The first weekend of the tournament is in the books as 16 teams remain alive for the college basketball national championship. While there hasn’t been a true Cinderella story and only a few early upsets or close calls, this sets the stage for an incredible Sweet 16.Â
The Sweet 16 games will take place on Thursday and Friday, followed by the Elite Eight on Saturday and Sunday to determine which teams will head to Indianapolis for the Final Four next weekend. Let’s take a look at the three biggest storylines heading into the Sweet 16.
Can the 1 Seeds Survive Their Toughest Tests?
Three of the four 1 seeds made it through the opening weekend, with Florida being the lone one to fall after a shocking loss to Iowa. The remaining teams in Duke, Arizona, and Michigan have been head and shoulders above everyone else for just about the entire season and looked primed to meet in what could be a historic Final Four. However, it will not be an easy path from here. I’d even argue that each team’s toughest test on the road to the Final Four may come in the Sweet 16 rather than the Elite Eight.Â
Duke will face a St. John’s team that has won 21 of its last 22 games and is wildly underseeded as a 5 seed. Meanwhile, Michigan and Arizona will go up against two teams with juggernaut offenses in Alabama and Arkansas who can beat anyone in the country when they are on offense. While the expectation is still that these No. 1 seeds will advance, it would not be too shocking to see another fall.
Potential Sean Miller (Texas) vs Arizona Matchup with Final Four on the Line
Every year when the bracket is released, fans love to look ahead for potential matchups in later rounds that are intriguing and I bet nobody had a possible meeting between Sean Miller and his former team on their radar. Well, Miller’s Longhorns have gone from the First Four to the Sweet 16 after knocking off BYU and Gonzaga, and we are now two wins away from a matchup against his old team with a trip to the Final Four on the line.
Miller spent 12 seasons as Arizona’s head coach, making the NCAA Tournament eight times and reaching the Elite Eight in three of those years. However, he was never able to get the Wildcats over the hump and into the Final Four, which makes this potential game even more intriguing.Â
How fitting would it be if Miller were to face his former team with a trip to the Final Four on the line, especially considering that a major reason for Miller’s firing from Arizona was his inability to get the program over the hump and into the Final Four? In addition, current Wildcats head coach Tommy Lloyd is facing a similar narrative at the moment as he is still trying to prove he can win the big one. This is looking ahead as both teams still need to win their Sweet 16 matchups to set up this meeting, but if it does happen, it would be a perfect storyline game.
Houston Welcomes a Big Ten Trio to Town
Houston will have the advantage of playing close to home at the South Regional in the Toyota Center, but three Big Ten teams are coming to town each looking to play spoiler. The Big Ten has been dominant in the tournament so far with an 11-2 record and six teams in the Sweet 16.
Two of those teams are rivals Iowa and Nebraska who will play Thursday night in Houston, with the winner advancing to take on the winner of Houston vs Illinois. While Cougar fans will show up in full force, these Big Ten fan bases traditionally travel well, which could give the arena a bit of a Big Ten tournament feel, and in this case, plenty of barley and corn.