2016 Sweet 16 Midwest Region Predictions and Free Picks – NCAA Tournament Predictions

2016 Sweet 16 Midwest Region Predictions and Free Picks – NCAA Tournament Predictions: The top half of the Midwest Region of the NCAA Tournament Bracket looks pretty standard. The top-seeded Virginia Cavaliers are set to meet the fourth-seeded Iowa State Cyclones in a chalk matchup. However, things get crazy in the bottom half of the region, where 11th-seeded Gonzaga and 10th-seeded Syracuse will face off, after second-seeded Michigan State and third-seeded Utah were taken out over the first weekend. Regardless of the outcome of the Sweet 16 matchups, the Midwest Region of the NCAA Tournament is the only one of the four where a double-digit seed is guaranteed to reach the Elite Eight and have a chance at playing in the Final Four.

2016 Sweet 16 Midwest Region Matchup Previews

No. 4 Iowa State vs. No. 1 Virginia: You will have a tough time finding two teams that play for contrarian styles than Iowa State and Virginia. Led by skilled forward Georges Niang, the Cyclones want to push the pace and score a ton of points. Meanwhile, Virginia wants to control the tempo, place suffocating defense and avoid bad shots. Two-way force Malcolm Brogdon exemplifies the Cavaliers’ philosophy.

With the pace of the game playing such a large role, the edge has to go to the top-seeded Cavaliers. After all, Virginia had the second-stingiest scoring defense in the country this year, despite playing in the ACC, which has six teams in the Sweet 16. The Cavaliers simply refuse to be sped up, and they routinely hold opponents below their scoring average.

Equally as important, the Cavaliers know how to exploit poor defensive teams by taking smart, high-percentage shots that only further bolster their defense, and Iowa State is one of the worst defensive teams in the country in terms of allowing points. Virginia is going to get quality looks against the Cyclones, and the Cavaliers are going to make Niang and company work for ever point. Virginia controls the pace and wins the game.

Projected Winner: Virginia Cavaliers

No. 11 Gonzaga vs. No. 10 Syracuse: Heading into conference tournament play, neither team was a lock to make the NCAA Tournament, and now both are in the Sweet 16. Syracuse has taken advantage of friendly matchups against Daytona and Middle Tennessee State to reach this point, and the Bulldogs flat out demolished Seton Hall and Utah to advance.

Syracuse has been inconsistent on offense all year, but so far, at least one player has stepped up each game during the NCAA Tournament. The Orange’s patented zone defense has done the rest, and heading into the Sweet 16, they are allowing just 50.5 points per game. Gonzaga has simply overwhelmed opponents on both ends of the court, with stretch-forward Kyle Wiltjer and big man Domantas Sabonis doing a lot of the heavy lifting.

The question for the Bulldogs will be whether or not they can shoot the ball well enough from the outside to loosen up Syracuse’s zone. Wiltjer’s range will be a big plus, and between Eric McClellan and Kyle Dranginis, Gonzaga should have enough perimeter firepower to mount some offense. Syracuse hasn’t faced a team yet in the NCAA Tournament with the balance the Gonzaga brings on both ends of the court, and the Bulldogs should be able to expose the Orange as the same team that lost five of its final six games to finish tied for 10th in the ACC.

Projected Winner: Gonzaga Bulldogs