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Thursday night lived up to its billing as the Sweet 16 opened with three excellent games, as well as a humorous result when it came to Kentucky destroying West Virginia. Tonight looks like it could turn out much the same.
The best match-up by far is between Duke and Utah, with the under-seeded Utes primed to pull off an upset over the Duke Blue Devils. While it's no sure thing the Pac-12 power will prevail, the seed belies the strength of this Utah team, and they should give Duke a helluva game.
Elsewhere, there are two other even match-ups between teams that seem less likely to reach the final. An underappreciated Oklahoma takes on a surging Michigan State team, while a surprising N.C. State meets Louisville in a game that I have to remind myself is an all-ACC battle.
Lastly, Gonzaga seems likely to roll over their western rivals, as UCLA really shouldn't match up with the very strong Bulldogs from Spokane.
Friday, March 27 (Sweet 16)
No. 11 UCLA vs. No. 2 Gonzaga, 7:15 p.m., CBS
Announcers: Jim Nantz/Bill Raftery/Grant Hill//Tracy Wolfson
No. 8 NC State vs. No. 4 Louisville, 7:37 p.m., TBS
Announcers: Verne Lundquist/Jim Spanarkel//Allie LaForce
No. 5 Utah vs. No. 1 Duke, 9:45 p.m., CBS
Announcers: Jim Nantz/Bill Raftery/Grant Hill//Tracy Wolfson
No. 7 Michigan State No. 3 Oklahoma, 10:07 p.m., TBS
Announcers: Verne Lundquist/Jim Spanarkel//Allie LaForce