March Madness bracket: Reseeding Sweet 16 field 1-16 ahead of NCAA Tournament games
The NCAA Tournament is down to 16 teams, eight of which consist of 1 and 2 seeds.
The top-seeded teams have taken care of business so far in March Madness, with 11 seed North Carolina State as the lone double-digit seeded still alive for the Sweet 16. Elsewhere, 1 seeds in UConn, Houston, Purdue and North Carolina, along with 2 seeds Tennessee, Iowa State, Marquette and Arizona, all went 2-0 in the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament.
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Now that the frenetic first couple of rounds have concluded, it's worth asking: Who is the best of the remaining teams, and in what order? Who will advance past the second weekend and earn their spot into the Final Four?
Here's a reseeding of the final 16 programs left in the NCAA Tournament:
NCAA Tournament reseeding ahead of Sweet 16
1. UConn
The top-seeded team of the NCAA Tournament has done nothing to lose its spot, as UConn has dominated in its two matchups so far. The Huskies first defeated Stetson 91-52 in the first round before beating 9 seed Northwestern 75-58 in the second.
UConn (33-3), who's looking to repeat as national champions, faces 5 seed San Diego State in the Sweet 16 before potentially facing the winner of 3 seed Illinois and 2 seed Iowa State. All in all, the Huskies are certainly in a strong position and playing their best ball.
2. Purdue
Purdue took care of business in the first and second rounds this NCAA Tournament after being upset by 16-seed Fairleigh Dickinson last season.
The Boilermakers could finally take a breath after there had been talk all season that they weren't built for the NCAA Tournament with their recent shortcomings in the Big Dance, but those concerns were put to rest with Purdue's 78-50 win over Grambling State and 106-67 win over Utah State.
Potential player of the year Zach Edey was a force through the first weekend, with 30 points and 21 rebounds against Grambling State and a 23-point, 14-rebound showing against Utah State. Edey, paired with dynamic backcourt duo Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer, will look to reach the Final Four with matchups against 5 seed Gonzaga and, potentially, the winner of 3 seed Creighton and 2 seed Tennessee.
3. North Carolina
North Carolina, the fourth 1 seed on Selection Sunday, jumps one spot in the overall reseeding after earning a 16-point win over Michigan State.
The Tar Heels seemed like they were in for a difficult matchup with the Spartans and longtime coach Tom Izzo in the second round. However, North Carolina rebounded for a commanding win over the 9 seed.
North Carolina has plenty of tournament experience, with ACC Player of the Year RJ Davis and fifth-year forward Armando Bacot Jr. playing in the national championship game two seasons ago. Davis and Bacot, paired with veteran contributors Harrison Ingram and Cormac Ryan, should make the Tar Heels one of the top contenders for a Final Four appearance, although a potential matchup with Arizona and former North Carolina star guard Caleb Love awaits.
4. Houston
The Cougars survived a scare in the second round, defeating Texas A&M 100-95 in overtime to advance to the Sweet 16.
While some may overlook the Aggies, they were certainly playing their best basketball of the season, defeating Nebraska 98-83 in the first round and advancing to the semifinals of the SEC Tournament to solidify their case as an NCAA Tournament team.
Houston feels like the most vulnerable 1 seed so far, but is led by the always-steady Big 12 Player of the Year Jamal Shead. Houston has a matchup with 4 seed Duke on the horizon, with a potential Elite Eight matchup with the winner of Marquette and NC State.
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5. Tennessee
Tennessee managed to defeat 7 seed Texas 62-58 in the second round despite shooting an abysmal 33.8% from the field and 3 of 25 from 3-point range.
Unless the Vols have another tough shooting performance, the win bodes well for Tennessee, considering it was one of SEC Player of the Year Dalton Knecht's worse games this season. March is all about finding ways to win, even on off-nights.
Knecht should — and needs — to have better performances for Tennessee to reach the Elite Eight with its matchup against 3 seed Creighton.
6. Iowa State
Nothing Iowa State does is pretty, but the Cyclones find ways to win by playing suffocating defense and controlling possessions.
Iowa State defeated Washington State 67-56 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament and is playing its best basketball of the season at the right time. The Cyclones have won nine of their last 10 games, including a 69-41 win over 1-seed Houston in the Big 12 Championship game.
Led by backcourt duo Keshon Gilbert and Tamin Lipsey, Iowa State has a tough Sweet 16 matchup with Illinois on deck.
7. Duke
The Blue Devils took care of business against 13-seed Vermont with a 64-47 win before demolishing 12 seed James Madison 93-55 behind freshman guard Jared McCain's 30 points.
James Madison advanced to the second round by handily defeating 5 seed Wisconsin 72-61 in the first round, but Duke made quick work of the Cinderella hopefuls to advance to the Sweet 16.
Duke's defense has also been impressive in the NCAA Tournament, holding both of its opponents so far to under 40% shooting. Should the Blue Devils' offense play like they did against JMU, they'll give Houston a tough matchup in the Sweet 16.
8. Illinois
Illinois, like Duke, has only faced double-digit seeds so far, but made easy work of Morehead State and Duquesne, winning 85-69 and 89-63, respectively.
The Fighting Illini are led by guard Terrence Shannon Jr., one of the best players remaining in the NCAA Tournament. Shannon Jr. is averaging 23.3 points per game this season, and scored 26 and 30, respectively, in Illinois' first- and second-round matchups.
