By Grace Runkel
Tonight, Indiana and Kentucky will face off in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA tournament. Students supported their teams by showing up to school in their team’s colors.
Tag Archives: ncaa
Indiana and Kentucky prepare for intense tournament rematch
By Luke Geraghty
Ever since selection Sunday, fans around Kentuckiana have been wondering if a rematch between UK and IU will take place in the Sweet 16. This past weekend, both the Cats and the Hoosiers won their their round games to help advance to the Sweet 16. The rivalry between UK and IU had been down for a few years since IU was rebuilding. However, when IU beat UK on a last second three pointer in December, the rivalry is as intense as ever.
Both UK and IU came into the NCAA tournament with not a lot of momentum after both teams lost in their conference tournaments. However, both teams have fought back to win their first two games of the tournament. UK beat Western Kentucky and Iowa State quite easily. IU beat New Mexico State handily, but saw themselves in a much tougher battle with Virginia Commonwealth. Nevertheless, getting a win in the NCAA Tournament is crucial no matter what the margin is. In order to get a win, both teams will have to play their best.
For UK, the key to getting a win will rest on their front court. The size and strength of UK’s front court makes them the most talented in the country. Freshman Anthony Davis may go down as the best freshman to ever play at UK. His ability to block shots makes it extremely difficult for any player to get a shot off against him.
Sophomore Terrence Jones joins Davis in the front court. Jones is a great all around player who could have been a lottery pick had he declared for the draft last year. Keep him off the offensive glass will be a tough task for the Hoosiers.
In order for UK to win, they will need to keep Davis and Jones out of foul trouble. In their previous meeting, Davis had been in foul trouble which made his minutes limited. This was probably the biggest factor in that game. Also in that game, Jones had trouble scoring and rebounding. It was one of his worst games while playing at UK. If UK can get them going, and get some contributions from their backcourt, UK will find themselves in the Elite Eight.
For IU, getting another win against UK will be very difficult. However, if IU uses a similar game plan like they did in the first meeting, they have a shot.
Getting Davis in foul trouble will be critical for the Hoosiers. Freshman Cody Zeller may not be able to score on Davis, but if he can draw fouls on Davis, that will be a victory in itself. They will also need to pray that Jones has a similar game as he did before. IU will also need a contribution from their perimeter players. IU has was it takes to get hot from three-point range, but UK has been known to be a stingy team when guarding the perimeter. This is probably the most important area for the Hoosiers in this game.
Getting to the Sweet 16 has been a great accomplishment for the Hoosiers. IU has the better coach in Tom Crean and a lot of great players, but UK is more talented. If Davis and Jones stay out of foul trouble, then UK is almost unbeatable against any team. UK will get off to a strong start and will hold off the Hoosiers 78-68
Bagpiper sports writer makes NCAA predictions
By Luke Geraghty
It’s the most wonderful time of the year. No I’m not talking about Christmas; I’m
talking about the NCAA Basketball Tournament. Each year this event brings upsets, tons
of excitement, and occasionally some game winning shots. This year should be the most
exciting, given the fact that there are now 68 teams instead of the typical 65.
Last year, Duke won a thrilling National Championship after defeating a
surprising Butler team which had a number five seed. Experts have said that some of the
top seeds this year are weaker then some of the ones in the past, which means this year
could bring out more surprises. So with that said, it’s time to pick apart the bracket and
break down every region.
In the East region, the top seed is Ohio State. Led by Freshman Jared Sullinger,
the Buckeyes have tasted defeat only twice. Some of the other teams that stand out in the
region are North Carolina, Syracuse, and Kentucky. North Carolina had been playing
lights out up until getting blown out by arch-rival Duke in the ACC Championship.
Syracuse and Kentucky both seem to playing their best basketball of the season right
now. In my mind, the East region is the toughest region. I have the four teams as
mentioned all playing in the sweet 16. Ohio State has an advantage inside, so I’ll take
them over Kentucky. Syracuse and North Carolina will be another great game. Both
teams always play hard, but I think Orange will squeeze out a tight win. This brings up a
showdown between Ohio State and Syracuse. I’ll take Ohio State because of their solid
outside shooting.
East champion: Ohio State
The West Region is headlined by the defending champion Duke. Even without
their star freshman Kylie Irving, the Blue Devils are still a legitimate threat to take the title again. However, Kemba Walker and the Connecticut Huskies will be standing in their way. The Huskies are coming fresh off a Big East championship in which they won five games in five days. Four of those wins were against ranked teams. Don’t sleep on San Diego State, though. They have had the best regular season in school history. Some upsets I have in the first round include 13th-seeded Oakland over Texas and tenth-seeded Penn
State to keep up its momentum with a win over Temple. In the end, I have Duke and Connecticut both making a run to the Elite 8. The Huskies will finally run out of gas and Duke will get the win.
West Champion: Duke
Kansas is the number one seed in the Southwest Region. Last season as the top overall seed, the Jayhawks were upset in the second round. This year they are looking to rebound. The number two seed in the region is Notre Dame. The Irish are led by a talented senior class that includes Big East Player of the Year Ben Hansborough. After making a run in the Big East tournament, Louisville finds itself as a number four seed. Their run and gun approach could give teams trouble in the tournament. I believe Purdue will also join those teams in the Sweet 16 despite the fact they are on a two-game losing streak. In the end, Kansas and Notre Dame will both head to the Elite Eight and Kansas’s balance will send them to the Final Four.
Southwest Champion: Kansas
The Southeast Region appears to be the weakest region. It is led by Pittsburgh, who is coming off an early exit in the Big East conference tournament. Assuming they win their first game, they will have tough test against Butler and Old Dominion. Florida is the number two seed, although some people believe they don’t deserve it. If they win, they will have a tough time stopping Michigan State. Despite their disappointing season, the Spartans always seem to be threat in the NCAA Tournament. The number three seed is BYU, which is led by Player of the Year candidate Jimmer Fredette. The number four seed is Wisconsin. The Badgers don’t score a lot of points, but they seem to give some of the big teams trouble. In my sweet 16, I have Pittsburgh, Wisconsin, BYU, and my surprise pick, Michigan State. In the end, Wisconsin and Michigan State will each pull off an upset. In the end, Wisconsin wins a hard-fought game that sends them to the Final Four.
Southeast Champion: Wisconsin
My Final Four features three one seeds. The Duke-Ohio State game will be a highly competitive game that will go down to the wire. I think Duke’s experience will send them to the National Championship. In the second game, Kansas matches up against Wisconsin. Wisconsin’s great run will come to an end, as Kansas wins. The National Championship game features to of the best college basketball programs in the country. It will be a battle, but Kansas’s balance will help them yet again.
National Champion: Kansas