And then there were 16.
The remaining teams in the NCAA tournament all followed their own paths to this point.
For some, it was a challenge.
Creighton had to fight Oregon in double overtime. Houston gave up a double-digit lead late before it finally defeated Texas A&M with an extra five minutes of play. Marquette had to hit big shots in the final minutes to get past Colorado, and NC State had to stop Oakland in overtime.
For others, it was a breeze. UConn, Duke, Arizona, Illinois and Purdue simply cruised.
There are new heroes to follow in the second weekend, such as NC State's DJ Burns Jr. and Clemson's Chase Hunter. But many of the teams and players are familiar in the Sweet 16. For the most part, the higher seeds prevailed.
Now, we'll see who is built for the Final Four.
Before we get there, however, we're here to rank the Sweet 16, as we see it, after everything that has unfolded thus far.
Check out everything we had learned about the teams after the first day of the second round on Saturday and after the second day of the second round on Sunday.
1-seeds
UConn Huskies
Original seed: No. 1 overall seed (East)
NCAA tournament results: Defeated 16-seed Stetson 91-52; defeated 9-seed Northwestern 75-58
In the second half against Northwestern, UConn seemed mortal for the first time in weeks. The Huskies went 1-for-11 from the 3-point line. As the shots fell short, it was like watching a Ferrari race down the highway with a nail in its tire, slowly deflating. But the Huskies also shot 54.2% overall in the second half to beat the Wildcats -- a team with wins over Dayton, Purdue, Illinois and Florida Atlantic. UConn is so good that a tough stretch doesn't derail it, even against good teams.
The growth of Donovan Clingan (16.5 PPG, 11.0 RPG, 8 blocks total, 78% clip from the field in the NCAA tournament) has helped, too. He has been a two-way force for Dan Hurley's squad in this tournament so far. Per EvanMiya.com, Zach Edey is the only player in America more impactful than Clingan when he's on the court.
Up next: vs. San Diego State in Boston (Thursday, 7:39 p.m. ET)
Purdue Boilermakers
Original seed: No. 1 (Midwest)
NCAA tournament results: Defeated 16-seed Grambling 78-50; defeated 8-seed Utah State 106-67
Utah State coach Danny Sprinkle's strategy to solve the Zach Edey riddle made sense: Every time the 7-foot-4 star touched the ball in the paint Sunday, the Aggies would send a second defender to slow down the reigning Wooden Award winner. There is no other way to guard the 290-pound NBA prospect.
It didn't work. Edey had 21 points and 11 rebounds -- at halftime.
Sprinkle's approach also demonstrated how this Purdue team has changed, becoming a serious national title contender with more than just the threat presented by its superstar in the paint. The Boilermakers' jump from 276th nationally in 3-point shooting (32.2%) a year ago to second nationally (40.7%) this year has also created a pick-your-poison scenario for opponents. Every time you double-team Edey, you're taking a risk by offering Purdue's excellent 3-point shooters open looks. Matt Painter's team hit 48% of its 3s Sunday. A year ago, many ridiculed Purdue after its quick exit in the NCAA tournament. Now? The Boilermakers are perhaps the most difficult puzzle for any remaining team.
Up next: vs. Gonzaga in Detroit (Friday, 7:39 p.m. ET)
North Carolina Tar Heels
Original seed: No. 1 (West)
NCAA tournament results: Defeated 16-seed Wagner 90-62; defeated 9-seed Michigan State 85-69
UConn, Purdue and Houston all made cases at different stages of the regular season that they deserved a top seed in the NCAA tournament. UNC's position seemed more fluid, especially as Iowa State and Tennessee charged toward that fourth top-seed spot late in the season. The Tar Heels have more than proved themselves as one of the elite teams in the field, however. After falling to a double-digit deficit in the first half against Michigan State on Saturday, they went on a 23-3 run and turned the game in their favor.
The game showed they have so many ways to attack. RJ Davis is an All-American point guard. Armando Bacot is one of the top big men in America. And now, Harrison Ingram has found a rhythm again (50% from beyond the arc in the NCAA tournament) after a lengthy slump. After Saturday's win, North Carolina was ranked 18th in adjusted offensive efficiency on KenPom.com and the team had made 35.8% of its 3-point attempts -- identical numbers to the 2021-22 team that reached the national title game.
