Syracuse vs. Butler: I’m very tempted to pick the Bulldogs in this game. They are playing fantastic basketball this tournament, and can’t be taken lightly. The fact that Arinze Onuaku is still out also makes me wonder if Syracuse’s lack of depth on the front court will be an issue. In the end I think the ‘Cuse’s 2-3 zone will be too much for Butler to handle. I also look for Wes Johnson to have a huge game tonight and carry the team on his back.

West Virginia vs. Washington: WVU is another team without one of their key players with Truck Bryant being out, but I still like them in this game. They are so long and athletic that I think they will just dominate the paint. Washington will have to shoot lights out to have any chance in this game, and WVU is a pretty good defensive team. It might stay pretty close but I think the Mountaineers win by a good 6-8 points.

Kansas State vs. Xavier: I’m gonna go with the upset here and pick Xavier. They have the guard play to match up with K-State and can attack the basket with the best of them. They played a very good defensive game against a talented (albeit young) Pittsburgh team. I think it’s close but I see Xavier moving on to the Elite Eight.

Kentucky vs. Cornell: What a fantastic story it would be if Cornell won, and would go down in basketball lore for years to come. Unfortunately I think their Cinderella story is about to hit midnight. Cornell has talent there is no doubt about that, but Kentucky is flat out killing their opponents. Wall, Cousins and company are a team on a mission and I think they have no trouble against Cornell.