Atlanta Hawks: Plenty of Intrigue for Hawks Fans in Sweet 16
By Chris Guest
A quick peek at the most notable games and players for Atlanta Hawks fans to pay attention to in the 2019 NCAA Tournament Sweet 16.
After what felt like an interminable wait, college basketball is back tonight with the Sweet 16. There are 4 games slated for play tonight.
The games start at 7:09 p.m. EST:
- (4) Florida State vs. (1) Gonzaga 7:09 p.m. CBS
- (3) Purdue vs. (2) Tennessee 7:29 p.m. TBS
- (3) Texas Tech vs. (2) Michigan 9:39 p.m. CBS
- (12) Oregon vs. (1) Virginia 9:59 p.m. TBS
The main storylines surrounding the Sweet 16 are how “chalky” (or true to seed) the tournament has been so far. Though cinderellas and shocking upsets certainly make the first weekend of tournament exciting, with the best seeds going through that means the rest of the action should be incredibly engaging – with the best teams and programs duking it out for supremacy on a massive stage.
These Thursday games are tasty, and the Florida State vs. Gonzaga matchup holds a lot of intrigue. The Zags have looked like the best team in the tournament so far, with junior Brandon Clarke holding his own as one of the best non-Zion Williamson prospects in the 2019 draft class:
Brandon Clarke's 38.1 PER would be the highest of any NCAA player over last 10 years (per Sports-Reference). Except for Zion. His is 41.6.
— Jonathan Wasserman (@NBADraftWass) March 28, 2019
Tennessee is anchored by a bevy of strong prospects, but most notably Grant Williams and Admiral Schofield (SDS favorites). Texas Tech vs. Michigan should be a defensive battle, but the Red Raiders have the best overall NBA prospect in Jarrett Culver that Atlanta Hawks fans should pay attention to.
What about Friday’s matchups? Plenty to look forward to in those as well:
- (3) LSU vs. (2) Michigan State 7:09 p.m. CBS
- (5) Auburn vs. (1) UNC 7:15 p.m. TBS
- (4) Virginia Tech vs. (1) Duke 9:39 p.m. CBS
- (3) Houston vs. (2) Kentucky 9:59 p.m. TBS
LSU’s Naz Reid has one of the prettiest jump shots for a big man this writer has ever seen, North Carolina is loaded with talent from top-to-bottom including sweet-shooting senior Cam Johnson. Duke has already been covered heavily on SDS, but Virginia Tech’s Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Kerry Blackshear are both worth keeping an eye on. As always, John Calipari’s Kentucky are a force to be reckoned with, and the team is chock-full of NBA prospects.
Trae Young & Luka Doncic, Co-Rookies of the Year. dark. Next
The Madness is back, ladies and gentlemen. What games will you be watching, Atlanta Hawks fans?