03.26.25

OH HOW SWEET (SIXTEEN) IT IS!                                             

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We hope everyone has been enjoying March Madness so far! While there haven’t been many “upsets” in terms of smaller schools taking down giants, there appears to be some great theatre/drama shaping up between some powerhouse programs heading into these next rounds. Bracket pools are likely still up in the air with all four No. 1 seeds and plenty of other top-tier programs left standing at this time. See below for some more tidbits that will help you prepare for this week’s Sweet 16 and Elite 8 games!

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1. HOUSTON, WE (DON’T) HAVE A PROBLEM… YET?

The Cougars, top seed in the Midwest, have advanced to their sixth consecutive Sweet 16. They blasted SIU-Edwardsville by nearly 40 and then held off a worthy Gonzaga team in the second round behind 30 points from veteran leader L.J. Cryer at the point guard spot. Houston is trying to capture its first title in program history but now finds itself in a strange logistical disadvantage this week… having to face Purdue in Indianapolis. The Boilermakers, seeded fourth, will be playing just over an hour away from their campus in West Lafayette.

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2. THE DUKE WITH NO HAZZARD

Can anybody stop this powerhouse? Duke has won 13 games in a row and has lost just once since Thanksgiving weekend. The Blue Devils smashed Baylor by 23 in the second round behind another well-rounded effort, showing they feature more than just soon-to-be top NBA Draft pick Cooper Flagg. (Swingman Tyrese Proctor has actually led the team in scoring over the last three games). Duke now turns its attention to Arizona and familiar foe Caleb Love, who shot Duke right out of the Final Four back in 2022 when he was playing for North Carolina. He dropped 28 points that night and would love nothing more than to be a thorn in Duke’s side again.

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3. LET IT ‘BURN, ‘BURN, ‘BURN

The Auburn Tigers, No. 1 seed in the south, roared through opening weekend after fighting off a pair of scrappy challengers in Alabama State and Creighton. Johni Broome, in the mix with Flagg for National Player of the Year, had double-digit rebounds in both games as Auburn dominates the glass. Auburn has reached 30 wins on the season and appears motivated to atone for last year’s upset loss to Yale in the first round. Keep watching out for this hungry bunch.
 

4. GATOR BITES

Florida, top seed in the West, survived a tight scare from 2x defending national champ UConn in the second round… but emerged 77-75. Walter Clayton Jr. has scored 23 in both games to lead this club, which struggled (a bit) at the “charity stripe” in its last game by missing a dozen free throws. The Gators are back in the Sweet 16 for the first time in eight years, thanks to the efforts of third-year head coach Todd Golden.

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5. MICHIGAN KEEPS MARCHING

The Wolverines continue eluding quality teams and surviving close end-of-game scenarios, which is what you need this time of year amongst the “madness.” Michigan won three-straight games by 1-2 possessions before trailing in the second half against Texas A&M in the second round. But UM struck a monster rally to ultimately, somehow win by 12 and set up a date with Auburn. Michigan will be surefire underdogs coming up, but don’t think that will scare 7-footers Danny Wolf and Vladislav Goldin. Head Coach Dusty May, in his first year at the helm, guided Florida Atlantic to a magical Final Four journey back in 2022.

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6. TECH-KNOWLEDGE

Texas Tech, seeded third in its region, continues finding different ways to win and has admirably pressed on without the help of third-leading scorer Chance McMillian... who has missed the past three games with an injury. The Red Raiders are optimistic that he’ll be back (in some capacity) for the Sweet 16 but, either way, this group is 27-8 on the year and could even hold a better record – with losses by one, one, three, four, five and six points this season. Only one of their defeats has come by double digits, so I would expect this team to be right there in any/every game.

 

7. A FOR EFFORT:

Arizona is averaging 90 points per game through the opening two rounds, hanging 93 on Akron and then storming back to outlast rival Oregon by an 87-83 final. As mentioned, the Wildcats will live and die by lead guard Caleb Love and his heavy shot volume. He had 29 against Oregon and there is no love lost between him and Duke. Arizona lost in this round last year (77-72 against Clemson) and no team from the Western/Mountain time zone has won the national title since way back in 1997. They would have to potentially beat a trio of No. 1 seeds in order to do it.

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8. BIG BLUE STILL IN THE BRACKET

Kentucky led Troy from start to finish in the first round and then actually found themselves as a slight underdog (by Vegas bookmaking standards) against Illinois. But UK implemented another nice defensive showing – not always like them – against the Illini to make the Sweet 16 in head coach Mark Pope’s first season in Lexington. The Wildcats will now look to beat Tennessee for a third time this season after winning both regular-season matchups by scores of 78-73 and 75-64.

