Marvel March Madness: The Sweet 16
Last week we compared the 68 most abundant Marvel comic book heroes and villains (based on number of appearances in comics) to each team in the 2021 NCAA Tournament. To read about every team and their associated hero/villain, checkout that article HERE. Now, we’re returning to our Marvel March Madness bracket to dissect the remaining 16 teams/characters and predict what we expect to happen next… which of course seems foolish given the chaos that’s already ensued. But attempting to predict chaos is a time honored tradition in the NCAA Tournament and we didn’t want to be left out.
1-Seed. Gonzaga: Spider-Man (15, 528 Marvel comic book appearances)
Who They Are: Gonzaga is exactly who we thought they were, the best team in the field. So far, nothing has changed from the regular season to the post-season. Everyone that’s come up against the Zags has looked very pedestrian while Gonzaga swings from the tops of buildings.
How They Got Here: The Bulldogs have continued their winning streak to 28 straight and winning by double digits in their last 25 games. They had zero issues in their first round match-up against Norfolk State. However, they did get a little tangled in their own web early on against the senior leadership of Oklahoma before they found their footing and comfortably disarmed the Sooners.
What to Expect: The Zags are averaging 92.5 PPG in the tournament and only 10.5 TO. It’s safe to expect more high flying and high scoring offense since it’s not hindering their performance and no one else has been able to keep up. In this especially chaotic bracket, it’s foolish to make any bold predictions… but our spidey-senses are telling us that this might be the safest team to bet on.
Prediction: National Champions
5-Seed. Creighton: Human Torch (6,319)
Who They Are: Right now, Creighton is more of a slow burn than the inferno we saw most of the regular season. In the past four games, they just haven’t really had that spark we grew accustomed to early in the season. However, this team may have some new fuel for their fire. Creighton is now the furthest they’ve ever gone in the Big Dance since it expanded to 64 teams and that might keep this team cooking.
How They Got Here: The Bluejays came out of the gates very lukewarm shooting just 28% from three but eked out a victory over UC Santa Barbara (63-62). However, they showed they have some strength even when they don’t have the heat. Creighton had a dominant second round defensive performance against Ohio holding them to just 58 points on 31.8% from the field.
What to Expect: The Jays will catch fire in the Sweet-16 and cause some headaches for Gonzaga, but it probably won’t be enough. On the other hand, Creighton held their first two opponents to an average field goal percentage of just 35.2. The only hope Creighton has of upsetting the odds-on favorites is if they can hold Gonzaga to a similar percentage (Zags season average - 54.9% from the field) and get hot on offense.
Prediction: A good run, but this is as far as they go
6-Seed. USC: Namor the Submariner (4,574)
Who They Are: USC, like much of the Pac-12, has been underrated and under the radar most of the season. They’ve been below the peripherals of most of the selection committee and the associated press, but they can’t hide anymore. They’ve emerged from the depths and have made their presence known.
How They Got Here: The Trojans have absolutely dominated in their first two games. Some might argue that Drake was exhausted after their play-in game, but no one can make that excuse for Kansas. The Trojans drowned the Jayhawks by 34 points shooting 57.1% from the field, 61.1% from three, and out rebounding them 43 to 27.
What to Expect: Evan Mobley is averaging a double-double in the tournament so far (13.5 PPG, 12 RPG) and his brother Isaiah is averaging 16 PPG and 6.5 RPG, the Mobley brothers will not be stopped anytime soon. However, they are playing a familiar foe in the Sweet-16 in Oregon who they beat 72-58 earlier in the season. Expect this game to be much closer. Each team knows each other well and will try to capitalize on known weaknesses.
Prediction: An overtime loss in the Sweet-16
7-Seed. Oregon: Hawkeye (4,536)
Who They Are: It’s a little tough to tell who they are at the moment. Oregon has had an interesting tournament so far. They started the tournament with an uncontested victory in the first round over VCU (the Ducks just hanging out on house arrest while everyone else was at work). However, their bows didn’t rust from lack of use. Oregon showed up big (and well rested) in the second round knocking off a beast of an opponent in Luka Garza and the Hawkeyes… Hawkeye beat the Hawkeyes, poetic.
