Chalk teams walk into the 2024 Sweet 16
The first six days of the 2024 NCAA Tournament provided plenty of action, but when the dust settled at the end of the weekend it was the top seeds that emerged to claim berths in the Sweet 16.
All four of the No. 1 seeds at this year’s NCAA Tournament – Connecticut, North Carolina, Purdue, and Houston – survived their first two games of March Madness, as did all four of the No. 2 seeds – Arizona, Iowa State, Marquette, and Tennessee. That’s only happened four other times in the past.
Those top eight seeds are joined by two No. 3 seeds (Illinois and Creighton) and two No. 4 seeds (Alabama and Duke), plus two No. 5 seeds (San Diego State and Gonzaga), and one No. 6 seed (Clemson). The only double-digit seed to advance to the Sweet 16 this year is No. 11 NC State, which knocked off No. 6 Texas Tech 80-67 in the first round of the tournament then got past No. 14 Oakland (which had just upset No. 3 Kentucky) by a score of 79-73 in its second-round matchup.
More Cinderella teams in recent tournaments
At last year’s NCAA Tournament there was a true Cinderella in the Sweet 16, with No. 15 Princeton making it to that round. The Tigers were joined by a No. 9 seed (FAU), a No. 7 seed (Michigan State), and two No. 6 seeds (Arkansas and Creighton). The rest of last year’s Sweet 16 consisted of two No. 5 seeds, two No. 4 seeds, three No. 3 seeds, just two No. 2 seeds, and just two No. 1 seeds.
Back in 2022 there was also a No. 15 seed in the Sweet 16, as the No. 15 Saint Peter’s Peacocks advanced as one of four double-digit seeds to make that round – No. 11 Michigan also made it to the Sweet 16 in 2022, and No. 11 Iowa State and No. 10 Miami-Florida actually matched up against each other in that round. That Sweet 16 in 2022 also included a No. 8 seed, a No. 5 seed, three No. 4 seeds, two No. 3 seeds, two No. 2 seeds, and three No. 1 seeds.
And in 2021 there were also four double-digit seeds advancing to the Sweet 16, including No. 15 Oral Roberts and No. 12 Oregon State, along with No. 11 seeds Syracuse and UCLA. That Sweet 16 at the 2021 NCAA Tournament also included a No. 8 in Loyola Chicago, a No. 7 in Oregon, and a No. 6 in USC, plus a pair of No. 5 seeds, a No. 4 seed, a No. 3 seed, two No. 2 seeds, and three No. 1 seeds.
Sweet 16 GAMES set for Thursday and Friday
The Sweet 16 at the 2024 NCAA Tournament gets underway on Thursday night with four matchups, including No. 2 Arizona vs. No. 6 Clemson and No. 1 North Carolina vs. No. 4 Alabama in Los Angeles, and No. 1 UConn vs. No. 5 San Diego State and No. 2 Iowa State vs. No. 3 Illinois in Boston. On Friday it’s then No. 2 Marquette vs. No. 11 NC State and No. 1 Houston vs. No. 4 Duke in Dallas, and No. 1 Purdue vs. No. 5 Gonzaga and No. 2 Tennessee vs. No. 3. Creighton in Detroit.
Sweet 16 – Thursday, March 28
No. 2 Arizona vs. No. 6 Clemson – 7:09 pm ET
No. 1 UConn vs. No. 5 San Diego State – 7:39 pm ET
No. 1 North Carolina vs. No. 4 Alabama – 9:39 pm ET
No. 2 Iowa State vs. No. 3 Illinois – 10:09 pm ET
Sweet 16 – Friday, March 29
No. 2 Marquette vs. No. 11 NC State – 7:09 pm ET
No. 1 Purdue vs. No. 5 Gonzaga – 7:39 pm ET
No. 1 Houston vs. No. 4 Duke – 9:39 pm ET
No. 2 Tennessee vs. No. 3 Creighton – 10:09 pm ET
Rest of Tournament Schedule
The winners of the eight Sweet 16 matchups will move on to the weekend’s Elite Eight, with two games each on Saturday and Sunday. The Final Four is then set for Saturday, April 6 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, with the national championship game on Monday, April 8.
With zero championships between his MLB, NHL, and NFL teams over the last 30 years, Dave keeps one foot in the past while shaking his fist at the present. Having provided content to all manner of sports websites over a 20-year career in the industry, Dave brings to Attiq an eye for all things editorial and a disdain for all things New York Yankees. Click here for Dave's posts.
