Bracket reset: NCAA Tournament all of the vogue down to a Sweet 16 of excessive-majors

Cinderella has been kicked out of the dance early for the second straight season.

Following a madness-promising first day of upsets, the NCAA Tournament has became into a excessive-main affair.

The Sweet 16 invite is for energy-conference positive aspects easiest.

Advocates for fewer computerized qualifiers and bracket expansion will possess a self-discipline day with this one.

“I assume parity is gargantuan for the game, but things change,” said Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd, who spent 21 seasons as an assistant at Gonzaga.

The Huge Ten is the broad conference on the block, pushing by a league-sage six teams into the Sweet 16 — three in the identical location.

The SEC has four Sweet 16 teams, the Huge 12 three, the Huge East two, the ACC one.

Mid-majors: zero for the second straight season.

East Put

The tip three seeds made it by the East.

St. John’s is the Darling.

The fifth-seeded Red Storm (30-6) blew a 12-level lead in opposition to Kansas, but Dylan Darling, who hadn’t hit a shot all day, scored on the buzzer for a 67-65 assemble that sends St. John’s to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1999.

Subsequent up for the Johnnies is a date with Duke on Friday in Washington.

The Blue Devils (34-2) and big title freshman Cameron Boozer had a gap 1-vs.-16 fright in opposition to Siena but took it out on TCU with an 81-58 assemble to attain the Sweet 16 for the third straight season.

The second regional semifinal seemingly will go each teams bruised and battered.

UConn (31-5) misplaced in the second spherical last season following consecutive nationwide championships but clamped down on UCLA to build a Sweet 16 return.

Michigan Remark (27-7) is in the Sweet 16 for the 17th time below coach Tom Izzo, led by the dynamic duo of Jeremy Fears Jr. and Coen Carr.

South Put

No. 2 seed Houston averted having to play reigning nationwide champion Florida — Iowa made clear of that — and will seemingly be enjoying at home for the South Put.

The Cougars (30-6) will seemingly be surrounded by Huge Ten teams, initiating with a 2-mile time out from campus in opposition to Illinois on Thursday.

The Illini (26-8) are enormous — greater than any team in the country.

They extinct that size to their earnings, clobbering Penn and VCU to attain the Sweet 16 for the second time in three seasons below coach Brad Underwood.

The second East semifinal will seemingly be the struggle of the corn.

No. 4 seed Nebraska (28-6) is the closest thing the Sweet 16 has to an underdog — easiest because it had by no formula won an NCAA Tournament game sooner than this season.

No. 9 seed Iowa (23-12) done 10-10 in the Huge Ten but has bullied its scheme by the bracket to this level, reaching the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1999 by ending Florida’s repeat list.

Midwest Put

Michigan has looked every bit a high seed, winning its first two video games by a median of twenty-two positive aspects.

Subsequent up is a showdown with No. 4 seed Alabama on Friday in Chicago.

The Crimson Tide (25-9) washed away Texas Tech by raining down 19 3-pointers in a 90-65 thrashing to attain the Sweet 16 for the fourth straight season.

No. 2 seed Iowa Remark took a enormous hit when All-The United States ahead Joshua Jefferson sprained his ankle in the Cyclones’ opener and didn’t play in opposition to Kentucky.

It did small to slack them down; the Cyclones (29-7) spun some distance off from Kentucky 82-63 to attain the Sweet 16 for the third time below coach T.J. Otzelberger.

Iowa Remark hopes to possess Jefferson relief for Friday’s game and will seemingly need him in opposition to Tennessee.

The No. 6 Vols (24-11) had been Sweet 16 regulars below coach Rick Barnes and made it four straight by outlasting Virginia 79-72.

West Put

The West has an SEC team disguised as Cinderella.

Texas has an world of sources and performs in the SEC yet stumbled on itself in Dayton, Ohio, as a No. 11 seed.

The Longhorns (21-14) pulled it together at honest the stunning time of their first season below coach Sean Miller, knocking off No. 3 seed Gonzaga to change into the sixth First Four team to attain the Sweet 16.

That earns them a lisp in the West semifinals in opposition to No. 2 Purdue on Thursday in San Jose, California.

Coach Matt Painter has molded the Boilermakers (29-8) into a model of consistency, reaching the Sweet 16 seven times the last 9 seasons — including the 2024 title game — with their 79-69 assemble over Miami.

The showdown between No. 1 Arizona and No. 4 Alabama will seemingly be an NBA scout’s pride.

The Wildcats (34-2) travel eight deep in doable future mavens and guard Jaden Bradley has a knack for making the greatest performs on the greatest moments.

John Calipari residing the fashioned for recruiting NBA lottery picks at Kentucky, and it’s been no varied in his second season in Fayetteville. Unbelievable freshman Darius Acuff Jr. became once the gigantic title in Arkansas’ 94-88 assemble over High Level, scoring 36 positive aspects as the Razorbacks secured their second straight Sweet 16 berth.

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AP March Insanity bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness