March Madness 2024: Top Storylines and Expert Picks for Friday’s Men’s Bracket
0 of 2
Stacy Revere/Getty Images
It was 4 days without males’s NCAA Tournament action, however the insanity returned on Thursday with a high-octane slate of Sweet 16 video games and will advance Friday with more of the very same.
We have 2 No. 1 seeds on deck Friday in Purdue (vs. No. 5 Gonzaga) and Houston (vs. No. 4 Duke). At the start of this round, all 4 No. 1 seeds were still alive; nevertheless, on Thursday night, No. 1 UNC fell to No. 4 Alabama.
Taking the court today are No. 11 NC State and No. 2 Marquette as well as No. 3 Creighton and No. 2 Tennessee. Action will start in Dallas for the South Regional and after that continue with the Midwest Regional in Detroit later on at night.
Let’s enter a few of the greatest stories surrounding these groups as we liquidate the Sweet 16 ahead of Saturday’s Elite 8 action.
Friday’s Top Storylines
1 of 2
Elsa/Getty Images
North Carolina’s State Cinderella Story
It’s been a charmed season for NC State. The Wolfpack stunned top-seeded North Carolina to win the ACC champion 84-76, ending up being the very first double-digit seed to win the ACC Tournament prize.
In the preliminary, the Pack handled No. 6 Texas Tech and once again endured, certainly, prospered, going 80-67 and with junior forward Ben Middlebrooks contributing 21 points off the bench, a profession high.
No. 11 NC State is the most affordable seed left in the competition. Can they keep the magic alive versus No. 1 Marquette?
Can Gonzaga Avenge Its November Maui Invitational Loss to Purdue?
The Bulldogs and the Boilermakers take the court in Detroit for a rematch 4 months after conference in the Maui Invitational.
Gonzaga might not discover a method to consist of Zach Edey because 73-63 loss. The senior center scored a game-high 25 points, 15 in the very first half.
Ever since, the Bulldogs have actually enhanced their offending effectiveness, winning 11 of their last 12. Nolan Hickman will require to do more than the 11 points and 3 takes he tallied in Honolulu. Senior forward Anton Watson has actually begun throughout the competition, with 21 points and 6 rebounds versus Kansas in the 2nd round, and might show essential to the Zags’ opportunities.
Increased ball pressure on the Boilermakers to require turnovers might likewise swing the video game in the Bulldogs’ favor.
Can Duke’s Surging Defense Best Houston’s?
Houston has actually advanced to the Sweet 16 in so little part due to the fact that of its defense, which is the very best in the country in adjusted protective performance metrics. The Cougars likewise rank 3rd in forced turnovers.
As the competition has actually advanced,
