player to Watch: Wittman can shoot it from anywhere on the floor, so John Calipari will need to devise a defense to stop him. He needs very little space to get his shot off, so whichever Kentucky defender draws his assignment will need to use his athleticism to stay close.

13. Northern Iowa

Seed: No. 9, Midwest Region

How’d They Get Here?: Defeated No. 8 UNLV 69-66, Defeated No. 1 Kansas 69-67

Outlook: Basically, if Ali Farokhmanesh hits a late three-pointer and the Panthers score 69 points, they’ll win. That’s just science.

The ultimate upset came Saturday as the Panthers took out the top seed in the tournament, the Kansas Jayhawks. Northern Iowa was able to hang with the Jayhawks by forcing them into tough perimeter jumpers and not letting Cole Aldrich dominate inside.

The MVC winners have the bodies to hang with any team in the country inside and outside, they shoot very well from three-point range, they were the third-best defensive team in the country in terms of points allowed per game, and they have all the senior leadership they need. 

The Panthers will get a Michigan State Spartans team that will likely be without star point guard Kalin Lucas and could advance to the Elite Eight if they maintain their hot shooting and poised play late in games.

Player to Watch: Farokhmanesh is the hero of the tournament so far, and it’s likely he’ll never have to buy a drink in Cedar Falls again. He’s the best three-point shooter that the Panthers have, and he’ll need to stay hot if Northern Iowa wants to advance.