After a not-so-mad weekend of March Madness, the Sweet Sixteen is set. Michigan continues to survive and advance despite being a trendy upset pick in the first round and an underdog in the second. However, all the chalk throughout the tournament means the Wolverines are the fourth-lowest seed remaining (Ole Miss and BYU are 6-seeds while Arkansas is a 10-seed). The clock struck midnight on Cinderella early this year.
Heading into next weekend, we re-examined the remaining teams and re-ranked them.
1. Duke Blue Devils
Defeated 16-Mount St. Mary’s 93-49, def. 9-Baylor 89-66
Through two games of the NCAA Tournament, Duke has looked like an absolute wagon and the team to beat. Baylor was widely viewed as one of the better 9-seeds and a team that could give the Blue Devils trouble, but that wasn’t the case whatsoever. It’s Duke’s tournament to lose until proven otherwise.
2. Florida Gators
Def. 16-Norfolk St. 95-69, def. 8-UConn 77-75
The supremely talented Gators were tested by defending national champion UConn. However, they proved their mettle in a two-point victory that could have been more. The Gators have the athleticism and scoring to beat anyone on any given night.
3. Auburn Tigers
Def. 16-Alabama State 83-63, def. 9-Creighton 82-70
The Tigers came out sluggish against Alabama State before easily pulling away late. Against Creighton, Tahaad Pettiford exploded off the bench to lead all scorers. Despite being the No. 1 overall seed, the vibes have felt somewhat off for Auburn in recent weeks. However, none of that might matter if it keeps winning.
4. Houston Cougars
Def. 16-SIU Edwardsville 78-40, def. 8-Gonzaga 81-76
The most slept on of the No. 1 seeds, Houston just continues to put away good teams. KenPom still has the Courgars as the second-best team in the country. They were legitimately tested against Gonzaga in the Round of 32, but Houston came out of that game looking great with a renewed confidence.
5. Alabama Crimson Tide
Def. 15-Robert Morris 90-81, def. 7-Saint Mary’s 80-66
Robert Morris proved to be pesky to the Crimson Tide, but they eventually avoided the upset. Alabama has simply been too athletic for each of its first two opponents. The bracket stiffens up for the Tide, as they will now face an under-seeded BYU team who is playing as good as anyone right now.
6. Tennessee Volunteers
Def. 15-Wofford 77-62, def. 7-UCLA 67-58
Tennessee didn’t have much trouble with its first two opponents. However, Rick Barnes-led teams tend to choke as favorites in the tournament. Could 3-seed Kentucky be the team that does it this year?
7. Texas Tech Red Raiders
Def. 14-UNC Wilmington 82-72, def. 11-Drake 77-64
UNC Wilmington hung around for a while in the late game on Thursday, but Texas Tech proved to be too powerful. The Red Raiders then squashed one of the last remaining Cinderella stories, as they handled an overmatched Drake team. Next up is 10-seed Arkansas, which means Texas Tech will be the only team to have faced exclusively double-digit seeds through three rounds of the tournament.
8. Michigan State Spartans
Def. 15-Bryant 87-62, def. 10-New Mexico 71-63
The Spartans took both Bryant and New Mexico’s best shots and were able to advance. A relentless defense and consistent second-half runs have propelled Michigan State to the Sweet Sixteen. The Spartans get 6-seed Ole Miss next.
9. Kentucky Wildcats
Def. 14-Troy 76-57, def. 6-Illinois 84-75
Some people, myself included, thought Kentucky’s matchup with Illinois would be one of the best games of the second round. Instead, a barrage from three by the Wildcats allowed them to win comfortably. This is not your typical Kentucky team full of star-power, but it is a well-coached, solidly constructed team.
10. Michigan Wolverines
Def. 12-UC San Diego 68-65, def. 4-Texas A&M 91-79
UC San Diego was one of the most popular upset picks before the start of the tournament. While the Tritons gave Michigan a scare, the Wolverines were largely the better team. Against Texas A&M, a 56-point second-half propelled Michigan to the next round. At its best, Michigan could win the whole thing. At its worst, it could get blown out by just about any tournament team. This is about as boom-or-bust as it gets.
11. Arizona Wildcats
Def. 13-Akron 93-65, def. 5-Oregon 87-83
Formerly Pac-12 foes, Arizona took care of business against Oregon in the Round of 32. There hasn’t been much national conversation about the Wildcats, but they just keep winning in the games that matter. They’ll take a crack at Duke in the next round in hopes of pulling off a stunner.
12. BYU Cougars
Def. 11-VCU 80-71, def. 3-Wisconsin 91-89
BYU knows how to score, and it does it well. The Cougars survived a last-second jumper from John Tonje and Wisconsin, but generally looked like the better team throughout the game despite being the lower seed. They will likely be a trendy upset pick against Alabama.
13. Purdue Boilermakers
Def. 13-High Point 75-63, def. 12-McNeese 76-62
The style of basketball Purdue plays is specifically well-suited to take care of mid-majors. Trey Kaufman-Renn is the type of bruising forward mid-major teams typically can’t handle. Fortunately for the Boilermakers, they’ve faced two of those opponents so far. The bracket stiffens dramatically for Purdue, as it now gets 1-seed Houston.
14. Maryland Terrapins
Def. 13-Grand Canyon 81-49, def. 12-Colorado State 72-71
In arguably the game of the tournament, Derik Queen hit a buzzer-beater off the glass to defeat Colorado State in agonizing fashion. The “Crab Five” have played well to date but are still one of the youngest teams in the tournament. They’ll take on 1-seed Florida in what will be a completely different type of opponent than Grand Canyon and Colorado State were.
15. Ole Miss Rebels
Def. 11-North Carolina 71-64, def. 3-Iowa State 91-78
Chris Beard has more than proved his worth at Ole Miss by taking it to the Sweet Sixteen with relative ease. North Carolina — which never should have made the tournament — provided minimal competition to the Rebels. Iowa State also didn’t put up much of a fight. Tom Izzo and Michigan State are up next for Chris Beard and company. Izzo may be hunting for revenge as Beard’s Texas Tech team beat Izzo in the tournament just a few years ago.
16. Arkansas Razorbacks
Def. 7-Kansas 79-72, def. 2-St. John’s 75-66
I refuse to call a John Calipari-led team a Cinderella. However, they’re the closest thing we have left, as the Razorbacks are the only double-digit seed that remains. Arkansas ended Hunter Dickinson’s college career in the first round before knocking out the highest seed to lose yet in Rick Pitino and St. John’s. After a horrible start to conference play, Arkansas is firing on all cylinders right now.
