March Madness: Top performers from the Sweet 16

The Sweet 16 is over, but before moving on to the Elite Eight let’s take a look at the top performers from Thursday and Friday’s action.

The Sweet 16 provided a little bit of everything for college basketball fans: last-second shots, dominant performances, Goliath’s confirming their status, and underdogs proving themselves. These were the best performances from the Sweet 16 games.

Xavier Sneed – Kansas State

Sneed turned in arguably his best performance of the season at the most important time. Kansas State was able to knock out the other Wildcats of Kentucky without leading-scorer Dean Wade for the entire second-half thanks to 22 points and nine rebounds from Snead.

Florida State’s Depth

In their 75-60 win over Gonzaga on Thursday,10 Seminoles played 10 or more minutes. FSU’s senior leader Phil Cofer only had seven points, but they still took care of the Zags thanks to an incredibly deep squad. Florida State may not have any great players, but it may not matter given the amount of good players on the roster.

Gabe DeVoe – Clemson

DeVoe has been on a tear throughout the tournament (22 points in each of the first two games), and he saved his best for his last game as a Tiger. In Clemson’s 80-76 loss to Kansas, the senior went for 31 points, nine rebounds, three assists, and three steals. For the first two-thirds of the game, he often looked like the only Tiger ready for the moment.

More from Busting Brackets

Loyola-Chicago

The Ramblers keep on Ramblin’. What a run it’s been for Loyola-Chicago. And the Fighting Sister Jeans aren’t done yet. After another late-game win (this time, Marques Townes played hero) the only thing standing in the Ramblers way of the Final Four is the worst-seeded team they have played yet.

These guys play together so well like they have been playing together forever. The ball is constantly moving and when Cameron Krutwig (who is great on offense) is sitting they are constantly switching on defense.

Michigan in the Postseason

For the second season in a row, the Wolverines have caught fire late in the year with a four-game run to grab the Big Ten Championship crown followed by a Sweet 16 appearance. But after bowing out in this round last season, Michigan came through with a beatdown of Texas A&M this year.

Jalen Brunson – Villanova

As a whole, Villanova looked great, but Brunson especially showed out, dropping 27 points on a tough West Virginia defense. The senior further bolstered his National Player of the Year candidacy, and the Wildcats further cemented their frontrunner status.

Side note, the great senior class for West Virginia could not catch a break in the Sweet 16. Jevon Carter and Daxter Miles faced frontrunner Villanova this season, National Championship runner-up Gonzaga last season, and undefeated Kentucky their freshman year in their three Sweet 16 appearances.

CBS Executives

Even with all the #Madness and the nine seeds and Sister Jean, the Midwest Region will be decided with a juicy Kansas-Duke, 1-2 seed, blue blood battle in the Elite Eight. The CBS executives should be able to sleep a little better tonight knowing they have at least one marquee matchup that was not affected by those pesky underdogs.

Next: Madness happens, Elite Eight full of lower seeds

Keenan Evans – Texas Tech

What else does Evans have to do to be a more legitimate figure in the discussion for National Player of the Year? Despite a slow shooting night, Evans still notched 16 points and four assists and controlled the game as Texas Tech defeated Purdue to advance to their first Elite Eight ever.

Home/March Madness