Sweet 16 Brackets: Midwest Region Primer

The first day of the Sweet 16 was great, but I want more.

I suspect we’re in for an exciting night in the Midwest region considering the best player and the best story of the tournament will be in action with interesting obstacles standing between them and the Elite 8.

Evan Turner and the glass slipper-wearing Northern Iowa Panthers are looking to keep the dream alive against opponents that pose some unique challenges of their own.

Turner is going to have to flash more Player of the Year magic like he’s done all year. In the other game, I’d give away my kingdom for another order of ONIONS! courtesy of Ali Farokhmanesh .

Northern Iowa vs. Michigan State

Michigan State is missing their lead guard and lead dog Kalin Lucas. Northern Iowa is coming off one of the biggest upsets in tournament history.

Two teams. Two trends.

UNI must avoid eating the poison cheese served on a plate of limelight with a side of Erin Andrews that comes with success on the big stage. If they can remain humble and hungry, the Elite Eight is there for the taking because the Spartans are hurting and in trouble.

Don’t believe me? Check this out .

Lucky for the Spartans, Northern Iowa will be perfectly content to play a half court to half-court grinder, virtually ignoring the Spartan’s vulnerability to a Nolan Richardson-styled 40 minutes of hell press.

If I were Michigan State, I wouldn’t be concerned with pressure from the Panthers.

You see, playing against Cinderella has its benefits, because you know exactly what style you’re going to get from her. She’s not going to get fancy or cute. She’s going to wear proper ballroom attire. Leave the Lycra body suits to Ashley Judd and the Kentucky Wildcats.

Korie Lucious: breathe, my brother.

The key to the game will be like any other contest between evenly matched opponents.  

Throw field goal percentage into an equation with possession quantifiers like rebounding and turnover margins, and you have your winner.

Shoot it well and you don’t have to dominate the backboards as long as you’re valuing the basketball. Don’t shoot it well, and obtaining more possessions via the glass or the turnover is key.

Northern Iowa shoots it better than Michigan State so that gives them a huge leg up.

One with a glass slipper attached.

Tennessee vs. Ohio State

Theme warning.

Here’s another evenly matched team in both style and talent.

The Buckeyes play four perimeter players that complement one another to a point that creates match up headaches for opposing coaches.

Volunteer Coach Bruce Pearl says it best:

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“Ohio State presents you with the biggest mismatch of any team in the tournament,” Pearl said. “Who guards Turner? Who guards Lighty? If you put two guys on him, who has Diebler? It’s pretty easy to say your center might guard (Dallas) Lauderdale, but where you go from there is really the great challenge.”

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The good news for the Volunteers is that they’re quite comfortable putting four perimeter defenders on the floor. Tennessee also guards the arc really well.

Ohio State and Tennessee are virtually identical up and down the roster with one exception: star power.

Thy name is Evan Turner.

Evan Turner gives the Buckeyes that go-to-guy when buckets are in short supply and sorely needed. Tennessee, on the other hand, relies on a collection of really good players, lacking the one guy that coaches look at and say, “Hey, we better slow him down or we’re done.”

For this reason, and this reason alone, I like the Buckeyes.

Evan Turner won’t let Ohio State lose.

Plus, I hate those stupid headbands the Vols wear.

Too posh for conservative Midwest sensibilities.

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Kevin writes the leading college hoops blog March To March .

Follow him on Twitter: @MarchToMarch