2014 Sweet 16 Odds, Free Picks and Predictions: East Region Sweet 16 Matchup Previews

2014 Sweet 16 Odds, Free Picks and Predictions: East Region Sweet 16 Matchup Previews: Aside from Harvard’s second-round upset of Cincinnati and Connecticut’s upset of Villanova in the third-round, the East Region of the NCAA Tournament Bracket has played out as the seeding says it was supposed to. Three of the top-four seeds in the region have advanced through to the Sweet 16 with the seventh-seeded Huskies as the lone exception. As a result, there will be some serious heavy hitters facing off when the region returns to action Friday in New York.

2014 Sweet 16 East Region Matchup Previews

No. 4 Michigan State vs. No. 1 Virginia: Virginia has been one of the biggest surprises of the college basketball season, and after winning the ACC regular season and conference tournament titles, the Cavaliers have reached the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1995. The Spartans on the other hand are no strangers to deep runs in the NCAA tournament, but a rash of injuries have made their road to the Sweet 16 anything but easy. Things won’t get any easier for either side in this matchup.

The Cavaliers’ success has been fueled by the top-rated defense in the country. Of course, they need a stout defense to make up for an offense that barely ranks inside the top 300 in scoring. Michigan State on the other hand has been a very good offensive team for the most part, but with big men Adreian Payne and Branden Dawson both missing time during the year, the Spartans struggled a bit during conference play. With varying strengths, tempo will be crucial. Virginia needs this game to be a defensive grinder while MSU wants a higher-scoring game that forces the Cavaliers’ offense to have to prove itself.

Virginia’s defense is legit, and they have clamped down on some excellent offenses this year. However, the Spartans are finally at full strength, and they have taken their game to the next level in recent weeks. Keep in mind that en route to the Big Ten tournament title, Michigan State took out a pair of No. 2 seeds in the NCAA tournament in Wisconsin and Michigan. With a healthy Payne and Dawson in the frontcourt and Gary Harris scoring from the perimeter, the Spartans will put enough points on the board to take out the defensive-minded Cavaliers.

2014 Sweet 16 East Region Projected Winner: Michigan State

No. 7 Connecticut vs. No. 3 Iowa State: Both sides have already lived on the edge during the NCAA tournament, but Connecticut and Iowa State both made it through to the Sweet 16. For the Huskies, the scare came in the second round when they needed overtime to get Saint Joseph’s. The Cyclones on the other hand needed a basket with less than two second to go to get past North Carolina in the third round. History says the games are only to get closer the rest of the way.

Iowa State’s game plan is simple. The Cyclones have a high-powered offense led by Melvin Ejim and DeAndre Kane, and they want to out-gun their opponents. However, Iowa State did lose one of its better offensive weapons when Georges Niang went down with a broken foot in the second round. Connecticut also has a few solid scorers led by dynamic point guard Shabazz Napier. However, the Huskies have shown the ability to win with multiple styles of play, relying on both their offense and defense to win games.

While Connecticut has shown the ability to adapt to an opponent’s style of play, the Huskies rarely dictate the tempo. As a result, the Cyclones will likely be able to turn this game into an offensive shootout. Granted, Iowa State’s porous defense will allow Connecticut to put some points on the board, but the Huskies’ top scorers are all perimeter players. On the flip side, Kane and Ejim are big and athletic enough to score from the perimeter and the paint for Iowa State. In the end, the Cyclones have just enough firepower on offense to outlast the Huskies.

2014 Sweet 16 East Region Projected Winner: Iowa State

2014 Sweet 16 East Region Favorite to Make the Final Four

Michigan State: Virginia has by far the best defense of any team remaining in this region, the Cyclones have the most potent offense, and the Huskies are versatile. However, the Spartans at full strength are a different animal. The frontcourt of Payne and Dawson in particular give MSU a combination of toughness and post scoring that few teams can match. Throw in the experience of point guard Keith Appling, the dynamic scoring of Harris and the Tom Izzo factor, and the Spartans have the pieces in place to roll on to Arlington.

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