This article is part of our Sweet 16 Preview series.
Site: Omaha
Tip-off: Friday, March 23
No. 1 Kansas vs. 
No. 5 Clemson
Key Matchup: Elijah Thomas vs. Udoka Azubuike. This isn't the matchup you'd think of when looking at the two teams, but it may be the most important one. Clemson ran away from Auburn in large part because Thomas owned the paint en route to 18 points and 11 rebounds. Sure, Gabe DeVoe also caught fire from deep, but Auburn couldn't do anything against Thomas due to an injury to its big man. With a few more days of rest, Azubuike should be closer to full health after playing 22 minutes on Saturday against Seton Hall. Azubuike is much more polished than earlier in the season and has been almost automatic when given the ball down low. The winner of that matchup could decide the game and Azubuike has the edge due to size.
Kansas will win IF: it continues to do what it's done for the past month and that's make shots. Malik Newman has been on fire for the Jayhawks with four made threes in four of the last five games. Considering he may be the team's fourth-best player, that's an important stat. Devonte' Graham struggled against Seton Hall, but to keep winning, his shot has to start falling like it was in the first round. Svi Mykhailiuk is another player not to sleep on and his matchup could lead to a lot of favorable shots.
Clemson will win IF: its defense continues to dominate. The
Site: Omaha
Tip-off: Friday, March 23
No. 1 Kansas vs. No. 5 Clemson
Key Matchup: Elijah Thomas vs. Udoka Azubuike. This isn't the matchup you'd think of when looking at the two teams, but it may be the most important one. Clemson ran away from Auburn in large part because Thomas owned the paint en route to 18 points and 11 rebounds. Sure, Gabe DeVoe also caught fire from deep, but Auburn couldn't do anything against Thomas due to an injury to its big man. With a few more days of rest, Azubuike should be closer to full health after playing 22 minutes on Saturday against Seton Hall. Azubuike is much more polished than earlier in the season and has been almost automatic when given the ball down low. The winner of that matchup could decide the game and Azubuike has the edge due to size.
Kansas will win IF: it continues to do what it's done for the past month and that's make shots. Malik Newman has been on fire for the Jayhawks with four made threes in four of the last five games. Considering he may be the team's fourth-best player, that's an important stat. Devonte' Graham struggled against Seton Hall, but to keep winning, his shot has to start falling like it was in the first round. Svi Mykhailiuk is another player not to sleep on and his matchup could lead to a lot of favorable shots.
Clemson will win IF: its defense continues to dominate. The Tigers rank in the top 10 in the country in adjusted defensive efficiency and that showed up as they held Auburn to 53 points. The problem in this matchup is that they are much better against two pointers than three pointers and taking threes is what KU does best. If the Tigers can keep Kansas from getting hot from deep, the win will be there for the taking.
Player to Watch: Devonte' Graham, Kansas. Graham is the best player in this game and can take over when needed. His shot wasn't falling against Seton Hall, but he still found a way to make a difference with nine assists. Even if he has trouble scoring again, he can still set up his teammates for open looks and that should be more than possible given Clemson's mediocre three-point defense (37 percent allowed in ACC play).
Prediction: Clemson's impressive season comes to an end because it doesn't have enough scoring without the injured Donte Grantham. Azubuike will keep Thomas in check and that will force Shelton Mitchell, Marcquise Reed and Gabe DeVoe into bad shots. None of those guys shoot it better than 40 percent from deep. For the Jayhawks, Azubuike will have his way with Thomas and Mykhailiuk gets a favorable matchup against Aamir Simms.
No. 2 Duke vs. 
No. 11 Syracuse
Key Matchup: Wendell Carter and Marvin Bagley against the Syracuse zone. When these teams met less than a month ago, Duke went 2-for-18 from long range. The Blue Devils won by attacking the zone through Carter and Bagley, which combined to go 13-for-20 from the field for a combined 35 points. If Syracuse doesn't stop that from happening, this game will be over by halftime.
Duke will win IF: Carter and Bagley have their way down low, whether that's securing offensive rebounds or scoring with ease. If the Orange put more focus on stopping those guys, that should lead to open looks for Grayson Allen and Gary Trent on the perimeter. Given how the Syracuse's offense looked in the first meeting between these teams (and how it's looked all season), Duke may only need 55 points to win.
Syracuse will win IF: Paschal Chukwu and Bourama Sidibe can hold their own against Carter and Bagley. Offensively, the Orange will need more from guys not named Frank Howard, Tyus Battle and Oshae Brissett. If all three continue to settle for three pointers, the Orange will have trouble scoring yet again. They'll need to attack the zone and try and get Marek Dolezaj more involved, who can use his length inside the arc.
Player to Watch: Marvin Bagley, Duke. This is a fairly easy pick, but it's the one that matters. Bagley dominated the first meeting off the bench because it was his first game back from injury. The future NBA lottery pick has scored at least 19 points in six of his seven games since returning from injury. Syracuse has a lengthy zone, but that's still not enough to stop Bagley from winning down low.
Prediction: This is the matchup no one wanted, not only because I'm a Michigan State fan, but also because Syracuse doesn't play fun basketball. The first time these teams met it was a 60-44 win for Duke. Expect another low scoring contest with Duke's offensive firepower and talent too much for the Orange to overcome.
