The NCAA men’s basketball Sweet 16 tips off with four massive matchups tomorrow
The GIST: Hire a DJ and call up MTV, because the men’s Sweet 16 tips off with a tantalizing four-game slate tomorrow. Saving you from two whole days without NCAA basketball? The survivors of the East and West regions. Let’s hoop to it!
No. 6 Clemson Tigers (23-11) vs. No. 2 Arizona Wildcats (27-8), 7 p.m. ET (CBS): It’s damn near impossible to keep Arizona’s senior guard Caleb Love from scoring, but Clemson proved they’re up to the task with a second-round win over No. 3 Baylor’s outstanding offense — if the Tigers can put their regular-season inconsistency behind them.
No. 5 San Diego State Aztecs (26-10) vs. No. 1 UConn Huskies (33-3), 7:30 p.m. ET (TBS): Both squads are charging full-tilt into this 2023 title game rematch. UConn easily crushed their first two Madness foes, while San Diego State spun a narrow first-round dub into a second-round smackdown. Both teams boast excellent defenses, so poise under pressure will win this game.
No. 4 Alabama Crimson Tide (23-11) vs. No. 1 UNC Tar Heels (29-7), 9:30 p.m. ET (CBS): Expect buckets on buckets in this matchup, as both teams operate under the philosophy that the best defense is a blockbuster offense. Two senior guards — the Tide’s Mark Sears and the Heels’ Naismith finalist RJ Davis — promise an especially splashy showing from beyond the three-point arc.
No. 3 Illinois Fighting Illini (28-8) vs. No. 2 Iowa State Cyclones (29-7), 10 p.m. ET (TBS): Illinois’ offensive firepower will meet its toughest test yet in one of the nation’s fiercest defenses. If Iowa State can contain the Illini, they’ll easily advance to the Elite Eight. If not, expect a high-octane shootout.
