Males’s March Insanity 2024: Candy 16 match takeaways

The Elite Eight is about, after extra of a shakeup than anticipated.

No. 1 general seed UConn will face 3-seed Illinois within the East. No. 6 seed Clemson and 4-seed Alabama will play within the West after the Tigers and the Crimson Tide knocked off increased seeds Arizona (2) and North Carolina (1), respectively.

Within the South, it will likely be a rematch of the ACC quarterfinals between 11-seed NC State and 4-seed Duke. The Wolfpack upset No. 2 seed Marquette. The Blue Devils defeated high seed Houston after the Cougars misplaced their level guard and chief Jamal Shead to an ankle damage within the first half.

That leaves the Midwest, the place high seed Purdue had no hassle caring for 5-seed Gonzaga. The Boilermakers will face 2-seed Tennessee with a spot within the Ultimate 4 on the road.

In case you’re monitoring how the conferences are faring, that is three groups within the Elite Eight from the ACC, two every from the Large Ten and SEC and one from the Large East.

Learn on to see how the Elite Eight matchups have been set, earlier than we’re again at it once more Saturday. And, take a look at how we’re reseeding the sector.

Will Duke attain the Ultimate 4 for the primary time beneath Jon Scheyer? The Blue Devils ought to. NC State is not the wildly inconsistent crew it was in the course of the common season and is taking part in effectively. However Duke has the sting in expertise and depth. The Blue Devils will knock out their Tobacco Highway rival and finish NC State’s unbelievable run one sport earlier than the Ultimate 4.

What the win means for Duke: Duke is headed to the Elite Eight for the primary time beneath Scheyer. It can face NC State within the Elite Eight. The groups cut up two video games in March, with Duke successful 79-64 at NC State late within the common season and the Wolfpack successful 74-69 within the ACC match. NC State has been giving opponents hassle with its size, however that should not be an issue for Duke, who has 7-footer Kyle Filipowski on its facet.

What the loss means for Houston: The Cougars received the Large 12 regular-season championship of their first season within the convention, erasing any doubts about their capacity to compete on a bigger stage. However as a No. 1 seed, they have been presupposed to get to the Ultimate 4. Their season ended two video games wanting that, so it is troublesome to view it as a hit. — Adam Teicher

Is it time to take NC State critically? For the reason that Wolfpack are one win away from the Ultimate 4, it is undoubtedly time. The Wolfpack was wildly inconsistent in the course of the common season, however that was a very long time in the past now. NC State has received eight straight video games. A loss in any of them, and the Wolfpack would not nonetheless be right here. They’ve crushed a number of robust groups alongside the best way in Duke, North Carolina and now Marquette. They entered the match as an 11-seed, however by they deserve some respect now.

What the win means for NC State: The Wolfpack is on a kind of seemingly unbelievable NCAA match runs that it made well-known with its title in 1983. NC State proved towards Marquette it may win with out being excellent. The Wolfpack dedicated seven early turnovers and cooled off with their capturing after a scorching begin, however after taking an early lead, they by no means relinquished it. NC State will face the winner of the Duke-Houston sport in Sunday’s Elite Eight sport. The Wolfpack beat Duke two weeks in the past within the ACC match. As for the Cougars, the magic appears to be on NC State’s facet when these two groups meet within the NCAA match.

What the loss means for Marquette: The Golden Eagles had some massive wins in the course of the common season and completed 27-10, but it surely was an unsightly ending. Because the South’s No. 2 seed, their season wasn’t supposed to finish within the Candy 16. Shaka Sensible’s journey to the Ultimate 4 with VCU in 2011 looks as if a very long time in the past. — Adam Teicher

Can David (Tennessee) slay Goliath (Purdue)? If Zach Edey wins his second consecutive Picket Award — which might be the primary time a back-to-back victor has been topped since Virginia legend Ralph Sampson Jr. achieved the feat 40 years in the past — Dalton Knecht will most likely be the runner-up. He is one of the prolific scorers we have seen at this stage, and he can put up massive numbers towards any opponent. To beat Purdue, it should demand a unprecedented effort from a crew that may do sufficient defensively to problem Edey and restrict Purdue’s effectiveness from the 3-point line, but additionally match the Boilermakers’ offensive tempo. The Vols perceive all too effectively. On the Maui Invitational in November, Knecht scored 16 factors in Tennessee’s 71-67 loss to Purdue. The sport was tied 64-64 with 3:10 play after Jordan Gaines’ 3-pointer, after which Knecht hit a deep shot to chop Purdue’s result in three factors with 17 seconds to play. However the Vols could not end. To vary the result this time round, they will want much more from Knecht and a higher defensive effort towards the very best participant within the nation.

