The first weekend of the NCAA Tournament has come and gone. While we witnessed a few upsets over the first two rounds, the Sweet 16 has a very chalky feel to it. All four No. 1 seeds and all four No. 2 seeds are still alive. Those teams are joined by a pair of No. 3’s, two No. 4’s, two No. 5’s, one 6-seed and one 11-seed. Let’s see how the 16 remaining teams stack up entering the Sweet 16.
1-Seed — UConn Huskies
The defending National Champions have shown they are serious about going back-to-back. UConn cruised to a 39-point win in the Round of 64 and defeated Northwestern by 17 to advance to the Sweet 16. In the second half against Northwestern, the Huskies demonstrated why they will be so tough to beat. Despite shooting 1-of-11 from three in the second half, UConn shot over 54-percent from the field over the final 20 minutes en route to an easy win. The Huskies are deep and battle-tested. A rematch of last year’s championship game against San Diego State awaits.
1-Seed — Purdue Boilermakers
Through two games, the Boilermakers are playing like a team on a mission. A year after losing to a 16-seed in the first round, Purdue has throttled its first two opponents. Sunday’s demolition of Utah State was particularly impressive. Purdue led by as many as 41 points against a Utah State team that won 28 games — including a 16-point win over TCU in the Round of 64. While everyone talks about Zach Edey (rightfully so), Purdue is shooting over 40-percent from three this year — ranking second-best in the nation. Gonzaga can certainly beat Purdue, but Edey and Co. should be considered the favorite.
1-Seed — Houston Cougars
Regarded as one of the nation’s two best teams all season, Houston narrowly avoided an early exit in the Round of 32. The Cougars faced a nightmare matchup against Texas A&M. The Aggies are excellent on the offensive glass and draw a lot of fouls. Conversely, Houston isn’t great on the boards and fouls too often. A&M attempted 45 free throws and grabbed 26 offensive boards. The Cougars blew an 11-point lead in the final two minutes of regulation but managed to pull out the win in OT. While A&M showed the country how to potentially beat Houston, the Cougars also demonstrated why they are a top contender. Jamal Shead, Emanuel Sharp and L.J. Cryer combined to score 71 points. Up next is a showdown with a Duke team that is brimming with confidence.
1-Seed — North Carolina Tar Heels
After battling its way to a 1-seed over the final weeks of the season, North Carolina has justified its placement through the opening weekend of the NCAA Tournament. Led by All-American point guard RJ Davis and big man Armando Bacot, the Tar Heels advanced to the Sweet 16 with a pair of double-digit victories. In the Round of 32 win over Michigan State, UNC showed its resolve by overcoming a 12-point deficit in the first half. After falling behind 26-14, the Tar Heels went on a 26-5 run to end the half. Alabama can pose some problems if it has a good shooting game, but all eyes are looking to the Elite Eight and a potential showdown with Arizona.
2-Seed — Illinois Fighting Illini
Brad Underwood has the Illini playing some excellent basketball. Illinois has continued to play well following its impressive showing in the Big Ten Tournament and has now won six games in a row. Terrence Shannon Jr. has been one of the tournament’s best players thus far. The star guard has poured in 56 points over the first two games and is averaging 30.5 PPG during Illinois’ winning streak. While Illinois has been terrific on offense, its defense continues to be problematic. The three other teams left in Illinois’ region — UConn, Iowa State and San Diego State — can end the Illini’s season. However, the Illini are capable of making a run.
2-Seed — Arizona Wildcats
If Arizona continues to shoot a high percentage from beyond the arc it will be tough to beat. Through two games, the Wildcats are shooting 40-percent from three. In a relatively easy win over Dayton in the Round of 32, Arizona shot 8-of-18 from three and trailed for a total of 19 seconds. Pac-12 Player of the Year Caleb Love can lead the Wildcats to a Final Four appearance — but he is also capable of shooting his team out of the game if he has an off night. Arizona’s offense is elite and its defense is playing at a higher level than it has in years. At their best, the Wildcats can run most teams out of the gym.
2-Seed — Iowa State Cyclones
Iowa State’s Sweet 16 matchup with Illinois will be fascinating. For most of the season, the Cyclones were a below-average three-point shooting team. They finished 10th in the Big 12 shooting 32.4-percent in the regular season, but they have been lights out the past four games. Iowa State has connected on 47-percent of its attempts en route to the Sweet 16 — including a 7-of-14 showing against Washington State in a close Round of 32 matchup. Facing an Illinois team that has scored 85+ points in its last four games, Iowa State will need its hot shooting to continue if it wants to advance to the Elite Eight.
2-Seed — Marquette Golden Eagles
Marquette has played with fire in each of its wins so far, but it remains a true threat to make a run through the tournament. The Golden Eagles trailed 15-seed Western Kentucky by seven at halftime of the opening round but ultimately won by 18 after scoring 51 points in the second half. Against Colorado, Marquette took an 11-point lead into halftime and then withstood a spirited comeback from the Buffaloes. Star point guard Tyler Kolek continues to be the difference-maker for the Golden Eagles. Kolek put up 18/11/6 against Western Kentucky and was even better against Colorado — scoring 21 points to go along with 11 more assists and five rebounds.
