Reseeding the Sweet 16 field with a new overall No. 1
This week's Sweet 16 will feature six squads from the ACC (Miami, Duke, Notre Dame, North Carolina, Virginia and Syracuse), three from the Big 12 (Oklahoma, Kansas and Iowa State), three from the Big Ten (Maryland, Indiana and Wisconsin), one from the Pac-12 (Oregon), one from the SEC (Texas A&M), one from the Big East (Villanova) and one from the West Coast Conference (Gonzaga).
Kansas, Virginia, UNC and Villanova were all bullies in the first two rounds. But that second-half explosion by the Tar Heels in their win over Providence was the most powerful display of strength we witnessed among the top seeds in the second round. They swatted the Friars away from the field as if they were flies at a summer picnic. That's why the Tar Heels get the slight edge over the rest and the top overall seed.
The following is one man's attempt to rank and reseed the Sweet 16 teams according to their performances in the first two rounds and their efforts relative to their original seeds:
1. North Carolina (Reseed: top overall seed; previous seed: 1)
While the underdogs of the first weekend confirmed the slim gap between the Power 5 programs and the rest of country in 2015-16, the squads with the most potential to be dominant in the NCAA tournament punched through their initial games. North Carolina's dismissal of 16-seed Florida Gulf Coast and 9-seed Providence -- by a combined margin of 35 points -- justified its standing as a top seed and, arguably, the best team in the field. The Tar Heels held Florida Gulf Coast to a 30 percent clip in the second half and accrued a 17-0 advantage in transition points in the game. Against Providence, they outscored the Friars 44-25 in the final 15 minutes, 35 seconds. In two games, Roy Williams' squad grabbed a ridiculous 44.6 percent of its missed shots and made 52 percent of its attempts inside the arc. North Carolina competed with the edge of a national champion throughout the first two rounds.
2. Kansas (Reseed: 1; previous seed: top overall seed)
Bill Self's squad extended a winning streak that dates back to Jan. 25 by recording a pair of double-digit victories over Austin Peay and UConn. Kansas, the only NCAA tournament participant that reached triple digits in the first round, collected 58 points in the paint in a 105-79 win over Austin Peay. Yes, the Jayhawks faced a 16-seed in the opening round. But 1.36 points per possession and 10 turnovers is impressive regardless of the opponent. UConn didn't wilt so easily, but Wayne Selden and Perry Ellis combined to score 43 points in the second-round win. And the entire roster turned the paint into a UFC fight. UConn finished with just five offensive rebounds, and Kansas snatched 88 percent of its misses. The Jayhawks skated through the first two games with their proficiency inside.
3. Virginia (Reseed: 1; previous seed: 1)
Hampton probably entered the NCAA tournament as the worst team in the field. The MEAC tournament champion had suffered lopsided losses to SMU and Colorado this season and was expected to lose big to its first-round opponent, Virginia. Considering how heavily favored the Cavs were, it was difficult for them to impress in this matchup, but there's just something about holding a Division I opponent to 45 points and outscoring that opponent by 36 points that still feels remarkable. The follow-up to that performance? Just a 73 percent shooting clip and a 54-point outburst in the second half of a win over 9-seed Butler. Yeah, the Cavs justified their No. 1 seed.
4. Villanova (Reseed: 1; previous seed: 2)
For the first time since 2009, Villanova will participate in the Sweet 16. How? Via strong defense and depth that Jay Wright's squad used in its dazzling first- and second-round victories. In the first round, 15-seed UNC Asheville scored just 56 points against Nova's pressure in a 30-point loss. Five Wildcats recorded double figures in that game. Against 7-seed Iowa -- the same Iowa team that once warranted consideration for a top seed before its late-season collapse -- Nova made 63 percent of its shots inside the arc and 53 percent of its attempts from beyond it in a 19-point win over a Hawkeyes squad that swept Michigan State during the regular season. If you could reseed the remaining 16 squads, Villanova would warrant one of the four No. 1 slots. So we'll give them one.