Up next: vs. Alabama in Los Angeles (Thursday, 9:39 p.m. ET)
Houston Cougars
Original seed: No. 1 (South)
NCAA tournament: Defeated 16-seed Longwood 86-46; defeated 9-seed Texas A&M 100-95 (OT)
There were lessons learned Sunday. Houston had squandered a double-digit lead against Texas A&M before Andersson Garcia hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to send the game into overtime. With Jamal Shead (21 points) and his clutch plays, the Cougars overcame foul trouble (Emanuel Sharp and L.J. Cryer had fouled out after combining to score 50 points). But they had unraveled and were lucky to escape with the win.
Lost in that drama was Houston's defensive effort on Wade Taylor IV. He had scored 34 points in a 70-66 loss to this team earlier this season but started 2-for-17 on Sunday after being pressured into tough shots. The Cougars' strategy to make someone other than Taylor beat them was successful -- until the end. Still, they made 51% of their shots overall, two days after they registered 1.39 points per possession in a win over Longwood. This is still a serious national championship contender, despite Sunday's chaos.
Up next: vs. Duke in Dallas (Friday, 9:39 p.m. ET)
2-seeds
Arizona Wildcats
Original seed: No. 2 (West)
NCAA tournament results: Defeated 15-seed Long Beach State 85-65; defeated 7-seed Dayton 78-68
The Wildcats lost their regular-season finale at USC, when Pac-12 Player of the Year Caleb Love scored a career-low two points and the team committed 18 turnovers. Six days later, they lost to Oregon in the Pac-12 tournament -- but to be fair, this was a team that had turned the corner in its season after overcoming injuries. Look at the full body of work of this Arizona squad; those late losses were just blemishes, not reasons for concern.
This Sweet 16-bound Arizona is the balanced group Tommy Lloyd has coached all year. It played fast in the two tournament games it won by a combined 30 points without losing its efficiency (40% from beyond the arc). The most imposing component of the Wildcats' second run to the Sweet 16 since 2015, however, has been their defensive intensity. Neither Long Beach State (0.83) nor Dayton (0.94) registered more than one point per possession -- the traditional dividing line between good and subpar offense -- against the Wildcats.
Up next: vs. Clemson in Los Angeles (Thursday, 7:09 p.m. ET)
Iowa State Cyclones
Original seed: No. 2 (East)
NCAA tournament results: Defeated 15-seed South Dakota State 82-65; defeated 7-seed Washington State 67-56
Sometimes, late-season adjustments don't make sense. Look at Iowa State. In Big 12 action, T.J. Otzelberger's squad made 32.4% of its 3-point attempts, 10th in the league. This is not a team that relies on those shots, in part because they're not its strength. The Cyclones' first game of the Big 12 tournament -- in which they went 1-for-14 in the win over Kansas State -- continued that trend. Through the first round of the conference tournament, they were 165th nationally in 3-point shooting percentage, per BartTorvik.com.
During their past four games? The Cyclones are ninth, going 37-for-79 from beyond the arc (47%). For a group that has also owned the best defense in America since Feb. 1, this offensive wrinkle could carry the team to the Final Four. If the hot streak continues, Iowa State could be one of the most balanced teams in the Sweet 16.
Up next: vs. Illinois in Boston (Thursday, 10:09 p.m. ET)
Tennessee Volunteers
Original seed: No. 2 (Midwest)
NCAA tournament results: Defeated 15-seed Saint Peter's 83-49; defeated 7-seed Texas 62-58
There is a lot of evidence in recent college basketball history to suggest average defensive teams don't win national titles. It's also important to note that only great offensive teams cut down the nets. Usually. There have been only three teams since 1999, per KenPom.com, that have finished a season outside the top 10 in adjusted offensive efficiency and managed to win the national title: Carmelo Anthony-led Syracuse (2003), Kemba Walker-led UConn (2011) and Shabazz Napier-led UConn (2014).
With NBA prospect Dalton Knecht (21.1 PPG, 39% from the 3-point line), however, Tennessee could join that list. Knecht adds an offensive dimension to the top-five defensive team few opponents can match. A great defensive team -- the three aforementioned squads all finished top-15 in adjusted defensive efficiency -- tends to require a similar pedigree on the other end of the floor. Or a superstar to make up for what it lacks. Knecht could be that for the Vols to finally win it all.
Up next: vs. Creighton in Detroit (Friday, 10:09 p.m. ET)
Marquette Golden Eagles
Original seed: No. 2 (South)
NCAA tournament results: Defeated 15-seed Western Kentucky 87-69; defeated 10-seed Colorado 81-77
Tyler Kolek, last season's Big East Player of the Year, has been the difference for Shaka Smart's squad, which finished 3-3 in the six games the senior missed because of an oblique injury. Compare that with the Eagles going 5-0 in his past five games, including two in the NCAA tournament, in which he averaged 19.5 points and 11.0 assists and made 71% of his shots inside the arc. On Sunday, he scored seven of his 21 points in the final 7:33. Per EvanMiya.com, Kolek ranks seventh in Bayesian performance rating, which measures a player's value to his team when he's on the court. That's above other stars, including Duke's Kyle Filipowski, UConn's Tristen Newton and Creighton's Baylor Scheierman.
