North Carolina blew a 25-point lead in the second half but still won 93-86 in overtime. There is a time and a place. It gets interesting now. Things stop making sense at this point in the tournament. The teams that have survived are given the full picture of their season by the original seeds. What do you do with the surprises in the field? Reseeding the Sweet 16 is more difficult than reseeding the second round. In the future edition, Kentucky, Baylor and Auburn have all been eliminated. Michigan, North Carolina, Miami and Saint Peter's have survived. The reseed is more about how far a team can go than where it started. The top of the list will look familiar, but the rest is chaotic and the rankings reflect that. We like UCLA, but we're not sure if Jamie Jaquez Jr. will be healthy enough to play in the Sweet 16. How much do we care about North Carolina blowing a 25-point lead? What if Brady Manek can not play? Is it more about the recent surge of Miami or the fact that the squad looked flat for weeks? That is what we are trying to figure out. We will rip it up and try again with the Elite Eight if this is anything like our original brackets. 1. There is a team called the Gonzaga Bulldogs.
Original seed: No. 1 overall
Sweet 16 seed: No. 1
2022 tournament record:
Carmelo Anthony, Anthony Davis and Tyus Jones have won Most Outstanding Player honors in the Final Four. Veteran players have always been the leaders in the tournament. Drew Timme was the best player on the floor on Saturday, despite the projected top 10 NBA draft picks.
Pick the winner of the games in the NCAA tournament from the Sweet 16 to the championship. The tournament challenge had a second chance.
The team was down 10 at the start of the second half and Timme decided that the team would not be going home. He scored 21 of his 25 points in the second half in the win over the Memphis team that had lost just two games over the past two months. Timme hit shots in traffic, shots off the backboard and jump shots. He was in a good mood.
The two players with the most points went 8-for-16 from 3, and the one who made the most impact on defense was Holmgren. The team had to come back against a good team. This is the team to beat in the Sweet 16.
The next game is against Arkansas. CBS
2. The Kansas Jayhawks.
Original seed: No. 1 Sweet 16 seed: No. 1
2022 tournament record:
Defeated No. 16 Texas Southern 83-56; defeated No. 9 Creighton 79-72Even without a pair of injured starters, Kansas was still able to deliver stiff competition. The emergence of Remy Martin is the story of the Jayhawks run to the Sweet 16 this season.
Ochai Agbaji grabs the huge dunk and David McCormack makes a crucial block in the final minute as Kansas defeats Creighton.
The Arizona State transfer was not able to duplicate his previous production of 19 points per game on his new team. He was injured, but he never seemed comfortable. In the playoffs, that has changed.
A healthy, confident Martin has elevated a program that Bill Self admitted would not have won the game two months ago. When Self added the first-team All-Pac-12 guard to his roster last year, we expected this to be the team. It has taken some time, but KU is a better team when Martin is in top form.
The next game is against Providence on Friday. It is on the TBS
3. The Arizona Cats.
Original seed: No. 1 Sweet 16 seed: No. 1
2022 tournament record:
Defeated No. 16 Wright State 87-70; defeated No. 9 TCU 85-80 OT
There was nothing simple about that game. The Frogs could make their first Sweet 16 appearance in 50 years on Sunday. Tommy Lloyd led Arizona to its first Sweet 16 appearance in two years, in his first season as a Division I head coach.
The stars dominated in overtime as the Cats were outplayed. The win was sealed when Christian Koloko dunked with less than a second to play. Bennedict Mathurin made a lot of clutch plays down the stretch. The two players were too good and the other team made too many mistakes.
Yes, Arizona looked vulnerable against a team that finished with an ew record in the Big 12. Some of the best teams in the nation did not make it to the second weekend of the NCAA tournament. Facing similar challenges, Lloyd's squad advanced against a tough squad that nearly pulled off the upset.
The next game is against Houston on Thursday. It is on the TBS
4. The Houston Astros.
Original seed: No. 5 Sweet 16 seed: No. 1
2022 tournament record:
Defeated No. 12 UAB 82-68; defeated No. 4 Illinois 68-53After his team won over Illinois on Sunday, he ripped his shirt off and ran into the locker room. He is enjoying his journey at 66 years old. Clearly.
