The Sweet 16 is finally here!
Check below for a breakdown of today’s games:
Loyola Chicago/Oregon State
Is this a coronation for the Ramblers? Don’t be so sure. Oregon State has the physicality inside with both Warith Alatishe and Roman Silva to frustrate Cameron Krutwig. The Beavers have outrebounded their opponents by 27 in their first two NCAA Tournament games. Keep an eye on Oregon State’s Ethan Thompson, who is quietly one of the best guards left in the bracket.
Syracuse/Houston
Kelvin Sampson lives his coaching life by a simple motto: ‘Tougher team wins’. That could be bad news for Syracuse. The Orange are going to have to out will Houston to get to the Elite Eight. This will not be a finesse game.
Baylor/Villanova
Reaching the Sweet 16 without Collin Gillespie is a remarkable feat for Villanova. The weight class for the Wildcats now gets raised against Baylor. Anything less than a trip to the Final Four will be a disappointment for the Bears, who clearly look like the second-best team left playing behind Gonzaga.
Arkansas/Oral Roberts
Paul Mills’ squad is the only true Cinderella left in the bracket. Does it have one more trip to ball left? Don’t rule it out of the realm of possibility. Max Abmas and Kevin Obanor are as good of a one-two punch as there is left in the NCAA Tournament. For Arkansas, this is a golden opportunity to get back to the Elite Eight for the first time since 1995.
Leftovers:
- Florida, Miami finalizing agreement to meet this season in Jacksonville
- CBS Sports Podcast (6/16) — Minnesota’s Niko Medved
- Dayton, Florida State to begin home-and-home series
- Florida/TCU, Wisconsin/Providence to headline 2025 Rady Children’s Invitational
- Texas A&M, Florida State to start neutral site series in Tampa
