March Madness 2022: Fran Fraschilla’s must-watch Sweet 16 matchups, Final Four predictions

March Insanity followers are gearing as much as watch faculty basketball’s most interesting as this week’s Candy 16 matchups kick off on Thursday evening, with final 12 months’s runner-up, Gonzaga, taking up the Arkansas Razorbacks.

With eight video games to observe, legendary faculty basketball coach and analyst Fran Fraschilla predicts what video games followers simply can’t miss. 

Fraschilla, who coached the Manhattan Jaspers to 2 NCAA and two NIT appearances from 1992-96 after which led the 1998 St. John’s Purple Storm to its first NCAA Championship in 5 years, spoke with Fox Information Digital about his Last 4 predictions and his must-watch matchup for this weekend.  

SAINT PETER’S CAPTIVATES THE NATION IN UNLIKELY MARCH MADNESS RUN, FRAN FRASCHILLA SAYS 

“Houston vs. Arizona is a good story as a result of Houston went to the Last 4 final 12 months, misplaced their prime seven scorers, together with their two main scorers this season, who have been injured throughout the identical week in December and are out for the 12 months,” Fraschilla mentioned of the Thursday evening matchup. 

“To lose your two main scorers this season and reinvent your self and rapidly be again within the Candy 16 is outstanding,” Fraschilla mentioned, “but it surely’s not outstanding if you consider their coach, Kelvin Sampson, who at 67 is attempting to carry two Houston groups to back-to-back Last Fours.”

Sophomore guard Tramon Mark underwent season-ending shoulder surgical procedure after sustaining an harm in December. Not lengthy after, junior Marcus Sasser was additionally dominated out for the rest of the season with a fractured left foot.

Tramon Mark #12 of the Houston Cougars dribbles in opposition to Montez Mathis #10 of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights through the second half within the second spherical recreation of the 2021 NCAA Males’s Basketball Match at Lucas Oil Stadium on March 21, 2021 in Indianapolis, Indiana. 
(Photograph by Jamie Squire/Getty Pictures)

However Fraschilla isn’t counting out Houston simply but. 

“That is the best Renaissance of Cougar basketball since Phi Slama Jama within the early 80s,” he mentioned, referring to the legendary Houston groups of 1982 to 1984. 

Fraschilla, whose bracket remains to be intact, predicts Kansas, UCLA, Arizona, and Gonzaga will attain the Last 4 and anticipates the Bruins successful all of it. 

“I’ve seen Kansas all 12 months so I understand how good they’re. Their bracket has opened up. No area left is a straightforward one, however I feel Kansas has a fairly simpler highway just because if they’ll beat Windfall, they’ll play an 11 or 12 seed, they usually’ve already crushed Iowa State twice. So I like their possibilities of attending to the championship recreation,” he mentioned. 

“UCLA is slightly undervalued as a result of they’ve primarily the identical workforce again that went to the Last 4 final 12 months they usually have a area that’s very winnable for them. I’ve each these groups advancing to the finals in New Orleans with UCLA chopping down the nets.”

Peyton Watson #23 of the UCLA Bruins smiles on the bench because the UCLA Bruins tackle the St. Mary’s Gaels through the second spherical of the 2022 NCAA Males’s Basketball Match held on the Moda Middle on March 19, 2022 in Portland, Oregon. 
(Photograph by Jamie Schwaberow/NCAA Pictures through Getty Pictures)

Fraschilla beforehand advised Fox Information Digital that he appreciates Saint Peter’s Cinderella run and sees them as a “robust” and “gritty” workforce, led by a “robust” and “gritty” coach – Shaheen Holloway. 

He appears to seek out those self same qualities in UCLA. 

“The theme for me is hard and gritty, in our dialog right here, and I feel the theme for this event is hard and gritty, and I like their toughness and grittiness,” Fraschilla mentioned, referring to the Bruins. 

“It emanates from their coach, Mick Cronin, they usually have plenty of skilled guys who have been heartbroken final 12 months when Gonzaga’s Jalen Suggs hit the not possible shot to knock them out of the semifinals.”

Head coach Mick Cronin of the UCLA Bruins reacts within the first spherical recreation in opposition to the Akron Zips through the 2022 NCAA Males’s Basketball Match at Moda Middle on March 17, 2022 in Portland, Oregon. 
(Photograph by Abbie Parr/Getty Pictures)

With the very best March Insanity has to supply nonetheless underway, Fraschilla has partnered up with On Location to assist carry followers the final word NCAA expertise, together with distinctive ticket packages and unique alternatives that embrace meet and greets with NCAA legends and even an opportunity for followers to get their arms on the NCAA championship trophy.

“Effectively, I’m an authorized basketball junkie, I’ve been my complete life. I’ve by no means labored a complete day in my life. So I’ve bridged my profession from 23 years as a coach to 19 extra years as a broadcaster and I like the sport, notably the school recreation,” he mentioned. “Now I get to host individuals who love the sport like I do.”