Yes, this is the 2024 Elite Eight field. Yes, Clemson and Alabama will battle on a big stage. In basketball, not football.
But that's not only the interesting storyline of the last set of games before the national semifinals of the men's NCAA tournament. UConn is chasing the first back-to-back national title run in more than 15 years. Can a hot Illinois squad stop the Huskies? Clemson and NC State have had magical runs, too. And Duke hopes to stamp the Jon Scheyer era with a Final Four appearance after taking down 1-seed Houston.
Because we've reached the Elite Eight, we've added more weight to the way teams are playing right now in this reseeding. You might love this order. You might hate it. Either way, thanks for reading.
Check out everything we learned after the Sweet 16.
UConn Huskies
Original seed: No. 1 overall seed (East)
NCAA tournament results: Defeated 16-seed Stetson 91-52; defeated 9-seed Northwestern 75-58; defeated 5-seed San Diego State 82-52
There are things that happen in UConn games -- things that would ruin most teams but don't seem to affect the Huskies. In Thursday's win over San Diego State, a team with a top-10 defensive mark entering the game, the Huskies registered just one field goal for nearly five minutes (7:53 to 3:11) in the first half. They still led by nine points at the break and subsequently toyed with Brian Dutcher's squad the rest of the way.
San Diego State had allowed just 46 points in the paint in its first two tournament games before facing UConn, which amassed 38 points in the paint on Thursday, per ESPN Stats & Information. The Huskies have only trailed for 28 seconds during this year's NCAA tournament; all 28 seconds happened in the first minute against the Aztecs.
It's fair to wonder whether this year's UConn team is more dominant than last year's team that won a national title. Cam Spencer, Donovan Clingan and Tristen Newton have each led the Huskies in scoring in one of its three NCAA tournament games. If there were doubts about that dominance entering the Sweet 16, a 30-point victory over a top-25 KenPom squad certainly made the case more compelling.
Up next: vs. Illinois in Boston (Saturday, 6:09 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; defeated No. 5 Gonzaga 80-68
When asked to compare this year's Purdue squad to last year's, Zach Edey didn't mention his own development as a more capable defender in space or as a player with more touch around the rim with the ball in his hands. He instead talked about his supporting cast, and the improvement it has made.
Braden Smith, the point guard who had 15 assists in the 80-68 win over Gonzaga on Friday, is a better distributor and shooter (44% from the 3-point line) this year. Fletcher Loyer is one of the most efficient players in the country (45% from the 3-point line, 86% from the free throw line).
This is also a group that has played top-25 defense since March 1 and matured into the top 3-point shooting team in America (41%). The Boilermakers are a conundrum for the field. They have the best player in America, the best shooters in America and a defensive presence that is now borderline elite. They're greater than Edey and his dominance because they're capable of winning no matter what teams send at the Wooden Award winner.
Gonzaga tried to contain Edey, but then Matt Painter just exploited the mismatches. The problem is that you can't focus on Edey this season without paying for it. UConn is the best team in America, that's clear. But Purdue is making the case that it is the Huskies' greatest threat.
Up next: vs. Tennessee in Detroit (Sunday, 2:20 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; defeated 2-seed Iowa State 72-69
At the end of the 2010-11 season, Kemba Walker changed college basketball history with one of the most memorable efforts we've seen in the modern game: Beginning with a 26-point outing in the opening round of the Big East tournament that season, the former UConn star averaged 24.6 PPG over 11 games and led the Huskies to their third national title.
It's reasonable to reference that in talking about Terrence Shannon Jr.'s latest performances for Illinois, a team that's played sub-75 defense but has also been the game's best offensive team in recent weeks. Shannon is averaging 30.3 PPG over the past seven games -- a run that's included both a Big Ten tournament championship and the win that sealed the program's eighth trip to the Elite Eight. Against Iowa State, the best defensive team in America, Shannon was the difference. His 29 points, and the late steal that he converted into a layup, changed the game in Illinois' favor.
Now, coincidentally, Shannon and Illinois will face the Huskies for a shot at the Final Four.
Thirteen years ago, Walker was in the same position. If Shannon continues to excel, he could also lead this program to a monumental upset and the program's first national championship.
Up next: vs. UConn in Boston (Saturday, 6:09 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); defeated No. 2 seed Marquette 67-58
Do you believe in miracles? You have to if you've followed this squad, especially with the eerily similar journey this team enjoyed almost 40 years ago. As NC State stumbled to the finish line of the 1982-83 season, the Wolfpack had already weathered a 2-6 stretch that threatened to derail their season. Sound familiar? That team won a national title. Can this squad do the same after its late-season struggles?
Anything seems possible at this point for a team that has won eight elimination games in 17 days, including against Duke, North Carolina, Texas Tech and now Marquette. But the Wolfpack's gifts go beyond the passing touch of DJ Burns Jr. or the rapid increase in offensive efficiency (top-30 and 54% clip inside the arc since the start of the ACC tournament) or just their sheer willpower.
NC State continues to make opponents look bad. Marquette, a good 3-point shooting team, finished 4-for-31 from beyond the arc in the Sweet 16. In the second round, Oakland's Jack Gohlke went 6-for-17 from 3, after having gone 10-for-20 against Kentucky. And in the first round, Texas Tech star Pop Isaacs was a week removed from scoring 61 points in three games. He finished 3-for-16 against Kevin Keatts' squad.
