The Sweet 16 starts on Thursday and there are some excellent games on board. One of the best games of the day will be the Wisconsin Badgers - the North Carolina Tar Heels. This game is shaping up to be an exciting game that will provide a winner that is willing to compete for a Final Four berth. There are many headlines and matchups that come with a game of this magnitude.
No Kennedy Meeks for UNC: The Tar Heels will be without their starting center on Thursday as he has a knee injury. That’s a huge blow for a team that’s about to go against one of the greatest post players in Frank Kaminsky. Joel James will be his replacement but he isn’t as talented on the offensive end as Meeks. UNC was going to have a problem stopping Frank the Tank, but now it’s going to be nearly impossible. The bench also got dense because now UNC doesn't have another solid big to replace James if he gets in foul trouble.
The Return of Traevon Jackson: The Badgers have been without their starting point guard for most of the season, they finally get him back Thursday. His play should be very limited and Koenig will still get most of the minutes. Jackson was always known for his outstanding defense, so he could be on the guard for short spurts to defend Marcus Paige. Don’t expect tons of minutes from him unless the Badgers make the Final Four.
Defensive Woes of UNC: North Carolina hasn’t been so great on defense this season and could very well get exposed against the Badgers. Meeks was their anchor on defense and with him gone it will be hard to get a ton of stops. Wisconsin is one of the greatest offensive teams in the country and can light it up on any given night. There is no one on the court that could contain Frank Kaminsky and Sam Dekker for the entire 40 minutes. The defense will have to step up big time if UNC wants a chance at the end.
Experience: The Badgers made it all the way to the Final Four last season and their team this year is arguably better. Frank Kaminsky knows how to step up and play like the best player on the court. They are going against a young North Carolina team that might be a year before their prime. Sam Dekker, Ryan Gasser, and Nigel Hayes have been consistent all season and were big players in last year’s run. Bo Ryan is hungry for his first Division 1 title and the Tar Heels are the next team in the way.
Prediction: The Tar Heels will be able to put points on the board behind Marcus Paige and Brice Johnson, but their defense is not good enough. Frank Kaminsky will have another fantastic game and having Traevon Jackson back will provide more experience. At the end of the day the Badgers will continue on their hunt for a 2nd straight Final Four with an 85-76 victory over the Tar Heels.