What the win means for Tennessee: Coach Rick Barnes nonetheless has an opportunity to achieve the Ultimate 4 once more after his first run to the nationwide semifinals at Texas in 2003. And if the Vols can beat Purdue, they will go to Phoenix with the arrogance they’ll beat any crew in America. Knecht (22 factors) was a star, per the norm. However in addition they held Creighton, a top-10 offensive crew, to a 43% clip in Friday’s win within the Candy 16. It can take a Herculean effort to beat the Boilermakers, but when Knecht has one other massive evening, it is potential.

What the loss means for Creighton: Coach Greg McDermott simply signed a prolonged extension to acknowledge the success he has had with this program. The trio of Trey Alexander, Baylor Scheierman and Ryan Kalkbrenner has been particular, however that run is probably going over, so McDermott will try to mould one other robust group and preserve the success he has achieved in Omaha. — Myron Medcalf

Is that this the identical Purdue crew from final 12 months? In no way. Certain, this crew’s success remains to be constructed round Zach Edey, the Picket Award winner, however Friday’s win showcased all of the alternative ways the Boilermakers can harm opponents. Matt Painter fed Trey Kaufman-Renn on consecutive possessions to neutralize Gonzaga’s try to double Edey at first of the second half. Braden Smith completed with 15 assists, one of many highest tallies in Large Ten historical past, and stored the Zags guessing each time he had the ball. Fletcher Loyer & Co. discovered house across the courtroom as Purdue made practically half of its 3-point makes an attempt. Sure, Edey is the engine of this program, that is apparent. However every thing round him is sort of completely different in comparison with final 12 months. The collective enchancment of Purdue’s supporting forged is turning into a high storyline on this match.

What it means for Purdue: Whether or not the Boilermakers face Creighton or Tennessee within the Elite Eight, each the Bluejays and Vols will face the identical dilemma: How do you stall a Purdue crew that has the very best participant in America and shoots 3-pointers on the highest clip within the nation, too (41% coming into the sport)? Mark Few had a terrific plan. He put our bodies on Edey. The Zags attacked him within the paint once they had the ball. It appeared to work till it did not. There isn’t a nice reply to resolve this Purdue riddle. The dream of going from final 12 months’s fast exit to a nationwide title this season is actual.

What it means for Gonzaga: Whereas it took longer than anticipated for Gonzaga to hit its stride, the Bulldogs performed a number of the finest offense within the nation over the previous few months. They simply bumped into a terrific Purdue squad on Friday. However Graham Ike, Ryan Nembhard and different key gamers from this group may return subsequent season. With one other addition or two from the portal or its recruiting class, Gonzaga may as soon as once more develop into a second-weekend squad — and extra. — Myron Medcalf

Was that the sport of the match? Let’s all take a deep breath after that one. I assume that is what occurs once you pit two of essentially the most explosive offenses within the nation towards one another. A mixed 176 factors, one crew capturing over 40% from 3, the opposite holding a 10-point lead solely to present it up and a ridiculous tempo of play that made it appear extra like a observe meet than a basketball sport. In a sport that went right down to the wire, each possession felt prefer it weighed a ton of bricks. In the end, senior Grant Nelson not solely led all scorers with 24 factors, he added 12 rebounds and 5 essential blocks to guide Alabama to a end result that was an upset in title solely.

What the win means for Alabama: The Tide simply took out the highest seed within the West and are again within the Elite Eight for the primary time since 2004, solely the second time in class historical past. The historic win for Nate Oats’ crew comes throughout a 23-win season during which it completed second within the SEC. Final 12 months might have included extra wins (31) and a greater shot at going deeper within the match, however this 12 months’s crew has proved it has the expertise and offensive firepower to compete with anybody.

