NCAA Tournament previews for Sweet 16 games on Thursday
MIDWEST REGION
At Cleveland
No. 3 Notre Dame vs. No. 7 Wichita State, 6:15 p.m., CBS
The Irish have to feel a little lucky to be here, escaping Northeastern and Butler in overtime. That should allow Notre Dame, which has one of the nation’s top offenses, to play loose against the Shockers. Jerian Grant leads the way at 16.8 ppg. Wichita State can pick up its third straight victory over a top brand, knocking off Indiana and Kansas. The Shockers won’t shy away from the moment. Players like Fred VanVleet, Ron Baker and Tekele Cotton have played in big NCAA Tournament games their entire careers.
▪ Pick: Wichita State 77-74
No. 1 Kentucky vs. No. 5 West Virginia, 8:45 p.m., CBS
The Mountaineers’ pressure can cause stress for any opponent, even an undefeated one like Kentucky. West Virginia, which leads the nation in steals, forced 23 turnovers in the victory over Maryland. It’s up to Andrew Harrison and Tyler Ulis to beat the press and make West Virginia pay. The Wildcats proved in their third-round victory over Cincinnati they don’t have to play great — shooting 35 percent from the floor and getting outrebounded — to win.
▪ Pick: Kentucky 60-51
WEST REGION
At Los Angeles
No. 1 Wisconsin vs. No. 4 North Carolina, 6:47 p.m., TBS
Badgers point guard Traevon Jackson, who hasn’t played since Jan. 11 because of a fractured foot, is a game-time decision Wisconsin said Wednesday. Tar Heels forward Kennedy Meeks suffered a sprained ankle against Arkansas but worked out on Tuesday. North Carolina likes a fast tempo, but the Badgers are the nation’s most efficient team, averaging 1.25 points per possession. The Heels will have to play with more patience.
▪ Pick: Wisconsin 75-71
No. 2 Arizona vs. No. 6 Xavier, 9:17 p.m., TBS
The Musketeers should know Arizona well. Xavier coach Chris Mack worked as an assistant under Sean Miller for five years before Miller moved to Tucson. The Wildcats are superb defensively and are led by point guard T.J. McConnell. They crushed Ohio State in the second half of the third-round game and are playing as well as any team in the tournament.
▪ Pick: Arizona 71-60
| Blair Kerkhoff, bkerkhoff@kcstar.com.
MIDWEST REGION
At Cleveland
No. 3 Notre Dame vs. No. 7 Wichita State, 6:15 p.m., CBS
The Irish have to feel a little lucky to be here, escaping Northeastern and Butler in overtime. That should allow Notre Dame, which has one of the nation’s top offenses, to play loose against the Shockers. Jerian Grant leads the way at 16.8 ppg. Wichita State can pick up its third straight victory over a top brand, knocking off Indiana and Kansas. The Shockers won’t shy away from the moment. Players like Fred VanVleet, Ron Baker and Tekele Cotton have played in big NCAA Tournament games their entire careers.
▪ Pick: Wichita State 77-74
No. 1 Kentucky vs. No. 5 West Virginia, 8:45 p.m., CBS
The Mountaineers’ pressure can cause stress for any opponent, even an undefeated one like Kentucky. West Virginia, which leads the nation in steals, forced 23 turnovers in the victory over Maryland. It’s up to Andrew Harrison and Tyler Ulis to beat the press and make West Virginia pay. The Wildcats proved in their third-round victory over Cincinnati they don’t have to play great — shooting 35 percent from the floor and getting outrebounded — to win.
▪ Pick: Kentucky 60-51
WEST REGION
At Los Angeles
No. 1 Wisconsin vs. No. 4 North Carolina, 6:47 p.m., TBS
Badgers point guard Traevon Jackson, who hasn’t played since Jan. 11 because of a fractured foot, is a game-time decision Wisconsin said Wednesday. Tar Heels forward Kennedy Meeks suffered a sprained ankle against Arkansas but worked out on Tuesday. North Carolina likes a fast tempo, but the Badgers are the nation’s most efficient team, averaging 1.25 points per possession. The Heels will have to play with more patience.
▪ Pick: Wisconsin 75-71
No. 2 Arizona vs. No. 6 Xavier, 9:17 p.m., TBS
The Musketeers should know Arizona well. Xavier coach Chris Mack worked as an assistant under Sean Miller for five years before Miller moved to Tucson. The Wildcats are superb defensively and are led by point guard T.J. McConnell. They crushed Ohio State in the second half of the third-round game and are playing as well as any team in the tournament.
▪ Pick: Arizona 71-60
| Blair Kerkhoff, bkerkhoff@kcstar.com.
This story was originally published March 25, 2015 at 10:34 PM with the headline "NCAA Tournament previews for Sweet 16 games on Thursday."