NCAA Tournament 2019: Reranking the teams remaining in the Sweet 16

1. Gonzaga Bulldogs

Gonzaga has been the most impressive team in the NCAA Tournament so far, in my opinion. Unlike just about every other top-rated team, the Bulldogs showed absolutely zero signs of weakness during the opening weekend. As was the case during the regular season, they dominated on the offensive end of the floor by imposing their will on mismatches while also holding their own on the defense as well.

Perhaps most notably, I am happy to see that Brandon Clarke is finally getting the recognition he deserves as the superstar that not even people watched. Clarke was the best player on the west coast all season long and he is showing it in the Big Dance. In his first two NCAA Tournament games ever, Clarke has posted 48 points (20-for-26 FG), 9 rebounds, 5 assists, and 8 blocks in 59 minutes. That is flat-out incredible.

Additionally, the impact that Killian Tillie has had should not be overlooked. Tillie was regarded as one of the best players on the roster heading into the season but he missed almost the entire year due to injury. Now that he is back and looking more like his former self, the Bulldogs have added a monster threat to their rotation. In two NCAA Tournament games, the 6-foot-10 junior has posted 19 points (8-for-13 FG), five rebounds, and six assists while playing 35 minutes off the bench.

Gonzaga is definitely not the clear-cut favorite to cut down the final nets at the end of this season but they belong in the group of top contenders. They are holding down my top spot in the rankings at this point in time but they also have a really tough matchup with Florida State coming up. The season could end there.