The Sweet 16 tips off tonight at 5:09 P.M. MST when Gonzaga University duels with Florida State University in Anaheim, California. It is the second edition of March Madness predictions on Etched in Stone, and this time I have some help. Tyler Kleine and I will make four predictions for the Sweet 16 matchups on Thursday and Friday.

University of North Carolina coasts past Auburn University

Being the third Atlantic Coast Conference team to grab a No. 1 seed, the Tar Heels cruised by Iona University in the first round and made quick work of Washington in the second round. Luke Maye and Nassir Little both scored 20 points in the win over the Huskies while star freshman Coby White scored 12 of his 17 points in the first half alone. Roy Williams has a team that can dominate on both ends of the floor. North Carolina held Washington to just 29% from the field in the second half. While three-pointers have been a recent struggle for the Tar Heels, players like Maye and Cameron Johnson have been able to consistently hit shots from downtown. Their Sweet 16 matchup will be against the Auburn Tigers. Auburn has found success from the three so far in the tournament. Bruce Pearl’s squad shot 38.7% from three in their win against New Mexico State and shot 43.3% in their win against Kansas. Bryce Brown (15.9 PPG) and Jared Harper (15.3 PPG) have been carrying the scoring load through both rounds for the Tigers. If the Tar Heels can lock down the perimeter and shut down Brown and Harper then an Elite 8 bid will be certain.

Grant Williams outscores Carsen Edwards, but Purdue wins

Tennessee vs Purdue is arguably the most intriguing game of the Sweet 16. Purdue, No. 3 seed in the South Region, is coming off a blowout win over the defending champs in Villanova. Conversely, Tennessee blew a 25 point lead to the No. 10 seed Iowa Hawkeyes during regulation but was able to recapture their lead in overtime, inevitably leading to a Round of 32 win for the Volunteers. Purdue is going into this matchup with a little more confidence. Though Tennessee is favored by one point, this is Purdue’s chance to exemplify their explosiveness from beyond the arc. Carsen Edwards and Ryan Cline are among the Big Ten’s most effective three-point shooters. However, I don’t believe that Purdue will focus solely on perimeter shooting. Matt Haarms, Purdue’s 7’3” center, will be the tallest guy on the court, and with him underneath and excellent man-to-man defense (especially by Nojel Eastern), Tennessee will find it difficult to consistently get off good shots. Because of this, the overall play of Purdue will outmatch Grant Williams’ solo performance. Williams outscores Edwards, but Purdue advances to the Elite Eight.

Virginia becomes first #1 seed to lose to a #12 seed

We all know what transpired last year as UMBC became the first ever #16 seed to upset a #1 seed, which just happened to be Virginia. Tony Bennett once again has the Cavaliers at a staggering 31-3 record. 3 of those losses came in conference and 2 of those as a result of Duke. Virginia beat Gardner-Webb and Oklahoma to advance to the Sweet 16. Kyle Guy and Deandre Hunter are one of the best backcourt duos in the country. Guy is the primary offensive threat while Hunter has the capability to lock down any teams top scorer. Oregon has peaked at the right time lately. They surged through the Pac-12 knocking off Washington in the championship. A majority of experts only expected one bid for the Pac-12 but Oregon has without a doubt been the cinderella story so far. Kenny Wooten has been a monster so far on the defensive end as he racked up 4 blocks in their blowout win against Wisconsin and a mind-blowing 7 blocks to beat UC Irvine in the Round of 32. Payton Pritchard has exploded on the offensive side throughout both rounds scoring 37 points combined through both ends. Guards Pritchard and Louis King have the ability to lock down Guy, Hunter, and Jerome on the perimeter while Wooten will hold Virginia center Jack Salt to less than 10 points. Oregon will win, but only by a slim margin.

Michigan State advances, but Michigan doesn’t

The Spartans will get past LSU rather easily. LSU is subpar in three-point shooting (32.3%) while Michigan State ranked first in the Big Ten from behind the arc (38.3%). Similarly, Michigan State is more effective on the glass. In the end, Michigan State will defeat LSU rather easily in Washington D.C. On the other hand, Michigan has a tough matchup against the Texas Tech Red Raiders. Texas Tech is a great three-point shooting team, making 36.8% of the shots they take from the perimeter. In addition, Texas Tech shoots 72.8% from the free throw line while Michigan shoots a mere 69.5%. Davide Moretti shoots 91.9% from the charity stripe for Texas Tech, which ranks second in all of college basketball. This will be a low scoring game, but I believe that Texas Tech will be more productive from the field. Jarrett Culver and Davide Moretti will lead Texas Tech to a win over the Wolverines, enabling them to join Purdue as an additional No. 3 seed in the Elite Eight.

The Sweet 16 contains many fascinating games. Chalk teams took control through the first two rounds, but will that trend continue tonight and Friday? That’s why it’s called March Madness.