Mr T's Sweet 16

With only a little over a week left in the regular season, I figured it was time to put up some rankings. I probably should've been throwing these out there for a while now, but it's the first year here at Rise and Fire.

#1 - Pittsburgh – Pitt is a well rounded team that will give you 100% effort in every game. They've shown vulnerability when Blair gets in foul trouble, but since every team has a fault, I find this one to be the least concerning.
#2 - North Carolina - They have as much offensive balance as any team in the country, but their defensive effort and closing of games ability can be questioned. If Lawson can get a wingman for late game situations, and there are enough options, they'll settle that issue.
#3 - Memphis - They're outside shooting isn't great, but you know you're getting defense, athleticism, and Tyreke Evans when you need him.
#4 - Connecticut - The loss of Jerome Dyson has brought the perimeter defense down to last year's levels. UConn also lacks a true three-point gunner. AJ Price and their interior size, however, will take them pretty far.
#5 - Villanova - While undersized, Nova still hits the boards with reckless abandon. They're a smart team with all the different ways to score (inside, dribble drive, and perimeter).
#6 - Michigan St. - They have some issues with turnovers, but notice how they've done great work on the road in the Big Ten. They've got a great threat at PG and as long as they remember to play inside out, the offense is in line with the strong defense.
#7 - Oklahoma - Blake Griffin will return and while the team lacks great defense, the emergence of Juan Patillo (though suspended this weekend) brings extra offense to a team that didn't need it.
#8 - Louisville - Guard play will eventually bite the Cardinals in the butt, but Terence Williams is going to do his best to make sure that's later rather than sooner. Preparing for Louisville's defense on a short week won't be a cup of tea.
#9 - Missouri - 40 minutes of hell is back and Missouri has the athletes to back it up. The limited preparation for the second game of the weekend will help their cause, but they might fall a little short in the backcourt.
#10 - Wake Forest - When their head is in the game, Wake Forest can play with anyone in the country. They lack a consistent three-point shooting threat outside of Teague, but they'll run with the best of em.
#11 - Clemson - Decision making and execution will probably be the Tigers' Achilles heel. The loss to Virginia Tech showed mediocre coaching and questionable point guard generalship on the final play, but their natural talent and pressing defense should take them far.
#12 - Kansas - It's rather amazing what Bill Self has done despite losing five NBA players from last year's National Championship team. They'll probably come up short on experience on a given night, but they have as much talent as anyone.
#13 - Duke - Rise and Fire's favorite whipping boy might've stepped their game up with the addition of Elliot Williams to the starting lineup. I mentioned in November that he wasn't playing enough and Coach K finally listened. The interior offense and defense, however, will be the death of them.
#14 - Arizona St. - When the best player on the court is on your squad, you'll win more than you lose. ASU's zone defense is another one of those tough second game preparation defenses.
#15 - Marquette - The injury to Dominic James shouldn't hurt them as much as you think because of his poor foul and three-point shooting. They'll need to get a rhythm in the coming weeks and they're bench will shrink just a little bit.
#16 - Purdue - Boilermaker finds are excited for next year, but this year's team can still play. They're a little short in the frontcourt (as was seen last night while missing Calasan), but they have enough on both ends of the floor to survive a couple games.