5. Oregon (Reseed: 2; previous seed: 1)
As expected, Oregon destroyed 16-seed Holy Cross in the first round. The Ducks scored 52 points in the paint. Holy Cross finished with 52 points in a 39-point loss. Oregon had more trouble with a Saint Joseph's squad that led in the final minutes. But this is the same Oregon team that defeated Utah by 31 points in the Pac-12 tournament title game. Its offense, ranked No. 22 in overall efficiency, changes games. The Ducks outscored Saint Joseph's 18-6 in the final 5:33 to turn a seven-point deficit into a five-point victory. The Ducks finished like a high seed should.
6. Oklahoma (Reseed: 2; previous seed: 2)
Buddy Hield's national player of the year campaign continued in Sunday's victory over 10-seed VCU. Hield scored 29 of his 36 points in the second half of an 85-81 thriller and he scored 27 points in a first-round win over Cal State-Bakersfield. Hield's Superman-act propelled Oklahoma into the Sweet 16, but it wasn't without drama. Oklahoma saw its 13-point halftime lead disappear and faced a deficit when Virginia Commonwealth seized a 65-63 advantage on Michael Gilmore's free throws with 8:10 remaining. The Sooners held on, but they couldn't preserve or extend that lead at the break against a confident VCU squad. Does that warrant a seed adjustment? Not for a team that played like a top-three seed for 80 percent of its first two matchups.
7. Indiana (Reseed: 2; previous seed: 5)
Louisville couldn't do it. Duke and Kansas failed, too. Indiana's defensive performance against Kentucky, ranked second in KenPom.com's adjusted offensive efficiency ratings, was the best against the Wildcats since Auburn's victory over UK in January. The Hoosiers held Kentucky, a team that had averaged 87.8 points in its previous six matchups, to 67 points overall and just 0.94 points per possession. Auburn held Kentucky to 0.93 PPP in January. Sure, the Hoosiers can score, but they also finished the regular season as the No. 3 per-possession defense in Big Ten play. Chattanooga entered its first-round matchup against Indiana ranked 54th in defensive turnover rate. Indiana committed 12 turnovers against the Mocs but also connected on 63 percent of its 3-point attempts. The underseeded Big Ten champ deserved a better slot from the selection committee. Don't worry. We'll take care of that.
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Myron MedcalfESPN Staff Writer
This week's Sweet 16 will feature six squads from the ACC (Miami, Duke, Notre Dame, North Carolina, Virginia and Syracuse), three from the Big 12 (Oklahoma, Kansas and Iowa State), three from the Big Ten (Maryland, Indiana and Wisconsin), one from the Pac-12 (Oregon), one from the SEC (Texas A&M), one from the Big East (Villanova) and one from the West Coast Conference (Gonzaga).
Kansas, Virginia, UNC and Villanova were all bullies in the first two rounds. But that second-half explosion by the Tar Heels in their win over Providence was the most powerful display of strength we witnessed among the top seeds in the second round. They swatted the Friars away from the field as if they were flies at a summer picnic. That's why the Tar Heels get the slight edge over the rest and the top overall seed.
The following is one man's attempt to rank and reseed the Sweet 16 teams according to their performances in the first two rounds and their efforts relative to their original seeds:
1. North Carolina (Reseed: top overall seed; previous seed: 1)
While the underdogs of the first weekend confirmed the slim gap between the Power 5 programs and the rest of country in 2015-16, the squads with the most potential to be dominant in the NCAA tournament punched through their initial games. North Carolina's dismissal of 16-seed Florida Gulf Coast and 9-seed Providence -- by a combined margin of 35 points -- justified its standing as a top seed and, arguably, the best team in the field. The Tar Heels held Florida Gulf Coast to a 30 percent clip in the second half and accrued a 17-0 advantage in transition points in the game. Against Providence, they outscored the Friars 44-25 in the final 15 minutes, 35 seconds. In two games, Roy Williams' squad grabbed a ridiculous 44.6 percent of its missed shots and made 52 percent of its attempts inside the arc. North Carolina competed with the edge of a national champion throughout the first two rounds.