The Houston Texans have been ranked in the top 10 nationally in adjusted offensive and defensive efficiency since the beginning of the year, after losing two of their top players to season-ending injuries. During that time, both Josh Carlton and Fabian White Jr. have shot over 50% from inside the perimeter.
Taze Moore made a layup after Houston forward Fabian White Jr. kept the ball in bounds.
White, a fifth-year star, recently told ESPN that he stayed for another season because he didn't want basketball to become a business for him. He is in his third consecutive Sweet 16 with a team that should have been a 5-seed. They are better than that.
The entire Illinois roster was defeated 54-53 by Kyler Edwards, Jamal Shead and Taze Moore. Houston is 11-1 in its last 12 games. Houston has won 10 by double digits. The Cougars are dangerous.
The next game is against Arizona on Thursday. It is on the TBS
5. The Wildcats of Villanova.
Original seed: No. 2 Sweet 16 seed: No. 2
2022 tournament record:
Defeated No. 15 Delaware 80-60; defeated No. 7 Ohio State 71-61Jay Wright's best teams have the same characteristics, they're efficient on offense with a high success rate at the free throw line, and they have the ability to play great defense. The current team isn't as strong defensively as Wright's teams. In the NCAA tournament, the 2022, Wildcats seem to be getting better.
During its current winning streak, the opponents have only connected on 26.6% of their 3-point attempts. The shooter is more likely to succeed than the defender. Delaware and Ohio State were both in the top five in 3-point shooting in their league, but they finished with a combined 10-for-42 in that metric. The Wildcats have made 36% of their 3s in the NCAA tournament, which is their best mark since the national title run.
The freshman on that team is averaging 17.0 PPG and 4.0 APG. The No. 1 free throw shooting team in the country can thrive in those situations as well.
The next game is against Michigan. It is on the TBS
6. The Duke Blue Devil team.
Original seed: No. 2 Sweet 16 seed: No. 2
2022 tournament record:
Defeated No. 15 CSU Fullerton 78-61; defeated No. 7 Michigan State 85-76Paolo Banchero made a shot then looked to his bench and yelled "We here!" as Duke beat Michigan State. With 2:06 to go, Banchero made the go-ahead jumper that gave his team a 75-74 lead before he blocked Joey Hauser on the other end, which set up Jeremy Roach to hit a 3 to extend Duke's advantage to a crucial four-point barrier the Spartans would not
Duke has a balance of both youth and talent. There were times in the contest when it seemed as if the young Blue Devil might lose their footing. But Banchero wouldn't let that happen. He played like a top-five draft pick down the stretch. He can do whatever Duke needs him to do in order to get a win.
Five Duke players scored in double figures. The Blue Devil's finish and the adversity gave them an opportunity to grow, which could help them in their next game.
The next game is against Texas Tech. CBS
7. Texas Tech Red Raiders.
59-53 Original seed: No. 3 Sweet 16 seed: No. 2
2022 tournament record:
Defeated No. 14 Montana State 97-62; defeated No. 11 Notre Dame 59-53This is the team of Mark Adams. As soon as Adams agreed to take over for Beard, it was his team. The Red Raiders and Longhorns were compared to one another all season because of the Beard storyline.
Adams and his team dominated Notre Dame 10-1 in the final 2:14 on Sunday to advance to the Sweet 16. The same resilience that has carried Texas Tech throughout the season was shown in that stretch. The Red Raiders will always be dangerous.
Many assumed Beard was the key to the success of the Red Raiders and expected their ambitions and achievements to change without him. They were wrong. Through two NCAA tournament games, the Red Raiders are ranked first in adjusted defensive efficiency and Bryson Williams is averaging 17.0 points per game. Texas Tech reached the Final Four in the West Region three years ago. Texas Tech hopes Adams can duplicate that result in San Francisco.
The next game is against Duke on Thursday. CBS
There are 8. The Boilermakers are from Purdue.
Original seed: No. 3 Sweet 16 seed: No. 2
2022 tournament record:
Defeated No. 14 Yale 78-56; defeated No. 6 Texas 81-71At some point on Sunday, the greatest concern about Purdue was justified. A team with an adjusted defensive efficiency in the 90s is not usually a candidate for a Final Four run. Matt Painter lost to Chris Beard and the Little Rock squad in the second round of the 2016 NCAA tournament because of the defensive weakness that Texas showed.
