4 Gonzagaīelieve in Gonzaga because if Gonzaga was going to lose it probably should have already been to UNC-Greensboro. It's a tournament of small margins and ending up on the right side of that Houston game is the kind of break that can spark something special in later rounds. Sometimes the toughest games in deep tournament runs happen prior to the Final Four, and I get the feeling that Jordan Poole's buzzer-beater against Houston (and the absolute fist-fight of a basketball game that preceded it) could be that game for the Wolverines. Michigan's Jordan Poole buried Houston with a buzzer-beater. 3 seed in the ACC Tournament by a combined three points, with one buzzer beater. The Ramblers have beaten the SEC regular season co-champions and the No. Even if you ignore the potentially storybook, made-for-a-movie scenarios at play here with the lovable underdog, Loyola has simply been the most clutch team in the NCAA Tournament. Sister Jean's scouting reports and the vibes around Loyola are undefeated so far in the NCAA Tournament. The profile was loaded with incredible wins but it was solid, and there's no way a team that was one bucket from knocking off Kansas in Allen Fieldhouse is going to feel intimidated or out of place against Kentucky. 500, joining Kansas, West Virginia and Texas Tech (all of whom are still alive in this tournament). Bruce Weber's team was one of only four in the Big 12 to finish with a league record above. 9 Kansas Stateīelieve in Kansas State because the Wildcats are battle-tested. XgL9A4o8VB- Charlotte "Historically Upset" Wilder MaNo. 2 was on the wrong end of an all-time comeback and No. So with a wide-open view of the remaining tournament action, we've assembled at least one reason to believe in each Sweet 16 team. It's likely all perception skewed by recent results, perception that ignores the dominance shown by both teams amid of the chaos of the first weekend, but if it's going to be one of those years where nothing goes as planned, the teams that we already penciled in to be at the Final Four should be on high alert. With parity alive and thriving during this particular edition of March Madness, the chances of a top team like Villanova or Duke seem more likely. Not only did we see the first-ever 16-over-1 upset in the men's tournament but also early losses for several top seeds and, for the first time since the tournament began its seeding system in 1979, there is a region with no top-four seeds in the Sweet 16. They hadn't won more than 20 games in a season or made the NCAA tournament since 2006-07.After the historic and unforgettable first weekend that was in the 2018 NCAA Tournament, the Sweet 16 has been set. Since taking over for Tubby Smith prior to the 2016-17 season, head coach Chris Beard has led a rapid turnaround for the Red Raiders in just two years. It's a bitter end for the Boilermakers, who can take some solace in winning 30 games in a season for the first time in program history. He averaged 14.7 points and 5.7 rebounds per game.
Haas was also a key piece of the starting lineup for head coach Curtis Painter. His size in the paint could have provided enough defense to halt Texas Tech from attacking the paint to generate fouls. This was the first time in the tournament when Purdue clearly missed star center Isaac Haas, who was still out with a fractured elbow. That helped make up for going just 5-of-17 from three-point range. The Red Raiders also used an aggressive game plan to hold a substantial 18-6 advantage over Purdue in free-throw attempts. After averaging six points per game in the regular season, the senior forward scored 14 points in 24 minutes against Purdue. Zach Smith, in particular, was a warrior off the bench. Texas Tech's quartet of Keenan Evans, Justin Gray, Zhaire Smith and Zach Smith combined for 55 points and 13 rebounds in the victory. The rise of Texas Tech hit a new high with its first trip to the Elite Eight after a 78-65 win over Purdue on Friday.