It is hard to imagine the second weekend in the NCAA tournament topping what happened last week. But if the upsets from the first two rounds tell us anything, it is that this field remains rather unpredictable. Especially in the South Region, where all of the top four seeds have been eliminated -- the first time that has happened in NCAA tournament history.
You never know, we could be setting up for Loyola-Chicago vs. Syracuse in the national championship game, two No. 11 seeds outlasting the field because ... why not?
(All times ET)
No. 7 Nevada vs. No. 11 Loyola-Chicago
7:07 p.m. ET, CBS, South Region
Player to watch: Cody Martin and Caleb Martin, Nevada. The identical twin brothers have been instrumental in Nevada's run to the Sweet 16. Caleb, the team's leading scorer, hit some clutch 3-pointers in overtime to beat Texas in the opening round. Then Cody scored 25 points to help the Wolf Pack erase a 22-point deficit to beat Cincinnati.
Key stat: Five. Nevada has trailed at halftime in five straight games, by an average of 12.2 points, yet the Wolf Pack are in the Sweet 16 for the second time in school history. Not to be outdone, Loyola-Chicago has needed second-half comebacks to win both of its NCAA tournament games.
No. 3 Michigan vs. No. 7 Texas A&M
7:37 p.m. ET, TBS, West Region
Player to watch: Texas A&M center Tyler Davis. The Aggies advanced to the Sweet 16 in large part due to their terrific play inside with Davis and fellow 6-foot-10 forward Robert Williams. Texas A&M owned large rebounding advantages in wins over Providence and North Carolina and looked as impressive in the second round as any team that advanced. Containing Texas A&M's inside presence is the biggest key for Michigan.
Key stat: Michigan has won 11 straight games, though the Wolverines needed a miraculous 3-pointer at the buzzer to get past Houston in the second round. Though they have not put a complete game together yet in the NCAA tournament, this is a team that got hot at the right time. Still, there are matchup concerns going into the Texas A&M game and Michigan will have to play far better than it did last weekend to advance.
No. 5 Kentucky vs. No. 9 Kansas State
9:37 p.m. ET, CBS, South Region
Player to watch: Kentucky guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Kevin Knox might be the more heralded freshman, but Gilgeous-Alexander has been virtually unstoppable during Kentucky's recent winning streak. In postseason games alone, Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 21.8 points, 6.6 assists, 5.8 rebounds and 2.2 steals.
Key stat: 6-0. The Wildcats are undefeated in Sweet 16 games under coach John Calipari, and have won eight straight Sweet 16 games overall. Between their run through the SEC tournament and the upsets across the South Region, doesn't it feel a little like everything is coming up Kentucky?
No. 4 Gonzaga vs. No. 9 Florida State
10:07 p.m. ET, TBS, West Region
Player to watch: Gonzaga guard Zach Norvell Jr. His nickname is "Snacks" because he loved eating junk food as a youngster, so that should give him automatic status as a player to watch. But in all seriousness, the redshirt freshman had two impressive performances in the opening rounds. His 3-pointer late against UNC-Greensboro helped the Zags escape, and then against Ohio State he scored a team-high 28 points. Maybe his nickname should be "Clutch": Norvell has a team-high 93 points in the final five minutes of games.
Key stat: 16. Gonzaga has now won 16 straight games, the longest winning streak in the nation. It may not have looked pretty in the opening round, but the Zags continue to find ways to win in the NCAA tournament.