The Sweet 16 is finally upon and the Southeast region kicks things off this evening with the #3 BYU Cougars taking on the #2 Florida Gators. After feeling like an underdog in the first couple rounds, BYU finally is one. In the wake of Brandon Davies suspension, a lot of people took them off their brackets. So far though, Jimmer Fredette and his boys haven't really missed a beat. Both teams have actually moved rather comfortably through the tournament so far, with the closest game being Florida's 8 point win over #7 UCLA. Both teams played tough schedules and while Florida has the deeper team, BYU has the best player in this game. So this game really has the makings of a really good one.
Florida is a slight 3 point favorite. I'm going with Jimmer. Pick: BYU
#8 seed Butler scored a major upset over top seeded Pitt in the round of 32 and will have upset on their mind again as they face #4 Wisconsin.The Badgers might not be a terribly exciting team, but they're efficient. They do a lot of the things that traditionally successful teams in the tournament do. Most notably, they don't turn the ball over and they don't waste a lot of shots. In fact, that's what led the analytical model that the Wall Street Journal uses to pick Wisconsin to make the final four.
The Badgers are a 5 point favorite. Pick: Wisconsin