2011 Sweet 16 East Region Odds, Predictions and Free Picks – NCAA Tournament Betting Preview: National powers Ohio State, Kentucky and North Carolina are all still alive, and a surprising Marquette squad will join them in the Sweet 16. The team that many expected to still be in the mix was Syracuse, but I warned prior to the start of the tournament that a matchup against a fellow Big East foe was bad news. Marquette handled the Orange’s 2-3 zone and shut down Syracuse on offense. The upstart Golden Eagles will have plenty of chances to slay a few more giants if they continue their run toward the Final Four.
2011 Sweet 16 East Region Matchup Previews
No. 1 Ohio State vs. No. 4 Kentucky: This matchup is a treat for fans in the Sweet 16 when it should probably be a regional final. After surviving a scare from Princeton in the opening round, the Wildcats and freshman guard Brandon Knight looked a lot more comfortable in their win against West Virginia. Kentucky will get all it can handle when they face off against a Buckeye squad playing like the No. 1 team in the nation.
This year’s UK squad is a typical John Calipari team loaded with freshman. The Wildcats are young, but they have more than enough talent and athleticism to compete against anyone. The Buckeyes have a dominant freshman of their own in Jared Sullinger, and the Wildcats don’t have any post players that match up well against arguably the nation’s best center.
If the Buckeyes continue to shoot 3-pointers at their current clip, nobody stands a chance. The game will boil down to how well Kentucky contains Sullinger and defends the perimeter versus how well Aaron Craft and the Buckeye guards can slow down Knight. Senior David Lighty could be the key for OSU. He isn’t the most talented player on the court, but he has a knack for making big plays and setting the tone. The Buckeyes edge in experience will rule the day.
2011 Sweet 16 East Region Projected Winner: Ohio State
No. 2 North Carolina vs. No. 11 Marquette: Senior forward Jimmy Butler has helped the Golden Eagles to a pair of upsets thus far, and now their sights are set on knocking off North Carolina. The Tar Heels are coming off a win in a back-and-forth game with a very impressive Washington squad. There will be plenty of athleticism on the court when these two up-tempo teams square off with a spot in the Elite Eight on the line.
In terms of pure talent, the edge goes to UNC. There is a reason that North Carolina nearly grabbed a No. 1 seed in the tournament while Marquette barely made it in. That being said, the Golden Eagles have fought hard all season, losing a number of games by only a bucket or two. Feisty or pesky might be the best way to describe them, but whatever you want to call Marquette, the fact is that bettors shouldn’t expect a blowout victory.
Since the game is likely going to be close, anything can happen. The Tar Heels will go through stretches on defense when they are pretty darn awful. They can turn the ball over at an alarming rate as well. Marquette can score in transition, and if UNC is sloppy for extended periods of time, they could get sent packing. However, Harrison Barnes and company have enough firepower on offense to get the job done as long as they don’t lay a complete egg.
2011 Sweet 16 East Region Projected Winner: North Carolina
2011 Sweet 16 East Region Favorite to Make the Final Four
Ohio State: The Buckeye guards are draining 3-pointers, and Sullinger is logging double-doubles in the post. There is a reason that OSU was awarded the No. 1 overall seed in the tournament. They are the most complete team in the field, and although they are a little dependent on the 3-pointer, they don’t live and die from the perimeter. I thought Syracuse was the one team that could trip up the Buckeyes, but the Orange are already out of the picture.
2011 Sweet 16 East Region Sleeper to Make a Run
North Carolina: The Tar Heels suffer from a nasty split personality disorder, and it is anybody’s guess which team will show up. The UNC team that ran Duke out of the gym can do the same to any team left in the tournament, but the UNC team that got dismantled by Duke could be bounced at any point. The Tar Heels are loaded with talented players on offense. If they can manage to play a small amount of defense and hang on to the ball, they could be heading to the Final Four.
2011 Sweet 16 East Region Team in the Most Trouble
Marquette: The Golden Eagles deserve a lot of credit for getting to the Sweet 16, but they are grossly undermanned compared to the other three teams left in the region. What they lack in star power they make up for in effort, but nobody is holding anything back at this point in the season. Marquette is going to be a tough out, but even Cinderella had the clock strike midnight.
2011 NCAA Tournament Lines Championship – East Region
Odds to win the 2011 East Region
Ohio State -150
North Carolina +305
Kentucky +405
Marquette +1015
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