How They Got Here: As mentioned above, the Ducks essentially got a bye in the first round and then shot lights out against title contenders Iowa. Oregon was 55.9% from the field and 44% from behind the arc in a 95-80 win. They also had four players score 17 or more points in their victory over the Hawkeyes.
What to Expect: A revenge game for Oregon after losing to USC earlier in the season. Expect to see a lot of full court press and attempts to get the Trojans out of their comfort zone and on to dry land. If Oregon can minimize the impact of the Mobley brothers, they have a very good chance to shoot their way into the Elite-Eight.
Prediction: An Elite-Eight squad
1-Seed. Baylor: Cyclops (10,454)
Who They Are: Baylor is scary. Early in the season, they were clearly one of the two best squads in the field. Baylor was blasting teams out of their way with careless disregard… until they had to take a little hiatus due to COVID. When they came back, they weren’t quite the same. Now they’re showing signs of being that early powerhouse, and what scares us most, is that they appear to be conserving their energy and are still advancing with ease.
How They Got Here: They first scorched Hartford (79-55) with seven Baylor Bears playing more than 15-minutes and forcing 24 turnovers. Next, they played a Wisconsin squad hot off a huge victory over the Tarheels and handled them pretty easily as well (76-63). Again, the Bears played seven players more than 15-minutes and had 25-points off the bench.
What to Expect: Baylor has a ton of talent and great leadership, which is typically a pretty good recipe for success. It shouldn’t surprise anyone to see this team burn a path to the final four. However, their next game is against a Villanova squad who also has great leadership and a ton of talent even with one of their star players out for the season. It’ll be interesting to see if the Bears continue to conserve their fire power (which might not work much longer) or if they focus their energy on these upcoming opponents.
Prediction: National Championship Runners Up
5-Seed. Villanova: Mr. Fantastic (6,328)
Who They Are: Despite a very impressive season and a 5-seed in the tournament, Villanova has surprised a lot of people. Not many had them making it out of the first round let alone to the Sweet-16, but they’ve changed form and stretched themselves in new ways to keep the drive alive. They don’t have Collin Gillespie, but they still have four players averaging 10 or more points a game including the late season Wooden Award finalist Jeremiah Robinson-Earl.
How They Got Here: In the first round, Nova squeezed by what many believed would be the Cinderella of this tournament, Winthrop, late in the second half. Robinson-Earl might as well be nicknamed Mr. Fantastic after his 22 PTS, 11 REB, and 6 AST performance helping the Wildcats stretch Winthrop thin and twist them into knots. Villanova next faced-off against an aggressive North Texas team that just beat up on a much bigger Purdue squad. The Wildcats skipped past North Texas with ease (84-61) by spreading the court and racking up 19 assists.
What to Expect: Everyone knew this team had brains and leadership, but their ability to move the ball and control the game has caught teams off-guard. They are going to be a tough match-up for Baylor, and I think we can expect a close and low scoring game. Nova is definitely the underdog, but they’ve been proving everyone wrong so far this tournament.
Prediction: The Sweet-16 is as far as they’ll go
3-Seed. Arkansas: Jean Grey/Phoenix (7,319)
Who They Are: Arkansas has had to find something extra inside them in both of their tournament games. They haven’t looked as dominant as we are used to seeing them, but they’ve done enough to move on. If this team can consistently tap into that fire inside, they can be really scary and dominant. But right now, the Razorbacks are playing slightly subdued.
How They Got Here: The Razorback were down 14-points early on against Colgate until they tapped into that Phoenix energy and went on a 19-0 run. Arkansas ended up winning pretty comfortably (85-68), but there were some moments of concern. Against a motivated Texas Tech team, Arkansas were again down big early before going on a 22-8 run. They stayed in control for the rest of the game, but almost let it slip away scoring only 3 points in the last four minutes in a 68-66 victory.
What to Expect: The Razorbacks will not be caught sleeping on Oral Roberts who they played earlier this season in an 11-point victory. They know what to expect from their Sweet-16 opponent, but the Razorbacks will need to step up their game. They’re only averaging 27.3% from behind the arc in their first two games and are being outrebounded. If they can fuel that fire that has made them so dangerous, they should be able to move on to the Elite-eight fairly comfortably.
