Congratulations to each of the remaining Sweet 16 teams in the NCAA Tournament. Now that BYU basketball has joined those ranks, it's kind of hard to comprehend where to go from here. As a quick update, every 1 seed has advanced (though with a bit of trouble in the case of Houston and Florida), and only one double-digit seed has progressed beyond the second round (Arkansas). But March is March, and we've seen some amazing matchups.
So now we're through the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament, and the silliness will now -- in theory -- subside for a moment.
The Round of 64? Snooze fest. The Round of 32? March Madness at its absolute finest. How could you not love this time of year?
But with two rounds and 3/4 of the original field now out of contention, it's time to regroup, reassess, and try to make sense of the remaining 16 teams in the cast. That's just what I intend to do.
Picking Every Sweet 16 Matchup
1 Auburn vs 5 Michigan
Truthfully, these are two teams that didn't hold my faith when the tournaments were first released, as I predicted both teams to be knocked out of contention by the end of the first weekend.
But I was wrong, and here they are. Two very well-coached sides that stumbled a bit on their way into the tournament, Auburn and Michigan were both vulnerable to an upset in my eyes, but now what's going to happen?
In many ways, Auburn reminds me of Purdue and Virginia, two teams that bounced back from early exits the year before reaching the National Championship game. The Tigers dropped to the Yale Bulldogs last season and have returned with more experience and a hunger for victory.
With that said, Michigan likewise has plenty to prove in this regional semifinal. The Big 10 champions escaped an upset scare with UC San Diego, and layed the boom on Texas A&M. How do they project to fare against another SEC machine?
Call me crazy, but I like Michigan to pull off the upset by a single possession here, being the first to take down a 1-seed in 2025.
Winner: Michigan by <3
6 Ole Miss vs 2 Michigan State
Sparty has been steady, and comfortably pulled out a victory over New Mexico in the second round despite early indications that Tom Izzo's team could be in serious trouble. They got the win, and look to survive and advance against an uneven Ole Miss team.
The Rebels started off the season strong, but have since sputtered in SEC play. Taking down UNC was admirable and blowing the doors off Iowa State was horrifying. Simply put: this is a very dangerous tournament team.
But the Spartans are built for this, and have proved capable of winning in a variety of circumstances. It won't be pretty, but Michigan State will move on.
Winner: MSU by 5+
1 Florida vs 4 Maryland
Florida, Maryland, how did you enjoy the Round of 32?
Both squads narrowly escaped upsets in the second round. We were a Walter Clayton Jr 3-pointer or a traveling violation away from seeing UConn vs Colorado State in the second weekend, and while that would have scratched my upset itch, we're likely getting a better basketball game out of this timeline.
The Gators were massively impressive during the first two rounds (and all season, to be fair), and could absolutely steamroll a Maryland team that has been a bit two-faced during the tournament.
Derick Queen is an awesome basketball player and will make a lot of money in the NBA, but there's just too much from Florida for me to believe the Terps can handle these SEC juggernauts.
As much as it pains me to say (and would damage my still-intact Final Four), the Gators win this one comfortably.
Winner: Florida by 8+
3 Texas Tech vs 10 Arkansas
Ask me who would win this game a week ago, and my answer would be Texas Tech without hesitation.
Once you've seen Hercules slay the hydra, however, it's hard to look at him as just a scrappy up-and-comer. Especially when this Arkansas team has John Calipari driving the ship.
They took down a St John's team that looked poised to break into the Final Four if everything broke their way. It didn't, and the Razorbacks are to thank for that. Completely matching the Johnnies' intensity, Arkansas didn't blink during their upset victory. They'll look to do the same against a talented Tech side.
Texas Tech has enjoyed a relatively easy path to the Sweet 16, but they comfortably walked away from a Drake team that many projected to reach the second weekend of the tournament. JT Toppin has been exceptional, and led the Red Raiders by scoring inside and putting the hurt on the helpless defenders underneath. If Chance McMillian returns for Tech, it could be game over.
As great as Arkansas has been in the tournament to this point, I still see too much in Texas Tech to give up on them now.
Winner: TTU by 6+
1 Duke vs 4 Arizona
Duke is so, so good. Now back to full strength, it's hard to imagine any non-one-seed taking them down. Cooper Flagg is unbelievable. Kon Kneuppel is a scoring machine, and Khaman Maluach is a titan inside the paint.
That's not going to dissuade Arizona, though, as Caleb Love and the Wildcats have a thing or two left to prove on the court before their season ends. Just taking care of Oregon, this team believes they can reach the next round.
It's just a shame they have to go through the Blue Devils.
Winner: Duke by 7+
2 Alabama vs 6 BYU
This will be the toughest battle of either team's tournament thus far. Two of basketball's most electrifying offenses colliding at high speeds. BYU as one of the tournament's greatest surprises with an NBA-style offense to lean on, and Alabama as the fastest squad in basketball and an embarrassment of athleticism in every roster spot.
Mark Sears plays like Baby Brunson (and has largely drawn that comparison thanks to his physique and lefty jumper), and orchestrates the Bama offense like an NBA veteran. Clutch, composed, and with a leadership mindset, Sears has been one of the nation's best floor generals all season, and his team is where it is today largely thanks to him.
Bama plays fast and Bama plays hard. They use the alley-oop as an offensive tool, happy to throw it up, and elated to throw it down. As BYU is not an especially tall squad, this could spell trouble if head coach Kevin Young doesn't find a solution.
But these Cougars continue to find solutions, and controlled the game against a tough Wisconsin team despite -- shall we say -- challenging circumstances making matters worse for BYU.
BYU on offense is short-fused stick of dynamite that moves the ball, shares the sugar, and finally finds and takes open looks. This round's opposition will offer a stiff defense, but nothing the likes of which the Cougars haven't experienced before.
I'll vote with my head, rather than my heart to avoid damaging my integrity (and to perhaps hedge my bets a touch).
Winner: Alabama by 4+
1 Houston vs 4 Purdue
Rebounding has become something of a lost art in the era of modern basketball. I've see more volleyball-style rebounds over the last weekend than I can stomach. Whether it's an issue of coaching, hustle, or capability, the rising generation of basketball isn't built for boards.
Not Houston, though. Kelvin Sampson's team are rebounding zealots. They attack the glass in the same way their defense attacks the opposing offense -- they're relentless. They're merciless. This is a bloodthirsty bunch that doesn't just want to win the game, they'd rather completely demoralize their adversaries.
BYU fans know what I'm talking about.
Purdue, on the other hand, is a team that will look to match the Cougars in intensity but simply don't have the disposition to beat Houston at their own game. The Boilermakers are offensive specialists, and outpacing the Cougars simply isn't an option. Can Purdue score on the first attempt with regularity? They've got a chance. Can they limit Houston's assault on the offensive glass? They've got a chance.
The way I see it, though, Houston will dismantle this Purdue team.
Winner: Houston by 9+
2 Tennessee vs 3 Kentucky
For all the flack thrown SEC-ward over the postseason, you've got to hand it to both squads here for making it through admittedly difficult sections of the Midwest region. Mark Pope and Kevin Young are now neck-and-neck when it comes to tournament wins -- a stat only kept by BYU fans at this point -- and it's truly wonderful that both blue-clad squads have reached the second weekend immediately following the coaching split.
What was I talking about? Oh, yeah Kentucky-Tennessee. I'm sorry to say, but the SEC will face yet another embarrassing indictment as I predict the conference will escape this meeting with a .500 record between these two representatives. Check mate.