March Madness is down to the Sweet Sixteen after a wonderful weekend of college basketball. The NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament has been filled with so many twists and turns this year.
For example, a #12 seed normally always defeats one of the #5 seeds every season. However, all #5 seeds qualified for this Sweet Sixteen. For the third year in a row, a #15 seed has advanced to the Sweet Sixteen.
These teams are now two wins away from the Final Four in Houston. To see who will make it to the Elite Eight, let us take a look at the schedule below. All times listed are Eastern Standard Time (EST).
Thursday, March 23
East Region - Madison Square Garden - New York
#7 Michigan State (21-12) vs #3 Kansas State (25-9) - 6:30 PM.
Michigan State has always been a tough out in the tournament due to the coaching style of Spartan head coach Tom Izzo. They load up their schedule with tough opponents, but seem to figure out things around February. This year is no different after upsetting Marquette on Sunday. The Little Apple is coming to the Big Apple on Thursday. Kansas State was predicted to finish last in the Big 12, but the Wildcats are still here.
#9 Florida Atlantic (33-3) vs #4 Tennessee (25-10) - 9 PM.
Florida Atlantic received their Christmas present early after Fairleigh Dickinson became only the 2nd men's #16 seed to defeat a #1 with their upset over Purdue. The Owls won behind the play of guard Johnell Davis, who scored 23 of his 29 points in the second half. Tennessee wins with their defense. The Vols held Duke to 52 points in their victory.
West Region - T-Mobile Arena - Las Vegas
#8 Arkansas (22-13) vs #4 UConn (27-8) - 7:15 PM.
Arkansas must find another upset in them after knocking out #1 Kansas.
#3 Gonzaga (30-5) vs #2 UCLA (31-5) - 9:45 PM.
The last time these two teams played against each other was two years ago in the Final Four. That game turned into an instant classic when Gonzaga won on a buzzer-beater in overtime. UCLA will have revenge on their mind this time around.
Friday, March 24
South Region - KFC Yum! Center - Louisville
#5 San Diego State (29-6) vs #1 Alabama (31-5) - 6:30 PM.
San Diego State brings the defense as the Aztecs held Furman to 52 points in their victory on Saturday. Alabama has looked like one of the best teams in the tournament so far, but a possible indictment to their best player, Brandon Miller, could still happen.
#15 Princeton (23-8) vs #6 Creighton (23-12) - 9 PM.
Princeton will be looking to keep the Cinderella ride going against Creighton.
Midwest Region - T-Mobile Center - Kansas City
#5 Miami (FL) (27-7) vs #1 Houston (33-3) - 7:15 PM.
Houston is back to full strength after defeating Auburn 84-61 on Saturday. Miami also looked strong after their 85-69 win over Indiana.
#3 Xavier (27-9) vs #2 Texas (28-8) - 9:45 PM.
Xavier overcame conflict with each other in order to reach the Sweet Sixteen. Texas overcame a coaching debacle during the season in order to reach the Sweet Sixteen.
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