NCAA Tournament

Upsets were the primary theme of the first two rounds of the NCAA men's basketball tournament.

The carnage that ripped apart everyone's bracket, except for Bill Walton's, placed four double-digit seeds into the Sweet 16.

Of the 16 participants, seven of them are seeded first through fourth. The East Region has the most chalk left with the No. 1, No. 2 and No. 4 seeds still alive. 

The disparity in seeding may present a handful of blowouts, but if you thought the unexpectedness ended on the first weekend, there is plenty of time to change your mind before Saturday. 

        

Sweet 16 Schedule

Saturday, March 27

No. 8 Loyola-Chicago vs. No. 12 Oregon State (2:40 p.m. ET, CBS)

No. 1 Baylor vs. No. 5 Villanova (5:15 p.m. ET, CBS)

No. 3 Arkansas vs. No. 15 Oral Roberts (7:25 p.m. ET, TBS)

No. 2 Houston vs. No. 11 Syracuse (9:55 p.m. ET, TBS)

    

Sunday, March 28

No. 1 Gonzaga vs. No. 5 Creighton (2:10 p.m. ET, CBS)

No. 1 Michigan vs. No. 4 Florida State (5 p.m. ET, CBS)

No. 2 Alabama vs. No. 11 UCLA (7:15 p.m. ET, TBS)

No. 6 USC vs. No. 7 Oregon (9:45 p.m. ET, TBS)

       

Upset Picks 

No. 11 Syracuse over No. 2 Houston

The zone defense is one of the oldest concepts in basketball, yet every few years, teams fail to figure it out and Syracuse ends up in the second weekend. 

Jim Boeheim has the Orange in the Sweet 16 for the second time in three tournament appearances, and his team could give the Houston Cougars a world of trouble. 

Cuse reached this stage with its hard-to-break-down defense and excellent shooting from Buddy Boeheim and others. The coach's son produced 55 points in the first two games, and Syracuse hit the 75-point mark against the San Diego State Aztecs and West Virginia Mountaineers. 

In the first round, the Orange knocked down 15 three-point shots and held the Aztecs to 18 first-half points. On Saturday, Syracuse hit 14 triples, 10 of which came from Boeheim and Joe Girard, and shot 14 percent better than West Virginia. 

Although Houston put together a 26-3 season, it has looked vulnerable against some of the better programs it faced. 

Kelvin Sampson's Cougars had to eke out two wins over the Memphis Tigers late in American Athletic Conference play, and they had to come from behind to eliminate the Rutgers Scarlet Knights on Saturday. 

That shows that Houston can grind out victories, but it may not be able to sustain a comeback if Syracuse remains hot from three-point range. 

When the Cougars were upset by the East Carolina Pirates on February 3, they gave up 11 three-pointers and were outshot by 8 percent. 

Of course, Syracuse is in a different class than East Carolina, but that gives you a small sample size of how a matchup could go south for Houston if its opponent shoots well. 

           

No. 4 Florida State over No. 1 Michigan

The Michigan Wolverines' path to the Final Four will not be easy.

Juwan Howard's side could face two difficult defensive matchups against the Florida State Seminoles and Alabama Crimson Tide before it faces the Gonzaga Bulldogs. 

However, Michigan may not even get to the Elite Eight if Florida State's defense has its way in Sunday's contest. 

Florida State enforced its will on the UNC-Greensboro Spartans and Colorado Buffaloes, as it allowed a combined 107 points. 

In both games, the Seminoles had success containing the star guards. UNCG's Isaiah Miller had 17 points, but he shot 7-of-18. Colorado's McKinley Wright was in foul trouble and finished with 10 points and a 4-of-12 shooting day. 

Florida State's length and active defense could cause problems for the Michigan offense, and this could be the game where we see how much Isaiah Livers' injury absence affects the Wolverines. He has Final Four experience, is the team's second-leading scorer and is one of the better defenders on the roster. 

If Livers is unable to go again, Michigan needs Franz Wagner to contribute more in both facets of the game. He scored nine points in the final eight minutes on Monday and is known for his defensive skills. 

Florida State will pose a much more difficult test than the LSU Tigers since it has more than a few scorers that can get after the Michigan defense. 

The Seminoles have five players that average over nine points per game and they have a good mix of experience through M.J. Walker and Anthony Polite as well as a potential NBA draft lottery pick in Scottie Barnes. 

