Men’s NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 first look: Reasons to be excited about each matchup

The men’s NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 is set, and it’s a mix of the usual powers and upstarts pursuing their first national championships.

Three of the four No. 1 seeds — Duke, Arizona and Michigan — advanced to the second weekend, as did all four No. 2 seeds (Connecticut, Purdue, Iowa State and Houston). And all 16 teams come from one of the five power conferences.

But there are some outliers. Ninth-seeded Iowa, which defeated reigning national champion Florida on Sunday, is in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1999. Fifth-seeded St. John’s is also making its first regional appearance since 1999. Fourth-seeded Nebraska is playing in its first Sweet 16. And 11th-seeded Texas is the lone double-digit seed still in the tournament — winning three games this past week, including the First Four.

Ten of the 16 teams have never won the NCAA Tournament.

Here’s our first look at the Sweet 16, which will take place Thursday and Friday across four locations:

West (San Jose)

No. 2 Purdue vs. No. 11 Texas

When: Thursday, 7:10 p.m. ET, CBS
Line: Purdue -8.5
The Athletic’s projection: Purdue, 81 percent

First look: Both teams took circuitous routes to reach the same destination. Texas (21-14) picked up the third-to-last at-large bid after losing five of its final six games. But the Longhorns proved their mettle thus far in edging NC State by 2 points in the First Four, then flying from Dayton, Ohio to Portland, Ore., for a game 44 hours later with BYU. Texas beat the Cougars and then upset No. 3 seed Gonzaga. Center Matas Vokietaitis scored 23 points and grabbed 16 rebounds against BYU, then followed up with 17 points and nine rebounds against Gonzaga.

Purdue (29-8) entered the season ranked No. 1 but muddled along the final two months of Big Ten play before winning the tournament title. The Boilermakers have won both of their NCAA Tournament games by double figures, and are led by point guard Braden Smith, who is the NCAA’s all-time assists leader.

What’s at stake? Texas and Purdue have played four times in the NCAA Tournament, with each team winning twice. But this is the first time the teams have met after the first weekend. For Purdue’s Matt Painter, this is one last ride with the guts of a crew that went to the NCAA title game two years ago. In his first season with Texas, Sean Miller has guided the Longhorns from the First Four to their first Sweet 16 since 2023.

Reason to be excited: Get ready for some high-level offense. Purdue ranks No. 1 in KenPom for offensive efficiency, while Texas ranks 15th.

No. 1 Arizona vs. No. 4 Arkansas

When: 9:45 p.m. ET Thursday
Line: Arizona -8.5
The Athletic’s projection: Arizona, 71 percent

First look: Few teams are surging like Arizona and Arkansas. The Wildcats (34-2) boast perhaps the nation’s top resume with Big 12 regular-season and tournament titles and hold KenPom’s top spot as the nation’s most efficient team. Along the way, they swept Sweet 16 qualifiers Houston and Iowa State over the last month. Point guard Jaden Bradley, the Big 12’s player of the year, directs a balanced scoring offense with five players averaging double figures.

Arkansas freshman guard Darius Acuff Jr. led the SEC in scoring (23.3) and assists (6.8) and was named conference player of the year. He has scored at least 24 points in each of his last six games, including 36 in a second-round win against High Point. He surpassed 30 points twice in the SEC tournament while guiding the Razorbacks (28-8) to the championship.

What’s at stake? For Arkansas, this is its fourth Sweet 16 appearance in the last five years. In his second season with the Hogs, John Calipari has a roster rivaling Arkansas’ 2022 Elite Eight squad as the best in recent times. Tommy Lloyd has led Arizona to the tournament in each of his five seasons, with four trips to the Sweet 16. Both teams have proud traditions with fan bases hungry to reach the next level. As a bit of history, the teams met in the 1994 Final Four, which the Razorbacks won en route to the national title. Arizona’s last title came in 1997.

Reason to be excited: Acuff vs. Bradley. Enough said.

South (Houston)

No. 4 Nebraska vs. No. 9 Iowa

When: Thursday, 7:30 p.m. ET, TBS/truTV
Line: Nebraska -2.5
The Athletic’s projection: Nebraska, 60 percent

First look: Look what we have here. These Big Ten rivals are perpetually at each other’s throats. And after splitting a pair of games this season, the rivalry has ascended to a new place in late March. To be clear, there is no love lost between the squads coached by Nebraska’s Fred Hoiberg and Iowa’s Ben McCollum. When Iowa (23-12) beat Nebraska 57-52 on Feb. 17, students in Iowa City rushed the court. Nebraska (28-6) got revenge on March 8, winning 84-75 in overtime on an emotional senior day in Lincoln.

