This article is part of our Sweet 16 Preview series.
West Region Sweet 16 Preview
East Region Sweet 16 Preview
Midwest Region Sweet 16 Preview
South Region Sweet 16 Preview
Site: Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA
Tip-Off: Thursday, March 28, 7:09 p.m. EST
The West region has played true to its seeding for the most part thus far, outside of 12-seed Grand Canyon pulling off the upset over Saint Mary's in the first round, followed by six-seed Clemson knocking off Baylor in the Round of 32. Top seeds UNC and Arizona have looked the part in the opening weekend, as both teams won each of their games by double digits. That's not to overshadow Alabama, who did the same, as well as Clemson, who romped New Mexico by 21 despite being a slight underdog to the 11-seed in the opening round. Let's dive into the two matchups to determine who is likely to keep their March Madness run rolling.
No. 1 North Carolina vs. 
No. 4 Alabama
Key Matchup: RJ Davis vs. Aaron Estrada. Considering how fast both teams like to play and how efficiently they can score the rock, I don't think it will surprise anyone to see this turn into a high-scoring game. A matchup between these two shooting guards will feed into that narrative, with Davis leading the Tar Heels at 21.3 ppg while Estrada is second on Alabama with 13.3 ppg. Although the Crimson Tide have struggled defensively this season, perimeter defense hasn't been an issue, where opponents are only shooting 31.3 percent. Something will
West Region Sweet 16 Preview
East Region Sweet 16 Preview
Midwest Region Sweet 16 Preview
South Region Sweet 16 Preview
Site: Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA
Tip-Off: Thursday, March 28, 7:09 p.m. EST
The West region has played true to its seeding for the most part thus far, outside of 12-seed Grand Canyon pulling off the upset over Saint Mary's in the first round, followed by six-seed Clemson knocking off Baylor in the Round of 32. Top seeds UNC and Arizona have looked the part in the opening weekend, as both teams won each of their games by double digits. That's not to overshadow Alabama, who did the same, as well as Clemson, who romped New Mexico by 21 despite being a slight underdog to the 11-seed in the opening round. Let's dive into the two matchups to determine who is likely to keep their March Madness run rolling.
No. 1 North Carolina vs. No. 4 Alabama
Key Matchup: RJ Davis vs. Aaron Estrada. Considering how fast both teams like to play and how efficiently they can score the rock, I don't think it will surprise anyone to see this turn into a high-scoring game. A matchup between these two shooting guards will feed into that narrative, with Davis leading the Tar Heels at 21.3 ppg while Estrada is second on Alabama with 13.3 ppg. Although the Crimson Tide have struggled defensively this season, perimeter defense hasn't been an issue, where opponents are only shooting 31.3 percent. Something will have to give there, as Davis is making over three per game from long range while shooting at a 41 percent clip.
North Carolina will win IF: It plays with controlled aggression. Alabama plays at the eighth fastest pace in the country, and it's easy to get caught up in trying to play too quickly, which can lead to turnovers and/or forced shots. That shouldn't be the case considering how much experience is on this UNC team, although freshman point guard Elliot Cadeau can be turnover-prone, with 3.0 per 40 minutes. In Alabama's three losses to close the season, teams committed single-digit turnovers, while Grand Canyon hurt itself with 14 turnovers in its loss to Alabama on Sunday.
Alabama will win IF: It holds UNC's role players in check. It's not often we see poor games from Davis or Armando Bacot, as the pair of seniors are two of the most efficient players in the country and were part of the Tar Heels 2022 national championship run. Keeping UNC's remaining starting trio of Cadeau, Cormac Ryan and Harrison Ingram contained will be key. The three players shot just 7-of-26 (27 percent) in the ACC Tournament championship loss to N.C. State but combined for 37 points in Saturday's victory over Michigan State.
Player to Watch: Mark Sears, G, Alabama. Sears has been one of the most dominant players in all of college basketball this season, averaging 21.5 ppg with incredibly efficient shooting splits of 56/44/86. Scoring is far from the only thing he does, however, as he also chips in with 4.2 rebounds and 4.2 assists to go along with a team-high 1.7 steals per game. He's started the NCAA Tournament hot, averaging 28 points, 8.0 rebounds and 5.5 assists. Sears has been held under 20 points just two times in 2024.
Prediction: This is the game I'm most excited for in the Sweet 16 as there should be no shortage of scoring in this one. UNC really impressed me in their win over Michigan State in a game which many people were expecting Sparty to pull the upset. UNC dealt with the adversity of overcoming a double-digit first-half deficit, showing the grit and talent of this team. Alabama has had a couple of easy matchups thus far and has too many holes on the defensive side to hang with the Tar Heels for 40 minutes.
SWEET 16 PICK: North Carolina
No. 2 Arizona vs. 
No. 6 Clemson
Key Matchup: Oumar Ballo vs. PJ Hall. Ballo's 7-foot, 260-pound frame is a tough matchup for any team in the country, as evidenced by his 19 double-doubles this season. The scoring runs through Caleb Love, but Ballo's presence in the paint is difficult to ignore. He'll match up with Clemson's stud in Hall, who has dealt with foul trouble in both tournament games thus far, fouling out Sunday against Baylor and has only played a combined 39 minutes. When on the court, he's heavily involved with a usage rate over 40 percent in the most recent victory and is averaging 18.5 ppg on the season.
Arizona will win IF: It plays up to their standard. It sounds simple enough, but Arizona is the favorite for a reason with a talent and depth mismatch that is capable of winning even if it isn't playing at its best. In a win over Dayton that was close for a stretch, the bench chipped in with 23 points to pick up lackluster performances from Ballo and Kylan Boswell. A balanced team that ranks top-10 in offensive and defensive efficiency and top-40 in two-point and three-point percentage, Arizona can have an off night in one area and still come out victorious.
Clemson will win IF: It defends the perimeter well. I know Arizona doesn't tend to be heavily reliant on the three ball, but in their three losses since February, the Wildcats have shot a combined 16-of-58 (28 percent) from beyond the arc. Arizona has attempted 53 threes through two tournament games already, showing to be more reliant on the threes than the season-long numbers would suggest. Clemson's opponents have shot a measly 9-of-47 (19 percent) from three in their two tournament games.
Player to Watch: Joseph Girard, G, Clemson. The fifth-year senior will be making his second Sweet 16 appearance after making it with Syracuse in 2021. Girard has taken his game to another level in his lone year with the Tigers, shooting a career-high 41 percent from three while ranking second on the team in points and assists. In key wins against Alabama and UNC this season, Girard put up 16 and 21 points, respectively, shooting 9-of-17 (53 percent) from long range.
Prediction: I'm picking the favorite once again and going with Arizona, my original Final Four pick from this region to outlast a Clemson team that has been dominant in two tournament games. I anticipate this one being close throughout with Clemson relying on their stars in Hall and Girard to keep them in it, but ultimately the Wildcats are simply better on both sides of the ball with more depth and star power.
SWEET 16 PICK: Arizona
