Sweet 16 Breakdown: The Midwest Region

We knew that the Midwest was supposed to be the toughest region in this year's tournament. We all said it the day the bracket came out.

"Kansas got a raw deal because Ohio State and Georgetown and Maryland were seeded too low."

Well, I guess we all neglected to mention that Northern Iowa probably should have been seeded higher than a nine as well. And man oh man did they remind us.

While your bracket may have come out of the first weekend looking like Cujo had used it as a chew toy, the Midwest was largely responsible for much of the first weekend drama. If a buzzer beater, two of the biggest three pointers you will ever see attempted let alone made, and a couple questionable officiating calls weren't enough for you, than nothing will be:


Most memorable game: Michigan State 85, Maryland 83

We'll get to Northern Iowa and Ali Farokhmanesh in a second. Michigan State and Maryland played a classic. The Spartans lost Kalin Lucas in the first half to a season ending injury, and despite playing with a banged up Chris Allen, Delvon Roe, and Raymar Morgan, Michigan State was able to build a 15 point lead on the strength of some hot Durrell Summers' shooting.

As it turns out, they would need every bucket. Greivis Vasquez cemented his legacy as one of the all-time great competitors by scoring 10 points and handing out an assists as Maryland went on a 12-2 run in the final two minutes, with two of the Vasquez buckets giving Maryland the lead in the last minute of play. But thanks to some luck -- Michigan State's power forward brought the ball up the floor with 6.6 seconds to play, it looked like Tom Izzo was trying to signal for a timeout, Green's pass to Korie Lucious missed Delvon Roe's head by a few inches -- and a big time shot from Lucious, the Spartans.

In the mix: Northern Iowa 63, UNLV 60; Northern Iowa 69, Kansas 67; Michigan State 70, New Mexico State 67


Most Memorable Performance: Ali Farokhmanesh, Northern Iowa

There has already been plenty written about this kid -- we did it right here -- so we will keep this brief. March holds a different meaning for different some people. For some, it is all about their team, and once their team is eliminated, than they could care less anymore. Ditto for people that only care about their bracket(s).

For me, March is all about the moments. With the advent of youtube, we all can now go back and relive anyone of the thousands of memorable moments. Rest assured, I well be clicking this link (his reaction at the 25 second mark makes the video) and watching this video many, many, many times in my life. For the record, Farokhmanesh averaged 16.5 ppg in the two games, hitting the two biggest shots of his life in the process


All-West Region First Weekend team

• Durrell Summers, Michigan State - 20.0 ppg, 3.5 rpg
• DJ Cooper, Ohio - 19.5 ppg, 6.5 apg, 4.5 rpg, 2.5 spg
  
• Jon Diebler, Maryland - 21.5 ppg, 11-22 from three
  
• Jordan Williams, Maryland - 15.5 ppg, 13.5 rpg
• JP Prince, Tennessee - 16.5 ppg, 5.0 rpg
  

Game Previews:

Friday: 7:07 pm: (5) Michigan State vs. (9) Northern Iowa

Michigan State is banged up, and that's probably putting it delicately. Kalin Lucas is done for the year after rupturing his achilles tendon. Chris Allen is nursing an injured foot. Delvon Roe was noticeably limping during the Spartan's second round game against Maryland. Heck, Raymor Morgan is even done one front tooth after catching a wayward elbow trying to block a shot.

It puts Michigan State in a familiar spot. It seems like the Spartans are at their best playing the role of the plucky underdog, battling against the odds to make a tournament run. Last year, they beat two number seeds and the defending national champs to make a run to the title game, playing for a state that has been hit hard by the economic swoon in a city that epitomized the economic problems in our country.

This year, the Spartans have battled injury and leadership issues before losing the 2009 Big Ten player of the year in the first half against the ACC co-champion. Yet here they are, once again, in the Sweet 16.

Having said all that, it is difficult to label the Spartans as the underdog in this case. Thanks to the ballsy shooting of Ali Farokhmanesh, Northern Iowa has been fitted with cinderella's glass slipper, and it seems to fit very well.

Northern Iowa plays in the scrappy Missouri Valley. While they haven't exactly been a favorite on the national radar all season long, most of the people that know anything about college basketball have been keeping an eye on this team since November.

The Panthers are a tough, senior laden team. They play defense. They control tempo. They aren't a group that is going to get pushed around by anyone, they don't play with fear no matter the opponent. All of this was evident against Kansas, and it wasn't just the Sultan of Swish firing ill-advised three-balls. It was 7', 280 lb, Jordan Eglseder knocking down a pair of threes and Lucas O'Rear bullying his way through the paint against players that actually look like athletes, not the bouncer at an Irish Pub.

That mindset if going to put pressure on the Spartans. Its not easy to score on Northern Iowa. They are going to be bigger inside than Michigan State and they have a couple of good defenders on the perimeter. The Spartans, if they are to win, are going to need to beat UNI down the floor for easy baskets, and they are going to need big games out of Morgan and Durrell Summers. If there is anywhere that Michigan State has an advantage, it is athleticism. Take advantage of it.

Friday: 9:37 pm: (2) Ohio State vs. (6) Tennessee

The Volunteers had a bit of a break in reaching the Sweet 16. After dispatching a tough San Diego State squad in the first round, the Vols played the Ohio Bobcats in the second round, cruising to a victory with DJ Cooper and Armon Bassett finally cooled off.

Tennessee is an underdog against Ohio State, and if there is anything that Bruce Pearl has taught us this year, it is that he thrives while coaching an underdog. Ask Kansas and Kentucky. They found out the hard way.

The Vols actually matchup really well with Ohio State. Like the Buckeyes, Tennessee has a bunch of kids on their roster that are around 6'6" and play on the perimeter. And if you want to beat Ohio State, you have to slow down their star, a kid named Evan Turner. Ever heard of him?

There really should be no discussion as to who the best player in the country is. You don't need me to recite the ridiculous numbers he has put up this year. You shouldn't need me to tell you how much he does for this Tennessee team on a nightly basis, from scoring to rebounding to creating shots for teammates to playing defense. What you may not know, however, is that Turner does what every great point does -- he makes his teammates so much better.

Jon Diebler can shoot the lights out, but he isn't much more than a typical three point shooter at this level. William Buford may one day end up on an NBA roster, but he is still a guy that, right now, is at his best coming off of screens, spotting up for jumpers, and using a pump fake to slash to the basket. He's not yet a that can consistently create his own shot (think Rip Hamilton). Dallas Lauderdale will block a shot, grab a rebound, and dunk the ball. David Lighty can play in any system, but he is more of a scrappy glue guy than a star; an athlete that happens to play basketball.

Each one of these guys a solid player. Playing with Turner makes each of them into a legitimate threat offensively.

But as I said, Tennessee is well-equipped to handle Turner. With guys like JP Prince and Cam Tatum and Scotty Hopson, they have a number of tall, lanky defenders to throw at him. Slow down Turner, and Tennessee can win this game.

That's easier said than done, however.