3-Seed — Tennessee Volunteers
There are times when UT’s offense can get collectively bogged down. This normally stems from not hitting threes at a high clip. With that said, you can count on two things normally with Tennessee: High-level defense and offensive potency from Dalton Knecht. Moving forward, these two elements will essentially determine whether the Vols have a shot at making the Final Four. When playing Creighton in the Sweet 16, Tennessee has to try and limit the damage behind the arc. The Bluejays can score in bunches. However, with Zakai Zeigler and Jahmai Mashack (among others), Tennessee might be the most elite defensive team from the guard spot that Creighton will have faced from an athleticism and ball-pressure standpoint.
3-Seed — Gonzaga Bulldogs
Gonzaga thoroughly dismantled Kansas in all facets of the game. Mark Few completely outcoached Bill Self — especially on the offensive end of the floor where the Jayhawks couldn’t figure out how to stop Gonzaga’s pick-and-roll offense. Adding Ben Gregg to the lineup has given Gonzaga increased size, athleticism, and toughness. They’ll need him to be highly active if the Zags are to pull off the upset against Zach Edey. Anton Watson will also have to be aggressive on the offensive end. He’s the one Gonzaga player that might have a decent advantage over anyone Purdue can put on him.
3-Seed — Duke Blue Devils
Duke is one of the most talented teams in the field. The Blue Devils dismantled James Madison in a game that wasn’t close. Southern California native Jared McCain has been fabulous scoring from the perimeter. Kyle Filipowski is one of the more difficult big men in the country to stop. With this sort of balance — coupled with Mark Mitchell getting garbage points/making the little plays, Jeremy Roach hitting shots and Tyrese Proctor attacking the rim, this is a very multi-faceted team. They’ll be younger than Houston, but the size advantage Duke employs might be too tough to overcome for the Cougars.
3-Seed — Creighton Bluejays
The Bluejays are a scary team for anyone to face at this point in the tournament. They’re experienced, and exceptionally potent on the offensive end of the floor, and they boast a legit big man (Ryan Kalkbrenner) who can both score and protect the rim. Tennessee will want to slow it down and grind it out. Creighton will want to gun from the perimeter and get the ball moving up and down the floor. Which team can control tempo the best? If Creighton can knock down a few threes early, that should soften up the Vols’ defense en route to a productive evening.
4-Seed — San Diego St. Aztecs
The Aztecs were a trendy pick to be upset in both of their first two games (UAB, Yale). Yet, SDSU took care of business and will now get ready for a rematch versus UConn. The two programs squared off versus one another a year ago in the National Championship Game. This could help the Aztecs from a familiarity standpoint, and surely, there will be those on the roster who are elated over the prospect of getting revenge here. Jaedon LeDee has to be the best big man in this contest — and that includes Donovan Clingan. SDSU will be giving up some size in the frontcourt, and as such will have to rebound the basketball with immense team effort. The guards will have to make their threes as well. Look for USC transfer Reese Waters to be a real X-factor. He’s not played very well over the last month. However, he’s a supremely talented player who can ‘get his’ whenever he wants.
4-Seed — Alabama Crimson Tide
The Crimson Tide took down two plucky sides in Grand Canyon and Charleston. Now, the big boys have come calling. North Carolina will be Alabama’s next opponent. It’s a program with history and pedigree. RJ Davis and Armando Bacot are the best one-two punch in College Basketball. It also helps that they’ve both been in college for seemingly 13 years. Trying to keep these two in check should be the focus of the defensive game plan. Big man Grant Nelson has to prove he can stay on the floor. At the very least, Alabama should look to double Davis and let someone else beat them. If the Crimson Tide can get the tempo ramped up, they’ve got a shot to pull the upset.
4-Seed — Clemson Tigers
Very few people expected Clemson to reach the Sweet 16. Most had the Tigers losing in the first round to New Mexico. From there, even fewer people had them beating Baylor. At this point, Clemson has to be taken seriously. They’ve proven throughout the regular season that it can be a very solid team. Case in point, the Tigers have notched wins over Alabama, Baylor, South Carolina, TCU, and North Carolina. PJ Hall’s matchup against Arizona’s Oumar Ballo will be fascinating. The Tigers are a bigger team than Arizona collectively speaking. If they can keep the tempo slowed, they have a chance to pull the upset. Getting guard Chase Hunter good looks will also go a long way toward winning the game.
4-Seed — NC State Wolfpack
The Wolfpack magic continues to exist. Winners of seven in a row, NC State now has the challenge of trying to slay the dragon that is Marquette. DJ Burns has been a revelation for his team — dishing dimes and scoring in the post effectively. He will be a handful for Marquette to try and guard. Guard DJ Horne can score in bunches. It’s a team surely outplaying expectations and its ceiling. However, when a team plays with tremendous chemistry and confidence, anything can happen. The short break should help this team more so than perhaps any other team in the field. NC State is beat up and in need of some rest.