March Madness 2024: Ranking the 8 Sweet 16 matchups in terms of intrigue/storylines

There might not have been too many upsets in the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament but that does create some compelling matchups. All of the top 8 overall seeds in March Madness remains, with just two teams below a 5 seed left among the Sweet 16, both from the ACC.

Out of the eight games to be played on Thursday and Friday, some does have a little more appeal than others. Here's a power ranking of the games itself when it comes to natural intrigue.

8. Marquette vs NC State

Being the only double-digit seed, NC State is technically the "Cinderella" of the NCAA Tournament. It's been a miraculous run for them after losing four straight games to end the regular-season and D.J. Burns is a loveable big man that has captured the hearts of fans. But they're still an average ACC team that's made a run but isn't the most compelling team at this point.

Whether Coach Shaka Smart can get Marquette to the Final Four is a good storyline but that's more for the Elite 8. This is a game where Marquette should win but there's always an 11-seed that makes a deep run. Could NC State find a way to make the Final Four?

7. Clemson vs Arizona

Coach Tommy Lloyd has been questioned about his ability to win in the postseason but this is the best opportunity he's going to get, facing a 6-seed in the Sweet 16. But Clemson has shown that its capable of being the top teams in the country, led by star big man, PJ Hall.

This will be an entertaining game in that both Caleb Love and Joe Girard are high-volume scorers for their respective teams. There could be a 30-point performance in store in this matchup. But unless Arizona takes an upset loss that'll certainly be blamed on Lloyd, there's not much in this game to overly care about.