Midwest Region Sweet Sixteen Game Breakdowns
#1 Virginia vs. #4 Iowa State
Both of these teams have played well, and both have earned the right to play one another for a chance to advance. Frankly, each team has been in control of their respective games for the most part. Butler gave Virginia some trouble, but the Cavaliers were able to salt the game away at the end like they always do. Iowa State has won by double-digits in both of their games this past weekend. This will be their first true test. Virginia has earned their No. 1 seed by virtue of being and efficient team on both ends of the floor. Iowa State’s high-powered offense will definitely be tested. But the Cyclones are one of the few teams that could counteract Virginia’s defense. They are balanced and talented and can run it up the floor. Forcing Virginia into bad shots will be key. If the Cavs get out of their rhythm, they are taken out of their game plan. That’s when they are vulnerable. This should be a great matchup of two outstanding seniors in Georges Niang for Iowa State and Virginia’s Malcolm Brogdon.
The Midwest features the only bracket that double-digit seeds still exist. There are two! In one of the most unlikely matchups of the entire tournament, Syracuse and Gonzaga will look to continue to prove their doubters wrong. The Orange didn’t have nearly the same amount of trouble with Middle Tennessee State as Michigan State did. They took control early, and the Blue Raiders could not match their performance in the first round. The zone defense was really effective, holding MTSU to just 29% from the field. A team thought to be unworthy of a tournament bid has dispatched its opponents handily thus far. Moving forward, it might not be so easy. Gonzaga, on the verge of missing out on a bid to the Big Dance with a so-so regular season, has been playing its best basketball of the year in its last three games. They played a good, high-seeded Utah team in Round 2 and ran them into the ground. They took a 15-point lead into halftime and never looked back. Syracuse is going to have its hands full with Domantas Sabonis. He is playing at an elite level. Pair that with Eric McClellan playing well and the Zags are a tough matchup for the Orange. No one should be excited to play Gonzaga right now with how dialed in they are. Michael Gbinije will need a repeat performance in the Sweet Sixteen to help the Orange advance. Cooney staying hot from deep will also help. They are two experienced teams with the moxie to make a memorable tournament even more so. This should be a good one.
