NCAA Men's Tournament 2022: Ultimate Guide to the Sweet 16

Everyone, take a second and exhale. We have two more days before the 2022 men's NCAA tournament fires back up with the first wave of Sweet 16 games. After a wild opening weekend that saw four double-digit seeds survive, one No. 1 seed fall, and some excellent basketball across the board, there's certainly more pulse-pounding excitement to come.

With the tournament field trimmed to 16 and a few days to regroup, now is the perfect time to set the scene for another full slate of basketball next weekend.

Ahead you'll find the complete schedule for Thursday's and Friday's games, a quick rundown of some of the notable storylines that have surfaced so far, and then a complete breakdown of each of the eight games on tap with a spot in the Elite Eight on the line.

Let's get to it.

Thursday, March 24

• No. 1 Gonzaga vs. No. 4 Arkansas, 7:09 p.m. ET (CBS)
• No. 2 Villanova vs. No. 11 Michigan, 7:29 p.m. ET (TBS)
• No. 2 Duke vs. No. 3 Texas Tech, 9:39 p.m. ET (CBS)
• No. 1 Arizona vs. No. 5 Houston, 9:59 p.m. ET (TBS)

Friday, March 25

• No. 3 Purdue vs. No. 15 Saint Peter's, 7:09 p.m. ET (CBS)
• No. 1 Kansas vs. No. 4 Providence, 7:29 p.m. ET (TBS)
• No. 4 UCLA vs. No. 8 North Carolina, 9:39 p.m. ET (CBS)
• No. 10 Miami vs. No. 11 Iowa State, 9:59 p.m. ET (TBS)

Top Three Teams Still Standing

While No. 1 seed Baylor fell to North Carolina on Saturday, the other three No. 1 seeds are still standing, and they were the consensus top three teams in the nation heading into the tournament. For all the unlikely upsets there have been to this point, it could still very easily be Gonzaga against either Arizona or Kansas in the national championship game. The parity of the NCAA tournament is fun, but that trio remains the title favorites.

Drew Timme Is Tournament MVP...So Far

Gonzaga's Chet Holmgren and Duke's Paolo Banchero are the top NBA prospects still standing in this year's NCAA tournament, but it's Holmgren's teammate, Drew Timme, who has been the star of the tournament. The 6'10" junior averaged 18.2 points per game during the regular season, and he's taken it to another level this postseason with 57 points in two tournament games on 23-of-37 shooting.

Saint Peter's Cinderella Run

Count me among the many who could not have told you what state No. 15 seed Saint Peter's University is from before the 2022 NCAA tournament. However, after upending blue blood Kentucky in the opening round, it continued its unlikely March Madness success with a 10-point win over Murray State to advance to the Sweet 16. Can it best last year's No. 15-seeded Oral Roberts team that bowed out in the Sweet 16?

Gonzaga Scouting Report

After blowing out Georgia State in the first round, Gonzaga trailed by 10 points at halftime against No. 9 seed Memphis before rallying back for a four-point win behind big games from Drew Timme (25 points, 14 rebounds) and Andrew Nembhard (23 points). There are no major weaknesses on this Bulldogs roster, but if Arkansas can keep Timme in check inside, slow the tempo and avoid giving up a ton of fast-break opportunities, it can keep things close.

Arkansas Scouting Report

The Razorbacks force 14.8 turnovers per game, and they pestered New Mexico State into 17 turnovers on Saturday to punch their ticket to the Sweet 16. Pesky defense and star guard JD Notae (18.4 PPG) are the keys to their success, but a lack of efficiency on offense (43.5 FG%, 215th in NCAA) could be their undoing against a Gonzaga team that takes care of the basketball and limits second chances.

Star Watch: Drew Timme, Gonzaga

Timme was the WCC Player of the Year and a first-team All-American and has stepped up his production in the tournament, averaging 28.5 points and 13.5 rebounds through two games. The 6'10" junior averaged 20.3 points during the Bulldogs' run to the title game a year ago, so he's no stranger to stepping up during March Madness.

Villanova Scouting Report

A molasses-slow tempo and a ton of three-pointers. That's what Villanova does, and they're doing it at an elite level again this year. Big East Player of the Year Collin Gillespie (16.0 PPG, 41.6 3PT%, 3.4 APG) is as good a floor general as there is in college basketball, and they don't turn the ball over. However, the Wildcats are undersized with Eric Dixon (6'8", 255 pounds) as their only real inside presence, and they're not as lethal from the perimeter as we've seen in years past.

