Starting tomorrow, Thursday, March 26, March Madness will pick up again with the Sweet 16 and will end on Sunday with the conclusion of the Elite 8 round. There are some key games that will set the tone for the home stretch of the tournament.

(3)Notre Dame vs (7)Wichita State- Notre Dame has had an excellent season and they have proved against Butler last round that they have the ability to play against excellent teams and finish strong in clutchtime. But they will have to bring their A-game if they are to defeat the Wichita State Shockers, who are looking to make an even deeper tournament run. Last week they upset the (2)Kansas Jayhawks in a strong showing. Wichita State always seems to pull through in games against big programs. Regardless of who wins, this will be a game that will come right down to the wire and is definitely a must watch. Oakley’s Pick: Wichita State

(3)Oklahoma vs (7)Michigan State- These are two teams that have strong offenses and defenses. Oklahoma is one of the funnest teams in the nation to watch, especially their star guard and Big 12 player of the year, Buddy Hield. Last week against the Dayton Flyers, he hit some big shots and a key block to secure the win. Michigan State had a big upset last week, against one of the top teams in the nation, the (2)Virginia Cavaliers, and they are dead set on going even deeper in the tournament. If they play solid defense and work hard every possession, they might have a chance at upsetting the Oklahoma Sooners. Oakley’s Pick: Oklahoma

(11)UCLA vs (2)Gonzaga- Earlier in the season, Gonzaga played UCLA and easily defeated them. At the time, UCLA was one of the worst teams in the power conferences, but towards the end of the season, especially in tournament play, have caught fire. They upset (6)SMU in a tight game and won by a controversial call, but clearly they have proven that they have the ability to play with the best. The Gonzaga Bulldogs have had a great season, losing only to two great teams, Arizona and BYU. They have played great in the tournament, but they must play lockdown defense on UCLA’s 3 point shooting if they are to win. UCLA is going to go down swinging, and I think they have a serious chance at a big upset. But I also feel that Gonzaga isn’t going to let that happen. Oakley’s Pick: Gonzaga