2014 NCAA Sweet 16 Picks & Predictions: Top National Title Sleepers in the Sweet 16

2014 NCAA Sweet 16 Picks & Predictions: Top NBA Prospects in the Sweet 16: The first weekend of the 2014 NCAA tournament is in the books, if you still have your pre-tournament national championship pick left standing in the Sweet 16, congrats. However, many bettors have undoubtedly watched their picks get knocked out already, especially when it comes to dark horses picks. The good news is that bettors can make a new national title pick out of the remaining teams, and although the odds won’t be as favorable from a payout standpoint now that the field has dwindled, there are still some teams with a realistic shot at winning it all that are getting longer odds. With that in mind, here is a closer look at a few sleeper teams that have reached the Sweet 16 that could end up going on a run and winning the national championship.

UCLA Bruins (14/1): The Bruins are the No. 4 seed in the South Region of the NCAA Tournament Bracket, and they are set to face No. 1 seed Florida in the Sweet 16. While the Gators are definitely the more balanced team, they do have a tendency to go through an occasional offensive lull. Meanwhile, the Bruins enter the game playing their best basketball of the season, winning the Pac-12 tournament, taking out a pair of teams currently in the Sweet 16 in the process, and crushing their first two opponents in the NCAA Tournament. UCLA also has an offense that ranks in the top 15 nationally in scoring and in the top 10 in both field goal percentage and assists. Kyle Anderson and Jordan Adams lead the way, and both players can take over a game offensively. If Florida happens to have an off night shooting, UCLA has the offense to take advantage. After that, a double-digit seed is guaranteed to be waiting in the Elite Eight. Sure, the Bruins have a very tough matchup in the Sweet 16 against top-ranked Florida, but they are the most efficient offensive team left in the tournament and the path to a title gets a lot more manageable if they can somehow upset the Gators.

Baylor Bears (20/1): Timing can be everything when it comes to winning the NCAA tournament, just ask Kemba Walker and UConn. Like the 2010-11 Huskies, the sixth-seeded Bears out of the West Region of the NCAA Tournament Bracket have picked the perfect time to play their best basketball, and it has a lot to do with them suddenly understanding the concepts of the 1-3-1 zone that they struggled to play most of the year. Baylor has now won 12 of its last 14 games and has crushed its first two opponents in the NCAA tournament, beating third-seeded Creighton by 30 in the Round of 32. Meanwhile, there are no glaring weaknesses with their roster. Cory Jefferson provides the muscle and Isaiah Austin provides the versatility for an excellent frontcourt, and Kenny Chery has emerged as a quality point guard next to sharpshooter Brady Heslip. Baylor also has eight players that can provide quality minutes so the depth is there. The Bears are set for a Sweet 16 matchup with Wisconsin with either Arizona or San Diego State waiting if they advance. All three potential opponents rely on their defense and like to play physical, and the Bears are built to handle that style of play. With a complete roster and a much-improved defense, Baylor is in the right region to make a run to Arlington and make some noise once it gets there.

Iowa State Cyclones (20/1): Although the Cyclones are a one-dimensional, offensive-minded team, they are pretty darn good at scoring the basketball. Iowa State ranks sixth in the country in scoring and first in assists, and Melvin Ejim and DeAndre Kane are both dominant scorers. Granted, losing big man Georges Niang wasn’t ideal, but the Cyclones still have as much offensive firepower as any team left in the NCAA tournament. For Iowa State, it is less about matchups as it is about how well their offense is playing. When the Cyclones are firing on all cylinders on offense, there are few teams that can keep pace with them. Granted, their lack of defensive intensity makes the Cyclones susceptible to surprise losses when their shots aren’t falling, but they only need four more strong offensive showings to win a national title. That is certainly doable.

Connecticut Huskies (28/1): As the No. 7 seed in the East Region of the NCAA Tournament Bracket, the Huskies are the highest seed on my list of sleepers. However, they are also the most versatile. Connecticut always seems to keep things close, and the Huskies have been able to win defensive battles with scoring in the 50s and been able to score over 80 to win high-scoring shootouts. An excellent backcourt led by triple-double threat Shabazz Napier is the team’s strength, but while the Huskies don’t get a lot of frontcourt scoring, their bigs hold their own defensively. Connecticut has already beaten top-ranked Florida this season so the Huskies’ best is clearly good enough to beat any team out there. Meanwhile, they have more than enough offensive firepower to out-gun Iowa State in the Sweet 16, and thanks to their stellar guard play, the Huskies should have a chance to handle the stout defenses of whichever team emerges from Virginia versus Michigan State. At the end of the day, UConn’s ability to play and win against multiple styles gives the Huskies a chance to make a title run.

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