Expect a physical battle. Both teams stress defense. For Iowa, guard Bennett Stirtz stirs the drink. Stirtz and Nebraska guard Pryce Sandfort — an Iowa transfer — both earned first-team All-Big Ten honors. Seniors Sam Hoiberg and Rienk Mast direct the Huskers. Freshman forward Braden Frager hit the game-winning layup Saturday as Nebraska beat Vanderbilt 74-72. And for Iowa, it was forward Alvaro Folgueiras who sank top-seeded Florida, 73-72, on Sunday with a late 3-pointer.

What’s at stake? A better question: What’s not at stake? This time, it’s not about pride or bragging rights in the offseason or positioning in the Big Ten race. It’s about one spot in a game that will determine a berth in the Final Four. Iowa leads the series with Nebraska 28-16, and the Hawkeyes have won 16 of 25 games since Nebraska joined the Big Ten in 2011. For Iowa, this trip to the Sweet 16 under McCollum, the first-year coach, is the ninth in school history and first since 1999. Nebraska had never won an NCAA Tournament game until last week. It cemented this season as the greatest in school history with two wins in Oklahoma City.

Reason to be excited: One of these teams in Houston figures to play like it’s holding house money. Good chance that’s your winner.

No. 2 Houston vs. No. 3 Illinois

When: Thursday, 10:05 p.m. ET, TBS/truTV
Line: Houston -2.5
The Athletic’s projection: Houston, 63 percent

First look: The Cougars (30-6) play on campus in Houston, but the home-court edge is real. Their journey to the Toyota Center requires a drive of less than 3 miles. Illinois and Houston rank ninth and 10th in scoring margin and feature two of the sport’s top young guards in Keaton Wagler, the Big Ten freshman of the year, and Kingston Flemings, a first-team All-Big 12 selection as a freshman.

Seven-footers Tomislav and Zvonimir Ivisic guard the rim for the Illini, and 6-9 freshman David Mirkovic scored 29 points with 17 rebounds in Illinois’ opening-round rout against Penn. Houston counters with a dynamic backcourt of Flemings and seniors Milos Uzan and Emanuel Sharp, the Cougars’ all-time 3-point king. Junior forward Joseph Tugler is an elite shot blocker for Houston. Illinois (26-8) sits among four schools nationally with seven consecutive 20-win seasons — a group that includes Houston, which is enjoying its fifth consecutive year with 30 wins.

What’s at stake? Both programs are chasing their first national championship and are two of the best without one. Houston, seeking its eighth trip to the Final Four, lost against Florida in the national championship game a year ago. Illinois advanced to the Elite Eight in 2024 and was beaten by UConn, the eventual national champ. History is on the side of Houston. The Cougars beat the Illini in a 2022 round-of-32 game. And Houston, as a 2-seed or better for the fourth consecutive season, has experienced more success in March, advancing to the Sweet 16 in every tournament since 2019.

Reason to be excited: A heavyweight matchup awaits between the Big Ten’s co-runner-up and the second-place finisher in the Big 12.

East (Washington, D.C.)

No. 1 Duke vs. No. 5 St. John’s

When: Friday, 7:10 p.m. ET, CBS
Line: Duke -6.5
The Athletic’s projection: Duke, 78 percent

First look: A historical matchup with a full menu of new flavor arrives in Washington, D.C., as 38-year-old Jon Scheyer, in his fourth year at Duke, leads the Blue Devils against third-year coach Rick Pitino, 73, and resurgent St. John’s. On the court, it’s a similar dynamic. Youth drives Duke (34-2). Freshman Cameron Boozer, a first-team All-American, became the first player in program history to post double-doubles — his 20th and 21st of this season — in his first two NCAA tournament games.

For St. John’s (30-6), this first trip to the Sweet 16 since 1999 came on the backs of its seniors in the frontcourt, Zuby Ejiofor and Bryce Hopkins, the Red Storm’s top scorers. Junior guard Dylan Darling hit the game-winning layup, his lone bucket on Sunday, at the buzzer in a 67-65 win against Kansas. Sophomore guard Isaiah Evans complements Boozer for the Blue Devils, who’ve won 13 consecutive games and seek a school-record 70th win over a two-season span Friday.

What’s at stake? Duke and St. John’s last played in 2019, a 30-point Duke win. The Blue Devils have won 16 of 22 matchups. But they’ve not met on a neutral court since 1993 — and have not played in the NCAA Tournament since Christian Laettner, Grant Hill and Bobby Hurley beat St. John’s in the Elite Eight in 1991 en route to Mike Krzyzewski’s first of five national championships. While Duke moves out of the first weekend as the No. 1 overall seed in the tournament and got sophomore center Patrick Ngongba II back against TCU on Saturday after his four-game absence, no foe intimidates St. John’s. See its two wins in three games this year against UConn.

Reason to be excited: What’s better than a contrast of style in a battle for East Coast supremacy in D.C.?

