2011 NCAA Tournament: Which Sweet 16 Games Will Be the Most Exciting

Now that almost everybody's bracket has been busted (especially mine), people (including me) can watch basketball for entertainment purposes. The fear of losing a Final Four team isn't as prevalent as it once was because of all of the upsets.

The Sweet 16 kicks off on Thursday and it has many varying matchups in terms of seeding. There are some high seeds facing off as expected. Other games feature lower seeds competing to stay alive to play another day.

Teams will change location and prepare the next set of games. Pittsburgh was the only No. 1 seed to be upset before the second week of play began. The Big East suffered the most losses, as only two teams remain from the 11 that qualified. Notre Dame and Syracuse were two other high seeds who couldn't advance to the Sweet 16.

Regardless of the teams that lost, there are always interesting games to be played.

Here are the five most exciting contests between the 16 remaining competitors.

5. No. 2 Florida vs. No. 3 Brigham Young

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DENVER, CO - MARCH 19: Jimmer Fredette #32 of the Brigham Young Cougars shoot against the Gonzaga Bulldogs during the third round of the 2011 NCAA men's basketball tournament at Pepsi Center on March 19, 2011 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmond

While Jimmer Fredette is still in the tournament his games will be near the top in terms of excitement.

Fredette has proven his ability to be an unbelievable difference maker for the BYU Cougars. His ability to score is enabled by his lethal jump shot. If he's healthy, the Cougars are a threat to win any game.

The Florida Gators drew a lot of flack for something they had no control over. When Florida was awarded a No. 2 seed, many people complained that it was a gift and that the Gators didn't deserve such praise.

Two wins for the Gators and Butler's upset of Pittsburgh have Florida as the favorite to win their region. If the Gators escape the Southeast region, they will prove they were deserving of the seed they received.

4. No. 2 North Carolina vs. No. 11 Marquette

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CHARLOTTE, NC - MARCH 20: Harrison Barnes #40 of the North Carolina Tar Heels shoots over Terrence Ross #31 of the Washington Huskies in the second half during the third round of the 2011 NCAA men's basketball tournament at Time Warner Cable Arena on Mar

Marquette is feeling as good as can be following upsets over Xavier and Syracuse. The Golden Eagles are tied for the second-lowest seed remaining in the NCAA Tournament as a No. 11 seed. In their last win against the Orange, Marquette showed that they have multiple players that can score the basketball.

Darius Johnson-Odom and Jae Crowder led the Golden Eagles to victory as Jimmy Butler struggled from the field. The three-pronged attack is a nice thing to have when playing teams that you're not familiar with. The Golden Eagles also displayed the ability to play defense on the perimeter and inside.

North Carolina is about as young as any team in the tournament. Led by freshman Harrison Barnes, the Tar Heels were able to pull a comeback against the Washington Huskies. The Tar Heels biggest concern is experience because they have the talent to make a big run.

As heavy favorites in the Sweet 16, North Carolina will try to keep the Golden Eagles from pulling their third straight upset.

3. No. 1 Duke vs. No. 5 Arizona

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TULSA, OK - MARCH 20: Derrick Williams #23 of the Arizona Wildcats celebrates after defeating the Texas Longhorns 70-69 in the third round of the 2011 NCAA men's basketball tournament at BOK Center on March 20, 2011 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. (Photo by Ronald

The Arizona Wildcats have won their two games by a combined three points. Of all the teams left in the tournament, the Wildcats—along with Butler—are the most battle-tested. 

Arizona knows what it's like to win close games, which will definitely be key in their upcoming games. Derrick Williams has proved to be the team's standout star. He had a rough outing against Texas, but came through in the clutch with a three-point play to put the Longhorns out of the tournament.

Arizona can score the ball, but has to stop fouling on defense if they want to upset Duke.

The Duke Blue Devils are a popular pick across the nation to take home their second straight title. The return of Kyrie Irving gave people the impression that Duke would cruise through their first couple games.

After crushing Hampton in their opening contest, the Blue Devils fell short of expectations in a close win over an exciting Michigan team. Kyle Singler continued to struggle from beyond the arc. Luckily for Duke, Nolan Smith was good enough to get the Blue Devils to the final 16 teams.

The performance of Williams for Arizona will determine the chances the Wildcats have in this game.

2. No. 2 San Diego State vs. No. 3 Connecticut

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WASHINGTON - MARCH 19: Kemba Walker #15 of the Connecticut Huskies goes in for a layup against the Cincinnati Bearcats during the third round of the 2011 NCAA men's basketball tournament at Verizon Center on March 19, 2011 in Washington, DC. (Photo by N

Kemba Walker is the only player that compares to Fredette in terms of being a game-changer.

Walker has been the best player in college basketball for the past few weeks and no team is hotter than the Connecticut Huskies. The Huskies have Walker as their star, but the core players around him have been better than ever lately.

Jeremy Lamb and Roscoe Smith have become better players because of the attention Walker draws. The Huskies like to move the ball around, and Kemba's not too greedy to spread the floor and share the love.

San Diego State remains undefeated in games where they don't play BYU. The Aztecs' double-overtime triumph over Temple showed they have the grit to win tough games. San Diego State is one of the most athletic teams in the tournament.

The Aztecs will have their toughest test of the season in the Huskies. San Diego State has faced Jimmer, so we'll see if that prepared them for Kemba.

1. No. 10 Florida State vs. No. 11 VCU

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CHICAGO, IL - MARCH 20: Joey Rodriguez #12 of the Virginia Commonwealth Rams celebrates as he leaves the game in the second half of the game against the Purdue Boilermakers during the third round of the 2011 NCAA men's basketball tournament at the United

Outside of the Ohio State Buckeyes, no team has been more impressive in the NCAA Tournament than the VCU Rams. The difference is that people expected the Buckeyes to dominate.

The Rams have won all three of their games by over 10 points, with their last two wins by 18. The Rams guards, led by Joey Rodriguez, have been too quick to contain thus far. The Purdue Boilermakers and Georgetown Hoyas didn't know what hit them when VCU stepped on the court. The Rams kept the pedal to the metal in both contests once they grabbed the lead.

Pretty insane for a team that many people said shouldn't have even made the tournament.

Florida State makes teams look confused on offense with their smothering defense. The Seminoles have arguably the best defense in the nation and they displayed it in a 14-point upset of Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish never got back into the game after falling behind early.

The Seminoles defense should provide a worthy match for the VCU offense. Florida State and VCU are two of the lowest seeds remaining in March Madness.

Who wants to be there more than these two teams?

Everything will be left on the court when these two arrive in San Antonio.