All 4 No. 1 seeds nonetheless stay as the lads’s Candy 16 is ready to tip off on Thursday evening.
Whereas this 12 months’s NCAA Match has not had as a lot insanity as followers have come to anticipate, the dearth of upsets units the stage for what must be an exhilarating and fascinating Candy 16 with 4 of the ability conferences (ACC, Huge Ten, Huge 12, SEC) all represented.
Though the one-seeds will garner many of the consideration, and rightfully so, listed here are three groups that aren’t on the one-line which are finest positioned for a Remaining 4 run.
No. 2 seed Michigan State
The 2-seed Michigan State is a pair of wins away from claiming the South area and its first Remaining 4 since 2019. Michigan State (NET ranking of 11) has the third-most Quad 1 wins behind No. 1 seeds Auburn (16) and Houston (14).
The Spartans’ Candy 16 opponent, six-seed Ole Miss, has a NET rating of 28 however has actually been battle-tested within the vaunted SEC. Michigan State thrives in bench manufacturing with a median of 34.46 factors per sport, which is fifth in the nation. Even when the Spartans get into foul hassle, they’ve the depth to beat it.
If Michigan State retains dancing to the Elite Eight, it will face the winner of the Auburn-Michigan matchup. The Spartans swept their in-state rivals through the common season and will pose a big problem to the top-seeded Tigers. Assuming Michigan State stays wholesome and maintains its bench manufacturing, its depth could lead on it to its first nationwide title since 2000.
No. 3 seed Texas Tech
The Crimson Raiders are the one crew within the Candy 16 that will probably be dealing with a double-digit seed once they go up in opposition to the 10-seed Arkansas on Thursday evening. Whereas John Calipari’s Razorbacks have the momentum, Texas Tech is a crew that completed second to Houston within the Huge 12 and is led by sophomore JT Toppin (18.1 PPG, 9.3 RPG).
Texas Tech’s assist-to-turnover ratio (1.71) speaks to its means to maintain the ball with out turning it over. If that continues, it’s going to be tough for Arkansas to beat.
If Texas Tech reaches the Elite Eight, the Florida-Maryland winner can be ready. Assuming the chalk holds, Florida’s inconsistency from the free-throw line (71.91%, 187th within the nation) might depart the door open for a Remaining 4 run from the Crimson Raiders, the place they haven’t been since 2019.
No. 4 seed Arizona
It was a rocky begin to the season for the Wildcats, who misplaced 5 of their first 9 video games. A kind of was a 69-55 setback in opposition to Duke on Nov. 22. Regardless of the early adversity, the Wildcats have a NET rating of 12 and personal 10 Quad 1 wins. In addition they have senior Caleb Love, who’s coming off a 29-point efficiency through which he shot 5-of-7 from three-point vary.
The No. 1 seed Blue Devils confirmed their dominance within the first two rounds and seem to have freshman sensation Cooper Flagg again at full energy. Nevertheless, Arizona will get a second probability in opposition to Duke, which is one thing any crew exterior of the ACC has not had.
A possible Elite Eight assembly can be in opposition to the BYU-Alabama winner. Each groups are as explosive as any crew offensively however lack a constant protection that has confirmed to repeatedly get stops. That might play to Arizona’s favor and lead this system to its first Remaining 4 since 2001.
