We’ve made it through the first weekend of March Madness and the field of 68 is down to the Sweet 16.
While Cinderellas have been a bit tough to find this tournament, it means that basically every matchup of the coming weekend is set to be a barn burner, and we could be looking at an all-time Final Four when the lights drop in Indianapolis in two weeks.
Below we break down where all four regions stand heading into the weekend.
East Regional
Sweet 16 Schedule
- No. 1 Duke vs. No. 5 St. John’s, 7:10 p.m. ET Friday (CBS)
- No. 2 UConn vs. No. 3 Michigan State, 9:45 p.m. ET Friday (CBS)
The East region was loaded from the start of the tournament, and it’s no surprise that the four seeds remaining come from the top five. The lone “upset” in the region in the round of 32 was No. 5 St. John’s taking the win over No. 4 Kansas, and it needed a bucket at the buzzer to do it.
Some of the best basketball of the entire tournament could take place in Washington, D.C., this Friday and Sunday. Duke is a powerhouse that seemed like it finally found its footing a bit in its second-round win over No. 9 TCU after a slow start in the first round against No. 15 Furman. Tom Izzo and the Spartans have a knack for reaching the Final Four no matter what seed line they start out on. And No. 2 UConn and No. 5 St. John’s could set up a thrilling fourth showdown of the season should both be able to move to the Elite Eight.
South Regional
Sweet 16 Schedule
- No. 4 Nebraska vs. No. 9 Iowa, 7:30 p.m. ET Thursday (TBS, truTV)
- No. 2 Houston vs. No. 3 Illinois, 10:05 p.m. ET Thursday (TBS, truTV)
Upsets were hard to come by in this tournament, but on Sunday, No. 9 Iowa delivered the first real stunner of the year by taking down No. 1 Florida, the reigning men’s hoops champion. For that effort, the Hawkeyes will face off against a Nebraska team that just recorded its first, and now second wins in NCAA men’s tournament history, and likely doesn’t plan on waiting another hundred years to add a third.
On the other side of the region, No. 2 Houston and No. 3 Illinois will face off, with the winner immediately a favorite to reach the Final Four. After the Cougars lost to the Gators in the championship last year, the region was set up for the two sides to have a rematch with a spot in the Final Four on the line. Instead, it is currently the Illini that stand in their way as the toughest opponent remaining between them and a trip to Indianapolis.
West Regional
Sweet 16 Schedule
- No. 2 Purdue vs. No. 11 Texas, 7:10 p.m. ET Thursday (CBS)
- No. 1 Arizona vs. No. 4 Arkansas, 9:45 p.m. ET Thursday (CBS)
No. 11 Texas is the lone double-digit seed to reach the Sweet 16 this year, and while it’s a great run for the Longhorns, who had to win in the play-in round simply to reach the full field of the tournament, it’s also hard to consider a school with as rich a sporting history as Texas as a Cinderella story. They’ll face off against a No. 2 Purdue team that has seen too many March Madness runs cut short by underdogs, and will be looking to exorcise some demons en route to the Elite Eight.
Meanwhile, No. 1 Arizona has looked wildly strong through two rounds of action, and has actually taken the top spot on the odds sheet as favorites to win the tournament. The Wildcats have just two losses on the season, and they came by a grand total of seven points combined. But don’t count out No. 4 Arkansas, who have in Darius Acuff Jr. one of the most dominant athletes still playing in the tournament.
Midwest Regional
Schedule
- No. 1 Michigan vs. No. 4 Alabama, 7:35 p.m. ET Friday (TBS, truTV)
- No. 2 Iowa State vs. No. 6 Tennessee, 10:10 p.m. ET Friday (TBS, truTV)
The Midwest is as wide open as any region in the tournament. While No. 1 Michigan has looked strong through its opening two games of play, the Wolverines have yet to be truly tested in the postseason. That easy streak ends on Friday when they face off against a No. 4 Alabama side that scores more points per game than any team in college basketball.
In the region’s other Sweet 16 showdown, No. 2 Iowa State is fresh off of stuffing Kentucky in a locker, but it’s possible no team in the tournament has played better basketball than No. 6 Tennessee.
More March Madness From Sports Illustrated
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Men’s NCAA Tournament Regional Breakdowns Heading Into the Sweet 16.
