March Madness Sweet 16 predictions: NCAA bracket picks for every men’s game

[ASFN Admin]

A field of 68 has dwindled to 16, and the latest edition of the men's NCAA Tournament has a very chalky feel.

The Sweet 16 begins Thursday, and there is a single team still standing from a conference outside of the Power 4. The SEC got a record seven teams into the regional semifinals, and 75% of the field began the tournament as a top-four seed.

The lone Cinderellas — if you can even call them that — are BYU, Ole Miss and John Calipari's Arkansas. The Hogs are a No. 10 seed, while the Cougars and Rebels are six-seeds.

More: From 1-6 to Sweet 16: Arkansas overcomes adversity in March Madness win over St. John's

Will any of those three advance to the Elite Eight? How many SEC teams are going to the Final Four? Here are our picks for every Sweet 16 game, and a look further forward to how we envision the Final Four shaping out in San Antonio.

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Men’s March Madness bracket Sweet 16 predictions​

South Region​

• Michigan over Auburn
• Michigan State over Ole Miss

East Region​

• Duke over Arizona
• Alabama over BYU

Midwest Region​

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• Houston over Purdue
• Tennessee over Kentucky

West Region​

• Florida over Maryland
• Arkansas over Texas Tech

Men's March Madness Final Four predictions​

• No. 1 Florida over No. 2 Michigan State
• No. 1 Houston over No. 1 Duke

National champion prediction​

• No. 1 Houston over No. 1 Florida: The Cougars' physical brand of defense will topple Cooper Flagg before their guards go punch-for-punch with Florida in a thrilling national championship LJ Cryer will be the tournament's Most Outstanding Player, and Kelvin Sampson's search for a legacy-cementing national title ends this year.

This article originally appeared on Fort Smith Times Record: March Madness predictions: Sweet 16 picks for men’s NCAA bracket

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