In the final minutes of the game, Texas was overwhelmed by the elite offense of the Boilermakers. A team that was in the bonus for most of the second half turned to projected lottery pick Jaden Ivey and his big men to stay in front of a determined Longhorns squad.
The offensive capabilities of Purdue are unique. Williams came off the bench and scored 22 points. Morton, a reserve who has gone without a point in 13 games this season, recorded eight points and hit two big 3s. The team that finished with a double-double was 33 for 46 from the free throw line.
The defensive challenges could cost them in the next round. One of America's most potent offensive teams is still being defended by opposing teams.
The next game is against Saint Peter's. CBS
There are 9. The Providence Friars.
Original seed: No. 4 Sweet 16 seed: No. 3
2022 tournament record:
Defeated No. 13 South Dakota State 66-57; defeated No. 12 Richmond 79-51After leading his team to its first Sweet 16 appearance since 1997, Ed Cooley reminded the doubters that Providence is in the damn building. After losing to South Dakota State in the first round, the Friars had to face off against a high-powered offensive attack from the Spiders in the second round.
South Dakota State, the nation's top 3-point shooting team, was held to a 7 for 23 mark from beyond the line by Providence. The five players who scored in the game were Noah Horchler, who led the way with 16 points. The chip on Providence's shoulder has helped the team beat a couple of dangerous favorites, as they remind us that they deserved more credit for beating a tough Big East.
The next game is against Kansas on Friday. It is on the TBS
10. The Tar Heels of North Carolina.
Original seed: No. 8 Sweet 16 seed: No. 3
2022 tournament record:
Defeated No. 9 Marquette 95-63; defeated No. 1 Baylor 93-86 OTYou can either look at the outcome as a North Carolina team that had a 25-point lead in the second half had to outplay a defending national champion in overtime in order to get to the Sweet 16 or you can look at it as a North Carolina team that had a 25-point lead in
The choice will be made by Hubert Davis. UNC had a 67-42 lead when Brady Manek was ejected for a foul on Jeremy Sochan with 10 minutes left in the game. Since February 16, North Carolina has defeated Duke and Baylor. The Tar Heels are located in a region that has lost its top two seeds and has a 15-seed. A run to New Orleans for UNC would not be shocking anymore.
The next game is against UCLA on Friday. CBS
11. The Michigan Wolverines.
Original seed: No. 11 Sweet 16 seed: No. 3
2022 tournament record:
Defeated No. 6 Colorado State 75-63; defeated No. 3 Tennessee 76-68The Michigan season seemed to be summed up by the postgame incident between Juwan Howard and Joe Krabbenhoft. The UM team was a top-five team entering the year but never lived up to expectations, and then they lost Howard to a five-game suspension just as they were trying to get into the NCAA tournament. Many thought that the Michigan should have been sent to the First Four.
Michigan has proved it can do it. It reached this stage with limited time from starting point guard DeVante Jones, who missed the first-round game against Colorado State and the entire second half against Tennessee due to concussion protocols. Hunter Dickinson is playing like a star for the Michigan squad that clearly has some staying power.
Howard has to deal with another video that shows him consoling a Tennessee player after a game.
The next game is against Villanova on Thursday. It is on the TBS
Kennedy sobs in the arms of Juwan Howard.
There are 12. The Bruins are from UCLA.
Original seed: No. 4 Sweet 16 seed: No. 3
2022 tournament record:
Defeated No. 13 Akron 57-53; defeated No. 5 Saint Mary's 72-56If the 2020 NCAA tournament had been held, Mick Cronin would have been making his third tourney appearance in three years as the Bruins coach. Against a Saint Mary's team that was ranked in the top 10 in KenPom's adjusted defensive efficiency, the Bruins shot 56% from the field and finished 4-for-9 from the 3-point line to reach a second consecutive Sweet 16.
The good news for UCLA? Johnny Juzang played his best game since returning from an ankle injury that caused him to miss multiple games last month. The bad news for UCLA? Jaquez could miss the Sweet 16 due to an ankle injury.