No. 2 UConn vs. No. 3 Michigan State

When: Friday, 9:45 p.m. ET, CBS
Line: UConn -1.5
The Athletic’s projection: UConn, 51 percent

First look: This is a true battle of heavyweights, featuring the most dominant team of this century in NCAA Tournament play and arguably the most consistent. UConn (31-5) has won six national championships since 1999, including titles in 2023 and 2024 under eighth-year coach Dan Hurley. Michigan State (27-7) is making its 28th consecutive trip to the tourney, all under Tom Izzo, the longest streak for any coach. With another win, his 62nd in this event, Izzo would trail only Dean Smith, Roy Williams and Mike Krzyzewski.

Both teams rely on balanced attacks. UConn veterans Tarris Reed Jr., Solo Ball and Alex Karaban all score better than 12 points per game, as does freshman Braylon Mullins. The Spartans’ “Core Four,” Jeremy Fears Jr., Coen Carr, Jaxon Kohler and Carson Cooper, match the Huskies’ standouts player for player. Fears leads the nation in assists per game. Karaban scored 27 in UConn’s 73-57 win against UCLA on Sunday.

What’s at stake? The last five times that UConn qualified for the Sweet 16, it advanced to the Final Four. Those trips produced four national titles. The only outlier? In 2009, when the Huskies ran into Michigan State in the national semifinals and lost. UConn won a rematch in the 2014 East Regional final at Madison Square Garden.

There is no consolation prize for UConn and Michigan State. When they get to the second weekend, the expectations rise. With one national championship in his pocket, Izzo has advanced to the Final Four eight times since 1999, a figure that leads the nation. But the Spartans last made it in 2019, the longest drought of the Izzo era.

Reason to be excited: The schools and coaches alone are enough, but stars abound like Karaban and Fears heighten the intrigue.

Midwest (Chicago)

No. 1 Michigan vs. No. 4 Alabama

When: 7:35 p.m. ET Friday (TBS/truTV)
Line: Michigan -10.5
The Athletic’s projection: Michigan, 74 percent

First look: Michigan (33-3) became the first Big Ten team in 50 years to win every conference road game and steamrolled to a 19-1 league record. In two seasons, coach Dusty May has taken the Wolverines to consecutive Sweet 16 appearances, which is remarkable considering the program finished last in the Big Ten by four games during the 2023-24 regular season. Michigan’s foursome of Big Ten player of the year Yaxel Lendeborg, 7-4 center Aday Mara, point guard Elliot Cadeau and forward Morez Johnson Jr. are as formidable as any lineup nationally.

Alabama (25-9) point guard Labaron Philon Jr. is as good as any player the Wolverines faced in the Big Ten. Philon (22 points, 4.8 assists per game entering Sunday) directs the nation’s highest-scoring offense and third-most efficient. The Tide played the first weekend without second-leading scorer Aden Holloway (16.8 points per game), who was arrested last week on a felony marijuana charge.

What’s at stake? Michigan has reached the Sweet 16 seven times over the last nine NCAA tournaments but an NCAA championship remains elusive since its last title in 1989. The Wolverines have lost four straight championship appearances (1992, 1993, 2013, 2018) in a myriad of ways. This version might be its most complete since 1993. Alabama reached its first Final Four in 2024 and followed up with an Elite Eight appearance last season. The Tide have five Sweet 16 appearances over their last six seasons, nearly half of their historic total (12).

Reason to be excited: Anytime “Go Blue” and “Roll Tide” meet in competition, people pay attention. This is no different.

No. 2 Iowa State vs. No. 6 Tennessee

When: Friday, 10:10 p.m. ET, TBS/truTV
Line: Iowa State -3.5
The Athletic’s projection: Tennessee, 54 percent

First look: Both programs have flashed moments where they look like Final Four contenders but have dealt with some inconsistencies to temper those aspirations. Iowa State started 16-0 and reached No. 2 in the polls before losing two straight. Tennessee started 7-0 with a win against Houston but then lost three straight. The Vols won 11 games in the SEC but lost four of their final six entering the NCAA Tournament.

The Cyclones feature three of the nation’s top players at their positions with steady point guard Tamin Lipsey, premier perimeter shooter Milan Momcilovic and All-American forward Joshua Jefferson as a mismatch — when he’s healthy. Jefferson missed the Cyclones’ win against Kentucky because of a sprained left ankle and he has an MRI scheduled for 11 a.m. CT Monday. Tennessee guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie, who transferred from Maryland after a Sweet 16 appearance last year, averages 18.4 points a game and has 195 assists this year.

What’s at stake? Iowa State and Tennessee are perhaps the nation’s best programs without a true Final Four appearance. The Vols reached the Elite Eight in each of the last two seasons but were turned back both times by the eventual national runner-up. Iowa State qualified for the 1944 national semifinals in an eight-team tournament but has only one Elite Eight appearance (2000). This marks the Cyclones’ third Sweet 16 appearance under T.J. Otzelberger since he took over in 2021-22.

Reason to be excited: The teams have explosive threats offensively, but they are also two of the nation’s top defensive teams and rank in the top 13 by KenPom.