A very Sweet 16, indeed 🍭

Author

Kate Magdziuk
March 23, 2023

Happy Thursday, sports fan!

Lots to cover today before we dive straight back into March Madness and continue to mourn our busted brackets that absolutely never stood a chance.

Let’s dive in:

  • Your guide to the Men’s Sweet 16 🏀

  • One must-watch game for Thursday and Friday’s slate

  • … Plus three underdogs were rallying behind! 😤

  • Social moments that we loved this week 📲

🏀 Your guide to the Men’s Sweet 16 🏀

Schedule: Thursday, March 23

  • No. 7 Michigan State vs. No. 3 Kansas State — 6:30 p.m. ET on TBS

  • No. 8 Arkansas vs. No. 7 Uconn — 7:15 p.m. ET on CBS

  • No. 9 FAU vs. No. 4 Tennessee — 9 p.m. ET on TBS

  • No. 3 Gonzaga vs. No. 2 UCLA — 9:45 p.m. ET on CBS

If you watch one game on Thursday, make it…

Gonzaga vs. UCLA. OH, BABY! This matchup is going to be intense. After all, these two teams have history in the tournament. And it’s not been a particularly pretty one, for either team.

The last time they met, back in the 2021 tournament, UCLA suffered a particularly heartbreaking loss. See for yourself.

Don’t worry, UCLA once broke Gonzaga’s heart too, back in 2006 — also in totally dramatic fashion. I’m sure there are no hard feelings between these two teams… but if there are — they’re bound to come out tonight!

Schedule: Friday, March 24

  • No. 5 San Diego State vs. No. 1 Alabama — 6:30 p.m. ET on TBS

  • No. 5 Miami vs. No. 1 Houston — 7:15 p.m. ET on CBS

  • No. 15 Princeton vs. No. 6 Creighton — 9 p.m. ET on TBS

  • No. 3 Xavier vs. No. 2 Texas — 9:45 p.m. ET on CBS

If you watch one game on Friday, make it…

Princeton vs. Creighton. Call me a sucker. I kind of am one — a sucker for a great underdog story, that is. What can I say? I grew up watching a lot of Rudy. It was the go-to movie in our house (Irish family, Notre Dame fans — you get it.)

The pathway the Tigers have taken to the Sweet 16 (their first trip here since 1967, mind you) has been incredible — starting off by knocking off No. 2 Arizona in the first round. They carried that momentum forward to then defeat No. 7 Mizzou… and from there, they keep climbing.

They’ve got the heart… of a Tiger. (See what I did there?)

🌈 Betting Academy meme of the day 🌈

Did you know? 💡 In sports betting, an “underdog” refers to a team (or person) expected to lose a particular matchup. Odds indicate an underdog with a (+) symbol.

Learn more about the basics of sports betting, including key terms to know, over at The Betting Academy!

Speaking of underdogs…

There are three of them in this Sweet 16 that our team here at Gaming Society thinks are worth betting on.

One underdog we’re betting on? The aforementioned Princeton Tigers (…because how could we not?) 🐯

"Creighton is a 10-point favorite in this game—and for good reason. They’re superior to Princeton in essentially every advanced statistic, and they’re playing their best basketball of the season. Unfortunately for the Blue Jays, Princeton simply does not care... but like, in a gritty way, not a snooty Ivy League way.

Creighton can absolutely fill it up on offense—but so could Arizona and Mizzou. With a week to prepare, I think Princeton coach Mitch Henderson will prep yet another fantastic game plan, and the Tigers' methodical (and at times infuriating pace) will take them to the Elite Eight."

Find out who else we’re betting on (and what we’re betting) in the Men’s Sweet 16. 👀

📱Social moments that altered my brain chemistry this week📱

Mina Kimes = GOATED

ICYMI; Giant tool bag (and former voice on sports radio!) Chris Curtis used an ethnic slur to describe ESPN analyst Mina Kimes on his talk show. Gross. Boooo.

Even grosser, their team’s parent company came out to clarify — he actually meant to refer to film star Mila Kunis with the ethnic slur… not GOATED ESPN analyst Mina Kimes.

How Mina responded: She changed her profile picture on Twitter to a photo of Mila Kunis.

The internet has come out in fierce defense of Mina — arguably the best NFL analyst in sports, and as always, we’re thankful for those who are never afraid to speak out against racism. We’re also thankful to Mina Kimes, whose sense of humor and intelligence always prevails. 🙂 

The Jets locker room has thoughts on Ezekiel Elliott, I guess?

Reports circulated that former Cowboy turned recent free agent RB Ezekiel Elliott has narrowed down his list of preferred teams to the Philadelphia Eagles, New York Jets and Cincinnati Bengals.

The team’s making all kinds of moves to assemble what I can only describe as my 2018 fantasy roster, given the moves for QB Aaron Rodgers and WR Odell Beckham Jr., among others. Elliott would be a fitting final piece to that puzzle, if they get it right.

Apparently, second-year RB Breece Hall isn’t on board, though? He tagged fellow Jets RB Michael Carter in the tweet too, letting all of us know — including the Jets’ front office — they might want to reconsider!

Before you go, check out some more cool things we’ve been workin’ on!

Cavaliers unsung hero Darius Garland is lifting Cleveland to post-LeBron James glory

Garland probably won't get as much recognition as he deserves from NBA awards voters. But his broader influence on the league is going to be felt for years to come.