The Gods Have Spoken!: Sweet 16 Preview

Before the tournament even started, Dick Vitale did everything in his power to make me hate him. Now, he's the one hating me.

Last week I called Vitale a liar for saying that Purdue or Arizona was going to end Florida's repeat dreams. But come this weekend, neither the Boilermakers nor the Wildcats will be in St. Louis.

And shockingly enough, neither will Wisconsin.

Going into the Sweet 16, the SEC and Pac-10 are heavily represented, while the ACC (North Carolina) and Big Ten (Ohio State) have only one survivor apiece going to the big show.

What happened, you ask? Let's start in the East Region and work our way around the country.

In a tournament where no favorite is safe, North Carolina and Georgetown refused to die easy.

After a hard-fought battle with Michigan State, the Tar Heels are heading to East Rutherford to take on the surprising Southern California Trojans. USC got some long-awaited payback for last year's BCS "Punishment in Pasadena" with a victory over Texas.

But USC isn't the only eye-opener in the Sweet 16: The Vanderbilt Commodores caught the nation's attention with victories over George Washington and Washington State. Now the Commodores have visions of another upset dancing in their heads, as they gear up for a date with second-seeded Georgetown.

The stage seems to be set for a collision between the Hoyas and the Heels, but I'm not going to anger the upset gods by saying that USC and Vandy don't have a shot.

Instead, I'll say that the Commodores will  give Georgetown a run for its money before coming up just short. Carolina, on the other hand, certainly won't have a holiday with the Trojans—and don't be shocked if there's an overtime thriller to settle this region once and for all.

Picks: Carolina over USC; Georgetown over Vanderbilt; Georgetown over Carolina

South Region

Can't say much about the South—except that Ohio State should get ready for another dogfight.

Some quotes out of Camp Buckeye allegedly called Xavier "unworthy" and "not in our league." After this past weekend, the Buckeyes should consider themselves lucky that the Musketeers choked away the lead they had in regulation.

And the road to the Final Four doesn't get any easier from here. Enter the Tennessee Volunteers, who'll be looking to stay hot against the Big 10 champs. They can do it, too: They have the firepower to run with the Buckeyes, and they can contain Greg Oden. I could see a stunner in Tennessee's future.

Texas A&M is another team playing out of its mind, but their biggest challenge is still on the horizon: Memphis looks ready to take on the world. It's amazing that Sports Illustrated didn't even think the Tigers would make the Sweet 16. Bet they feel stupid now.

But let's get on with a surprise to end all surprises. I've been called crazy before—and this will be no different. Even though I initially picked the Buckeyes to meet up with the Gators in the championship, I think Tennessee has what it takes to pull the upset. As for the #2 vs. #3 showdown, count on Memphis to take it in OT.

Picks: Memphis over Texas A&M; Tennessee over Ohio State; Memphis over Tennessee

West Region

Jayhawks! Bruins! Jayhawks! Bruins!

How about the VCU Rams?

In a shocker for the ages, Virginia Commonwealth took Duke out...in the first round. Even though Pittsburgh eliminated VCU on Saturday night, the Rams more than earned their horns this year.

But back to the business at hand: Don't give UCLA too much credit. Yes, they beat Indiana—but they'll get  all they can handle against Pitt. The Panthers are hungry, and they've got the talent to knock off the big shots.

Which brings me to Kansas. I said that the Jayhawks had the softest draw of any top-seeded team. They dispatched Niagara with ease to open the tournament. Then they destroyed a dismal and depleted Kentucky team. Now they face Southern Illinois, who beat Holy Cross and Virginia Tech. No disrespect to the Hokies, but the Salukis first real test is going to come against Bill Self's club.

The Jayhawks should have an easy time—but then again, Arizona was supposed to beat Purdue and then Florida. Never say never. Even if you're Dickie Vee.

Picks: Kansas over Southern Illinois; Pittsburgh over UCLA; Kansas over Pitt

Midwest Region

The Midwest is by far the most intriguing region of all.

Notre Dame? Done. Arizona? Out. Maryland? Not this time. Wisconsin? Ha! Don't make me laugh.

How does this sound?: Florida vs. Butler and Oregon vs. UNLV.

The Rebels surprised everyone with a big win over Georgia Tech—but they rocked the entire tournament by sending the Badgers home early.

And Butler? They gave the ACC a lovely parting gift: another team watching from home. Victories over Old Dominion and Maryland earned Butler some much-needed credibility, especially after SI claimed that the Bulldogs would be one-and-done. Surprise, surprise—look who's laughing now!

The Ducks, meanwhile, look dangerous—and are liable to shatter Cinderella's glass slipper long before the clock strikes midnight. As for the Gators: They faced a serious challenge in Purdue, but still pulled off a victory by pressuring the Boilermakers.

 

With all that said, I'm picking the Rebels' run to end against Oregon—mostly because I still have some bad blood with Lon Kruger. Florida will have to fight hard to beat the Bulldogs, and will need more of the same if they want to ground the Ducks.

 

Picks: Florida over Butler; Oregon over UNLV; Florida over Oregon

 

 

Oh yeah, one more thing: The SEC has three teams still alive (Florida, Vanderbilt, and Tennessee), and so does the Pac-10 (USC, Oregon, and UCLA). The Big 12, SEC, ACC, and Big Ten all have their champs in the dance (Kansas, Florida, North Carolina, and Ohio State)—but that could change come Thursday.

 

Anyway, I'll see all of you this weekend. And don't worry—I'm sure Dick Vitale can start predicting golf or tennis tournaments.

 

He might have a better shot at getting those right.