Chalk talk

Higher seeds should prevail in intriguing matchups

The opening night of the Sweet 16 provided some memorable highlights, with one minor upset and several standout performances. SI.com talked to Sports Illustrated staff writer Seth Davis about what to expect Friday night.

SI.com: You're in San Antonio for the South Regional. Which of the two games are you most looking forward to?

Seth Davis: I think UConn-Texas is a better game stylistically. It should be very entertaining because both teams like to run up and down the floor. You put someone like T.J. Ford into that type of game and it should be something to behold. However, I think UConn is playing well and Texas is going to have to play up to its capability to beat the Huskies; it's not going to be a cakewalk.

SI.com: Does Texas have enough inside to slow down Emeka Okafor?

Davis: I would say that Okafor will be the best big player on the court, but Texas' rotation of big players is better than UConn's. The real chess match to watch is whether Texas can guard Okafor with just one guy. If the Longhorns can push Okafor away from the paint and make him catch the ball far from the basket, then they don't have to double team him and it makes everybody else easier to guard. If he's catching the ball deep, Texas will have to double team him, and Okafor is a really good passer. So it's important to try to stop him with one player.

SI.com: How do you see Maryland-Michigan State playing out? The Spartans seem to have put it together last week.

Davis: I really like Maryland. State did not have a very good year; the Spartans did play very well last weekend, but they ran up against a team in Florida that they were ideally suited to play, because Florida is soft. Maryland is not.

SI.com: Have the defending champion Terps been overlooked this year?

Davis: I was in the Maryland locker room yesterday and Gary Williams walked by. I said hello, and he asked me where SI had Maryland ranked in our preseason Top 20. Of course, Maryland wasn't in our preseason Top 20, a fact most of the rest of the world has forgotten -- but not Gary Williams. He feels his team was overlooked in general, and by SI in particular. And he proved he was paying attention.

SI.com: Moving on to Albany and the East Regional. Butler and Auburn are the two lowest seeds in the Sweet 16. Does either have a chance against Oklahoma and Syracuse, respectively?

Davis: There's always a chance. If you're playing, you have a chance. But obviously we have two prohibitive favorites in those games. In Oklahoma's case, the team's health is a real concern -- not just Hollis Price's strained groin, but Ebi Ere has a broken left wrist that's really affected his play. I think the Sooners have enough to get by Butler, but it's hard to imagine them beating Syracuse in Albany if they're not at full strength.

SI.com: Does Butler play a style that can beat Oklahoma? Can Butler attack Oklahoma in any specific way?

Davis: The thing about the Bulldogs is that they have to have an unbelievable shooting night, which they did against Louisville. They move so well and move the ball around so well; when you do that, the ball moves faster than the defense, so you're always going to get open looks somewhere. The question is knocking them down. Darnell Archey went 8-for-9 on 3-pointers against Louisville; he's going to have to go 9-for-9 tonight, because Oklahoma is considerably better than Louisville.

Oklahoma's inside game is very underrated. Kevin Bookout, Jabahri Brown and Johnnie Gilbert are tough and rugged inside, and they can score down low. People didn't realize how good Bookout was until last weekend, but he pretty much has been doing the same thing since the start of conference play.

SI.com: What does Auburn have to do in a virtual home game for Syracuse?

Davis: Syracuse has shown the ability to play poorly, so it's highly possible that could happen; Auburn will need some help from Syracuse to win. Here's another thing about Syracuse: The Orangemen are not very good at transition defense, and Auburn loves to get out and go. The Tigers are long, athletic and fast, and really try to get points off their defense. But obviously Syracuse is the better team, and you have to figure the Orangemen are going to win.

Sports Illustrated staff writer Seth Davis covers college basketball for the magazine and is a regular contributor to SI.com. Hoop Thoughts appears every Tuesday during the regular season. Davis' first book, Equinunk, Tell Your Story: My Return to Summer Camp, is available through Chandler House Press.

 

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