This article is part of our Sweet 16 Preview series.
Site: Los Angeles
Tip-off: Thursday
This has been an NCAA Tournament in which John McEnroe would be very happy. Chalking has been flying up everywhere. Through Saturday, it looked like the South Region might be immune to the top seeds falling, but the madness hit the region as Xavier and North Carolina fell to Florida State and Texas A&M, respectively. Michigan and Gonzaga were able to hold up to their seeds and would make for a very intriguing Elite Eight game if they are able to advance. The higher seeds will face teams with noticeable size advantages, but size of heart may matter more than height in this NCAA Tournament.
No. 3 Michigan vs. 
No. 10 Texas A&M
Key Matchup: Aggie perimeter defenders against the Wolverine snipers. Michigan likes to turn the game inside out with its forwards, Mortiz Wagner and Duncan Robinson, taking and making 3-pointers. The forwards converted a combined 129 3-pointers on 39.5 percent from long range. The Aggies have plenty of size on the wing (including Admon Gilder and DJ Hogg), but they will not be able to stray from the Michigan shooters.
Michigan will Win IF: it pulls the Aggie bigs away from the basket. Texas A&M coach Billy Kennedy will have a decision to make about how to cover Wagner and Robinson on the perimeter. He will likely send the aforementioned big wings at the Wolverine forwards, but he could slide Robert Williams toward to the perimeter to use his excellent length to bother
Site: Los Angeles
Tip-off: Thursday
This has been an NCAA Tournament in which John McEnroe would be very happy. Chalking has been flying up everywhere. Through Saturday, it looked like the South Region might be immune to the top seeds falling, but the madness hit the region as Xavier and North Carolina fell to Florida State and Texas A&M, respectively. Michigan and Gonzaga were able to hold up to their seeds and would make for a very intriguing Elite Eight game if they are able to advance. The higher seeds will face teams with noticeable size advantages, but size of heart may matter more than height in this NCAA Tournament.
No. 3 Michigan vs. No. 10 Texas A&M
Key Matchup: Aggie perimeter defenders against the Wolverine snipers. Michigan likes to turn the game inside out with its forwards, Mortiz Wagner and Duncan Robinson, taking and making 3-pointers. The forwards converted a combined 129 3-pointers on 39.5 percent from long range. The Aggies have plenty of size on the wing (including Admon Gilder and DJ Hogg), but they will not be able to stray from the Michigan shooters.
Michigan will Win IF: it pulls the Aggie bigs away from the basket. Texas A&M coach Billy Kennedy will have a decision to make about how to cover Wagner and Robinson on the perimeter. He will likely send the aforementioned big wings at the Wolverine forwards, but he could slide Robert Williams toward to the perimeter to use his excellent length to bother the shooters. If the Aggies send Williams, they might lose some of the advantage on the boards and play right into the Wolverine plans.
Texas A&M will Win IF: it dominates the glass. With Tyler Davis and Williams patrolling the paint, the Aggies should control the rebounding battle. Davis and Williams combined for 18.3 boards and Williams was 23rd in the nation in defense rebounding rate (per KenPom). Davis was 45th in the nation on the offensive glass and kept his field goal percentage up by getting extra opportunities via tip ins and offensive boards.
Player to Watch: Robert Williams, Texas A&M. The 6-10 sophomore has had an uneven season. Despite having NBA potential, Williams tends to disappear on offense. He is converting 62.7 percent of his field goals, but rarely looks for his own shot. Even against North Carolina, he took just three field goals (and made all three). The Aggies need Williams to be a bit more aggressive on offense and take advantage of his athleticism against the smaller, less nimble Wolverine bigs.
Prediction: All season Texas A&M seemed like a sleeping beast. The Aggies were favored to win the SEC, but had all kinds of roster instability which caused the team to lose their first six conference games. The pieces are fitting together and the team has won five of its last six games. Michigan had mixed success against power teams: they swept Michigan State, but lost two of three to Purdue. Texas A&M's combination of size and athleticism will allow them to forge an early lead, and if they can withstand a second-half comeback attempt, the Aggies will be to the Elite Eight for the first time.
No. 4 Gonzaga vs. 
No. 9 Florida State
Key Matchup: Bigs vs. Foul Trouble. Both teams essentially go three-deep in the frontcourt, so fouls will be at a premium for the forwards and centers involved. Florida State has a nice center platoon of Mfiondu Kabangele and Christ Koumadje with leading scorer Phil Cofer at power forward, while Johnathan Williams, Killian Tillie, and Rui Hachimura form the trio of bigs for Gonzaga. Any early attrition due to fouls could swing the balance of the game.
Gonzaga will Win IF: it stays true at the 3-point line. We do not have many examples to base what causes the Bulldogs to lose. They only lost four games all season, but when they did lose to Florida, Villanova, and St. Mary's, the opponent went crazy from the 3-point line (a combined 50 percent, 35-of-70). In the loss to San Diego State, three of Gonzaga's starters fouled out. While there may be plenty of statistical variance in 3-point defense, Gonzaga can help its cause by not allowing open shots from long distance.
Florida State will Win IF: it can get a surprise offensive performance. Neither team has a clear top option on offense, but Seminole offense seems particularly diversified. Braian Angola led the squad with 15 points against Xavier, but four other players scored in double digits. Against Missouri, it was Kabangele who had a double-double off the bench. Trent Forrest has averaged 14.0 points over his last eight games and could be the key to a Seminole victory.
Player to Watch: Zach Norvell Jr., Gonzaga. The 6-5 redshirt freshman is coming off the biggest game of his career against Ohio State in the second round. He provided 28 points and 12 rebounds, and nailed six 3-pointers -- all career highs. Norvell has been on an upswing down the stretch and hit four 3-pointers in each of the Zags' WCC tournament wins. His 3-point marksmanship could extend the Seminole defense and create good opportunities for his bigger teammates.
Prediction: Florida State looked cooked after it fell down by 12 points in the comeback win over Xavier on Sunday. The team rallied behind five straight points from Forrest and opportunistic offensive rebounding. While the majority of the Gonzaga team from last year is gone, the team's footprint still exists. The Seminoles will have problems with quick Gonzaga forwards, which will lead to foul trouble for Florida State bigs. Gonzaga will be able to control the boards and win by 5-8 points.
