Different Down South

The Madness Returns: How sweet (16) it is to meet you 

By Ben Makin

So let me start by saying, “whoops! Didn't see that coming!” Who the heck is Florida Gulf Coast University, and what have they done to my bracket? Well FGCU are comprised of a bunch of jerks that decided it’d be funny to ruin my final four prediction of Georgetown— all in the first round. Minus them, and Minnesota winning a toss up game, the rest has been right! 

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- The UNC-Kansas game was interesting for a while than Kansas turned it on and abused Carolina down low. They beat a good UNC team without Ben McLemore, arguably their best player. He couldn't find his stroke so Bill Self sat him down and had his seniors take this game home.

- Michigan, after a shaky first round, just absolutely dominated VCU behind none other than Trey B..MITCH MCGARY! My favorite player in this tournament, McGary has the “Ben Makin Trifecta” (attributes for making him my favorite player):

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1. Goofy to watch.
2. Super high energy.
3. Can have a big “we didn’t plan for that” game.
4. ***Bonus attribute- his name is really fun to yell and elongate.

- Florida wasn’t really tested, but they have a tough matchup coming up with FGCU. They shot really well in both games and look tougher than I originally thought. They shot 50% from three their second game- and you aren’t going to lose when that happens. 

- Florida Gulf Coast shattered everyone’s expectations. They’ve only been a program for 4 years, and had open tryouts at the beginning of the season. Now they’re the first 15 seed in the Sweet 16- EVER! Quite an accomplishment for a new coach and a young program that looks to be heading in the right direction. (Especially with this campus)

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SO, what can we expect from the sweet 16. Will it dazzle and wow us? I think it may…


Game 1 - #1 Kansas Jayhawks vs. #4 Michigan Wolverines

This game could be the best of the tournament thus far. Forget the Ohio State buzzer beater, Marquette’s last second layup, and the Craig Segar suit choices; and just focus on this great matchup. Every position has a great battle. 

Elijah Johnson vs. Trey Burke – The battle of the point guards. Trey Burke is known for his explosive play, getting into the lane and finishing, or pulling up for a smooth looking J. That's right, he’s known for a lot of things. Elijah Johnson on the other hand is not as proficient offensively as Burke is, but he is a senior with good experience. This will assist him (haha, point guard joke? Sorry…) in trying to slow down the Wooden Award Finalist. Johnson needs to be locked in on defense and have others worry about scoring. Burke is a handful, not many can stop him. 

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Ben McLemore vs. Tim Hardaway Jr.- This will be a battle of the Scorers. Both are fantastic shooters who have the tools to succeed at the next level. I think that Hardaway will be on McLemore because of his length and airtight defense. Timmy Jr. is competitive, and will want to outduel this redshirt freshman that has a ton of hype. McLemore will look to come out strong and control the ball for his team. After a terrible second round game, he wants to show his stuff and prove he can lead his team. Both are going to be locked in, watch their eyes- it’ll be daggers. 

Travis Releford vs Nik Stauskas- While Michigan has the upper hand in the point guard position; Kansas can take advantage of this matchup. Releford was on FIRE in the round of 32. 22 points, 8 rebounds on 9-13 shooting, this senior didn't want to go home early. Stauskas is a fantastic freshman shooter that has the ability to go for 20 on any given night, but he is still raw. Releford’s familiarity with the tournament, and big games will help him get past this rookie.Look for Hardaway Jr. to move onto Releford if he continues his hot streak from the weekend. 

Kevin Young vs. Glen Robinson III – this will be a bruising matchup between two big boys. Both Robinson and Young love to hit the boards, and are athletic enough to get their points. Both also know their roles on the team, and adhere to them quite well. I think Robinson is more athletic than Young, so look for Michigan to try and get Robinson moving and cutting to the basket early. 

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Jeff Withey vs Mitch McGary- Both are coming off awesome games. Withey had 16 and 16; McGary with 21 and 14. I’m excited for this matchup, but it wont just be between Withey and McGary… MCCCCCCGGGARRRRRRYYYYYY! Michigan runs deep downlow- Jordon Morgan (who started all season) and Jon Horford will also come in to wear down the excellent Withey. Think this gives Michigan an advantage because they can rotate guys in and out against him, tiring out the senior and wear him down from over aggressive play. It’ll be a true test of Withey’s skill to see how he will do against this 3-headed-monster. 

Overall, just look for an excellent game. While I think Michigan has more overall talent on the court, Kansas is oozing with experience. It’s really going to be an intense battle for 45 minutes (yup, overtime!). If and when Michigan can find their “swag” and start to play electric- throwing oops, crazy passes, and dynamic dunks- don't be surprised to see them moving on. Final Score MICHIGAN 65 Kansas 62.
Now if you’re still breathing after the first game, get ready for FAST.


Game 2- #3 Florida Gators vs. #15 Florida Gulf Coast Eagles.

Both teams are looking to run. FGCU is ranked 6th in the nation in fast break offense, and they are fast when they play their 4 guard lineup. What also helps them is their ability to pass the

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basketball. They had 21 assists in their last game, and really work to get the best shot; which is usually a dunk! The self proclaimed “dunk-city” can SEND IT IN JEROME. It is exciting to watch this team who has more energy than the energizer bunny who just chugged an amp and chased it with a 5 hour energy and two shots of espresso. They get the crowd into it, and their bench is never sitting. They’re on the sidelines getting their team riled up to go win the game. It’s what college basketball should be- young guys ENJOYING their opportunity to be on the national stage, playing good basketball. 


                               

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Florida is going to be challenged, but they being said, I still see them winning this game. Florida can shoot better than Marky-Mark as Bob Lee Swagger in the movie Shooter, and that's saying something. What they have to be careful with is hoisting up too many three’s and missing quality looks down low. They also need to play tight defense and limit the number of exciting plays FGCU gets, because they feed off of them. The Gators have some great players in Boynton and big boy Erik Murphy and they have what it takes to lead the Gators into the Elite 8. Florida is a team that makes you defend them. They will work the ball around with screens and high pick and rolls. Then if something isn’t there, they can drain from beyond the arc. Even if they can’t keep their fire from long range, their talent will turn the clock to midnight on the Cinderella Eagles. They’re a high profile Division 1 team; they are going to have better athletes and basketball players. I hate to see FGCU leave the big dance, but it just doesn't look like they can keep up with the Gators. I predict a close one, but Florida pulls it out in the end, 70-59.