Sweet 16 preview

 The Sweet 16 is finally here, and I'm going to give you a preview and my predictions for each game. Let's get into it.

Starting off with the East Region in Boston, you got a national championship rematch with #1 UConn against #5 San Diego State, and #3 Illinois against #2 Iowa State. These are two great games on paper, as UConn and San Diego State are familiar with each other after battling for the national title last year, and Illinois and Iowa State each winning their respective conferences. UConn might have a lot of local support with the game being in Boston and many supporters being from Connecticut, so I think that will give them an edge and they get a 91-85 win. Iowa State will get a 86-81 win.

Next up: the West Region, with #1 North Carolina taking on #4 Alabama and #6 Clemson taking on #2 Arizona. North Carolina rolled over Wagner and Michigan State to get here, while Alabama took out Charleston and Grand Canyon and Arizona handled Long Beach State and Dayton. Clemson had the hardest route of the four, beating Mountain West champion New Mexico and mighty Baylor. North Carolina has been dominating their opponents, and although 'Bama will be a tougher task, I see the Tar Heels winning 82-75. Clemson has been a bit of a surprise team, but I think their run ends here and Arizona wins 92-83.

The South Region has #1 Houston taking on #4 Duke and #11 NC State taking on #2 Marquette. Houston rolled over Longwood, and then edged out Texas A&M in an overtime thriller. Duke rolled over Vermont and James Madison, while Marquette took down Western Kentucky and Colorado. The only double-digit team left, NC State, after shockingly winning the ACC Tournament, beat Texas Tech and Oakland to reach the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2015. Houston has a boatload of talent on their team, as does Duke, but I see Houston getting a gritty 89-84 victory. NC State has had an incredible run this March, but unfortunately, I see their run ending here and Marquette winning 74-64.

Last but not least: the Midwest Region. #1 Purdue meets up with #5 Gonzaga, while #3 Creighton and #2 Tennessee duke it out. Purdue erased the demons of last year's shocking first round exit, dominating Grambling State and Utah State. Gonzaga beat McNeese and Kansas, Creighton defeated Akron and Oregon, and Tennessee beat St Peter's and Texas. Gonzaga, despite their lowest seeding since 2016, advanced to their 9th straight Sweet 16. And I think their run will continue and they beat Purdue 88-83, and I see Tennessee winning 87-85.

But as always, we'll see what happens. March Madness is always unpredictable.