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March Madness 2016 Predictions: Expect The Worst In This Year’s Tourney

By Keith Rivas

Mar 14, 2016; Dayton, OH, USA; General view of team chairs on the court bearing the March Madness logo during a practice day before the First Four of the NCAA men
Mar 14, 2016; Dayton, OH, USA; General view of team chairs on the court bearing the March Madness logo during a practice day before the First Four of the NCAA men /
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2016 NCAA Championship Predictions

Mar 13, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Michigan State Spartans guard Denzel Valentine (45) brings the ball up court against Purdue Boilermakers guard P.J. Thompson (3) during the Big Ten conference tournament at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 13, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Michigan State Spartans guard Denzel Valentine (45) brings the ball up court against Purdue Boilermakers guard P.J. Thompson (3) during the Big Ten conference tournament at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports /

Match Up: Michigan State vs UConn

Rivas: The UConn Huskies are going to have their hands full in this kind of championship game, but even they won’t be able to stop the Spartans of Michigan State. Despite being placed as a second seed in the tournament, snubbed from the group of top seeds thanks to the efforts of the Oregon Ducks, the Spartans are a popular pick to win it all this year. UConn’s defense will carry them a long way, while shooting with confidence will bring Michigan State’s potential to full fruition. All in all, the Huskies just won’t be enough.

Match Up: Oklahoma vs North Carolina

Taylor: Oklahoma is the type of team that can get hot any time and obliterate any team in front of them. Buddy Heild is the national player of the year in my eyes. They play a very fast paced game with a lot of three pointers. They remind me of the Golden State Warriors. Of course they can get in trouble when the threes aren’t falling but I believe every game will present different challenges for each team in the NCAA tournament. North Carolina will be too much for them, though.

Match Up: Michigan State vs Kansas

Warnock: These two teams met earlier this season and Michigan State won the meeting by six points. Michigan State can definitely shoot the ball, but the dependency on streaks will come back to haunt them. On the defensive side of the ball, the big man advantage will be a deciding factor. Getting three-pointers to go in will make the Spartans deadly, but Kansas has better depth all around on the roster — with their backups being just as determined and playing just as hard as any of the starters. The Jayhawks are more efficient on both ends and will end the season where they belong — as champions.

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