The 2024 NCAA Tournament has narrowed down to the Sweet 16 and the games kick off on Thursday. In the Sweet 16, there is just one double-digit seed, the NC State Wolfpack, who defeated Texas Tech and Oakland to earn their trip to the second weekend. There are plenty of notable matchups to watch, with Purdue vs. Gonzaga arguably being the best of the entire slate.
Can UConn repeat as national champions? Will Zach Edey and Purdue make it to the Final Four? Or will Houston and Kelvin Sampson finally get to the promised land of college basketball? Here are four teams with the best chance to win the NCAA Tournament, one coming from each region.
East Region: UConn Huskies
Is this really a surprise? UConn has been the best team in the country for essentially the entire season. They entered as the top overall seed in March Madness and made easy work of both Stetson and Northwestern to get to the Sweet 16. Dan Hurley has his team playing well in every aspect, although he wasn't satisfied despite the Huskies' massive halftime lead against Stetson in the Round of 64.
UConn has a brutal matchup coming against San Diego State, although this is the same team they dominated in the national title game last year. But, Jaedon LeDee is having an unreal NCAA Tournament run and an impressive season, which could be a concern for UConn. Simply put, if they can get past the Aztecs, they should have a clear path to the Final Four and are still the favorites to win the NCAA Tournament.
West Region: Arizona Wildcats
Caleb Love leads Arizona back to the Sweet 16 🐻 pic.twitter.com/IGa3wRoQJg
— B/R Hoops (@brhoops) March 23, 2024
Last year, Arizona lost to 15-seed Princeton in one of the most shocking NCAA Tournament results in recent memory. This year, Tommy Lloyd's team did nothing but add talent to the roster. San Diego State transfer Keshad Johnson has been a huge part of the success, and North Carolina transfer Caleb Love was named the Pac-12 Most Outstanding Player.
Arizona cruised by Long Beach State and beat Dayton by 10 to punch their Sweet 16 ticket. Next up is a game against Clemson followed by an Elite Eight clash against either Alabama or North Carolina, which would set up for a Caleb Love revenge game. The way the Wildcats are playing lately is exactly what you want to see for a team fighting for an NCAA Tournament title. The biggest question is whether or not they can get the job done once and for all.
South Region: Duke Blue Devils
30 points (8/11 3P) for Jared McCain in Duke's blowout win over James Madison to advance to the Sweet 16. Incredible shot-making display with some flashes of intelligent pick and roll prowess mixed in for the projected top-20 pick. pic.twitter.com/7xrmBBLKE9
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) March 24, 2024
Yes, Duke over Houston, Marquette, and NC State. Shaka Smart's team should defeat the hot Wolfpack, whose March madness run has certainly been fun to watch. So, it comes down to Houston or Duke. However, there are always concerns about the Houston team, and they were pushed to the limit against 9-seed Texas A&M in the Round of 32 but ultimately made it to the Sweet 16.
Jared McCain made history for Duke in the win over James Madison, and the Blue Devils are clicking on all cylinders at the perfect time. In a bit of an unusual sighting, Duke enters as a 4.5-point underdog, marking their largest margin since the 1994 national title game. They are also 0-6 against higher seeds since that game, but there is a lot to like about the way this team is playing.
Houston was a 1-seed last year and lost in the Sweet 16 to Miami (FL), who went on to make the Final Four. Is this the year Houston finally gets to the national title game? It will be tough, but Duke has been on a tear since losing early in the ACC Tournament.
Midwest Region: Gonzaga Bulldogs
Not Purdue and Zach Edey? The simple answer is no. There are huge concerns about the Boilermakers, and Gonzaga is the team that will likely put Purdue's run to an end. Mark Few's team is experienced and talented. Despite an up-and-down year. they are tending in the right direction at the perfect time.
Gonzaga beat Cinderella candidate McNeese in the Round of 64 and then took care of a depleted Kansas team in the next round with a 21-point victory.
Yes, Purdue has been terrific all season long, but it will be interesting to see if the Boilermakers can hang around with Gonzaga's pace. They are 9th in PPG, 2nd in field goal percentage, and 8th in assists, so Purdue certainly has its work cut out for them. The biggest difference here is Mark Few and his experience. He has been there, done that, time and time again.
On the other hand, Purdue has made the Elite Eight just once since Matt Painter became head coach, and the upset losses to Fairleigh Dickinson and Saint Peter's are reminiscent of the type of team this is.
Gonzaga is hot and playing as well as anybody in the Big Dance, and this could be the year they get it done.
Follow Us
Subscribe