Leonard Hamilton's team is also one of the deepest in the country, so if Walker or Barnes struggle to score, someone else can pick up the slack, like Polite did on Monday with 22 points.

If Florida State contains Michigan's top scorers and uses its scoring depth to hit the Wolverines from a few angles, it could end the Big Ten's chance at a national championship.

            

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

Statistics obtained from ESPN.com.

The first day of the NCAA women's basketball tournament went all chalk as the higher-seeded teams punched a ticket to the second round. Now that those teams are back in action for the round of 32, perhaps Tuesday can provide some more surprises.

Here is the day's schedule and odds for each of the eight matchups:               

• No. 8 South Florida vs. No. 1 North Carolina State (-16.5), 3 p.m. ET, ESPN2
• No. 5 Iowa (-8) vs. No. 4 Kentucky, 3:30 p.m. ET, ESPNU
• No. 6 Michigan vs. No. 3 Tennessee (-6.5), 5 p.m. ET, ESPN2
• No. 5 Georgia Tech vs. No. 4 West Virginia (-2.5), 5:30 p.m. ET, ESPNU
• No. 7 Virginia Tech vs. No. 2 Baylor (-16), 7 p.m. ET, ESPN2
• No. 8 Oregon State vs. No. 1 South Carolina (-7), 7 p.m. ET, ESPN
• No. 8 Syracuse vs. No. 1 Connecticut (-20.5), 9 p.m. ET, ESPN
• No. 8 Oklahoma State vs. No. 1 Stanford (-15.5), 9 p.m. ET, ESPN2

Bold represents the writer's pick against the spread. Betting lines are courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.

With No. 1 Connecticut expected to cruise past Syracuse, many will be watching Iowa's game against Kentucky since fans could get to see Paige Bueckers vs. Caitlin Clark in the Sweet 16.

Of course, that shouldn't overshadow the fact the Hawkeyes will have to stop Wildcats star Rhyne Howard on Tuesday. Howard is averaging 20.4 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists, and the junior guard is fresh of a first-round victory over Idaho State in which she nearly posted a double-double (14 points, nine rebounds) to go along with five assists and four steals.

Clark was similarly excellent, going for 23 points, seven rebounds and seven assists as Iowa knocked out Central Michigan.

For casual fans, Iowa/Kentucky might be the one game you go out of your way to watch.

As the oddsmakers indicate, none of the four No. 1 seeds looks too vulnerable at the moment. UConn and Stanford each won by 43 points in the opening round. North Carolina State started a bit sluggish against North Carolina A&T but eventually hit its stride in the second half. And South Carolina encountered little trouble from Mercer.

The seven-point gap separating the Gamecocks from Oregon State is a somewhat surprising number.

Oregon State's 12-7 record is deceiving because of the strength of the Pac-12. According to Her Hoops Stats, the Beavers averaged 102.5 points per 100 possessions in the regular season and held opponents to a 43.7 percent effective field-goal rate.

Still, South Carolina is outscoring the opposition by 24.3 points per 100 possessions while playing against the fourth-toughest schedule in terms of opponent winning percentage, per Her Hoops Stats.

Aliyah Boston and Victaria Saxton scored 20 points apiece Sunday, with Boston adding 18 rebounds. If Boston and Saxton are controlling the game inside like that again, then the Gamecocks could make easy work of Oregon State.

             

For all the latest betting information and reaction, check out B/R Betting.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL).

Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ/WV/PA), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (CO), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), or call or text the TN REDLINE: 800-889-9789 (TN).

21+. NJ/PA/WV/IN/IA/CO/IL/TN only. In partnership with Meadows Racetrack & Casino. Eligibility restrictions apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for details.

With the first two rounds of the 2021 NCAA men's basketball tournament in the books, the schedule is officially set for the highly anticipated Sweet 16. 