The Golden Eagles haven't been perfect. They were down early against Western Kentucky on Friday, and their game against Colorado on Sunday was tied 74-74 at the four-minute mark. But they've been able to prevail because of the return of their elite point guard, who refuses to let them lose.
Up next: vs. NC State in Dallas (Friday, 7:09 p.m. ET)
3-seeds
Duke Blue Devils
Original seed: No. 4 (South)
NCAA tournament results: Defeated 13-seed Vermont 64-47; defeated 12-seed James Madison 93-55
Despite entering the ACC regular-season finale against North Carolina with a share of the league crown on the line, Duke had never quite reached its ceiling before the NCAA tournament. But a team with Mark Mitchell, Kyle Filipowski, Jeremy Roach and Jared McCain always had the potential to put together the display we witnessed in the first two rounds. The Blue Devils' path to the Sweet 16 wasn't the toughest, but they excelled with a pair of dominant performances, holding Vermont and James Madison to an average of 51.0 PPG.
Their national championship potential is tied to the growth of McCain, who finished with 30 points (8-for-11 from beyond the arc) and zero turnovers against JMU -- the first time a freshman had achieved those marks in the NCAA tournament since the field expanded in 1985, per ESPN Stats & Information data. The Blue Devils are 6-2 this season when McCain scores 20 or more points.
Up next: vs. Houston in Dallas (Friday, 9:39 p.m. ET)
Gonzaga Bulldogs
Original seed: No. 5 (Midwest)
NCAA tournament results: Defeated 12-seed McNeese 86-65; defeated 4-seed Kansas 89-68
After losing former All-American Drew Timme, Gonzaga did not appear to have an identity. How would the Zags play? Who would be the star? And so we got to Feb. 3 and they were a team without a strong case for an at-large berth. Turns out Few just needed more time with this group. Graham Ike, who transferred from Wyoming last season but missed all of it because of injury, emerged as the anchor of a stellar group that has earned Gonzaga's ninth consecutive Sweet 16 trip.
In two tournament games, the Bulldogs have averaged 87.5 points and connected on 44% of their 3-point attempts. Ike has hit 76% of his field goal attempts in this stretch, while Anton Watson is averaging 17.2 points over his past four games. They have become one of the top duos in the field. Gonzaga, ranked No. 1 in adjusted offensive efficiency since Valentine's Day (BartTorvik.com), has manufactured two of the top offensive efforts thus far.
Up next: vs. Purdue in Detroit (Friday, 7:39 p.m. ET)
Illinois Fighting Illini
Original seed: No. 3 (East)
NCAA tournament results: Defeated 14-seed Morehead State 85-69; defeated 11-seed Duquesne 89-63
Brad Underwood's team over the past two months has a Big Ten tournament championship and has shown some of the best offense we've seen this season. Terrence Shannon Jr. (30.5 PPG during his team's current six-game winning streak) has recorded 56 points in two tournament games, the second-best two-game tally in Illinois history, according to ESPN Stats & Info research. He's the anchor of a group ranked first in adjusted offensive efficiency since Feb. 1, per BartTorvik.com.
On the flip side, Illinois' defensive numbers have been problematic. Like Kentucky and Alabama, the Illini haven't managed to find the balance they might need to win more games. They're No. 158 in adjusted defensive efficiency since Feb. 1. Can a great offensive team that's a bad defensive team reach the Final Four? We'll find out with this group.
Up next: vs. Iowa State in Boston (Thursday, 10:09 p.m. ET)
Creighton Bluejays
Original seed: No. 3 (Midwest)
NCAA tournament results: Defeated 14-seed Akron 77-60; defeated 11-seed Oregon 86-73 (2OT)
It had been a contentious matchup all night, against one of the hottest programs in the country. It took a 15-0 run in the second overtime to seal the win for Creighton against Oregon and send the Bluejays to their third Sweet 16 in four years. This is a team that made 60.2% of its shots inside the arc during Big East play, the top mark in the league -- and in the tournament so far, the Bluejays have continued to demonstrate their offensive balance.
