Jesus Previews Tonight's Action

The NCAA tournament gets going once again tonight with 4 games and two #1 seeds in action. Let me just take this moment to say how much I hate the delay in games between the 2nd round and the Sweet 16. I know that teams probably need a little rest and some game-planning and some travel and all that jazz, but man this tournament was really cooking after two rounds, and the pause has kind of taken off a little luster for me. Don't get me wrong I'll still be tuned in and glued to the couch, but I hate waiting.
Anyway...here's my preview of the games and who I think will win and why.
Of course, judging from my bracket I don't think that it really matters much what I think. Clearly, my crystal ball has become a bit clouded.

#1 Syracuse vs #5 Butler
Tip at 7:07 EST
I think the Orange roll in this one, despite not having Onuaku. I just haven't seen anything from them yet that would indicate his loss being a huge weakness. Tehy disposed of the Gonzaga Bulldogs like it was no big thing, and I think that tonight will be much of the same. If Syracuse can dictate their style of play, Butler has no chance. Butler wants to slow this game down and keep it in the 60s. Despite their stingy zone, 'Cuse likes to push the rock and get it up and down off TO's and rebounds. Howard for Butler is averaging well below his season output so far in the tourney, and I think that zone will swallow him up.
Prediction SU 82- BU 70


#2 West Virginia vs #11 Washington
Anyone who has U-Dub this far in the bracket is either from Seattle or retarded.
But, they look like they belong, and like they think they deserved a better seed. A team that plays with a little chip on their shoulder can be a dangerous thing in this tournament. West Virginia lost their starting PG in Truck Bryant who suffered a broken foot in practice. I think that will hurt them more than some might figure, because his physical presence might have kept speedster Isaiah Thomas out of the paint for U-Dub. The Mountaineers will turn to Joe Mazzulla to run the point for more minutes than usual, and while they are long and athletic on the perimeter, I don't think they move their feet well enough to keep Washington out of the paint which will also open up looks from three on the kick out.
If West Virginia is going to advance, it is going to take a super effort from DaSean Butler. However, I actually like the Huskies in this one. They've been hot. We'll see if they can keep it up.
Prediction: UW 75 - WVU 73


#2 Kansas State - #6 Xavier
Frank "The Marine" Martin has his boys from Manhattan (Kansas) playing some great ball, and many are picking this team to go all the way to the Final Four. I'm not one of them, but I think they'll prevail in this one. Xavier has looked good to this point as well, but I don't think they have the horses to match up with K-State. The two teams put up almost identical stats, so this is a tough one to pick, but I'll go with the Wildcats. Pullen and Clemente are trying to let people know THEY have the best backcourt in the country. I love guards in the NCAA and the K-State duo is dynamite. On top of that K-State is the #1 rebounding team in the country, lengthy and athletic. That could pose a problem for the smaller Xavier squad.
Prediction: KSU - 84 Xavier 75


#1 Kentucky vs #12 Cornell
OK. We all know what John Wall and company bring to the table. Youth. Energy. Talent. Cockiness. They've looked like the best team in this tournament so far. Their backcourt is explosive and Cousins and Patterson on the inside give them a frontcourt to match up with just about anyone. At any given moment, the Wildcats often have the best five players on the court in blue and white. Coach Cal has done an unbelievable job of implementing his system (pay for the top talent?) in hist first year. He is a greasy used car salesman who coaches a hell of a basketball game.
That being said...I like this Cornell team. A lot. Jay Bilas has predicted the upset of upsets, and while I'm not going to go that far. I will say that I think this could be the best game of the night. Cornell is the best shooting team in the tourney (maybe not stat wise, but they light it up) led by Senior guard, Whitman who is the top scorer in Ivy League history. This kid had multiple D-1 offers and passed to get the top-notch education so that people in an office can someday kiss his ass while he tells them to get back to work, and then does a couple lines between crunching some numbers. You know how those Ivy League types are. That's neither here nor there, however. The point is they stretch the D which opens things up for the big man inside, center Jeff Foote. He is a great college center with touch on the inside and a little range, good rebounder and paint defender. If you recall the two games against Mississippi State this year Kentucky struggled against a team that hoists so many 3s. They got a little out-of-control trying to push off of long rebounds, adn of course MSU made a lot of those 3s too. Look for Cornell to do the same thing. Bledsoe and Wall will have to chase those Cornell guards off the perimeter and let them try to take it in against Patterson and Cousins. Good luck with that! In the end, Kentucky just has too much talent to bet against. Then again, so did Kansas...
Prediction: UK 85 - Cornell 79