The NCAA men’s tournament field has been cut in half during the past two days, leaving 32 teams still alive entering the second round. The field will be further pared down by half over the next two days as winners advance and losers go home.
The schedule for Saturday features a little bit of everything. There’s a pair of No. 1 seeds, a trio of double-digit seeds and a host of other potential Final Four contenders set to take the floor across four different sites.
Who will advance? Will there be more drama to unfold as we see every March Madness? Those questions will be answered and more. A breakdown of the eight matchups that will solidify half of the Sweet 16 that will take place next week:
No. 4 Purdue vs. No. 12 McNeese State
Time/TV: 12:10 p.m., CBS
Can the Cowboys follow their upset of Clemson with another against a power-conference opponent? The drama surrounding coach Will Wade and his future didn’t deter them Thursday. The Boilermakers, however, will provide a different challenge with the veteran backcourt of Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer balanced by the frontcourt strength of Trey Kaufman-Renn.
No. 2 St. John’s vs. No. 10 Arkansas
Time/TV: 2:40 p.m., CBS
Coaching matchups in the tournament don’t get much better than this. Rick Pitino and John Calipari both won national titles at Kentucky and are both members of the Basketball Hall of Fame. Pitino’s team had a much better season, with the Red Storm running through the Big East in their best season this century. Calipari had some growing pains in his first season with the Razorbacks before turning things on in the second half of the season. Both teams play like their fiery coaches, so expect a frantic pace with the most-efficient team prevailing.
No. 4 Texas A&M vs. No. 5 Michigan
Time/TV: 5:15 p.m., CBS
This will be the first matchup of the SEC and Big Ten in the tournament and shapes up to be a tight struggle. The Wolverines will be playing their fifth game in nine days after winning the conference tournament and a tight win Thursday against UC San Diego. If fatigue is an issue, the Aggies aren’t the team you want to play. They love to play at a frenetic pace with guards Wade Taylor IV and Zhuric Phelps capable of scoring and playing pressure defense. Michigan will hope its size with Vladislav Goldin and Danny Wolf can negate A&M’s speed edge against its backcourt.
No. 3 Texas Tech vs. No. 11 Drake
Time/TV: 6:10 p.m., TNT
Like low-scoring rock fights? This is your game. Tech isn’t as proficient on defense but still is able to limit opponents. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs are second in fewest points allowed – a product of their ball-possession game reliant on screening. JT Toppin is the top option for the Red Raiders after a breakout season. Drake will counter with star guard Brandon Stirtz in his first season with the team after following coach Ben McCollum from Division II.
No. 1 Auburn vs. No. 9 Creighton
Time/TV: 7:10 p.m., TBS
If you like big men, this is the game for you with two of the country’s best playing on opposite sides. Auburn’s Johni Broome, the reigning SEC player of the year, averages 18.7 points and 10.6 rebounds per game. Creighton’s Ryan Kalkbrenner is one of the nation’s premier shot-blockers, while also averaging a double-double. The Bluejays got huge games from Jamiya Neal (29 points) and Steven Ashworth (21 points) in the first round against Louisville. That’s the recipe for surprising the Tigers.
No. 3 Wisconsin vs. No. 6 Brigham Young
Time/TV: 7:45 p.m., CBS
You’ll be hard-pressed to find a better second-round matchup with more entertainment value than the Badgers and Cougars. Both like a fast tempo and average 80 points per game. You’ve got two standout players – John Tonje of Wisconsin and Richie Sanders of BYU – who can take over a game. And there’s plenty of support for each from the 3-point line. Buckle up and hydrate for this one.
No. 1 Houston vs. No. 8 Gonzaga
Time/TV: 8:40 p.m., TNT
Gonzaga has been to nine consecutive Sweet 16s, but that streak is in serious jeopardy considering its opponent. Houston doesn’t have the notoriety of other No. 1 seeds, but the Cougars have won 14 games in a row with one of the elite defenses in college basketball. The Bulldogs have proven to be more efficient in their last five games. It will take big efforts for leading scorers Graham Ike and Kahlif Battle to keep the streak alive.
No. 2 Tennessee vs. No. 7 UCLA
Time/TV: 9:40 p.m., TBS
The closer for the late crowd that will likely be up past midnight on the East Coast before all the action is done. Tennessee’s troubles in the tournament are well-documented, and this is the kind of tricky matchup that needs its full attention. UCLA with Mick Cronin as coach is short on elite scoring but long on defense and grit. It shapes up to be a grind-it-out affair where one critical run in the second half can be pivotal.