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

2016 Sweet 16 South Region Predictions and Free Picks – NCAA Tournament Predictions: With all the parity that went on in college basketball this year, the 2016 NCAA Tournament was supposed to be one of the most unpredictable in recent memory. Yes, there have been plenty of thrilling finishes and even some upsets, but the South Region of the NCAA Tournament Bracket looks pretty standard heading into the Sweet 16. The top three seeds, including the tournament’s No. 1 overall seed, all made it through the first weekend, and the worst remaining seed is No. 5 Maryland. In other words, there is no real Cinderella left dancing in the South Region, so it will be up to the heavyweights to battle it out for a spot in Houston at the Final Four.

2016 Sweet 16 South Region Matchup Previews

No. 5 Maryland vs. No. 1 Kansas: Two teams loaded with talent will square off in this one. Kansas has excellent balance with Frank Mason III and Wayne Selden leading the backcourt and Perry Ellis providing scoring inside. Meanwhile, Maryland has a playmaker at the point guard spot in Melo Trimble, a likely lottery pick inside in Diamond Stone and a lineup that has five capable scorers.

The difference between the two teams is that the Jayhawks have been firing on all cylinders, and the Terrapins have been getting by despite inconsistent play. Kansas cruised through its opener, and the controlled the action from start to finish against an always pesky UConn team. Maryland get all the could handle from South Dakota State in the Round of 64, and they needed a late run to finally put away Hawaii to reach the Sweet 16.

Inconsistency has been the theme for Maryland all year, and despite having enough talent to be ranked in the top five to start the year, the Terrapins just haven’t been able to play up to their potential for long stretches. Against A Jayhawks team that is one of the most balanced and talented in the country, the Terrapons’ inability to deliver a complete effort is going to cause their demise.

Projected Winner: Kansas Jayhawks

No. 3 Miami vs. No. 2 Villanova: The Wildcats avoided the early-round upsets that have plagued them in past years, but they will face their toughest test of the NCAA Tournament when they take on the Hurricanes in the Sweet 16. Both teams have excellent backcourts, and while Villanova likes to play at a fast pace and score in bunches, Miami has no problem slowing things down and suffocating opponents on the defensive end.

The clash of styles mean that tempo will be crucial, and while the Wildcats were able to run UNC Asheville and Iowa off the court in the first two rounds, they are going to have issue doing the same against a Miami team that can match their speed and athleticism. After all, the Hurricanes were able to out-defense one of the best defensive teams in the country in Wichita State to reach the Sweet 16.

Villanova’s guards are good, but Miami’s backcourt duo of Angel Rodriguez and Sheldon McClellan are better. More importantly, Rodriguez and McClellan both seem to be saving their best for March. Miami will make this a half-court game, bringing the Wildcats’ scoring attack to a grinding halt and grinding out a win in the process.

Projected Winner: Miami Hurricanes

You can get expert 2016 March Madness picks and 2016 March Madness predictions this month from NSAwins.com’s top handicappers plus a pre-filled downloadable and printable 2016 March Madness Bracket to help you win your office pool!