The first weekend of March Madness is in the books, and all of the talk has been about the lack of Cinderella stories. Chalk mostly held during the first two rounds, which led to a whole load of think-pieces about why the little guy is making less noise than in the past.
Just one double-digit seed made the Sweet 16, and Texas doesn't exactly fit into a glass slipper. The closest thing to Cinderella you'll find in the second weekend this year is Ben McCollum and Iowa, which just knocked off top-seed Florida on Sunday night to open up the south region.
Iowa may not find itself at the top of the Sweet 16 power rankings, but the Hawkeyes will have plenty of confidence coming into the second weekend after the biggest upset of the tournament. Who tops the power rankings heading into the regionals?
1. Arizona (No. 1 seed, West region)
Arizona is the No. 2 overall seed in the tournament, but the Wildcats are the team to beat coming out of the first weekend. Arizona survived a scare in the second round against Utah State, but it should feel great about their chances of reaching the Final Four for the first time since 2001.
Tommy Lloyd has an excellent roster with experience, size, physicality, and two guards that can get a basket at the end of the game. This Wildcats team gets the job done on both ends of the court, and that is why it is the favorite to cut down the nets.
2. Michigan (No. 1 seed, Midwest region)
Michigan was very impressive in a second-round win over Saint Louis on Saturday, and it's clear that any team opposite the Wolverines will have a very tough time matching its size in the starting lineup. Guard depth is a slight concern for the Wolverines after the injury to LJ Cason, but it's very hard to poke holes in what has been a dominant force for much of the season.
3. Duke (No. 1 seed, East region)
Duke did well to navigate an upset scare against Siena and then a stiff test form TCU, even without Patrick Ngbonga II in the first game and Caleb Foster for the weekend. Now, Ngbonga should be good to go and will give Duke the trademark size that it's had all season. The loss of Foster is a big one, and if he is still out it could prove to be very costly when the competition rises for the Blue Devils in the East.
4. Houston (No. 2 seed, South Region)
Houston comfortably navigated Idaho and Texas A&M during the first weekend, both of whom were overwhelmed by the sheer size and physicality of the Cougars. Now, the top seed in the South is out and Houston will get de facto home games in the Sweet 16 and the Elite 8. With a ton of experience and great guard play led by Kingston Flemings, Kelvin Sampson and company are in great shape.
5. Purdue (No. 2 seed, West region)
Purdue caught fire in the Big Ten Tournament to climb to a No. 2 seed in the West region. The Boilermakers backed that up with an impressive win over a talented Miami team to get to the Sweet 16 for the third year in a row. Purdue is starting to play its best basketball and has a ton of experience in the backcourt, which should make Matt Painter's squad a tough out.
6. Illinois (No. 3 seed, South region)
Illinois scores a ton of points, and that will be put to the test on Thursday night when the Illini takes on a defensive juggernaut in Houston. Keaton Wagler has become one of the best players in the country and Illinois has a lot of size, which helped it easily dispatch Penn and VCU to get to this point. With Florida out of the South, Brad Underwood will feel like he has a great chance to get this team to the Final Four.
7. St. John's (No. 5 seed, East region)
St. John's was criminally under-seeded coming into this tournament, and it showed with a very entertaining win over Kansas in the second round. Now, Rick Pitino and his red-hot Red Storm will head to Washington D.C. to take on Duke in a game that the Blue Devils definitely can't be overlooking.
8. UConn (No. 2 seed, East region)
UConn might seem too low on this list, but the Huskies have just been too inconsistent on the offensive end of late to trust. Tarris Reed Jr. has been on an absolute tear, but he will be challenged by a very good Michigan State front court that has a lot of bodies to throw at him. If UConn's guards are playing well, it will be very tough to beat, but that hasn't always been the case this season.
9. Iowa State (No. 2 seed, Midwest region)
Iowa State is still managing the injury to Joshua Jefferson that he suffered in the first round, but that didn't stop TJ Otzelberger and company from dominating Kentucky with its ball pressure and defense in the Round of 32. If Jefferson comes back, this ranking will be far too low for a Cyclones team that has championship potential at its best. However, it's hard to count on whether he will be available or not for the second weekend.
10. Michigan State (No. 3 seed, East region)
Michigan State didn't have things all its own way against Louisville on Saturday, but the Spartans were still able to fight their way through to the Sweet 16. This is one of the most experienced teams left in the field, though 3-point shooting can be a concern at times for Tom Izzo and company. Stay tuned for what should be a rockfight with UConn on Friday.
11. Arkansas (No. 4 seed, West region)
Arkansas doesn't have much size and it doesn't have much depth, but it does have Darius Acuff Jr. The best player during the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament scored a cool 60 points in two games over the weekend, including 36 in a win over High Point in the second round. Given the front court disparity, it might take another legendary performance from Acuff for Arkansas to upset Arizona, but he's more than good enough to make it happen.
12. Alabama (No. 4 seed, Midwest region)
Alabama is playing without Aden Holloway after his arrest, but the high-flying Crimson Tide didn't miss a beat in a 90-65 demolition of Texas Tech on Sunday night. Nate Oats' team dominated on the glass and put up points from the 3-point line. It will be much tougher to replicate that against Michigan, but if Alabama can do it, it will be very tough to take down.
13. Nebraska (No. 4 seed, South region)
Nebraska won the game of the tournament so far, taking down Vanderbilt when Tyler Tanner's half-court heave went in, out, in again and out for good. The Cornhuskers backed up their first-ever NCAA Tournament win with their second one to get to their first-ever Sweet 16.
A rivalry game with Iowa awaits, which should be a defensive battle that Fred Hoiberg and company will relish.
14. Tennessee (No. 6 seed, Midwest region)
Rick Barnes and company have had an up-and-down season, and they nearly suffered another late-game meltdown against Virginia in the Round of 32. While things aren't always smooth, it's impossible to deny the size, length and athleticism that this Volunteers squad has. If Nate Ament and Ja'Kobi Gillespie get it going on offense, watch out for Rick Barnes and company.
15. Texas (No. 11 seed, West region)
Texas is hot at the right time and has gone all the way from the First Four to the Sweet 16 with upset wins over BYU and Gonzaga. Sean Miller has had a talented roster all season at Texas, and now things are finally starting to come together with a deep backcourt and a very good big man in Matas Vokietaitis. This Longhorns team is as dangerous as any coming into the second weekend.
16. Iowa (No. 9 seed, South region)
Iowa took the college basketball world by storm when it upset Florida in the Round of 32, a stunning result that just about nobody saw coming. The Hawkeyes will be at a talent disadvantage with just about anyone they play, but they have one of the best guards in the nation in Bennett Stirtz and a coach that creates a ton of advantages in Ben McCollum. Iowa will like its chances against Nebraska in a rivalry series that it split during the regular season.