If Jaquez can walk, he will try to play, but there are no guarantees. If Jaquez is healthy, the Bruins have a chance to make a run to New Orleans in a region that no longer has Kentucky or Baylor.
The next game is against North Carolina. CBS
13 Arkansas Razorbacks.
Original seed: No. 4 Sweet 16 seed: No. 4
2022 tournament record:
Defeated No. 13 Vermont 75-71; defeated No. 12 New Mexico State 53-48Arkansas and New Mexico State played an ugly game. The Razorbacks made less than half of their field goal attempts. Its two advantages? A 22-for-25 mark from the free throw line and a 12-0 edge in transition. Arkansas scored 53 points in the NCAA tournament game, which was the lowest point total for an SEC team. Arkansas is 17-3 in its past 20 games.
After losing its first three SEC games via the league's best defense, Eric Musselman's team orchestrated that turn around. It is not easy to hold a top offensive team to 48 points. It's difficult to make an impact from the 3-point line in the NCAA tournament because of the limited ability to do so. Most of the opponents in Arkansas failed to play to their potential during the current rally. They are counting on being the superior team in a grind-it-out Sweet 16 game.
The next game is against Gonzaga on Thursday. CBS
Miami's Isaiah Wong glides to the bucket for a poster dunk.
There are 14. The Miami Hurricanes.
Original seed: No. 10 Sweet 16 seed: No. 4
2022 tournament record:
Defeated No. 7 USC 68-66; defeated No. 2 Auburn 79-61Jim Larranaga stood next to point guard Charlie Moore and smiled after his team's win over auburn. Moore dribbled past Walker Kessler, who anticipated a drive to the rim, early in the win over the Tigers. Moore stopped. Kessler committed his first foul after bumping into him. Kessler was hurt by a second foul in the first half.
The veteran plays and moments, coupled with Moore's overall production, will send Miami to the Sweet 16 for the first time in six years. Moore, who is competing at his fourth school, will return to Chicago for the second weekend of the tournament after Miami thumped the SEC's regular-season champion.
Assuming they can beat anyone, the Hurricanes will enter the Sweet 16. Why should they?
The next game is against Iowa State. It is on the TBS
15. The Iowa State Cyclones are a team.
Original seed: No. 11 Sweet 16 seed: No. 4
2022 tournament record:
Defeated No. 6 LSU 59-54; defeated No. 3 Wisconsin 54-49The premier Division I program in his home state, Wisconsin, was defeated by T.J. Otzelberger on Sunday. He led his team to the Sweet 16 for the sixth time in school history, and the second time in the last two years. He had always thought of Iowa State as his dream job, and now the Cyclones have gone from a two-win team a year ago to a second-weekend team. Izaiah Brockington has been his top player, but other players have been tapped to lead too.
The romantic storyline of this team's rise should be over by now, as the Cyclones have forced turnovers on 25.5% of their opponents possessions since March 1. Wisconsin, the top turnover rate in the country entering the game, coughed up the ball 17 times.
The Cyclones don't have sexy metrics to call themselves a Final Four sleeper. The team that was supposed to finish last in the Big 12 was not supposed to make it this far.
The next game is against Miami. It is on the TBS
16. The Peacocks of Saint Peter.
Original seed: No. 15 Sweet 16 seed: No. 4
2022 tournament record:
Defeated No. 2 Kentucky 85-79 OT; defeated No. 7 Murray State 70-60Siena defeated Saint Peter's 84-70 on February 20. In that game, the Dogs connected on over 50% of their shots inside the arcs. How did the Saint Peter's team get to the Sweet 16 for the first time? Over the past few days, he has highlighted his team's New York and New Jersey swagger. Some of it is just coaching. The numbers tell a different story.
The team that lost to Siena a month ago is not the same one. The Peacocks opponents had connected on less than half of their 2-point attempts until that point in the season. The Peacocks have boasted America's top defense inside the 3-point line, with a 35.8% clip, during their current 10-game winning streak. Kentucky and Murray State both struggled to get shots to fall against an undersized Saint Peter's squad, which is on its way to the second weekend with a tangibly improved defense.
The next game is against Purdue on Friday. CBS
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