Prediction: Elite-8 bound
15-Seed. Oral Roberts: Banshee (2,199)
Who They Are: There are multiple Cinderellas still in the dance, but Oral Roberts is the Cinderelliest. They’ve shocked two very talented “power five“ squads to scream their way into the Sweet-16 (only the second 15-seed to ever accomplish this feat), and they’ve looked impressive doing it. Many were familiar with the nation’s leading scorer Max Abmas who is averaging 27.5 PPG in the tourney, but the loudest surprise has been Kevin Obanor (29 PPG, 11 RPG) in the dance.
How They Got Here: Oral Roberts, a 16-point underdog, calmed the storm of one of the most electric teams in the nation, Ohio State, in overtime. The Golden Eagles played smart and with confidence forcing 16 turnovers and limiting Ohio State to just 21.7% from three. In their second game, Oral had to comeback from an 11-point deficit in the 2nd half to knockout a bigger and more athletic Florida squad. Once again, they found away on defense and forced Florida into 20 turnovers.
What to Expect: Despite being out rebounded (by a lot) in both games, Oral Roberts have kept games close and then taken advantage late. They are the best free throw shooting team in the nation and, as mentioned before, have two incredible scorers. If the Golden Eagles can hang with Arkansas throughout the game, they have a good chance of continuing their Cinderella story.
Prediction: The Cinderella story ends here
8-Seed. Loyola Chicago: Scarlet Witch/Wanda (4,057)
Who They Are: Somehow Loyola Chicago snuck up on us once again. They hoodwinked us into thinking they were a sweet suburban family, but now that our heads are cleared, we see that this team is one of the most dangerous in the country. The Ramblers are a team that might not scare anyone at first sight – small conference, little media coverage, only one player scoring more than 10 points a game. But upon closer analysis, there’s an ominous aura around them. They have the best adjusted defensive efficiency in the country allowing only 86.1 points per 100 possessions according to Kenpom.
How They Got Here: The Ramblers got here by playing shutdown defense. When someone enters their bubble, they haven’t been able to escape. In the first round, they held a Georgia Tech team hot off an ACC championship to only 60 points. Georgia tech had averaged 78 points in their previous 7 games. Next, they encountered one of the most talented teams in the country, Illinois (81.4 PPG), and forced them into 17 turnovers and only 58 points… I guess Captain America really is dead. Loyola Chicago has a unique ability to suck the power out of their opponent and turn the powerful into pedestrian.
What to Expect: Once again, Loyola Chicago will have to neutralize a team that’s coming in hot. Oregon State will be the third Power-Five conference champion the Ramblers will have faced in as many games. If they can hold the Beavers to 30% or less from three, which they’ve done to their previous 2 opponents, they have a good chance of finding themselves in the Elite-8.
Prediction: They sneak their way into the Elite-8
12-Seed. Oregon State: Mystique (2,847)
Who They Are: The Beavers look like a totally different squad since the beginning of post-season play. They’ve won 5 straight games as (on average) 7.5-point underdogs, and they won three of those games by more than 10 points. It doesn’t matter who this squad plays, they’re finding a way to shape shift and change their game (sometimes mid-game) to pull off the upset.
How They Got Here: Oregon State had been nearly automatic from behind the arc (44.5%) in the Pac-12 Tournament and they continued that prowess shooting 47.6% from three against Tennessee in a 70-56 win that from tip-off never looked in doubt. However, against Oklahoma State the Beavs went relatively cold, only shooting 30% from three. They made up for this uncharacteristic 3-point performance by snagging 52 rebounds and going 32-35 from the line.
What to Expect: Oregon State has a tricky match-up ahead of them with the top ranked defense in the country in Loyola Chicago, but they already took down the fourth best defense in the country (Tennessee), 20th best defense (Oklahoma State), and 24th best defense (Colorado) via Kenpom in their last three games. If the Beavers can get in a rhythm beyond the arc early, they might pull off their 6th upset in a row.
