College basketball is often deemed more compelling than the NBA due to the raw emotion engendered by the school rivalries and the unparalleled excitement of the national tournament, affectionately known as March Madness. And although only a small fraction of the collegiate players will ever wear an NBA uniform, it doesn’t matter much because for a brief moment in time the spotlight shines on anyone, or any team, bold enough to seize it.
And there was no shortage of unsung teams stepping up and knocking the big boys to their knees. Upsets were fast and furious in the opening two rounds and below we will highlight just a few of them before we delve into the Sweet 16 slate of games, accompanied by our NCAAB picks using the prevailing college basketball odds.
Ramblers Wrecking Crew
Guess who’s back? Back again. Guess who’s back? Tell a friend. If you follow college basketball even a little bit then you undoubtedly recall the University of Loyola Chicago’s dash through the 2018 national tournament. It was a group of kids refusing to bend the knee for anyone and their swagger propelled them all the way to a date with Michigan in the Final Four before the clock turned midnight on Cinderella.
And as captivating as their journey was, it became even more spellbinding with their spiritual mentor, Sister Jean, leading every cheer and conjuring a bit of divine inspiration to guide these dragon slayers through each stage and as one of the last four teams remaining.
Well, lo and behold, it’s happening again and the Ramblers are now the No. 8 seed this year, as opposed to the No. 11 seed three years ago, so dispatching No. 9 Georgia Tech in an orderly fashion in the first round was no seismic development. However, what ULC did in the second round sent shockwaves across the tournament after they ousted No. 1 Illinois.
And, yes, Sister Jean is still onboard only this time around; she’s a veteran of upsets and even provided a glimpse into her team’s stunning victory over Illinois in her pregame prayer.
#OTD: The original #SisterJean run to the @FinalFour! 🔥
Are we looking at the sequel, @RamblersMBB? #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/0qouAPufn7
— NCAA March Madness (@marchmadness) March 24, 2021
“As we play the Fighting Illini, we ask for special help to overcome this team and get a great win,” she said. “We hope to score early and make our opponents nervous. We have a great opportunity to convert rebounds as this team makes about 50% of layups and 30% of its 3 points. Our defense can take care of that.”
Better said than even the talking heads getting paid millions to do what she did for free. Loyola Chicago and 101-year-old Sister Jean have a date with another giant-slayer in No. 12 Oregon State on Saturday afternoon.
Oral Roberts on a Mission
It seems as though a little help above goes a long way because we saw the power of prayer in action when Loyola Chicago shocked Illinois. But not to be outdone, No. 15 Oral Roberts is also spreading their evangelical message with about as much subtlety as a sledgehammer. The Summit Conference champions were supposed to be one and done but nobody gave them the memo.
On Friday the Golden Eagles pulled the biggest upset of the tournament when they defeated No. 2 Ohio State and then laid waste to No. 7 Florida, as an encore, on Sunday. But their work is far from done as they will have to contend with an ornery Arkansas team, seeded No. 3 in the South, on Saturday night.
ROAD TO THE SWEET 16: Tune in to News On 6 this Thursday, March 25 at 8:30 p.m. for a live, 30-minute special looking back at @ORUMBB‘s incredible, bracket-busting Road to the Sweet 16. 🏀 #oklahomasown #newson6 #orumbb #marchmadness pic.twitter.com/1qiK0nQ7jd
— Griffin Communications (@GriffinOklahoma) March 24, 2021
Sweet Sixteen Schedule, Odds, & Predictions
Saturday, March 27th
2:40 PM #12 Oregon State vs. #8 Loyola Chicago (-6 ½)
Sweet 16 Prediction: Loyola Chicago -6 ½
5:15 PM #5 Villanova vs. #1 Baylor (-6 ½)
Sweet 16 Prediction: Villanova +6 ½
7:25 PM #15 Oral Roberts vs. #3 Arkansas (-11)
Sweet 16 Prediction: Arkansas -11
9:55 PM #11 Syracuse vs. #2 Houston (-6)
Sweet 16 Prediction: Houston -6
Sunday, March 28th
2:10 PM #5 Creighton vs. #1 Gonzaga (-13 ½)
Sweet 16 Prediction: Gonzaga -13 ½
5:00 PM #4 Florida State vs. #1 Michigan (-3)
Sweet 16 Prediction: Florida State +3
7:15 PM #11 UCLA vs. #2 Alabama (-5 ½)
Sweet 16 Prediction: UCLA +5 ½
9:45 PM #7 Oregon vs. #6 USC (-1)
Sweet 16 Prediction: USC -1
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