The NCAA tournament is heating up, and several teams have punched their tickets to the Sweet 16. Saturday saw eight teams secure their places, including four from the Big Ten conference.
Big Ten’s Strong Showing
After a shaky start with early losses, the Big Ten has rebounded impressively. Seven of its teams advanced to the second round, and the conference then claimed the first two Sweet 16 spots on Saturday. Michigan defeated St. Louis, and Michigan State followed suit by topping Louisville.
Nebraska then won a close game against Vanderbilt, and Illinois cruised past VCU. The Big Ten went 4-0 in Sweet 16 chances on Saturday.
Purdue, Iowa and UCLA will play on Sunday.
Texas: A Potential Cinderella Story
Texas upset Gonzaga to reach the Sweet 16 as a double-digit seed. The team was one of the last four in and relegated to the First Four. Texas has since defeated NC State, BYU, and now Gonzaga.
Whether Texas, a power conference program, can truly be considered a Cinderella is up for debate. Nonetheless, their game against Gonzaga was compelling.
Next up for Texas is the winner of the Purdue versus Miami game.
Houston’s Edge
Houston, led by Kelvin Sampson, is heading to its seventh straight Sweet 16. With Kingston Flemings joining a lineup that includes three starters from last year’s national semifinalist team, the Cougars are a force to be reckoned with.
The South Regional semifinals and finals will be held in Houston, near the university’s campus, giving them a home-court advantage after they steamrolled Texas A&M on Saturday.
- Michigan, Houston, Michigan State, Illinois, Nebraska, Arkansas, Duke and Texas all booked a spot in the Sweet 16 on Saturday
- The Big Ten went 4-0 in Sweet 16 chances on Saturday
- Texas beat Gonzaga to crash the Sweet 16 as the first double-digit seed to do so
With Houston advancing to the tournament’s second weekend, they will have an added advantage playing close to their university’s campus.