Prediction: Fall just short of the Elite-8
11-Seed. Syracuse: Black Panther (2,873)
Who They Are: It shouldn’t surprise anyone that Syracuse has made a run in the NCAA Tournament. They made it to the Sweet-16 as an 11-seed in 2018 and were a Final Four team in 2016 as a 10-seed. They’re king when it comes to overcoming expectations. Right now, their offense is as good as anyone’s in the country and their zone defense is making things very difficult on opponents. This is a team rich with tradition but not afraid of a little innovation when needed.
How They Got Here: The Orange pounced on their opponents quickly in each game thanks in large to their shooting. Syracuse shot 55.3% from the field and 55.6% from three against a talented San Diego State team. In the second round, they almost matched those stats shooting 51.9% from the field and 45.2% from three against West Virginia. This team is dangerous, and when they’re in the zone, they’re nearly unstoppable.
What to Expect: Buddy Boeheim is averaging 28.25 PPG and 55.8% from behind the arc in his last four games. It’s safe to assume he’ll continue this dominance against a Houston team that has allowed opponents to shoot 41.9% from three. Syracuse has a good chance of continuing their run if they can continue to make the outside shot and get back to making their free throws… they made just 63.6% from the line against West Virginia.
Prediction: Their hot streak runs cold and they advance no further
2-Seed. Houston: Iron Man (10,170)
Who They Are: Houston, who made a name for themselves with high powered offense, has now added another weapon to their arsenal. They now have a state-of-the-art defense system. To complement their 7th in the nation adjusted offensive efficiency, they’re 11th in the nation in adjusted defensive efficiency (kenpom). This season, Houston is allowing only 58 points a game. They may have the reputation of playboys, but they get gritty on defense.
How They Got Here: Houston has been blowing out smaller adversaries all season long (the perks of being in a very mediocre conference). Once again, they quickly dismantled a lesser squad in Cleveland State (87-56). However, they had a real fight against 10-seed Rutgers. In fact, Rutgers was in control for most of the second half. Houston needed a 14-2 run in the last 5 minutes to muscle their way into the Sweet-16.
What to Expect: On paper, Houston can switch on autopilot and cruise to the Final Four with an 8-seed, an 11-seed, and a 12-seed remaining in their region. However, once the tournament starts, those rankings go out the window. On offense, the Cougars haven’t looked like the best team left in this region, but they’ve been stellar on defense and will keep games close if they’re malfunctioning on the offensive end. Houston won’t blow anyone else out this year, but they might scrap out a couple more wins.
Prediction: They keep finding ways to win and make it to the Final Four
1-Seed. Michigan: Wolverine (15,066)
Who They Are: There’s a lot riding on Michigan’s hairy shoulders. They’ve been one of the three best teams most of the season, but they stumbled a bit near the finish line putting doubt in many minds. What’s more, they’re now the last remaining team in what everyone thought was the best conference this year. The Big 10 has been very disappointing, but Michigan has a chance to turn that all around. If they can claw their way to the Final Four or further, people might forget that eight other Big Ten schools danced (briefly). Michigan has the talent and durability to survive deep into the tourney, but the weight of the world might be too much.
How They Got Here: Michigan had very little trouble against Texas Southern in the first round. Texas Southern went just 1-12 from three and Michigan dominated the glass. They had a much tougher time against an LSU team that came into the tournament high on momentum. Michigan’s second round game was back-and-forth throughout, but the Wolverines kept picking themselves off the ground and eventually pulled off one of the best victories of the tournament (86-78).
What to Expect: Michigan is going to fight for everything. They’re defense hasn’t been great in the tournament so far (averaging 72 points-allowed), but they’ve been clicking on offense (84 PPG). They’ll be facing their polar opposite in Florida State who has been stellar on defense (avg. 53.5 points-allowed) and have left more to be desired on offense (67.5 PPG). Expect a brawl… metaphorically and maybe literally.
Prediction: They lose a nail biter and bow out in the Sweet-16
4-Seed. Florida State: Angel/Archangel (7,061)
Who They Are: Florida State is a bit bipolar. They can be explosive on offense, scoring more than 80 points 10 times this season with high flying dunks and with nothing out of range (38.2% from three). Then at other times, their offense goes cold and they can’t hold on to the ball. In their last four games, the Seminoles have turned the ball over on average 18.25 times. However, even when the offense doesn’t show up, they’re still winning games (including 3 of those last 4) by outrebounding opponents and taking away easy shots.