Forward Marcus Domask has also been key in Illinois reaching the Sweet 16, as he finished with a triple-double in the first round, while scoring 22 points with seven assists in the second round.
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9. Arizona
Arizona has cruised to the Sweet 16 with an 85-65 win over Long Beach State and a 78-68 win over Dayton, but an unusually chalky bracket with all 1 and 2 seeds still alive have the Wildcats at No. 9.
Make no mistake, the Wildcats are certainly contenders, led by Pac-12 Player of the Year Caleb Love. Arizona relies heavily on Love, the first-year transfer from North Carolina, who has in the past willed the Tar Heels to the national championship with hot shooting.
The Wildcats face Clemson in the Sweet 16 before facing the winner of North Carolina-Alabama.
10. Creighton
Creighton is coming off an 86-73 double overtime victory over 11 seed Oregon, where the Blue Jays found a new gear in the extra period. Creighton has the personnel to make it to the Final Four, with three players (Baylor Scheierman, Trey Alexander and Ryan Kalkbrenner) each averaging over 17 points per game this season.
The Blue Jays do, however, rely heavily on their starting lineup, as they don't have many key bench contributors. They'll certainly want to stay out of foul trouble going forward, especially after Scheierman and Alexander played all 50 minutes of the game.
11. Marquette
Marquette snuck by 10 seed Colorado 81-77 in the second round after defeating Western Kentucky — who troubled Marquette at times — 87-69 in the second round.
The Golden Eagles are seeded at 11 ahead of the Sweet 16 after a few lulls in their first two matchups. Thankfully for Marquette, star guard Tyler Kolek was able to take over in both games, scoring 18 points with 11 assists and 21 points with 11 assists, respectively.
Leading scorer Kam Jones has also been electric offensively, with 46 combined points in two contests with nine total 3-pointers.
12. Gonzaga
Another year, another Sweet 16 appearance for Gonzaga. Coach Mark Few and the Bulldogs advanced past the first weekend for the ninth consecutive time after their huge 89-68 win over Kansas in the second round.
Gonzaga trailed Kansas 44-43 in the second round, but flipped the switch in the second half, outscoring the Jayhawks 46-24 in the final period. While the Bulldogs might not have the star power of past seasons, they certainly are a dangerous team coming off a pair of wins.
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13. San Diego State
San Diego State is back in the Sweet 16 for the second consecutive season after falling to UConn in the national championship last season. Now the Aztecs have another matchup with the Huskies for the second consecutive NCAA Tournament, taking on the 1 seed in the Sweet 16.
San Diego State defeated 12 seed UAB 69-65 and 13 seed Yale 85-57, just after the Bulldogs upset 4 seed Auburn in the first round. SDSU is led by Jaedon LeDee, a 6-foot-9 forward averaging 21.5 points and 8.4 rebounds per game this season, who has been a force in March Madness thus far.
14. Clemson
Clemson was an underdog to 11 seed New Mexico in the first round, but easily defeated the Lobos 77-56 before upsetting 3 seed Baylor 72-64 in the second round. The Tigers weren't picked by many to have made it this far, especially with what seemed to be a tough draw, but they've been decisive in two matchups this NCAA Tournament.
Clemson is led by center PJ Hall, a 6-foot-10 forward averaging 18.5 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. The Tigers also boast guard Joseph Girard III, a fifth-year senior transfer from Syracuse, who made it to the Sweet 16 with the Orange in 2020-21.
15. Alabama
Alabama is one of two SEC teams remaining in the field after the conference had a rough showing in the first round despite placing eight teams in March Madness. The Crimson Tide has a clear identity, which is scoring as many points as possible. Alabama's defense hasn't excelled this season, but the Crimson Tide certainly hang 100 points on any opponent some nights.
The Crimson Tide defeated Charleston 109-96 and Grand Canyon 72-61 to make it to the Sweet 16, with leading scorer Mark Sears dropping 30 and 26 points, respectively. Alabama can get shut down with a poor shooting night, but that hasn't happened yet in the NCAA Tournament.
16. NC State
NC State has been the Cinderella of the NCAA Tournament, having won its last seven games dating back to the start of the ACC Tournament. The Wolfpack's run has been outstanding, as it entered the conference championship with four consecutive losses before winning five straight to secure a spot in the Big Dance.
NC State defeated 6 seed Texas Tech 80-67 in the first round before hanging on for a 79-73 overtime win over Oakland, who upset Kentucky in the first round. Marquette won't want to overlook the Wolfpack, who are hoping their season doesn't coming to an end in the Sweet 16.
NCAA Tournament schedule
Here's the schedule for the remaining NCAA Tournament games:
Thursday, March 28 (Sweet 16)
(2) Arizona vs. (6) Clemson | 7:09 p.m. | CBS
(1) UConn vs. (5) San Diego State | 7:39 p.m. | TBS/truTV
(1) North Carolina vs. (4) Alabama | 9:39 p.m. | CBS
(2) Iowa State vs. (3) Illinois | 10:09 p.m. | TBS/truTV
Friday, March 29 (Sweet 16)
(2) Marquette vs. (11) NC State | 7:09 p.m. | CBS
(1) Purdue vs. (5) Gonzaga | 7:39 p.m. |TBS/truTV
(1) Houston vs. (4) Duke | 9:39 p.m. | CBS
(2) Tennessee vs. (3) Creighton | 10:09 p.m. |TBS/truTV
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Reseeding Sweet 16 March Madness bracket ahead of NCAA Tournament games