“This man confirmed up tonight towards the most effective bigs within the nation,” Oats stated of Nelson’s efficiency postgame. “I believe folks query whether or not [we’re] comfortable or what not, Grant confirmed we’re not. We will play with the massive boys.”

What the loss means for North Carolina: A 12 months after turning into the primary preseason No. 1 crew to overlook the NCAA match, the Tar Heels appeared primed for a deep match run, very like the one which led to the championship sport two years in the past. But, regardless of the excess of expertise and boasting the highest seed within the West, Hubert Davis’ crew could not maintain on to a lead towards an Alabama crew that matched them shot-for-shot Thursday evening. — Paolo Uggetti

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Wonderful ball motion results in a Clingan dunk and the foul

UConn strikes the ball flawlessly with it ending up in a Donovan Clingan and-1 dunk.

Can UConn’s NCAA match probably be extra dominant than final season? UConn was unstoppable in final 12 months’s NCAA match. The Huskies received their six video games by a median of 20.0 factors, the fourth-largest common because the match expanded in 1985. To this point this 12 months, they have been even higher. They’ve received their three video games by a median of 28.7 factors. They’ve trailed for 28 seconds. They’ve led by double digits within the second half for 58:27 of a potential 60 minutes. San Diego State performed about in addition to it may for the opening stretch of the sport and located itself down by 11 inside 9 minutes. The scariest half for future opponents is it looks as if UConn has been in a position to preserve one thing within the tank, not often needing to place its foot on the fuel down the stretch in video games.

What the win means for UConn: A constructive signal for the Huskies on Thursday evening was the play of Hassan Diarra. The reserve guard got here off the bench and offered an actual carry within the second half, scoring 10 factors and distributing 4 assists — placing the sport out of attain for San Diego State shortly after halftime. Huskies heart Donovan Clingan struggled towards the Aztecs’ Jaedon LeDee within the first half however grew to become extra snug as the sport went on and nonetheless was a nuisance defensively. UConn ahead Alex Karaban hit a pair early photographs however then struggled to attach the remainder of the sport. And whereas these may seem to be potential negatives, Dan Hurley should be thrilled that his crew beat a superb San Diego State crew by 30 with out taking part in its finest.

What the loss means for San Diego State: For the second season in a row, San Diego State’s season ends towards UConn. The Aztecs really went shot for shot with the Huskies early however merely did not have sufficient firepower offensively. Final season at this level within the match, when SDSU beat general 1-seed Alabama within the Candy 16, it had one of the dominant defenses within the nation — and was getting constant scoring manufacturing from its perimeter gamers. The protection wasn’t fairly pretty much as good this season, the offensive wasn’t practically pretty much as good and LeDee could not do all of it himself. However nationwide runners-up adopted by a Candy 16 run? That is a formidable two-year run for Brian Dutcher and the Aztecs. — Jeff Borzello

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Terrence Shannon Jr.’s steal and slam leads Illinois to the Elite Eight

Terrence Shannon Jr. comes up with a clutch steal and slam dunk as Illinois advances previous Iowa State to the Elite Eight.

Can Illinois make UConn sweat? The Huskies have barely been pushed up to now this match, main by double digits for mainly your entire second half in all three video games. However Illinois confirmed a stage of toughness, particularly defensively, that might go a great distance, particularly when mixed with the Illini’s elite offense. Since UConn grew to become absolutely wholesome in January, the one crew to beat it was Creighton, which scored 85 factors and made 14 3s. You need to rating factors to beat the Huskies. Illinois can do this. Brad Underwood has the nation’s No. 2 offense at KenPom and one of many nation’s most proficient offensive gamers in Terrence Shannon Jr. Underwood additionally has loads of measurement on the perimeter, a bona fide No. 2 scorer in Marcus Domask and an enormous man in Coleman Hawkins who can power Donovan Clingan away from the rim. UConn remains to be the favourite, however Illinois may be capable to push the defending nationwide champs like nobody else has in two NCAA tournaments.