How They Got Here: FSU had an impressive season but got tripped up a little bit near the end. Their problems continued in the first round against UNC Greensboro where they went 0-9 from behind the arc. However, their defense stepped up big, holding UNCG to 54 points on 31.7% from the field. The Seminoles next played a very good Colorado team hot off a 23-point victory over Georgetown and a squad who went 7-3 against the remaining Sweet-16 teams. Florida State had to step up their game and they did. They finally started to click on offense (35.3 3PT%, 52.2 FG%). But what’s more impressive, the Seminoles’ defense continued their dominance forcing 19 turnovers and holding CU to 35.7 FG% to pull away in the second half.
What to Expect: Florida State’s defense is their constant. Regardless of whether the offense shows up or not, Florida State has a great chance to win every game because their defense has shut down capabilities (they’ve only lost by more than 10 points twice all season). That being said, they’re 12-0 when scoring more than 75 points. If Florida State can continue to find that rhythm on offense, this team could very easily be in the Final Four.
Prediction: Final Four
11-Seed. UCLA: Luke Cage (2,852)
Who They Are: After an abysmal four game losing streak to end the season, UCLA has battled their way back to the Sweet-16 for the first time since 2016-17. The Bruins are fighters and tough enough to take some bruises but continue to move forward. They’ve come across three very different teams in the tournament so far and have managed to adapt to each opponent and pick apart their weaknesses. We’re finding out that UCLA is not only tough, they’re smart.
How They Got Here: The Bruins first had to overcome a 14-point deficit to Michigan State in the play in game. They held the Spartans to only 33 second half points to force overtime and then just 3 points in overtime while shooting 50% from three throughout the game. In the first round, UCLA came out strong against BYU and took an 11-point lead into halftime. They continued to shutdown the Cougars and held them to just 62 points (the second fewest BYU scored all year). In their latest game, UCLA’s offense wasn’t clicking quite like it did in their first two. However, their defense was nearly impenetrable, recording 42 rebounds and only allowing 47 points from Abilene Christian.
What to Expect: The Bruins have won scoring 86 points, 73 points, and 67 points in the tournament so far. They have a great sense of reading the game and adapting their style of play to get the victory. It also helps that Johnny Juzang is averaging 22.3 PPG in the tourney. Momentum might have played a large part in this team’s last three performances and a week off might hurt that, but expect this squad to adjust and match-up well against Alabama to keep the game close.
Prediction: They have enough in them for one more win and make it to the Elite-8
2-Seed. Alabama: Thor (7,663)
Who They Are: Alabama is one of the hottest teams in the country. They haven’t lost since February 24th and their average margin of victory in their last 8 games is almost 13 points. This team is balanced on offense and have the ability to put up some big numbers with four players scoring more than 11 PPG. However, it’s their defense that should worry most opponents. Bama has shown they truly are the protectors of the nine realms with an adjusted defensive efficiency of 87.3 points allowed per 100 possessions per kenpom. A large part of their defensive prowess is thanks to defensive standout Herbert “Mjölnir” Jones (6.5 RPG, 1.8 SPG, 1.1 BPG).
How They Got Here: Hot off of winning the SEC Championship, Alabama went up against a scrappy Iona squad that pushed Bama toward breaking for most of the game until the Crimson Tide pulled away with 8-minutes left. Next up was a Maryland team that had shocked many with an upset win over UConn. The Terps hung tough for the first half, but Alabama was just too strong and too consistent from behind the arc shooting 48.5% from three.
What to Expect: Alabama’s offense was god-like in their last game against Maryland with five players scoring in the double digits and 15 offensive rebounds. It would be foolish to expect a Crimson Tide performance quite that impressive the rest of the tournament, but we should expect them to continue their reign on the boards. In their last three games, Alabama is averaging 14.67 more rebounds than their opponents. If they can continue to clean the glass at that rate, they could be playing in April.
Prediction: They lose a heartbreaker in the Sweet-16