Is NC State a team of destiny? At this point, you have to admit it kind of feels that way.
Up next: vs. Duke in Dallas (Sunday, 5:05 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; defeated 2-seed Arizona 77-72
In some of their worst games this season, Brad Brownell's team started slow. In Clemson's 76-55 loss to the Boston College Eagles in the opening round of the ACC tournament, the Tigers were down 36-22 early in the game. A game before that, they surrendered a 7-0 run in the first half of an 81-76 loss to Wake Forest. There was also a 25-17 first-half deficit in a loss to NC State in mid-February and another 17-9 hole in a loss to Virginia Tech in January.
In multiple outings, Clemson spent too much time fighting to close the gap. In the NCAA tournament, however, the Tigers have thrown the first punch with defensive pressure and an offensive flow to charge the school's first Sweet 16 run since 1980.
Against New Mexico in the first round, Clemson had a 32-13 lead early in the game. It led Baylor 35-25 at halftime in the second round. And it had a 24-12 edge over Arizona in the first half Thursday.
Clemson's defensive intensity (third overall in efficiency since the start of the NCAA tournament, per BartTorvik.com) has been the catalyst: All three of its opponents have made just a combined 18.7% of their 3-point attempts. A number of those looks were contested, too. Meanwhile, Ian Schieffelin, Chase Hunter and PJ Hall have combined to average 47.3 PPG in the NCAA tournament. Clemson is serious.
Up next: vs. Alabama in Los Angeles (Saturday, 8:49 p.m. ET)
Duke Blue Devils
Original seed: No. 4 (South)
NCAA tournament results: Defeated 13-seed Vermont 64-47; defeated 12-seed James Madison 93-55; defeated 1-seed Houston 54-50
It's not Duke's fault Houston lost Jamal Shead, the All-American guard, to an ankle injury in the first half of their game. But sometimes, a team gets a fortuitous path through the tournament. Now, a matchup against an 11-seed NC State squad that's really playing like a top seed stands in its way. Winning the regional final would firmly establish the the Jon Scheyer era at Duke. He has the pieces to reach Phoenix and secure his first trip to the Final Four as head coach.
Kyle Filipowski, the projected NBA draft lottery pick, had 16 points against Houston on Friday, but it is the growth of Jared McCain that has changed this team. Add veteran Jeremy Roach, and the Blue Devils have one of the top backcourts in the Elite Eight.
One thing has become clear in this NCAA tournament: Guard play will make or break any team. Though the Devils (41% from the field) didn't play their best against the shorthanded Cougars, they were tough enough down the stretch. And it still seems like Duke has another gear it can reach in the final days of the 2023-24 season.
Up next: vs. NC State in Dallas (Sunday, 5:05 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; defeated 3-seed Creighton 75-70
Almost 20 years ago, Rick Barnes led Texas to the Final Four. That 2002-03 team had multiple future pros and an edge over its opponents. Barnes is now on track to do it again, turning Tennessee into a national title contender with grit -- and one special NBA prospect. There were multiple NBA scouts in Detroit's Little Caesars Arena on Friday to see both Zach Edey and Dalton Knecht (24 points, 3-for-7 from beyond the arc), a projected first-round pick in this summer's draft.
Knecht didn't disappoint. He fueled a second-half run that gave the Vols a 15-point edge over Creighton at one point. And when the Bluejays persisted, it didn't rattle Knecht. He hit a pair of 3-pointers in the final minutes to end Creighton's dreams.
Overall, the Bluejays were held below a 45% clip -- this, after entering the game boasting a top-10 mark in adjusted offensive efficiency. They simply were no match for one of America's top defensive teams (fifth in adjusted efficiency), which also happens to have the tournament's biggest star not named Zach Edey. It's a good combination. Tennessee knows it can't beat the top teams in America unless Knecht plays like an All-American. Because when he does, the way he did Friday, this is a special team.
Up next: vs. Purdue in Detroit (2:20 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; defeated 1-seed North Carolina 89-87
If you believe the metrics, Alabama is not a Final Four team. The Crimson Tide have a profile -- top 5 in adjusted offensive efficiency, 104th in adjusted defensive efficiency, per KenPom -- that does not usually facilitate national title runs.
They're great in one area and subpar in another. On defense, they're ranked lower than Maine, a group that finished 7-9 in the America East. They've surrendered 108 points per 100 possessions, one of the worst Power 5 marks in the country this season.
But sometimes the metrics are deceptive. Because what if Alabama's defensive issues don't matter that much? In the NCAA tournament, the Tide have challenged the field to high-scoring duels as they continue to play at a top-10 pace.
Can they stop their opponent? Maybe not. Can their opponent stop them? That has been the more pressing question.
Against Charleston in the first round, Alabama registered 131 points per 100 possessions. That's eight more points per 100 possessions than the Boston Celtics, the NBA's top offense, average.
Not impressed? Bama registered 124 points per 100 possessions in Thursday's Sweet 16 win over North Carolina, a top-10 defensive team, and it did it without Latrell Wrightsell Jr. (9.0 PPG, 44% from the 3-point line). Grant Nelson (24 points) led a team with four scorers in double figures.
If it's a back-and-forth game, remember that Alabama is also 18-1 when it scores 89 points or more.
Up next: vs. Clemson in Los Angeles (Saturday, 8:49 p.m. ET)