March Madness Sweet Sixteen: Top Matchups

0:00On March 24th, the men's March madness tournament is down to the sweet 16 after the first weekend with the field of 68 trim to just the top 16 teams. Chaos was minimal this year, matching the strong regular season from the powerhouses, though number 9 Iowa and number 11 Texas pulled off, surprises to advance. Sports Illustrated ranked all eight sweet 16 match-ups, starting with number 2. Purdue facing number 11 Texas on Thursday at 7-10pm, Eastern on CBS. Texas earned praise for reaching the stage as a first-four team, but they'll face a tougher Purdue squad on a six-game win streak. Meanwhile, number 2 Iowa State meets number 6 Tennessee Friday night, pitting turn-over-forcing defenses against sharp shooters. Fans are buzzing over rivalries like number 4 Nebraska versus number 9 Iowa. A rematch of Big 10 foes splitting their season series. Midwest crowds will pack Houston for that Thursday clash at 7-30pm.

1:02Eastern, number 1 Michigan's dominant interior defense has everyone rethinking their scare factor against number 4. Alabama's 3-point barrage. Higher up the rankings, number 1. Duke takes on hot number 5 St. John's, led by Rick Patino, one number 2 Yukon battles number 3. Michigan State in a coaching showdown between Dan Hurley and Tom Izzo. Number 2 Houston hosts number 3. Illinois in what feels like a final 4 preview and the top ranked game pits, number 1 Arizona against number. 4 Arkansas Thursday at 9.45pm, Eastern. These matchups highlight star freshmen, gritty defenses, and potential classics, setting the stage for an intense push to the final 4.