A look at the teams remaining in the other regions in the Sweet 16.

West Region – Phoenix

No. 1 Michigan State (29-7) vs. No. 4 Louisville (28-9)

Thursday, 7:47 p.m., TBS

Michigan State has been to the Final Four six times in the last 13 years, and Tom Izzo’s Spartans are still the favorite to do it again out of the West Region. Not many teams can stop Draymond Green. The Spartans senior forward posted a triple-double in the second round against Long Island-Brooklyn and is averaging 20 points, 12.5 rebounds and eight assists for the tournament.

Meanwhile, after losing two in a row to finish the regular season, Louisville has now won six straight. The Cardinals are trying to do what Connecticut did a season ago: go on an extended winning streak to win a national championship a few weeks after winning the Big East tournament.

No. 3 Marquette (27-7) vs. No. 7 Florida (25-10)

Thursday, 10:17 p.m., TBS

Just like Draymond Green for Michigan State, Marquette’s Jae Crowder has been a double-double machine down the stretch. He followed up a mammoth 25-point, 16-rebound effort against Brigham Young on Thursday by putting up 17 points and 13 rebounds against Murray State on Saturday.

This is Florida’s first tournament game against a single-digit seed, after blowing out No. 10 Virginia and No. 15 Norfolk State. The Gators found their 3-point shooting stroke against Norfolk State, burying 10-of-28 3s after a 4-of-23 performance from long range against Virginia.

South Region – Atlanta

No. 3 Baylor (29-7) vs. No. 10 Xavier (23-12)

Friday, 7:15 p.m., CBS

On an athletic Baylor squad, sharpshooter Brady Heslip stole the show in the team’s third-round win against Colorado. The sophomore hit 9-of-12 3-pointers, accounting for all 27 of his points. Thus, BU has advanced despite getting nine points total in two games from Perry Jones III.

Xavier edged out Notre Dame in the Musketeers’ second-round game and came back from a double-digit, first-half deficit to defeat No. 15 Lehigh on Sunday. Xavier center Kenny Frease scored 25 points on 11-of-13 shooting against the Mountain Hawks.

No. 1 Kentucky (34-2) vs. No. 4 Indiana (27-8)

Friday, 9:45 p.m., CBS

Kentucky and Indiana meet in a rematch of one of the most memorable games of the regular season. IU forward Christian Watford’s buzzer-beater 3 on Dec. 10 handed UK the first of its two losses and showed that the Hoosiers were for real this season.

So far in the NCAA Tournament, Kentucky’s offense has been on point. The Wildcats are averaging 84 points per game in the tourney, shooting 55.5 percent from the field.

Midwest Region – St. Louis

No. 1 North Carolina (31-5) vs. No. 13 Ohio (29-7)

Friday, 7:47 p.m., TBS

North Carolina was cruising through the first weekend until Kendall Marshall got hurt. The sophomore point guard, who had 21 assists in UNC’s two NCAA Tournament games, fractured his right wrist against Creighton and had a screw inserted in it Monday, but his status for Friday is up in the air.

Ohio is the highest-seeded team left in the tournament. The Bobcats, who defeated Georgetown in the tourney two years ago, upset Michigan and then defeated South Florida to reach the Sweet 16. Guard D.J. Cooper, who has 20 points and six assists per game in the tournament, is Ohio’s leader.

No. 2 Kansas (29-6) vs. No. 11 North Carolina State (24-12)

Friday, 10:17 p.m., TBS

Kansas barely avoided being the third No. 2 seed to lose in the first weekend, squeaking past No. 10 Purdue in a three-point victory. The Jayhawks haven’t gotten their offense going yet in the tourney, scoring 65 and 63 points in the two rounds, respectively.

North Carolina State entered the NCAA Tournament having won four of five and beat No. 6 San Diego State by 14 in the second round. The Wolfpack then upset No. 3 Georgetown, 66-63. An NC State-UNC Elite Eight matchup would be the fourth meeting between the two teams this year, and the Tar Heels have won the first three.

-Compiled by Mark Cooper, sports editor, mcooperj@syr.edu

Published on March 19, 2012 at 12:00 pm