Kansas vs. Michigan Sweet 16 Preview

The Kansas Jayhawks overcame some sluggish play in the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament to once again make the Sweet 16 – the fifth time in the last six years the program has made it this far. If the top-seeded Jayhawks want to make a second consecutive Final Four, they will first have to get past the fourth-seeded Michigan Wolverines.

Michigan may be young, but the team is loaded with talent. The Wolverines are led by sophomore point guard Trey Burke, who averages nearly 19 points and seven assists per game. Michigan also gets a lot of scoring from Tim Hardaway, Jr., who averages 15 ppg. Michigan relies heavily on shooting threes for their success, with Hardway and Nik Stauskas both shooting over 40% from beyond the arc.

Kansas’ offense has been extremely unpredictable this season, but one consistent the Jayhawks have had is an outstanding defense. Anchored by the nation’s best shot-blocker in Jeff Withey and one of the best perimeter defenders in Travis Releford, KU has one of the top-rated defenses in the nation.

On offense, the Jayhawks will have to find a way to get Ben McLemore going. The redshirt freshman is predicted by most to be the top pick in the 2013 NBA draft and leads Kansas in scoring; however, he has been a no-show in March so far. McLemore went 0-9 from the field against North Carolina and scored only two points. He has eclipsed the 30 point mark several times this season, and may be due for a breakout game against Michigan’s suspect defense.

Tonight’s game will be a true clash of styles, as Michigan has a great offense while Kansas has a great defense. With Withey in the paint, Michigan will likely rely heavily on three point shooting. If the Wolverines aren’t on fire from beyond the arc, and the Jayhawks can counter with some threes of their own, KU could find itself closer to another Final Four.

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Kansas vs. Richmond Preview

After losses by many top seeds, including the defending champion Duke Blue Devils, many college basketball pundits now think Kansas has a cakewalk to the Final 4 and possibly the national title game. First, the Jayhawks will have to get by Richmond, who crashed the Sweet 16 with an upset over Vanderbilt and a beatdown over Morehead State.

While the Spiders have been playing well recently, Richmond has the profile on your average talented mid-major team - they have lost to most of the good teams they have faced and taken care of business in a weak league. Thats not to say this team lacks talent - senior forward Justin Harper is very dangerous and guard Kevin Anderson is a big-time player as well. If both play well, Richmond will go toe-to-toe with the Jayhawks and this one could come down to the last possession. However, if Richmond's star duo struggle, KU will likely walk.

The Jayhawks have been very business-like this tournament, playing steady defense and relying on the Morris twins for offense. The team continues to get consistent play from point guard Tyshawn Taylor, and the Morris twins are on a roll. The Jayhawks have yet to get scoring from its other guards, and tonight seems like the perfect opportunity for Tyrel Reed to knock down some threes and get his shot back. It'll be closer than some experts think, but expect KU to wear down Richmond and advance to the Elite 8.