After years of bracket surprises, this year’s tournament is dominated by power conference teams.
Cinderella stories will not be making an appearance in the Sweet 16 this time around.
For the first time since the tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985, all 16 teams in the Sweet 16 come from power conferences. There are no Saint Peter’s, Loyola-Chicago, Butler, or Gonzaga to be found.
This outcome followed a straightforward first round, where the top four seeds swept their games, a rare occurrence that has only happened six times. While two No. 12 seeds and one No. 11 seed advanced to the second round, they were all eliminated.
The highest seed to make it to the Sweet 16 is No. 10 Arkansas, with the rest of the teams being No. 6 seeds or higher. All four No. 1 seeds and three of the four No. 2 seeds remain in the mix (sorry, St. John’s).
This year’s regional sites in San Francisco, Newark, Indianapolis, and Atlanta will feature just four conferences, the fewest in NCAA Tournament history, a stark contrast to the record 11 conferences represented in previous tournaments.
The SEC has set a few notable records this year.
First, they had a record 14 teams make it into the bracket.
Then, six SEC teams were eliminated in the first round, setting another record.
Now, the conference has bounced back with seven teams advancing to the Sweet 16, marking yet another record.
“We’ve put in a lot of work as a league to reach this point, and it’s never easy,” said Tennessee coach Rick Barnes. “But I hope that, as fans, we can support each other during this time of year, and then return to our usual rivalries afterward.”
Other conferences also had solid performances.
The Big Ten made an early impact, becoming the first conference to go 8-0 in the first round, eventually extending that streak to 10-0 before BYU upset Wisconsin. While four Big Ten teams were eliminated in the second round, Michigan State, Michigan, Purdue, and Maryland remain in the Sweet 16.
The Big 12 also had a strong showing, tying a league record set in 2002 by placing four teams in the Sweet 16.
Arizona, which recently joined the Big 12, along with Houston and BYU who joined last year, have given the league better odds than in previous years. With four teams in the mix, including Texas Tech, the Big 12 now has a chance at claiming three national championships in the past five years.
The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), which faced criticism after a tough early March, has only one team left in the Sweet 16, but it’s a strong contender. Duke, led by standout freshman Cooper Flagg, was a favorite for the national championship at the start of the season and remains a top contender after dominating their first two NCAA Tournament games.
Duke’s head coach Jon Scheyer praised the team’s competitive spirit after their dominant 89-66 win over Baylor, saying, “For us to win by this margin, it speaks to the killer instinct, competitiveness, and connectivity our guys have.”
As for UConn, the dream of a three-peat came to a heartbreaking end. After an opening win over Oklahoma, the reigning champions were eliminated in a tight 77-75 loss to top-seeded Florida. UConn coach Dan Hurley, holding back emotion, said, “We’re a passionate program. The players play with it, I coach with it. You’re always drained when it’s over.”
This year, the power lies in the power conferences.