Here is a rundown of when the Sweet 16 games will occur on Saturday and Sunday in Indianapolis and its surrounding areas:

     

2021 Sweet 16 Schedule

Saturday, March 27 (all times ET)

2:40 p.m.: No. 12 Oregon State vs. No. 8 Loyola-Chicago, CBS

5:15 p.m.: No. 5 Villanova vs. No. 1 Baylor, CBS

7:25 p.m.: No. 15 Oral Roberts vs. No. 3 Arkansas, TBS

9:55 p.m.: No. 11 Syracuse vs. No. 2 Houston, TBS

    

Sunday, March 28 (all times ET)

2:10 p.m.: No. 5 Creighton vs. No. 1 Gonzaga, CBS

5 p.m.: No. 4 Florida State vs. No. 1 Michigan, CBS

7:15 p.m.: No. 11 UCLA vs. No. 2 Alabama, TBS

9:45 p.m.: No. 7 Oregon vs. No. 6 USC, TBS

     

The Sweet 16 slate will then be followed by four Elite Eight games with two on Monday, March 29, and two on Tuesday, March 30.

While the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament were filled with upsets, three No. 1 seeds and two No. 2 seeds managed to survive and make their way to the second weekend, leaving Gonzaga, Baylor, Michigan, Alabama and Houston as the teams to beat.

At the same time, five teams seeded eighth or higher will be part of the Sweet 16 proceedings in the form of Loyola-Chicago, UCLA, Syracuse, Oregon State and the Cinderella of all Cinderellas in No. 15 Oral Roberts.

Not surprisingly, undefeated Gonzaga has been the dominant team in the tourney thus far, beating Norfolk State and Oklahoma by a combined 59 points in the first two rounds.

Led by Naismith National Player of the Year finalist Corey Kispert, as well as Jalen Suggs and Drew Timme, the Zags will kick off the Sweet 16 round with a game against No. 5 Creighton on Sunday afternoon.

Jalen Suggs is too smooth 😨 https://t.co/4gdP9zylX6

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 22, 2021

In terms of lower seeds with a chance to do damage and advance even further in the tournament, No. 8 Loyola-Chicago stands out the most.

The Ramblers are just three years removed from making a run all the way to the Final Four, and the pieces are in place for them to potentially do it again.

Loyola beat both No. 9 Georgia Tech and No. 1 Illinois by double digits in the first two rounds. The No. 1 scoring defense in college basketball held the Yellow Jackets and Fighting Illini to an average of 59 points per game.

Cameron Krutwig and Lucas Williamson are the only holdovers from the Final Four team, and they will lead the way for the Missouri Valley Conference champions in the first game Saturday against the No. 12 Oregon State Beavers, who have turned a shocking Pac-12 tournament win into a Sweet 16 berth.

Should Loyola-Chicago prevail against Oregon State, a winnable Elite Eight clash with either Syracuse or Houston awaits.

Legendary former UCLA coach John Wooden once said, "Whatever you do in life, surround yourself with smart people who'll argue with you."

If UCLA coach Mick Cronin had tried to say the Pac-12 would dominate the 2021 NCAA men's basketball tournament, he would have had a lot of people arguing with him. Specifically, a lot of Big Ten supporters and experts who favor metrics when making projections.

From KenPom.com to the NCAA NET rankings, all the metrics favored Big Ten teams coming into the tournament. USC and Colorado got some love, but not many foresaw the success of UCLA and Oregon State, and few gave Oregon the credit it has proved it deserves. What metrics fail to take into account is the unpredictability of March Madness.

The Big Ten sent nine teams to the 68-team field, but only No. 1 Michigan is left after the round of 32. The SEC, ACC and Big East each have two representatives in the next round, but no conference is better represented than the Pac-12 after it nearly went perfect in the First Four and first two rounds. UCLA, USC, Oregon State and Oregon are all still dancing.

The Conference of Champions has a better chance than any other to produce a champion.

"I feel like we don't get the respect that we deserve," Oregon senior guard Chris Duarte said in his postgame news conference. "It looks good on our conference. It tells you guys that our conference, we have talent, and we are really good."

Colorado was the only team to lose, as the No. 5 seed Buffaloes fell to No. 4 Florida State in the East Region's second round. The other four programs had impressive showings.

The final game of the second round was possibly the most memorable of the weekend. No. 6 USC throttled No. 3 Kansas 85-51 to advance in the West Region. The Jayhawks didn't have the same firepower of years past, but it's Kansas—the Sweet 16 is an expectation for a historically elite team that is coached by one of the game's elite, Bill Self.

USC is a football school in a city that is mostly ambivalent about college basketball, but for the Angelenos who haven't been paying attention all season, this is now a basketball school.

Led by the Mobley brothers, Evan and Isaiah, the Trojans steamrolled the Jayhawks, shooting 57.1 percent from the field and an even better 61.1 percent from behind the arc. Head coach Andy Enfield is back in the Sweet 16 for the second time in his career, having done so last in 2013 when he coached another bracket buster, Florida Gulf Coast.