2. Kansas (Reseed: 1; previous seed: top overall seed)
Bill Self's squad extended a winning streak that dates back to Jan. 25 by recording a pair of double-digit victories over Austin Peay and UConn. Kansas, the only NCAA tournament participant that reached triple digits in the first round, collected 58 points in the paint in a 105-79 win over Austin Peay. Yes, the Jayhawks faced a 16-seed in the opening round. But 1.36 points per possession and 10 turnovers is impressive regardless of the opponent. UConn didn't wilt so easily, but Wayne Selden and Perry Ellis combined to score 43 points in the second-round win. And the entire roster turned the paint into a UFC fight. UConn finished with just five offensive rebounds, and Kansas snatched 88 percent of its misses. The Jayhawks skated through the first two games with their proficiency inside.
3. Virginia (Reseed: 1; previous seed: 1)
Hampton probably entered the NCAA tournament as the worst team in the field. The MEAC tournament champion had suffered lopsided losses to SMU and Colorado this season and was expected to lose big to its first-round opponent, Virginia. Considering how heavily favored the Cavs were, it was difficult for them to impress in this matchup, but there's just something about holding a Division I opponent to 45 points and outscoring that opponent by 36 points that still feels remarkable. The follow-up to that performance? Just a 73 percent shooting clip and a 54-point outburst in the second half of a win over 9-seed Butler. Yeah, the Cavs justified their No. 1 seed.
4. Villanova (Reseed: 1; previous seed: 2)
For the first time since 2009, Villanova will participate in the Sweet 16. How? Via strong defense and depth that Jay Wright's squad used in its dazzling first- and second-round victories. In the first round, 15-seed UNC Asheville scored just 56 points against Nova's pressure in a 30-point loss. Five Wildcats recorded double figures in that game. Against 7-seed Iowa -- the same Iowa team that once warranted consideration for a top seed before its late-season collapse -- Nova made 63 percent of its shots inside the arc and 53 percent of its attempts from beyond it in a 19-point win over a Hawkeyes squad that swept Michigan State during the regular season. If you could reseed the remaining 16 squads, Villanova would warrant one of the four No. 1 slots. So we'll give them one.
5. Oregon (Reseed: 2; previous seed: 1)
As expected, Oregon destroyed 16-seed Holy Cross in the first round. The Ducks scored 52 points in the paint. Holy Cross finished with 52 points in a 39-point loss. Oregon had more trouble with a Saint Joseph's squad that led in the final minutes. But this is the same Oregon team that defeated Utah by 31 points in the Pac-12 tournament title game. Its offense, ranked No. 22 in overall efficiency, changes games. The Ducks outscored Saint Joseph's 18-6 in the final 5:33 to turn a seven-point deficit into a five-point victory. The Ducks finished like a high seed should.
6. Oklahoma (Reseed: 2; previous seed: 2)
Buddy Hield's national player of the year campaign continued in Sunday's victory over 10-seed VCU. Hield scored 29 of his 36 points in the second half of an 85-81 thriller and he scored 27 points in a first-round win over Cal State-Bakersfield. Hield's Superman-act propelled Oklahoma into the Sweet 16, but it wasn't without drama. Oklahoma saw its 13-point halftime lead disappear and faced a deficit when Virginia Commonwealth seized a 65-63 advantage on Michael Gilmore's free throws with 8:10 remaining. The Sooners held on, but they couldn't preserve or extend that lead at the break against a confident VCU squad. Does that warrant a seed adjustment? Not for a team that played like a top-three seed for 80 percent of its first two matchups.
7. Indiana (Reseed: 2; previous seed: 5)
Louisville couldn't do it. Duke and Kansas failed, too. Indiana's defensive performance against Kentucky, ranked second in KenPom.com's adjusted offensive efficiency ratings, was the best against the Wildcats since Auburn's victory over UK in January. The Hoosiers held Kentucky, a team that had averaged 87.8 points in its previous six matchups, to 67 points overall and just 0.94 points per possession. Auburn held Kentucky to 0.93 PPP in January. Sure, the Hoosiers can score, but they also finished the regular season as the No. 3 per-possession defense in Big Ten play. Chattanooga entered its first-round matchup against Indiana ranked 54th in defensive turnover rate. Indiana committed 12 turnovers against the Mocs but also connected on 63 percent of its 3-point attempts. The underseeded Big Ten champ deserved a better slot from the selection committee. Don't worry. We'll take care of that.
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