NCAA Tournament 2017: Predicting the Sweet 16

Midwest Region — Oregon (3) vs. Michigan (7)

Oregon hasn’t made it look very easy, but the Ducks are headed to the Sweet 16. Losing Chris Boucher was a tough blow for this team that looked like a Final Four favorite a few weeks ago. However, the Ducks beat Iona in the first round and then had an impressive come-from-behind victory over Rhode Island in the round of 32.

Michigan, on the other hand, held off a tough Oklahoma State in the first round by just one point and then took down Louisville in a comeback effort as well. The Wolverines were under-seeded as a seven, but they are starting to play like a No. 5 or No. 4 seed, but it’s clear they are the hottest team in the tournament right now.

Not many people would have thought the Wolverines would be the scariest team in March just a few short weeks ago. However, they plowed through the Big Ten Tournament and are now just one win away from rematching either Purdue or facing Kansas with a chance to go to the Final Four.

Oregon has something to prove as well. The Ducks were a No. 1 seed last year, but came just short of their goals. While Boucher is a tough loss, Tyler Dorsey and Dillon Brooks are two of the best the Pac-12 has to offer. This game will be a high-scoring affair and you can bet it will be a back-and-forth one, too.

In the end, Derrick Walton Jr. and Mo Wagner will be too much for Oregon to handle.

Final: Oregon 81, Michigan 82