Per ESPN+
The first full day of the NCAA tournament featured eight games decided by single digits, six lower-seeded teams advancing, four double-digit seeds winning, three overtime games and one of the biggest upsets in NCAA tournament history.
And the weekend didn't slow down from there. The Sweet 16, which begins Thursday in San Antonio and San Francisco, features a 15-seed for just the third time in tournament history, as well as four double-digit seeds. Three 1-seeds are still dancing, but one needed overtime to advance and another had to overcome a double-digit deficit in the second round.
So yes, the Madness has lived up to its name.
What will the next two rounds of the NCAA tournament look like? More upsets or top seeds advancing to New Orleans? I reached out to coaches who have faced the four regional favorites to find out which potential opponent poses the biggest challenge -- and much more -- to get you prepared for the Sweet 16.
Why coaches think Purdue is vulnerable: "UCLA has more offensive options on the perimeter and I love UCLA's winning DNA, but I lean toward Carolina [as the greater threat]. Purdue has good matchups for Armando Bacot, they have guys to guard him for 40 minutes -- but does that neutralize the offense? R.J. Davis, Caleb Love, Brady Manek; can they get loose against Purdue?
"I don't think Purdue is bad defensively in a big spot. I think they'll be geared up to guard in a game like that. I don't know if you'll see it against Saint Peter's, but in an Elite Eight game ... They have their bigs; they have Mason Gillis, who plays his ass off; [Jaden] Ivey will be motivated to guard. It's really just Sasha [Stefanovic], he's the one [problem]. Ethan Morton will come off the bench and compete. So is Sasha going to have a bad matchup? I think that's really what you're talking about, and I think Carolina has a little more firepower." -- Big Ten assistant coach
The first full day of the NCAA tournament featured eight games decided by single digits, six lower-seeded teams advancing, four double-digit seeds winning, three overtime games and one of the biggest upsets in NCAA tournament history.
And the weekend didn't slow down from there. The Sweet 16, which begins Thursday in San Antonio and San Francisco, features a 15-seed for just the third time in tournament history, as well as four double-digit seeds. Three 1-seeds are still dancing, but one needed overtime to advance and another had to overcome a double-digit deficit in the second round.
So yes, the Madness has lived up to its name.
What will the next two rounds of the NCAA tournament look like? More upsets or top seeds advancing to New Orleans? I reached out to coaches who have faced the four regional favorites to find out which potential opponent poses the biggest challenge -- and much more -- to get you prepared for the Sweet 16.
Purdue Boilermakers
Potential pitfall: The winner of UCLA vs. North Carolina, obviously, but the Tar Heels' ability to score could cause issues.Why coaches think Purdue is vulnerable: "UCLA has more offensive options on the perimeter and I love UCLA's winning DNA, but I lean toward Carolina [as the greater threat]. Purdue has good matchups for Armando Bacot, they have guys to guard him for 40 minutes -- but does that neutralize the offense? R.J. Davis, Caleb Love, Brady Manek; can they get loose against Purdue?
"I don't think Purdue is bad defensively in a big spot. I think they'll be geared up to guard in a game like that. I don't know if you'll see it against Saint Peter's, but in an Elite Eight game ... They have their bigs; they have Mason Gillis, who plays his ass off; [Jaden] Ivey will be motivated to guard. It's really just Sasha [Stefanovic], he's the one [problem]. Ethan Morton will come off the bench and compete. So is Sasha going to have a bad matchup? I think that's really what you're talking about, and I think Carolina has a little more firepower." -- Big Ten assistant coach
