The NCAA men’s basketball tournament has reached the Sweet 16, meaning the path to the Final Four is coming into focus. That is especially engaging during a tournament in which chaos has taken a back seat to chalk.
For just the sixth time since the field expanded to 64 teams in 1985, every No. 1, No. 2, No. 3 and No. 4 seed advanced into the second round. It’s only the second tournament since 2008 without a single No. 13, No. 14, No. 15 or No. 16 seed pulling off a first-round upset. And only four conferences have teams playing in the Sweet 16: the SEC (seven teams), Big Ten (four), Big 12 (four) and ACC (one).
That means the top contenders haven’t had their roads cleared by bracket-busting Cinderella runs, and power-conference opponents await every team in the regional semifinals. But not all routes to San Antonio are created equal. Based on remaining opponents, seed paths and potential matchups, here’s a look at which teams have the toughest hill to climb — and which ones might have caught a break on their way to the Final Four.
No. 1 Auburn, the top seed in the South Region, has the easiest path to the Final Four. All that’s left in Auburn’s way are No. 5 seed Michigan in the Sweet 16, and — if the Tigers win — the winner of No. 2 Michigan State and No. 6 Mississippi. Those three teams are ranked 20th, 7th and 21st, respectively, in analyst Ken Pomeroy’s respected ratings.
The Tigers have a deep, experienced roster, and won their first two NCAA games by double digits for the first time since 1986. Led by a starting lineup of Denver Jones, Miles Kelly, Chad Baker-Mazara, Johni Broome and Dylan Cardwell, they’ve shown resilience — rallying to beat Creighton in the second round after trailing by two at halftime — and determination, outrebounding both its opponents by 10 boards thus far.
Auburn could get an additional edge due to its familiarity with Atlanta’s State Farm Arena, which is hosting the regional, about a two-hour drive from Auburn’s campus. The Tigers have played a neutral-site game there in each of the past five seasons, going 4-1 in those contests and beating several power-conference opponents by outlandish margins. Their dominant 91-53 win over Ohio State this season shows they’re comfortable, and dangerous, on that court, making Atlanta feel like a second home.
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For just the sixth time since the field expanded to 64 teams in 1985, every No. 1, No. 2, No. 3 and No. 4 seed advanced into the second round. It’s only the second tournament since 2008 without a single No. 13, No. 14, No. 15 or No. 16 seed pulling off a first-round upset. And only four conferences have teams playing in the Sweet 16: the SEC (seven teams), Big Ten (four), Big 12 (four) and ACC (one).
That means the top contenders haven’t had their roads cleared by bracket-busting Cinderella runs, and power-conference opponents await every team in the regional semifinals. But not all routes to San Antonio are created equal. Based on remaining opponents, seed paths and potential matchups, here’s a look at which teams have the toughest hill to climb — and which ones might have caught a break on their way to the Final Four.
No. 1 Auburn, the top seed in the South Region, has the easiest path to the Final Four. All that’s left in Auburn’s way are No. 5 seed Michigan in the Sweet 16, and — if the Tigers win — the winner of No. 2 Michigan State and No. 6 Mississippi. Those three teams are ranked 20th, 7th and 21st, respectively, in analyst Ken Pomeroy’s respected ratings.
The Tigers have a deep, experienced roster, and won their first two NCAA games by double digits for the first time since 1986. Led by a starting lineup of Denver Jones, Miles Kelly, Chad Baker-Mazara, Johni Broome and Dylan Cardwell, they’ve shown resilience — rallying to beat Creighton in the second round after trailing by two at halftime — and determination, outrebounding both its opponents by 10 boards thus far.
Auburn could get an additional edge due to its familiarity with Atlanta’s State Farm Arena, which is hosting the regional, about a two-hour drive from Auburn’s campus. The Tigers have played a neutral-site game there in each of the past five seasons, going 4-1 in those contests and beating several power-conference opponents by outlandish margins. Their dominant 91-53 win over Ohio State this season shows they’re comfortable, and dangerous, on that court, making Atlanta feel like a second home.
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