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Heels lucky spotlight shines on SEC 3, not 4

South Carolina head coach Frank Martin talks with members of the media on the sidelines during practice, Thursday, March 23, 2017, at Madison Square Garden in New York. South Carolina takes on Baylor in an east regional semifinal of the NCAA college basketball tournament on Friday. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)

Tonight is another chance for SEC basketball to take a step out of the football shadow it lives in.

The SEC joined the Pac-12, Big 12 and Big Ten with three teams each in the NCAA Tournament's Sweet 16, and the SEC should have had four.

Instead, the NCAA allowed three guys to rob the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville on national TV, so North Carolina -- the lone survivor of the ACC -- plays Butler tonight.

For now, but just for now, that's enough beating that dead horse, but yours truly received emails from all over the country about how the Hogs were hosed. One disagreed, but he was from North Carolina.

Anyway, here are the picks for what should be some great games tonight:

No. 1 North Carolina vs. No. 4 Butler: The Tar Heels should have run out of luck in Greenville, S.C., but the truth is they may not need luck. Arkansas was a bad match-up for them because of the tenacious defense it played Sunday. The Bulldogs are the new Gonzaga, which means don't call them Cinderella.

The Bulldogs beat No. 13 Winthrop and No. 12 Middle Tennessee State, when it had to make 8 of 15 three-pointers, so they have not really been tested. The Tar Heels clobbered Texas Southern 103-64 and lucked by No. 8 Arkansas. The Tar Heels play outstanding defense, and they are long and quick. They are hard to shoot over and harder to penetrate against because of their quick hands.

They are still a deserving No. 1, and if nothing else, Arkansas taught them a 17-point lead isn't safe. North Carolina 83-77

No. 3 Baylor vs. No. 7 South Carolina: With all the disgrace the Baylor football program has brought to this school, it is amazing Scott Drew continues to bring in such talented basketball players. Probably one of the reasons he appears to be the most disliked coach in the Big 12 by Big 12 coaches.

The Bears got here rather easily by taking out No. 14 New Mexico State 91-73 and getting by a decent No. 11 USC 82-78.

Hate to say it, but the Gamecocks have been something of a Cinderella by beating No. 10 Marquette 93-73 and then stunning the nation by beating No. 2 Duke 88-81. What Coach Frank Martin has to guard against more than not measuring up athletically is whether his team feels like it has reached its goal. Baylor 79-68

No. 2 Kentucky vs. No. 3 UCLA: No one has a tougher route to the Final Four than the Kings of SEC basketball. If the Wildcats win this one, they face the winner of North Carolina-Butler. Probably the most difficult thing this week has been for Coach John Calipari to find a place to eat where no one spits in his food. He left Memphis, site of this Sweet 16 regional, for Kentucky despite being offered the same money.

There likely are six players in this game who will play in the NBA, three on each team, so UCLA is talented, too, and will have a chip on its shoulder, but it could come down to coaching. Kentucky 81-76

No. 4 Florida vs. No. 8 Wisconsin: Two very disciplined teams. The Gators come in after stomping No. 5 Virginia 65-39, while the Badgers had to beat talented Virginia Tech and No. 1 overall seed Villanova. While both appear to be peaking, it seems the Badgers should have the most confidence.

Greg Gard is in his second year as head coach of the Badgers, and he's made it to the Sweet 16 for the second time. This is Gators Coach Michael White's first trip to the NCAA Tournament. The players will feel the inexperience more than he does. Wisconsin 71-66

Sports on 03/24/2017