What the win means for Illinois: Shannon’s scoring capacity was as soon as once more on show Thursday, and he is the kind of participant who can carry a crew to a title. He was averaging 30.5 factors in his previous six video games earlier than dealing with Iowa State, and regardless of taking part in the nation’s No. 1 protection was in a position to put up 29 factors. He needed to shoulder the load greater than standard, as Domask struggled to make photographs, so he’ll want extra assist from his supporting forged towards the Huskies.

What the loss means for Iowa State: What T.J. Otzelberger has completed since arriving in Ames is nothing wanting exceptional. The Cyclones have received 70 video games in his three seasons, gone to 3 NCAA tournaments, superior to 2 Candy 16s and received a Large 12 convention match title. They’ve had a top-10 protection all three seasons, together with the nation’s No. 1 unit this marketing campaign. With that type of system and tradition, do not anticipate issues to alter shifting ahead. There are a number of seniors on the crew — Tre King, Robert Jones, Hason Ward — however Otzelberger introduced in a pair of four-star freshmen and already landed Charlotte switch Dishon Jackson. If the previous couple of seasons are any indication, the Cyclones will as soon as once more possible be picked too low within the preseason and exceed expectations. — Jeff Borzello

Is Ian Schiefflin Clemson’s best-kept secret? Together with his curly hair contained by an old-school headband, the 6-foot-8 junior from Georgia may seem barely unassuming. However Thursday evening towards an Arizona crew stocked with expertise, Schiefflin grew to become one of many Tigers’ most efficient gamers and appeared like the most effective gamers on the ground. Schiefflin, who’s averaging 9.8 factors and 9.5 rebounds this season, scored 14 factors and added 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and a block. Whether or not or not the Wildcats ready for Schiefflin taking part in as massive of a task as he did, they could not cease him in key moments. After draining one 3-pointer, the specter of Schiefflin capturing from deep tilted the stability of Arizona’s half-court protection, opening up lanes for its two finest gamers — Chase Hunter (18 factors) and PJ Corridor (17 factors) — to make key performs down the stretch.

Schiefflin, who wore Kobe Bryant sneakers to play within the enviornment Bryant starred in for a few years, was requested postgame whether or not he believed he was channeling a Mamba mentality together with his play, which included a key 3 that banked in. Head coach Brad Brownell interjected with fun.

“You are taking part in effectively,” he stated. “However do not evaluate your self to Kobe Bryant, OK?”

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Clemson sinks a pair of and-1 buckets to maneuver on to the Elite Eight

Chase Hunter and Dillon Hunter each make and-1 layups late to seal Clemson’s victory over Arizona.

What the win means for Clemson: The Tigers proceed to defy expectations, and this time, they did it towards one of the proficient groups within the nation in entrance of an Arizona-heavy crowd. Brownell’s squad not solely raced out to a 13-point lead towards the 2-seed, forcing the Wildcats into eight first-half turnovers and an abysmal capturing efficiency (37.3% from the sector, 17.9% from 3), but it surely additionally sustained the inevitable Arizona run that tied the sport within the second half and nonetheless emerged victorious. When Arizona started making photographs, Clemson caught to its sport plan, and shortly sufficient, the Wildcats reverted to taking powerful photographs they could not make. On offense, the Tigers weren’t scorching scorching by any means, however when the sport received shut late, they did what Arizona couldn’t: assault the basket as a substitute of settling for jumpers. The technique paid off, and now the Tigers are headed to their first Elite Eight since 1980.

“Right now was our day,” Brownell stated. “We made sufficient performs to win.”

What the loss means for Arizona: Among the best offenses within the nation failed to point out up in L.A. on Thursday, Since 2015, the Wildcats haven’t been ranked decrease than a 6-seed and have been a 2-seed thrice. And but 2015 is the final time they made it to the Elite Eight. Since Tommy Lloyd’s rent in 2021, Arizona has now misplaced to a 5-seed within the Candy 16, a 15-seed within the opening spherical and now a 6-seed within the Candy 16. Given the expertise the Wildcats have accrued over the previous few years, the outcomes haven’t been there, and this newest match exit will not assist their résumé. — Paolo Uggetti