March Madness: What to watch in the Sweet 16

For the last few days, the fans of 16 men’s college basketball teams haven’t been able to get one thought out of their heads: Two more wins until the Final Four.

After surviving the gauntlet that is the opening rounds of March Madness, the Sweet 16 is an accomplishment on its own. But the chance to play for a national championship now doesn’t just feel like a far-off hope; it’s only one weekend away.

Here’s what to watch tonight as the action gets underway.

The Longhorns really shouldn’t be here. And yet they are, making them the closest thing this year’s men’s NCAA tournament has to a Cinderella.

Texas was among the last four teams into the tournament’s field of 68 and had to play in the First Four against North Carolina State to even earn a chance at getting into the main bracket. It took a jumper from Tramon Mark with 1.1 seconds to go in that game against the Wolfpack to win that opening game in Dayton, Ohio. But that shot sparked a wave of momentum.

Upsets of Gonzaga and BYU followed and now Texas and head coach Sean Miller are in California, dreaming of continuing this March run as long as they can. They face a stern challenge in Matt Painter’s Boilermakers.

Purdue won the Big Ten tournament in Chicago and breezed through wins over Queens and Miami, looking like a strong candidate to advance to the Final Four in the Boilermakers’ home state. If Purdue gets its usual strong guard play from Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer and inside presence from Treu Kaufman-Renn and company, it might be a long night for the Longhorns.

It’s a Big Ten battle and a rivalry game in the Sweet 16.

Nebraska and Iowa have turned into a contentious matchup on the football field ever since the Cornhuskers joined the Big Ten, playing an annual rivalry game in the final matchup of each team’s regular season. But their contests on the hardwood have not usually carried those same bragging rights’ stakes.

Until now.

Nebraska is riding high after the first two men’s NCAA tournament wins in school history and Fred Hoiberg is hoping to take his alma mater even further to its first Elite Eight. But the Hawkeyes are no pushovers, having taken down top-seeded Florida in the second round in one of the tournament’s biggest upsets so far.

These teams know each other well – they split their two games in the regular season – and this would could be close until the final minutes.

This season has been a return to form for the Arizona Wildcats after a few average years following the 2021-22 return to form under Tommy Lloyd. But this point in the season has been the stumbling block for Zona – it’s been more than 10 years since the Wildcats have made it past the Sweet 16.

Standing in their way is John Calipari’s Arkansas, back in the Sweet 16 for the second straight year. The Razorbacks’ high-scoring offense will make for a fine foil for the Wildcats’ stout defense and expect the matchup between Hogs’ guard Darius Acuff Jr. and Wildcats star Brayden Burries to be the standout showdown of the night.

Calipari, one of the leading members of the old guard of coaches who are shining in this Sweet 16, is looking to do something no man has done before by leading Arkansas to the Final Four. It would be the fourth school he’s taken to the season’s final weekend.

Only one other man has the opportunity to do that and his team plays on Friday; Rick Pitino is also looking to take his fourth team to the Final Four.

The night’s final game is a doozy.

The Houston Cougars are basically playing a home game in the Toyota Center, putting the cap on a thrilling day for Houston sports fans (the Texas Children’s Houston Open teed off Thursday morning, the Astros have their opening day in the afternoon and then it’s the Sweet 16 at night) with a showdown for a spot in the Elite Eight.

The Illini will be looking to crash the party and certainly could do so, sending their squad of big men at Houston’s swarming defense.

Both teams are led by veteran head coaches in Kelvin Sampson (Houston) and Brad Underwood (Illinois) who are looking to get to the Final Four for personal reasons. For Sampson, his Cougars fell in the national championship game to Florida last year after they couldn’t get a shot off on the final possession. Underwood, meanwhile, is looking to put a cherry on top of a long and winding road to the top of college basketball with his first Final Four appearance.

Expect a tight game throughout this one and plenty of tough defense from both teams.