The Big Ten’s run of dominance could come to an end on Sunday, as multiple teams could meet their match and get bounced out of the NCAA Tournament. Purdue will have another chance to keep its contender status alive, while UCLA and Iowa are set to try and shock the world.
Here are my predictions for the NCAA Tournament in the second round on Sunday for Big Ten teams:
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No. 2 Purdue over No. 7 Miami
The momentum is at an all-time high for the Purdue Boilermakers, and I do not think it stops vs Miami. The Boilermakers offense is rolling, and I think Braden Smith will put up another star performance to keep the run going.
No. 1 Florida over No. 9 Iowa
Iowa got past Clemson even with a poor shooting performance. Bennett Stirtz will have to be Steph Curry and then some to knock off a loyal people’s title team favorite, the Florida Gators. Florida is coming off a 59-point win; they are as dominant as it gets. I think Iowa will put up more of a fight, but this will be a David and Goliath story where Goliath comes out on top.
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No. 2 UConn over No. 7 UCLA
UCLA will have its hands full vs Tarris Reed Jr., who is coming off a 30-point and 25-rebound game. The most dominant performance in March Madness history. That is not the type of opponent the Bruins need to face to keep their hopes alive as they head into this matchup banged up. I think Tarris Reed Jr. will have another big game vs UCLA and lead the Huskies to the sweet 16.
Predictions for top performers for Sunday
Braden Smith will be the top performer from the Big Ten on Sunday. I think he will have another 20-point game, but this time after double-digit assists. The offense moves with him, and if he is able to replicate his performance in the first round, Purdue will have no problem moving past a tough Miami Hurricanes team. Smith will be the X-Factor for Purdue vs Miami.
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Tarris Reed Jr. is coming off a game where he single-handedly won UConn the game vs Furman. He outrebounded Furman by himself, and he was the dominant scorer in the game. In the last game, he had 31 points and 27 rebounds. I do not think he has that exact stat line vs. UCLA, as they are a more formidable opponent, but I think he still will have himself a day. I think Reed Jr. will have a 20-point game with around 15 rebounds. If Tyler Bilodeau, Reed Jr., is going to dominate both the paint on the glass.
Overview
Purdue is set to try to continue their run at a national title, while both Iowa and UCLA are set to face their steepest competition in quite some time. Braden Smith will look to continue being the engine of one of the more dangerous offensive units in the tournament left. The Bruins could use another stellar performance from Eric Dailey to survive vs UConn.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Micah Huff’s Sunday 2nd-round picks for Big Ten in NCAA Tournament
