Re-ranking the men’s Sweet 16 teams: Who has the edge to keep their March Madness run going?
Each team left has at least two games under their belt to show us how they perform on the NCAA Tournament stage.
We’re through two rounds of the men’s NCAA tournament; now, we (and the teams) get a chance to catch our breath. These three open days between the end of the Round of 32 and the beginning of the Sweet 16 are filled with intrigue and small sample-size lessons. Who looks like they’re handling the stage better than others?
Which favorites look vulnerable? Which lower-seeded teams can continue their unexpected runs? With that in mind, here is a re-ranking of every team left in the Big Dance, with an emphasis on how these squads have looked in the tournament.
1) 1-seed Arizona Sweet 16 Matchup: Arkansas The Wildcats entered the tournament as the 1-seed with the fewest questions surrounding them, and they have played like it so far. Aside from a second-half lull against a good Utah State team, Arizona has breezed through the first two games. In the first game against Long Island, it was the freshmen leading the way as Brayden Burries, Koa Peata and Ivan Kharchenkov combined for 47 points.
When things got tight against Utah State, experienced leaders Jaden Bradley and Motiejus Krivas stepped up. This team comes at you in waves. 2) 2-seed Houston Sweet 16 Matchup: Illinois The Cougars are hitting on all cylinders after winning their first two games by 31 points each.
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