The men’s NCAA tournament will be back in action on Thursday night with the Sweet 16, but before that, we’re breaking down the remaining bracket. We asked five writers to give their takes on surprises so far, the No. 1 seed that could be in trouble next, which double-digit seed could get to New Orleans and more.
Besides Saint Peter’s in the Sweet 16, what surprised you most about the opening weekend?
Pat Forde: Iowa State is a shocker to me. The Cyclones were brutal offensively in their final three games leading into March Madness: scoring 36 at home against Oklahoma State, trailing Baylor 29–4 before rallying, and then scoring 41 and losing by 31 to Texas Tech in the Big 12 tournament. Even with a fortuitous draw—I think almost everyone would have welcomed the match with Will Wade-less LSU in the first round—I didn't think Iowa State could win that game and then take down Wisconsin in what was basically a Badgers home game. But kudos to the Clones for hanging their hat on defense and making just enough shots to survive and advance. From 2–22 to the Sweet 16 is fairly epic.