USC was the best defensive team in the conference this year, and its length bothered Kansas on both ends of the floor. But the length of Evan and Isaiah, who are 7'0" and 6'10", was particularly deadly. The brothers accounted for all four of the Trojans' blocks, and with no clear lanes or clear plays, the Jayhawks jacked up bad shots. It showed, as Kansas shot a dismal 29.0 percent from the field.

Isaiah finished with 17 points, eight rebounds and four assists, while his little brother had a tremendous stat line of 10 points, 13 rebounds, three blocks, five assists, one steal and a single turnover. Evan is mobile, athletic and a lock to be a top-three pick in the 2021 NBA draft.

But that's looking ahead a little too far. USC's next challenge is another Pac-12 team, Oregon, which ensures the conference will have at least one team in the Elite Eight.

No. 7 Oregon did not play its first game of the tournament against VCU because of COVID-19 issues within the Rams program. It had a layoff before a date with No. 2 Iowa and the best player in the game, Luka Garza, the projected Naismith Player of the Year.

The Ducks let Garza do his thing, and the big senior tried to put the Hawkeyes on his back. He dropped 36 points and grabbed nine rebounds. But Oregon's strategy to contain everyone else worked. Garza and Joe Wieskamp were the only Iowa starters to score.

"We knew Garza was going to get his points. Our plan was get stops and play defense, play hard, get on the boards," Duarte said. "And that's what we did."

No. 11 UCLA (East Region) and No. 12 Oregon State (Midwest Region) look unbeatable. The Bruins needed to beat Michigan State in a play-in game just to get to the round of 64, and the Beavers had to win the Pac-12 tournament just to get into the NCAA tournament.

But UCLA then beat BYU and Abilene Christian to reach the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2017 and the first time in Cronin's two seasons. Oregon State found its offensive stride at the right time of the season to beat Tennessee and Oklahoma State.

"The Pac-12 has shown exactly how strong it was. I'm so proud of the conference. And for us to be the champions of the regular season, I'm proud of that, and I'm proud of the guys the way they responded," Oregon coach Dana Altman said. "Mick has done a great job at UCLA, Wayne [Tinkle] has done a great job at Oregon State, USC's doing great, and Tad [Boyle] at Colorado. Our league has done great, and I hope we can keep it up."

The other three teams are hoping to keep it up as well.

"This is literally what you dream for," Isaiah Mobley said. "Like it says in the songs. Future says, 'Beat the odds, do numbers and remain humble.' Just try to keep that motto and keep it rolling from here on out."

It's not quite Wooden, but the motivational sentiment is the same.

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

While the 2021 NCAA men's tournament has featured a number of stunning upsets and four double-digit seeds in the Sweet 16, the majority of this season has been about Gonzaga, Baylor and the field.

The latest championship odds from DraftKings Sportsbook reflected as much, with Gonzaga and Baylor pacing the field:

• Gonzaga, +155 (bet $100 to win $155)
• Baylor, +300
• Michigan, +650
• Houston, +900
• Loyola-Chicago, +900
• Alabama, +1100
• Florida State, +1300
• Arkansas, +1700
• USC, +1800
• Creighton, +2000
• Villanova, +2500
• UCLA, +2700
• Oregon, +3100
• Oregon State, +3100
• Syracuse, +4500
• Oral Roberts, +7000

It makes sense that Gonzaga landed the most favorable odds since it didn't lose a game all season and defeated Norfolk State and Oklahoma in the first two rounds by a combined 59 points, but Loyola-Chicago certainly stands out.

The Ramblers are tied with Houston for the fourth-best odds to win the tournament after stunning No. 1 seed Illinois in the second round. Such a result would give them their second national championship and top their 2018 Final Four run, and they have the defense—ranked No. 1 on KenPom.com—to hang with any team in the nation.

But it may be too much of an ask for Loyola-Chicago to beat Baylor and Gonzaga.

       

For all the latest betting information and reaction, check out B/R Betting.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL).
Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ/WV/PA), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (CO), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), or call or text the TN REDLINE: 800-889-9789 (TN).
21+. NJ/PA/WV/IN/IA/CO/IL/TN only. In partnership with Meadows Racetrack & Casino. Eligibility restrictions apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for details.