NCAA Tournament: Ranking the Five Best 2nd Round Games
By Jason McIntyre
The 2nd round beings at 12:10 when UCLA and UAB take the court in Louisville. Here’s the full schedule. We rank the best 2nd round games.
1. Virginia vs. Michigan State (Sunday): Rematch of an excellent 2014 Sweet 16 game, which was won by the Spartans, 61-59 in a thriller. In the final 25 minutes, neither team led by more than seven. Virginia did a great job against 2014 NBA draft picks Gary Harris and Adreian Payne, but the guy who killed them was Branden Dawson (24 points, 10 rebounds). Virginia’s much more diverse this year offensively, whereas last year “the guy” was Joe Harris and nobody else stepped up (14-of-43 shooting outside of Harris).
2. Kansas vs. Wichita State (Sunday): It’ll be billed as the biggest game in the State’s history, mostly because they haven’t met since 1993, and also because the Jayhawks have been ducking the Shockers for over two decades. Wichita State’s last win over Kansas was in 1987, when Danny Manning was a junior (here’s a great look at the series history). Expect this one to be tense, close, and fiery. I actually like the Shockers to pull the upset.
3. Maryland vs. West Virginia (Sunday): Melo Trimble vs. Juwan Staten? Yes, please. What a matchup of dynamic point guards. Trimble should be able to handle the Mountaineers press, but he’s only a freshman.Will the Terps be able to handle WVU’s rugged play inside (4th best offensive rebounding team in the nation)? I like the Terps to get lucky (12-1 in games decided by 6 or less) again.
4. Ohio State vs. Arizona (5:15 pm): Could argue this is the best game because it features the best player (D’Angelo Russell) going against another 2015 lottery pick (Stanley Johnson). Russell, a smooth lefty, will probably be shadowed by Arizona’s best defensive player, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson. On paper, OSU doesn’t have the size, nor does Russell (28-6-5 in the win over VCU) have the supporting cast to hang with the Wildcats. Thing is, Russell may have some Shabazz Napier in him. I have a weird feeling this is a last-possession game … like the 2013 classic that propelled the Buckeyes to the Elite 8 on this LaQuinton Ross shot.
5. Georgetown vs. Utah (7:45 pm): The Hoyas got physical with Eastern Washington and pulled away for an easy win; Utah struggled against Stephen F. Austin for 38 minutes. The biggest difference here should be 3-point defense – the Hoyas were swept by Xavier, a team that defends 3-pointers well. Utah is better – 30th in the country at defending the three. The Hoyas could struggle to score. Feels like a 60-50 slobberknocker. Delon Wright vs. Jabril Trawick (55, below) is a matchup to watch.
Honorable mention:
Wisconsin vs Oregon (Sunday): Rematch of last year’s thriller, won by Wisconsin 85-77. The Badgers trailed at the half, and then trailed by 1, 75-74, with 1:14 to play before a Ben Brust three-pointer and a flurry of free throws in Milwaukee. Joe Young, who had 27 against Oklahoma State Friday, scored 29 in the loss to Wisconsin.
Northern Iowa vs. Louisville (Sunday): The game opened with Louisville a 1-point favorite, but quickly was bet to Northern Iowa -1.5. As with all the Louisville games, it’ll be a physical, ugly affair, probably played in the high 40s or low 50s. The Panthers have a big bench advantage, which should be the difference.
Duke vs. San Diego State (Sunday): Can Spencer/Pope/Shepard handle Okafor inside? Few can, but at least the Aztecs have the bodies. San Diego State is an extremely poor free throw shooting team; only one regular shoots 70% or better. Duke’s guards are vastly superior, but if the Aztecs can slow the game down and use their length defensively to keep it in the 50s … they’ll have a chance.