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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?
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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.
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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. As always, their defense is leading the way by allowing just 52 points per game. Combine that with the excellent guard play of Kingston Flemings, Emanuel Sharpe and Milos Uzan, and you have a team well suited to thrive in the tournament.
Houston’s defense will get its greatest challenge yet against the Illini, who boast the second-ranked offense in the country per KenPom.
3) 1-seed Michigan
Sweet 16 Matchup: Alabama
The Wolverines have had some issues locking in their first-half defense; they allowed 46 points to Howard and needed a late run to enter the break up nine on Saint Louis. However, when you’re averaging almost 100 points per game, you often have time to figure things…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/ranking-men-sweet-16-teams-210414972.html
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Publish date : 2026-03-24 21:04:00
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