NCAA March Madness Winds Down to the Sweet 16
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NCAA March Madness Winds Down to the Sweet 16

March Madness is now in full swing and the most exciting part of the tournament is set to begin soon.

Continue on for the matchups and storylines you should know about before the tournament continues on March 24.

4 Arkansas vs 1 Gonzaga

West Region | March 24 at 7:09PM EST - CBS

 

Top-seeded Gonzaga looks to roll past an Arkansas team that just posted the lowest score by any SEC team to win an NCAA tournament game (53 points). Zags Freshmen Jalen Duren and Chet Holmgren lead their team in what may be their lone tourney appearance before they go on to the NBA.

Photography: Instagram | @zagmbb

4 Arkansas vs 1 Gonzaga

Defensively-minded Arkansas pulled off a 17-game winning streak in conference play to end the regular season. They’re not a great 3-point shooting team, but they make up for that deficiency with their fast transition play and high free throw percentage.

Photography: Arizona Razorbacks Men's Basketball

3 Texas Tech vs 2 Duke

West Region | March 24 at 9:39PM EST - CBS

 

First-year head coach Mark Adams and his Texas Tech team have shown their resilience all season long. They fought through the adversity behind the leadership of forward Bryson Williams and guard Terrance Shannon Jr.

Photography: Instagram | @texastechmbb

3 Texas Tech vs 2 Duke

Duke’s legendary head coach Mike Krzyzewski plans to retire after bringing the team to its 37th NCAA tournament appearance since 1980. This year’s young roster has shown how extremely talented they are, which may get them past Texas Tech’s stone-wall defense.

Photography: Instagram | @dukembb

11 Michigan vs 2 Villanova

South Region | March 24 at 7:29PM EST - TBS

 

Michigan has successfully fought through a ton of recent controversy to reach the Sweet 16 this year. Head coach Juwan Howard brings a well-coached roster to the tournament, led by red-hot Hunter Dickinson who is averaging 24 points and 8.5 rebounds per game.

Photography: Jordan Brand | University of Michigan

11 Michigan vs 2 Villanova

Villanova’s experience and offensive consistency make them a tough team to beat and a great matchup for Duke’s youthful, raw talent. They’re the nation’s best free-throw shooting team (83%) and have made 36% of their contested three-point shots during this year’s tournament.

Photography: Instagram | @novambb

5 Houston vs 1 Arizona

South Region | March 24 at 9:59PM EST - TBS

 

The Houston Cougars are playing some of the most efficient basketball in this tournament despite having lost two of their top players to season-ending injuries. They’re on a roll and will need that energy against the nation’s second best-ranked team.

Photography: Instagram | @uhcougarmbk

5 Houston vs 1 Arizona

Arizona’s Center Christian Koloko and guard Bennedict Mathurin are a dynamite duo that scored a combined 58 points in their last game against TCU. For the Wildcats, the close-call against TCU should be enough fuel to keep them atop the bracket.

Photography: Instagram | @arizonambb

8 UNC vs 4 UCLA

East Region | March 25 at 9:39PM EST - CBS

 

UNC big men Armando Bacot and Brady Manek regularly beat up opponents in the paint, which will give the smaller UCLA team some trouble. In a region where two of the top seed have been eliminated (Kentucky or Baylor) The Tar Heels looks to capitalize on their underdog status.

Photography: Instagram | @unc_basketball

8 UNC vs 4 UCLA

UCLA’s fate may heavily depend on whether junior guard Jaime Jaquez Jr is able to return from the ankle injury he suffered last game. Regardless, they’ve committed only 14 turnovers during the tournament and that solid play could see them through to the next round.

Photography: Instagram | @uclambb

15 Saint Peter’s vs 3 Purdue

East Region | March 25 at 7:09PM EST - CBS

 

St. Peter’s College knocked off 2-seed Kentucky and Murray State on their way to the Sweet 16. Coach Shaheen Holloway and his team are looking to bring down Purdue with its perfectly-executed gameplay.

Photography: Instagram | @peacocksmbb

15 St Peter’s vs 3 Purdue

After the 1 and 2-seeded teams were eliminated early (Baylor and Kentucky), the Boilermakers remain the top remaining team in the East region. Their extremely talented roster includes NBA-bound guard Jaden Ivey and high-scoring reserve forward, Trevion Williams.

Photography: Instagram | @boilerball

4 Providence vs 1 Kansas

Midwest Region | March 25 at 7:29PM EST - TBS

 

The Jayhawks remain the best team in the Midwest region and owe their recent success to guard Remy Martin who transferred from Arizona State but hadn’t found his groove until recently. Kansas’ powerhouse offense may prove to be too much for Providence to handle.

Photography: Instagram | @kuhoops

4 Providence vs 1 Kansas

Providence’s game against most opponents is to wear them down with suffocating defense and staying consistent on offense. Kansas’ firepower may force the3 Friars out of their normal strategy, so they’ll need to be locked in.

Photography: Instagram | @pcfriarsmbb

11 Iowa State vs 10 Miami

Midwest Region | March 25 at 9:59PM EST - TBS

 

The Miami Hurricanes went on a remarkable run in the 4th quarter of their last game to defeat No. 2 seed Auburn by 18 points. Miami’s roster is led by a trio of scoring guards – sixth-year “Super Seniors” Charlie Moore and Kameron McGusty, and sophomore Isiah Wong.

Photography: Instagram | @caneshoops

11 Iowa State vs 10 Miami

Iowa State’s men’s basketball team won 2 games the season before T.J. Otzelberger took over as head coach. Their balanced play has carried them far, which is exactly what they’ll need against Miami’s dynamic scoring attack.

Photography: Instagram | @cyclonembb

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