The greatest Sweet 16 there never was

November 3, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) shoots a technical foul shot as Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant (35) looks on during the second quarter at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /

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Mar 8, 2017; Orlando, FL, USA; Chicago Bulls forward Jimmy Butler (21) throws the ball back inbounds against the Orlando Magic during the second half at Amway Center. Orlando Magic defeated the Chicago Bulls 98-91. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /

No. 1 North Carolina vs. No.16 Marquette

There were plenty of teams that were vying for this final spot but in the end, I had to give the honor to the Golden Eagles. This squad can give teams fits on the defensive end with their scrappy energy.

Maurice “the Enforcer” Lucas was a master of mind games, known for planting elbows into his opponents to try to get a rise out of them and throw them off their game. Throw Jimmy Butler, Dwyane Wade and Jae Crowder into the mix and you have a very tough defensive unit to try to dissect.

Of course, if you have the arsenal that North Carolina boasts, you can throw plenty of looks right back. Marquette simply doesn’t have the depth to keep up with North Carolina for long and will get buried once their starters head to the bench. What we all really want to see is what would happen once Rasheed Wallace and Maurice Lucas step onto the floor at the same time.

Conclusion: After starting slow, North Carolina pulls away in the second half to win a hard-fought, physical game.

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