NCAA Basketball: March Madness Sweet 16 Rankings

With the field getting tighter, where does your team rank amongst the final-16?

The highly anticipated Sweet-16 is here, and our experts have ranked each remaining team. Find out where your team is ranked...

1. UConn Huskies

Let’s just get right to it. The defending National Champions are an absolute wagon. This is the best team in college basketball. They are extremely efficient on both sides of the ball and match the fierce energy of their Head Coach, Dan Hurley. The Huskies have won six straight NCAA Tournament games by double digits and it would be no surprise for them to continue this trend in their rematch game against San Diego State. Is UConn unbeatable? No. But I expect to see this team back in the Final Four.

2. Houston Cougars

If you didn’t know before the Texas A&M game, you do now. This is the toughest team in the country. The culture that Kelvin Sampson has built with this program is incredible and there is no one he would rather have leading his team than Senior Point Guard, Jamal Shead. The backcourt of Shead, Cryer, and Sharp is amongst the best. Big man J’Wan Roberts has been battling a leg injury, and they need him to be healthy. The lack of front court depth is a concern, but their rotation players proved they can step up when it matters most. I believe that the more talented Duke team will struggle against Houston’s relentless defense in the upcoming matchup.

3. Purdue Boilermakers

The Boilermakers' fans can take a deep breath. Their team advanced to the second weekend, in commanding fashion. Centered around the most dominant player in college basketball, 7-4 big man Zach Edey, the #1 seed in the Midwest region looks primed to make a run to Phoenix. Matt Painter has done a great job in building this offense around Edey with several knockdown shooters. Edey will need to continue to impose his will in order to take down a rolling Gonzaga team.

4. Arizona Wildcats

Arizona has been one of the most compelling teams in the country this season. They are streaky, which is a major concern in this tournament as all it takes is one bad game. However, I would not want to run into these Wildcats when they are playing at their best. Caleb Love receives the most attention, especially with the potential Elite Eight matchup against his former school, North Carolina. But another name to keep an eye on is Keshad Johnson. The 6-7 Forward is a physical presence and has an impact on all areas of the game. Let's hope that they don’t take this Clemson team lightly and give us the Elite Eight matchup we are all hoping to see.

5. North Carolina Tar Heels

The duo of RJ Davis and Armando Bacot has carried North Carolina throughout the season. The inside-outside presence of these two seniors is good enough to get this team to the Final Four. The X-factor though, is Harrison Ingram. Ingram stepped up knocking down big shots in their victory over Michigan State. I think the Tar Heels control the game against Alabama, who is going to have a tough time getting stops. 

6. Duke Blue Devils

Coming into this tournament, everybody had doubts about this Duke team. The Blue Devils put those doubts to rest through the first weekend. Jared McCain chose the right time to have his best game of the year, dropping 30 points on 8-11 shooting from the 3PT line. The matchup between Duke and Houston is super intriguing. In my opinion, the two best backcourts in the country go head-to-head. Duke’s biggest question mark all season - their toughness. There is no better team to prove they are not ‘soft’ than the Houston Cougars. Kyle Filipowski will have to be strong and decisive with the ball as Houston will double him quickly. Cannot wait for this matchup.

7. Creighton Bluejays

The Creighton vs. Oregon game displayed the madness that we see in March. One of the best games of the weekend, as the Bluejays scraped their way to a double-overtime victory over the Ducks. On a night where their talented perimeter of Trey Alexander, Baylor Scheierman, and Steven Ashworth struggled to shoot efficiently, they still found a way to win. They will be running into a strong defensive opponent In their upcoming matchup against the Tennessee Volunteers. Ryan Kalkbrenner needs to be a force down low and match the physicality of the Volunteers. I am expecting a tight game in this Big East/SEC battle, and think Creighton guards can be the difference late in the game.

8. Gonzaga Bulldogs

Nine consecutive Sweet 16 appearances for this program. Wow! If you were to only watch the two first round games for the Bulldogs, there is no way you would think this team was considered to be one of the weakest Gonzaga teams in the past several years. Their polished offense has lifted them to dominant victories over McNeese State and Kansas. Now, a much tougher task is ahead of them in Purdue. If they continue their offensive efficiency, I think this can develop into one of the most exciting games of the weekend.

9. Marquette Golden Eagles

This Marquette team is just solid all around. Tyler Kolek has been a huge boost in his return to the lineup, as he helped carry them in a tough win against Colorado. Him and Kam Jones need to continue their strong play even with the potentially difficult matchup against NC State’s Casey Morsell, who is a stellar on ball defender. They will also have their hands full with big man DJ Burns Jr. However, I think Oso Ighodaro needs to be aggressive and look to attack Burns. If Ighodaro is not heavily involved in this game, watch out for an NC State upset.

10. Iowa State Cyclones

The number one defense in America. Yes, the Cyclones have some talented players, Tamin Lipsey and Milan Momcilovic to mention a couple, but their defense is what wins them games. Will this hold up against one of the most efficient offenses in the Illinois Fighting Illini? Get ready for a clash between two completely different styles of basketball.

11. Tennessee Volunteers

Tennessee’s success over the years has always largely been due to their strong defense and athleticism. This team is made of the same recipe, with one additional ingredient. Dalton Knecht. They have been lacking a player who can get a bucket at any time, but Knecht fills this void. The potential lottery pick is averaging 20.5 PPG through two games in the tournament. In order for them to get past a very talented Creighton team, the Volunteers will need Knecht to be at his best.

12. Illinois Fighting Illini

Has anyone been playing better than guard Terrence Shannon Jr.? He has scored at least 30 points in three of his last four games and there are no signs of him slowing down. Marcus Domask and Coleman Hawkins are a strong supporting cast. Is this Iowa State team going to be able to slow these guys down? If Illinois hits the 70 mark I think there is a good chance we see them in the Elite Eight.

13. Alabama Crimson Tide

Mark Sears can match RJ Davis bucket for bucket, in what I'm expecting to be a back and forth high scoring game. However I think this is the game where Alabama’s defensive struggles finally put an end to their season. 

14. North Carolina State Wolfpack

Is there a hotter team in the country right now than the Wolfpack? Seven in a row for a team that looked like they were NIT bound. DJ Burns Jr. is one of the most fascinating players in the college game. He will present a problem for Marquette. However, in order for the Wolfpack to keep this win streak going, DJ Horne will need to have a stellar performance. Also, be on the lookout for Casey Morsell on the defensive end. I think he can disrupt Marquette’s best player, Tyler Kolek.

15. San Diego State Aztecs

I would love to talk about these Aztecs more, but I don’t want to waste everyone's time. Congratulations to a program that has been consistently disruptive in recent years. Jaedon LeDee is a beast. However, UConn takes them down in a finals rematch. 

16. Clemson Tigers

A team that no one expected to be in the Sweet 16. Although the Clemson Tigers struggled down the stretch in the regular season and the ACC tournament, this team found a way to turn things around and beat two strong opponents in New Mexico and Baylor. Clemson should look to control the tempo in their upcoming matchup against Arizona. With the way the Tigers have played on the defensive end, they have a shot to make their way into the Elite Eight if they can slow the game down against the Wildcats.