Against the Ducks, Steven Ashworth led a group of four players who scored at least 18 points, with 21. It's the first time that has happened in the NCAA tournament in 34 years, per ESPN Stats & Info data. Between an 18-6 run against Akron and Saturday's blitz in the second overtime, the Bluejays have proved to be one of the most difficult teams in this tournament to defend for a full game.
Up next: vs. Tennessee in Detroit (Friday, 10:09 p.m. ET)
4-seeds
San Diego State Aztecs
Original seed: No. 5 (East)
NCAA tournament results: Defeated 12-seed UAB 69-65; defeated 13-seed Yale 85-57
Consistency matters in college basketball. It's even more significant during the NCAA tournament. Throughout Brian Dutcher's tenure at San Diego State, he has had great defensive teams. Last year's Final Four team finished fourth in adjusted defensive efficiency. The 2021-22 team was even better. Fact is, Dutcher has finished top-30 in this stat in six of his seven seasons in Southern California.
Until it ran into San Diego State, Yale had not been held under 60 points since a win over Harvard -- in 2022-23. The Bulldogs had just registered 113 points per 100 possessions in their first-round win over Auburn. But they made just 37% of their shots two days later. With these defensive capabilities and Jaedon LeDee (21.4 PPG, 43% from beyond the arc) as its leader, San Diego State could give UConn a challenge in its goal to return to the Final Four.
Up next: vs. UConn in Boston (Thursday, 7:39 p.m. ET)
Alabama Crimson Tide
Original seed: No. 4 (West)
NCAA tournament results: Defeated 13-seed Charleston 109-96; defeated 12-seed Grand Canyon 72-61
Through two NCAA tournament games, Alabama has demonstrated two ways it can win. Against Charleston, the Crimson Tide registered 131 points per 100 possessions -- slightly below the 132 points per 100 possessions UConn accrued in a 91-52 win over Stetson in the first round -- and scored 90 or more points for the 17th time this season. They were the team that dominated opponents all season with scoring barrages.
On Sunday, the other Alabama showed up -- the one that couldn't hit shots (8-for-31 from the 3-point line). Starter Latrell Wrightsell Jr. (9.3 PPG) missed most of the game due to a head injury. And the Tide sent Grand Canyon to the line for 37 free throw attempts. It wasn't their night overall. Mark Sears (26 points, 5-for-11 from the 3-point line) helped Alabama navigate through the rocky night, the kind of environment that led to losses during the season. But the gritty victory might be a boost of confidence for Nate Oats' squad.
Up next: vs. North Carolina in Los Angeles (Thursday, 9:39 p.m. ET)
NC State Wolfpack
Original seed: No. 11 (South)
NCAA tournament results: Defeated 6-seed Texas Tech 80-67; defeated 14-seed Oakland 79-73 (OT)
Even when things appeared to have fallen apart, NC State was hard to disrupt. A stretch of seven losses in nine games to end the regular season, rumors swirling about Kevin Keatts' job status -- and yet the program remained in the top 15 in turnover rate. And then things changed for DJ Burns Jr. and the program, which is going to the regional semifinals for the first time since 2015.
With seven wins in 12 days, the Wolfpack have been top-25 in adjusted offensive efficiency. They've also defeated four teams that finished in the top three in their respective leagues (North Carolina, Duke, Texas Tech and Oakland), averaging just 9.1 turnovers per game. That has been a critical element of their recent success, and of the greatest late-season turnaround in recent college basketball history.
Up next: vs. Marquette in Dallas (Friday, 7:09 p.m. ET)
Clemson Tigers
Original seed: No. 6 (West)
NCAA tournament results: Defeated 11-seed New Mexico 77-56; defeated 3-seed Baylor 72-64
It doesn't always have to be pretty, and for Clemson, it hasn't been. Entering the postseason, the Tigers were 1-3 in their previous four games, and all three losses unfolded against teams that missed the NCAA tournament (Notre Dame, Wake Forest, Boston College). There were no signs that this was a potential Sweet 16 squad. But with PJ Hall limited in back-to-back games, Chase Hunter has stepped up, scoring a total of 41 points in the wins over New Mexico and Baylor.
Against the Lobos, the Tigers started with a 32-13 lead, although they finished 7-for-21 from the 3-point line. Against the Bears, they nearly squandered a 15-point lead in the final six minutes of the game. It's difficult to project this team's ceiling. Yes, Clemson has shown the same offensive promise that had it ranked second in offensive efficiency in the ACC. It also has shown flashes of the team that stumbled into Selection Sunday. More than anything, it has proved that a gritty path to the Sweet 16 still means it's among the last teams standing.
Up next: vs. Arizona in Los Angeles (Thursday, 7:09 p.m. ET)