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9. CRAB FIVE

The Maryland Terrapins (species of a small turtle) provided the first/only buzzer beater of the tournament across opening weekend, coming in the second round against upset-minded Colorado State. Trailing 71-70 with just a few seconds left, big man Derik Queen received a pass at the top of the key and drove in for a winning bank shot. (He didn’t travel, by the way, for anyone debating out there). Now, this dynamic starting unit – nicknamed the “Crab Five" - will look to take advantage of a second life against Florida. Turtles usually don’t stack up well against Gators, but let’s see what happens on the hardwood instead of the water!

 

10. VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Tennessee, perhaps the best defensive team in the country, kept showing why in the first/second rounds by keeping Wofford (62 points) and UCLA (58 points) in relative check. The Volunteers, under veteran coach Rick Barnes, will now be extremely motivated for revenge against Kentucky after a pair of losses earlier in the calendar. This one matters most, though, and one would think Tennessee improves from three-point range after shooting a dismal 14 of 63 combined behind the arc in the previous two games. Point guard Zakai Ziegler controls the show nicely while Chaz Lanier leads the way at 18 points per game.

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11. RAZORBACKS ARE BACK

This program lost in the Sweet 16 two years ago and then struggled to a below .500 season last year. Now, legendary coach John Calipari has provided the roster a facelift in his inaugural season with the Hogs. Arkansas is an incredibly talented No. 10 seed that has found its form at the perfect time, knocking off Kansas and St. John’s with rather impressive showings. Boogie Fland’s return from injury has provided a boost and now, helping matters even more, is the potential return of leading scorer Adou Thiero. He will likely get 12-15 minutes of action and give the team another weapon against Texas Tech… and maybe beyond?

 

12. BUCKETS FOR ‘BAMA

Who wants to try and keep pace offensively with this high-flying group?! Alabama is the fastest team in the country (pace and possessions per game), scoring 90 in the first round and then 80 on Saint Mary’s usually formidable defense. The Crimson Tide lost in the Final Four last year and would love nothing more than to get another crack at the title. Floor general Mark Sears leads the way for SIX players that average in double figures. Head Coach Nate Oats usually provides some nice fashion with his sport coats on the sideline… but that won’t help his team defend a great opponent in BYU.

 

13. SPARTY ON!

Tom Izzo and Michigan State trailed the entire first half against a rugged New Mexico team in the second round, but found its footing across the second half to avoid the upset. The Spartans have not made it past this round since making the Final Four in 2019, but a very deep and versatile lineup has other ideas this time around. MSU uses a rotation of 10 players, with seven individuals averaging between 7-13 points per game. It can be anyone’s day when this TEAM laces up. Keep an eye on guard Tre Holloman, who isn’t afraid to mix it up with the opposition.

 

14. FOREVER YOUNG

BYU, known formally as Brigham Young University, is ironically never youthful and instead features a veteran roster with 10 players that are either juniors or seniors. BYU used a workmanlike effort in the first round and then held off a late-charging Wisconsin team (91-89) in the second round after controlling most of the game. Richie Saunders is likely a future pro that should give Alabama’s defense (or lack thereof) some headaches, Keba Keita is a monster rebounder, and Russian guard Egor Demin can be a critical X-factor. Get ready for some points between them and ‘Bama in the first game on Thursday!

 

15. OLE MISS HASN’T MISSED

The Rebels have clicked on all cylinders to begin this tournament, handling North Carolina rather comfortably and then dropping 91 points against Iowa State in a mini upset. Ole Miss took care of the ball with just seven turnovers in the last contest, and will need more of the same if it wants to beat Michigan State. Enjoy watching guard Sean Padulla, who shoots nearly 40% from long range and usually has a big supporting cast of friends/family in the stands all wearing his same white headband in unity!

 

16. BOILER ROOM

Many were a bit “down” on Purdue entering this bracket, but the No. 4 seed Boilermakers (temporarily) silenced critics with wire-to-wire victories over a pair of mid-majors in High Point and McNeese State. The level of competition now ramps up in a big way against Houston, but Purdue gets to make just a quick drive north to Lucas Oil Stadium. Matt Painter is a veteran coach and Braden Smith is arguably the best point guard in the nation. Can this team strike a run and get back to the national title game for a second year in a row?