Michigan Scouting Report

Can Villanova slow down Hunter Dickinson? The 7'1" sophomore is averaging 20.7 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.2 blocks per game since the start of February, and he had 27 points against Tennessee on Saturday in a 76-68 win. Despite his presence inside, the Wolverines never won more than three games in a row all season, so stringing together strong performances has eluded this team.

Star Watch: Hunter Dickinson, Michigan

After averaging 14.1 points and 7.4 rebounds per game last year to win Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors, Dickinson has become a more well-rounded player this season. He was 0-for-4 from beyond the arc as a freshman, but he has knocked down 21 threes this year, including a 3-of-5 showing from distance against Tennessee. If he can stay out of foul trouble, he will be a matchup problem for Villanova.

Duke Scouting Report

The Blue Devils rank No. 4 in KenPom's adjusted offensive efficiency, averaging 80.2 points per game (eighth in NCAA) on 49.2 percent shooting (sixth in NCAA), and they hung 85 points on Michigan State in a hard-fought nine-point victory on Sunday. Five players finished in double-figures in that game, led by freshman star Paolo Banchero (19 points), and they do a good job sharing the basketball. Despite their talent, though, this team has failed to show up at times, including double-digit losses to North Carolina and Virginia Tech down the stretch.

Texas Tech Scouting Report

On the opposite end of the spectrum, the Red Raiders check in No. 1 in KenPom's adjusted defensive efficiency, and they have allowed more than 70 points just six times all season. They forced a disciplined Notre Dame team into 11 turnovers while holding them to 32.7 percent shooting. The questions are on the offensive end of the floor, and after scoring a season-high 97 points in the opening round against Montana State, they managed just 59 points on 35.6 percent shooting and 4-of-15 from beyond the arc on Sunday.

Star Watch: Paolo Banchero, Duke

A future lottery pick, Banchero leads the Blue Devils in scoring (17.0 PPG) and rebounding (7.9 RPG), and while he has had some duds along the way, he's playing some of his best basketball of the season right now. Over his last four games, he's averaging 18.5 points and 8.3 rebounds while shooting 63.3 percent from the floor.

Arizona Scouting Report

In terms of pure athleticism, Arizona is the most talented team in the nation. From Pac-12 Player of the Year Bennedict Mathurin to shot-blocking big man Christian Koloko to uber-talented sophomore Dalen Terry to 6'11" matchup nightmare Azuolas Tubelis, they have multiple guys who can fill up the box score. However, they turn the ball over more than most elite teams, and they've gone ice-cold from three-point range multiple times this year, including a 5-of-27 showing against TCU on Sunday that almost sent them packing.

Houston Scouting Report

The Cougars hassled a good Illinois team into 15 turnovers and a 34.0 percent shooting performance, running away with things down the stretch en route to a 15-point victory. They have good size, they're not overly reliant on the three, and all five starters are averaging at least 9.8 points per game. They will need to avoid trying to run-and-gun with an Arizona team that is superior athletically, which is how they got themselves into trouble in a pair of losses against Memphis.

Star Watch: Bennedict Mathurin, Arizona

Mathurin has had some of his biggest performances this season against elite competition. He showed out against Illinois (30 points), Tennessee (28 points) and UCLA in the conference tournament (27 points) before dropping 30 points against TCU on Sunday night. The 6'7" guard is one of the most explosive players in the nation, averaging 18.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.0 steals while shooting 37.2 percent from beyond the arc.

Purdue Scouting Report

The post duo of 7'4" Zach Eddy and 6'10" Trevion Williams rarely saw the floor together this season, but they combined to average 26.4 points, 15.3 points, 4.3 assists, 1.9 blocks and 1.3 steals. That inside presence, coupled with uber-athletic guard Jaden Ivey and a perimeter offense that shot 38.8 percent from three-point distance, makes it easy to see why Purdue ranked No. 2 in KenPom's adjusted offensive efficiency. They are a mediocre defensive team, so they'll go as far as the offense carries them.

Saint Peter's Scouting Report

The Peacocks have already taken down one giant, knocking off No. 2 seed Kentucky in overtime before a 10-point win over No. 7 seed Murray State on Saturday. With a defense that ranks No. 28 in KenPom's adjusted efficiency, their success has been far from a fluke. However, with no one listed above 6'7" or 200 pounds among their top eight in minutes played, they will have to get creative to stop Eddy and Williams.

Star Watch: Jaden Ivey, Purdue

After showing flashes as a freshman, Ivey has emerged as a bona fide star and a future lottery pick for the Boilermakers this season. The 6'4" guard has averaged 17.6 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game, and he has improved his outside shooting from 25.8 to 36.4 percent, which in turn has made his drive game even more effective.

