Sweet 16 Preview: North Carolina vs. Washington State

While several high seeds were knocked out and got scares in the early rounds, the North Carolina Tar Heels broke no sweat to speak of. Two straight blowout wins with over 100 points scored made the Tar Heels even more of a favorite to win the NCAA Tournament. With the East Regional finals held in Charlotte, the Tar Heels continue to be an overwhelming favorite to at least get to the Final Four. But their toughest test to date comes from the Washington St Cougars, a program that's just beginning to build it's own basketball tradition.

The Cougars may have the best shot to keep the Tar Heels under 100 points, since they have the second best defense in the NCAA. After playing an even first half with Winthrop in the first round, the Cougars blew them out in the second half and blew out Notre Dame in the second round. The Cougars create almost 10 turnovers per game, with senior center Kyle Weaver as the active Pac-10 career leader in assists and blocks. It will be his job to contain Tar Heels superstar Tyler Hansbrough, or at least limit his impact. For scoring, Derrick Low and Weaver cannot struggle at the field if the Tar Heels continue at their current pace. The Cougars have not advanced this far in the NCAA tournament since 1941, and cannot show any psychological weakness at this big of a stage. To win, they must play exactly their kind of game, because the Cougars 67 points per game average will not defeat the Tar Heels if they play to their strengths.