Open Thread: NCAA Tournament Sweet 16

All right, I admit to liking this format of the Sweet 16, where — with four games on a Saturday — we just play them one at a time, spaced throughout the day. That’s college basketball for the next two days.

BUT FIRST...

11 AM CT: Division II National Championship, West Texas A&M vs. Northwest Missouri State (CBS)

So last night, Lubbock Christian beat Drury for the Division II national title (WHERE IS YOUR WITNESS PROTECTION PROGRAM NOW, PARLAGI???) and today, the Lone Star Conference and more specifically the Interstate 27 corridor looks to make it two for two in both winning Division II basketball championships and not recognizing Missourah.

Also 11 AM: (1) Memphis vs. (1) Colorado State (ESPN)

NO DEFINITELY WATCH THE DIVISION II GAME THIS IS THE NIT

1:40 PM CT: (8) Loyola-Chicago vs. (12) Oregon State (CBS)

And we get the Sweet 16 started with Oregon State, slayers of Tennessee, facing Loyola-Chicago, slayers of Tennessee in the 2018 tournament. Bacon and Donut are not thrilled.

2:00 PM CT: (4) Mississippi State vs. (4) Louisiana Tech (ESPN)

I am just throwing this in here to point out that a team that lost to Vanderbilt by 21 points on its home floor is not only in the NIT, they’re in the semifinals of said tournament. And meanwhile Belmont couldn’t get in.

4:15 PM CT: (1) Baylor vs. (5) Villanova (CBS)

This sounds like it should be a good game, right? Right.

6:25 PM CT: (15) Oral Roberts vs. (3) Arkansas (TBS)

(giggles)

8:55 PM CT: (11) Syracuse vs. (2) Houston (TBS)

For some reason ever since Jim Boeheim started getting bad seeds in the tournament he’s also... winning a lot? It’s weird. Anyway, the last time Houston made it to the Elite Eight, Hakeem Olajuwon was playing for them and I was not born.