Match-Ups to Watch: East Region

(8)North Carolina State vs. (9)Temple
Lorenzo Brown vs. Khalif Wyatt
This season hasn't gone the way that the much-hyped, very talented Wolfpack expected, but they have a good shot of winning a first round game in the tournament and giving top seed Indiana a run for their money in the round of 32. However, in order to get to the second round, NC State needs to shut down Temple's leading scorer Khalif Wyatt. Wyatt is key to the Owls because he carries their offense a lot of the time, in their biggest wins (or near wins in the case of the Kansas game), Wyatt has gone for at least 20, including 33 against Syracuse and 30 verses VCU. Wyatt is very strong, probably pushing 230 at 6-4, and can hit a myriad of crazy shots. The Wolfpack don't exactly have a lockdown perimeter player, but Lorenzo Brown, who as great size and length at 6-5, is probably their best chance. Brown, once a highly regarded NBA prospect, could provide a big boost to his stock if he can shut down Wyatt while running the Wolfpack offense on the other end.



(5)UNLV vs. (12)California
Anthony Bennett and Khem Birch vs. Richard Solomon and David Kravish

MWC Freshman of the Year Anthony Bennett is one of the top players in the country and a likely top-5 NBA pick while Khem Birch (MWC Defensive POY) has NBA size and athleticism, so it will be crucial for California, who's strength is not on the inside, to control them. Richard Solomon and David Kravish have good size and length, so it will be up to them to challenge Bennett and Birch, both on the glass and on the defensive end. Bennett is able to score from the perimeter or in the paint while Birch is able out muscle and out leap most opponents. When these teams met back in  December, Birch didn't play and Bennett dominated with 25 points and 13 boards. If Bennett can dominate, he has a chance to lock down a top-3 pick (maybe even number 1) and Birch has a chance to get more on to NBA radars.

Katin Reinhardt and Bryce Dejean-Jones vs. Allen Crabbe
Allen Crabbe is now on NBA radars as a first round pick, and I think that he could be in for a Klay Thompson-like rise. Crabbe is similar to Thompson in that he is a very good shooter with good size at 6-6 and the ability to make plays for others as well. UNLV needs to shut him down if they want to advance and they'll likely throw both Katin Reinhardt and Bryce Dejean-Jones at Crabbe. Neither is a lock-down defender, but they have the size to match up with him. He scored 18 in the December loss to the Rebels, so he'll need to top that if Cal is going to advance. Crabbe could launch himself up draft boards very quickly with a dominating performance against UNLV, which is considered one of the most talented teams in the country.

(4)Syracuse vs. (13)Montana
Michael Carter-Williams vs. Will Cherry
As Michael Carter-Williams goes, so goes Syracuse. He was tremendous during Syracuse's Big East tournament run all the way up until the second half of the Louisville game, where he fell apart, along with Syracuse. I think this Tournament will determine whether Carter-Williams goes back to school, or is a top 10 pick. If he plays well as Syracuse at least makes a run to the Sweet 16, I think he comes out and goes in the top 10, but if he struggles again, I see him coming back for his Junior season. The first test comes from Montana guard Will Cherry. Syracuse is vastly more talented than Montana, but Cherry is a good player. He is athletic and likes to get under opponents skins. Carter-Williams has 5-6 inches on Cherry, but undersized guards have bugged him before. Syracuse will likely role, but Carter-Williams needs to get his mojo back after that disastrous second half against Louisville

(6)Butler vs. (11)Bucknell

Andrew Smith vs. Mike Muscala

Really good matchups between centers are rare in college basketball these days, but we'll get one in Patriot League POY Mike Muscala and Andrew Smith of Butler. Both guys are big, listed at 6-11, 240ish, and experienced Seniors. Muscala is a dominating player, averaging 19 and 11 and he can score inside and out, while also being a defensive anchor in the middle for the Bison. Smith isn't nearly the scorer or rebounder that Muscala is, but he'll have to battle him because he's the only option Butler really has against him. If Muscala goes off, Bucknell could easily pull the upset, but if he struggles Butler will likely cruise to victory. Muscala has a potential NBA future as a second round pick, so this could be a big stage for him to show his abilities to NBA decision makers.


(7)Illinois vs. (10)Colorado
Brandon Paul  vs. Spencer Dinwiddie 
Both Colorado and Illinois are led in scoring by guards and it's likely that a game like this, which should be close down to the end, will come down to who can make better plays down the stretch. Spencer Dinwiddie is a big guard who can score in a multitude of ways, he's under the NBA radar right now, but a big game could launch him into consideration down the line while Brandon Paul was considered a first rounder after a hot start, but he's cooled off quite a bit and needs a big performance to boost his stock. Paul and Dinwiddie could go head-to-head on both ends, so whoever wins that match-up could determine the game.

Tyler Griffey and Nnanna Egwu vs. Andre Roberson
However, if it isn't the guards that determine the game, it will be the big guys, particularly who will keep the Buffalo's off the boards for Illinois. Andre Roberson is a dominating rebounder, a Kenneth Faried-lite player who has more offensive rebound this season than the Tyler Griffey and Nnanna Egwu have defensive rebound. If the Illinois cannot keep Roberson off the boards, they'll be in trouble. Roberson is a second round pick at this point, but he could rise into the first if he dominates a game or two on the boards and defensively. Teams are always looking for athletic players with great motors and Roberson is just that.