Kansas Scouting Report

With Big 12 Player of the Year Ochai Agbaji (19.3 PPG) and Christian Braun (14.6 PPG) on the perimeter, and David McCormack (10.0 PPG, 7.1 RPG) and Jalen Wilson (11.0 PPG, 7.2 RPG) on the inside, Kansas is a well-rounded team. The recent emergence of Remy Martin, who has four straight games in double-figures and a season-high 20 points against Creighton on Saturday, has added another layer to their offensive attack. However, they're a good-not-great defensive team, and a hot shooting night from the outside by the Blue Jays was enough to make things interesting.

Providence Scouting Report

The Friars are in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1997 when Austin Croshere and God Shammgod led them to the Elite Eight as a No. 10 seed. They are 18-2 in games decided by fewer than 10 points, so they're well-built for the nail-biting nature of March Madness, and they proved capable of beating anyone during the regular season with wins over Texas Tech, UConn and Wisconsin. They ranked outside the top 30 in both adjusted offensive and defensive efficiency and lack a go-to scorer with five guys averaging between nine and 14 points, but the well-balanced approach has gotten them this far.

Star Watch: Ochai Agbaji, Kansas

Agbaji has been relatively quiet so far in the NCAA tournament, tallying 11 points in a blowout win over Texas Southern and 15 points against Creighton while shooting a combined 10-of-28 from the field and 2-of-8 from three-point range. He scored at least 20 points in 18 games this year, including a 37-point explosion against Texas Tech, so he's definitely capable of more.

UCLA Scouting Report

With all five starters back from last year's Final Four team, the Bruins are a dangerous No. 4 seed capable of making another deep run. Jaime Jaquez Jr., Johnny Juzang, Jules Bernard and Tyger Campbell all average in double-figures for an offense that ranked No. 12 in KenPom's adjusted efficiency, and their defense is close behind at No. 13 in the rankings. Their tournament experience and well-rounded attack will make it difficult to catch them on an off-night.

North Carolina Scouting Report

The Tar Heels appeared to be on the outside looking in for an NCAA tournament berth following a home loss to Pittsburgh on Feb. 16, but they won six in a row from there and entered March Madness playing as well as any team in the country. After blowing out Marquette by 32 points in the 8/9 game, they were on their way to doing the same against Baylor when a Brady Manek ejection turned the tide, and they squandered a 25-point lead before ultimately winning in overtime. It's not worth citing season-long stats because this isn't the same North Carolina team we saw for much of the year. They're a legitimate title threat the way they're playing right now, and they'll look to run UCLA out of the gym in what should be a great matchup.

Star Watch: Armando Bacot, North Carolina

The guard-oriented Bruins will have their hands full slowing down Bacot, who averages 16.4 points and 12.5 rebounds per game with 27 double-doubles on the year. He had 15 points, 16 rebounds and three blocked shots against Baylor, and he could be the X-factor in this matchup.

Miami Scouting Report

This is a long, athletic and positionless Miami team with ball-handlers and perimeter defenders all over the floor. They ranked 18th in KenPom's adjusted offensive efficiency but just 123rd in defensive efficiency. That metric certainly didn't tell the story against No. 2 seed Auburn, as they limited a talented Tigers offense to 30.4 percent shooting while forcing 13 turnovers. They won't need their best defensive game against a mediocre Iowa State offense, but they will need to buckle down and take care of the basketball on the offensive end.

Iowa State Scouting Report

The Cyclones entered the NCAA tournament riding a three-game losing streak, including a 36-point showing against Oklahoma State and a 41-point showing against Texas Tech in the Big 12 tournament. This is not a good offensive team, but with a defense that ranks No. 5 in adjusted efficiency, they haven't always needed to be more than passable on that end of the floor. Tyrese Hunter (23 points) stepped up in the first round against LSU, and Gabe Kalscheur (22 points) led the way on Sunday against Wisconsin. As long as someone can put the ball in the basket besides leading scorer Izaiah Brockington (17.1 PPG), their swarming defense will keep things close.

Star Watch: Kameron McGusty, Miami

McGusty has been Miami's go-to scorer all season with a team-high 17.5 points per game, and he had 20 points on 10-of-18 shooting in Sunday's win over Auburn. The 6'5" senior was the first Hurricanes player since Shane Larkin during the 2012-13 season to earn first-team All-ACC honors.

All stats courtesy of Sports Reference.