Sweet 16 Predictions: East students predict the outcome of Kansas vs. Providence

The No. 1 seeded Kansas Jayhawks come off a close win over the No. 9 seeded Creighton Bluejays, 79-72 in the second round of the 2022 NCAA March Madness Tournament. The 30-6 Kansas Jayhawks are led by Naismith Player of the Year finalist Ochai Agbaji, who averages 19.3 points and 5.3 rebounds per game.

The Jayhawks will face the No. 4 seed Providence Friars in the Sweet 16 on Friday Mar. 25 at 6:29 p.m. at the United Center in Chicago. The Providence Friars are 27-5 and come off a blowout win over the No. 12 Richmond Spiders, 79-51. The Friars are led by Nate Watson, who averages 13.5 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. The Jayhawks are 7.5-point favorites in Friday’s game according to ESPN. The winner will advance to the Elite 8 on Sunday, March 27.

Q: Who will win?

A: Gus Bergkamp, senior – “[The Jayhawks] are going to win just because we have pretty good experience in our starting five. When we are hot and shooting the ball well, we are unbeatable.”

A: Lauren McGuire, sophomore – “In my bracket I put KU winning the whole thing because I have a lot of faith in them. I just think we are the stronger defensive team [than Providence].”

A: Cole Chinnock, freshman – “I think KU will win. They just look really hot right now. They will be pretty tough to beat. I’m pretty confident in how KU is playing right now. Remy Martin has been playing really well. If we can get him and Ochai Agbaji to be playing well at the same time, I think that could be really big for this game and the next game.”

Q: What are the keys to the game for both teams?

A: Bergkamp – “The key to the game for KU is to push the ball in transition. Another key is to shoot the ball well and get Ochai Agbaji going on offense because if not, we are going to be in trouble. For Providence, it’s to slow the game down. Don’t let us get baskets in transition and don’t let us shoot the ball well. They need to get David McCormack in foul trouble.”

A: McGuire – “They are both pretty good teams. It’s going to come down to who has a better game because they can both have really on games and really off games. When we played Creighton, and Creighton isn’t a really good three-point shooting team, but they shot really well that game. It’s kind of a matter of whose shots are on and who’s making plays and things like that.”

A: Chinnock – “For KU, they need to do what they have been doing all season. They need to carry out what they have been doing the past few seasons and play with that energy. For Providence, they need to control the pace of the game and slow KU down a lot. When KU starts getting transition points and getting up and down the floor quickly, they are tough to beat. The key would be to slow KU down and make them play in the half court.”

Q: How do you expect the game to play out?

Bergkamp – “It is going to be fast paced. Bill Self will be coming off of five days of rest and will know what to do and how to attack the defense. We are going to move the ball well and shoot it well. Remy Martin will get hot early.”

McGuire – “I honestly think it’s going to be close the whole time because Providence is obviously not a bad team. I think we’ll pull ahead in the last seven minutes or so. By the end, we’ll be ahead by six or seven. It will be something where it’s not going to be super close, but it will be pretty close until the end. It will be back and forth.”

Chinnock – “I think KU will be up pretty much the whole game, but I don’t think it will be a blowout or anything. It will be an 8-10 point victory for KU. They will dominate the whole game, but I can’t see them blowing Providence out.”

Q: What players will have the biggest impact?

Bergkamp – “Remy Martin for sure. He’s going to create shots for Ochai Agbaji and get his own points. Cristian Braun needs to make some threes early or else it could be a bad game for us.” 

McGuire – “I think Remy Martin because he has been doing pretty well the entire tournament. He has a lot of energy and has a pretty big impact on the team. Ochai Agbaji has been doing really well in this tournament as well. I think they [both] bring really good energy and impact the team.”

Chinnock – “Definitely Remy Martin. He is really hot right now and is a good second player besides Ochai Agbaji. He has been playing really well and will be crucial to the game and the rest of the season. As for Ochai Agbaji, he has had a few rough games, but he has had an amazing season. He’s a Naismith Award finalist. I think he has a good impact on the locker room before and after the game and the overall team on and off the court. He’s really helpful for the team.”

Q: Why are you a KU fan? 

Bergkamp – “I’ve been a KU fan since the day I was born, football and basketball, win, lose or draw. My dad went to KU.”

McGuire – “Our family have just been KU fans since I was little, and we’ve gone to KU games and KU kick off every year. They’re always just a really fun team to watch. It’s fun cheering for them. My brother’s going there, so we’re just a KU family.

Chinnock – “My mom grew up a KU fan and my dad went to medical school at KU. That is why he started liking KU. I’ve always been a KU basketball fan.”

Q: If KU doesn’t win how disappointing will that be for you?

Bergkamp – “It will be very disappointing knowing that our road to the Final Four is really easy this year. If we beat Providence, we play a 10 or 11 seed in the Elite 8. I think losing is just inexcusable.”

McGuire – “I’ll be pretty disappointed. During March Madness, whenever KU loses, I obviously still care about my bracket, but I don’t really care who wins. It’s pretty upsetting, but there is always next year.”

Chinnock – “I’d be pretty bummed because I think this team’s pretty special. They’re not the most talented team we have ever had, but I feel like they definitely play together really well. I’d be pretty bummed because I think we have a chance to win it all this year.” 

Q: How many hours of March Madness have you watched throughout the first two rounds of the tournament?

Bergkamp – “15-20 hours.”

McGuire – “About 10 hours or so.”

Chinnock – “20 – 25 hours.”

Q: What will the final score be? 

Bergkamp – “75-61, Kansas.” 

McGuire – “83-78, Kansas.”

Chinnock – “76-68, Kansas.”