Welcome to the March Insanity Elite 8 everybody.
The Candy 16 video games for Thursday and Friday have already come and gone and given us some immediate traditional moments. UCLA and Gonzaga produced yet one more recreation that got here all the way down to the wire and absolutely made Adam Morrison proud as a Gonzaga alum. Kansas State and Michigan State went to additional time with KSU level guard Markquis Nowell giving us an all-time efficiency whereas breaking the NCAA Match document for many assists in a single recreation with 19! We additionally acquired the mighty Volunteers falling to the ninth-seeded FAU Owls in a rock struggle of a recreation. Now we’ve to see if the Elite 8 video games may even come near matching these moments.
No. 3 Kansas State vs No. 9 Florida Atlantic
When: Saturday, March twenty fifth, 2023Start Time: 6:09 PM ETLocation: Madison Sq. Backyard – New York, New YorkHow to observe: TBS
Kansas State vs Florida Atlantic Preview
Kansas State is coming off a extremely emotional win over Michigan State that required an additional 5 minutes of basketball. Markquis Nowell set a single recreation event document with 19 assists and absolutely must put forth one other Herculean effort to beat this scrappy Owls crew. If the Wildcats proceed their streak of sizzling taking pictures, it could not even matter what FAU comes up with for a recreation plan as KSU shot over 55% from the ground and 45% from past the arc.
FAU had a fairly good path paved for them with Purdue getting knocked off within the first recreation and Marquette dropping to Michigan State within the second spherical. Nevertheless, they nonetheless needed to exit and beat essentially the most environment friendly protection within the nation in Tennessee. They didn’t again down from the struggle and really regarded like a Rocky film as the sport went on. They’d take their punch, take up it, and are available out swinging tougher and quicker than the Vols anticipated. They’ll take that and their three-point taking pictures into this recreation towards Kansas State hoping to knock off one other big on their Cinderella run.
No. 3 Gonzaga vs No. 4 UConn
When: Saturday, March twenty fifth, 2023Start Time: 8:49 PM ETLocation: T-Cell Area – Las Vegas, NevadaHow to observe: TBS
Gonzaga vs UConn Preview
Gonzaga beat UCLA and gave us one other traditional March Insanity recreation between the 2. This time, Adam Morrison was a bit happier with the end result. Drew Timme had an all-time recreation ending with 36 factors, 13 rebounds, 4 assists, and two blocks. He and fellow massive man, Anton Watson might want to have the defensive video games of their lives towards the likes of Adama Sanogo and Donovan Clingan. However these Huskies additionally should cope with Timme and Watson on offense. Search for the Gonzaga’s guards to be the X-factor on this recreation.
UConn completely thrashed Arkansas to get right here and must be pretty recent as they have been capable of relaxation starters for good spurts all through the sport. Whereas Sanogo and Clingan would be the greatest gamers on the ground, search for UConn’s guards to have main benefits all through this recreation. Andre Jackson, Jordan Hawkins, and Tristen Newton may and may determine this recreation with Gonzaga having significantly extra inconsistent backcourt play not solely by the season, however particularly this event.
No. 5 San Diego State vs No. 6 Creighton
When: Sunday, March twenty sixth, 2023Start Time: 2:20 PM ETLocation: KFC Yum! Heart – Louisville, KentuckyHow to observe: CBS
San Diego State vs Creighton Preview
The Aztecs are heroes to many individuals on this event. For some, they took down a hate-able crew in Alabama and for others, they continued the chaos of this notably frenetic NCAA Match. In addition they at the moment are within the Elite Eight for the primary time at school historical past whereas that is Creighton’s second time getting there and first since 1941. The suffocating protection forces opponents to play ugly and that’s the place San Diego State thrives. Now they give the impression of being to take that into their recreation towards Creighton.
In the meantime, the Bluejays like to rise up and down the ground shortly and rise up a ton of threes. If they begin catching fireplace, they will blast anyone out of the constructing. That’s how they’ve been successful on this event as they shot over 35% towards Princeton and shot over 45% towards Baylor. This recreation may and may come down to protect play as Creighton has a pair glorious ones in Trey Alexander and Ryan Nembhard. San Diego State has the burly Matt Bradley, Darrion Trammell, and Lamont Butler.
No. 2 Texas vs No. 5 Miami
When: Sunday, March twenty sixth, 2023Start Time: 5:05 PM ETLocation: T-Cell Heart – Las Vegas, NevadaHow to observe: CBS
Texas vs Miami Preview
Texas completely throttled No. 3 Xavier with its protection to get right here and performed a few of its greatest offense of the season too. Xavier’s up-and-down nature got here again to hang-out it as they discovered shortly that Tex(as) was the truth is, “gon’ give it to ’em”. The Longhorns have the athletes to doubtlessly shut down Miami, however may very well be with out Dylan Disu, relying on how his foot heals.
Miami beat top-seeded Houston with their shot making and shot creating skills. Whereas the Cougars’ protection is normally its calling card, the Hurricanes stormed their technique to 89 factors, which was simply essentially the most Houston had given up all 12 months. With Nijel Pack, Isaiah Wong, Norchad Omier, and Jordan Miller main the best way, Miami is taking part in with supreme confidence and appear like authentic world beaters below coach Jim Larranaga.
