http://wizbangsports.com/2008/03/sweet_16_the_west_is_settled.ph
The West offered its share of drama but the Sweet 16 teams are finally locked in. UCLA and Xavier shouldn't surprise anyone but who expected Western Kentucky and West Virginia?
West Virginia will no-doubt pull the patented "Bob Huggins choke" against a superior team in Xavier; so I guess that isn't a total choke. I remind you that Huggins has been to the dance 16 times and has reached the final four once in 1994 where his team was quickly dispatched.
UCLA is a different story. The Bruins performance against Texas A&M exposed some serious flaws. Western Kentucky wasn't supposed to be here, so they have nothing to lose. Also, WKU is a much better shooting team that the Aggies and unless UCLA reverses course, this could be the upset of the tournament to this point.
If the Hilltoppers don't get intimidated by the almost mythical UCLA history, they have a good chance at an upset. I haven't seen the spread yet but we might be surprised to see a fairly close line.
The odds of winning the whole shooting match greatly favor UCLA in the region. UCLA's odds are 7/2 while Western Kentucky is 125/1. Xavier and West Virginia are more closely aligned with odds at 16/1 and 25/1 respectively.
My fearless prediction in the West ................... Xavier.
Do not place wagers based on my predictions. Remember, my bracket is on life support, so flip a coin or something.
