It's been a jam-packed three days of men's college basketball -- and we're already halfway through the second round of March Madness.
Whether you watched all or none or Saturday's games, our reporters have you covered with analysis from on-site of each location, while our experts break down each winner's keys to the Sweet 16.
Jump to: Results and analysis | Relive the action
Saturday results
(8) Gonzaga vs.
(1) Houston
Final: Houston defeated Gonzaga 81-76
How Houston won: For the first 35 minutes, Houston appeared to be on its way to as comfortable a win as any team could hope to get against a Mark Few-coached Gonzaga team in March, extinguishing one Bulldogs' comeback bid after another with timely shotmaking. Gonzaga did eventually break through, though, trimming a 76-65 deficit with 4:29 remaining to a 77-76 gap with 21 seconds to play. The late surge ultimately fell short, but the Bulldogs certainly made the Cougars sweat on their way to securing a fifth-straight Sweet 16 appearance. At Friday's media availability, Kelvin Sampson wouldn't say whether he felt this year's team was more or less talented than Houston squads of the past, but he did admit that he thinks they "have more guys that can make a basket" this time around. That proved true on Saturday as Houston rode a 16-point first half from L.J. Cryer and back-to-back individual scoring runs from J'Wan Roberts and Emanuel Sharp after halftime. Cryer's game-high 30 points on 6-of-11 shooting from 3-point range led four Cougars in double figures and drowned out an impressive 27-point effort from Gonzaga's Graham Ike. Up next, Houston heads into a potentially tricky Sweet 16 matchup against No. 4-seeded Purdue in Indianapolis, roughly 70 miles south of the Boilermakers' campus. -- Eli Lederman
Khalif Battle gets his shot blocked in the corner as he tries to put up a game-tying 3-pointer.
Houston's key to Sweet 16 matchup against Purdue: The Cougars' experience. After his team's thrilling win over Gonzaga, L.J. Cryer (30 points) said, "We've been here before." In the final seconds of Saturday's game, Gonzaga's Khalif Battle searched for a 3-pointer to tie the game. At the time, Houston had multiple players who had spent multiple years in those exact situations -- Cryer, J'Wan Roberts and Mylik Wilson are all fifth-year seniors. Ja'Vier Francis, who blocked Battle's shot at the buzzer, is also a senior. Houston has all the weapons to win a national title, including great 3-point shooting and elite defense. But the Cougars' discipline is a by-product of the experience within a program that has lost only one game since Nov. 30. -- Myron Medcalf
(6) BYU vs.
(3) Wisconsin
Final: BYU defeated Wisconsin, 91-89
How BYU won: The Cougars flaunted their depth, showed some defensive teeth and never let the high-scoring, tenacious Badgers take the lead (though BYU did have to survive the most furious of rallies to do it). The Cougars' 10-player rotation held the Badgers under 30% shooting for much of the first half and shot 49% from the field themselves. Nine different Cougars scored, led by Richie Saunders' 25 points. BYU head coach Kevin Young, a longtime NBA assistant in his first year with the Cougars, has said much of what the team does is modeled after an NBA template from practice, to nutrition, to game-planning, to offensive sets -- and the Cougars had the look of a team still ascending as they outrebounded the Badgers, missed just one free throw (15-of-16) and made 12 3-pointers. The Badgers had closed to within six points with 15:53 left in the game, but coach Greg Gard was assessed a technical foul as Saunders hit both free throws, scoring on the following possession to end the rally. The Badgers furiously rallied again in the final minutes, closing to within 91-89 with under a minute to play; John Tonje led them with 37 points. BYU's Dawson Baker was ejected, with 3:11 left in the game, for a flagrant foul 2 after he collided with the Badgers' Max Klesmit. -- Jeff Legwold
John Tonje's shot is off the mark, and BYU's Trey Stewart throws down a nasty dunk after the whistle in celebration.
BYU's key in the Sweet 16: Showing up defensively. It's hard to imagine BYU's offense being much of an issue, whether the Cougars face Alabama or Saint Mary's next week. Alabama can struggle at that end of the floor, and while Saint Mary's is elite defensively, BYU has the nation's second-best offense over the past month. The Cougars' defense, however, has to show up. They finished ninth in the Big 12 in defensive efficiency and have allowed at least 1.09 points per possession in each of their past four games. Attempting to outscore Alabama is ill-advised, and if the Crimson Tide get going from 3, that could mean a long day for BYU. Meanwhile, Saint Mary's would look to grind the game down to the slowest tempo BYU has seen all season outside of its games against Houston, which comfortably beat the Cougars twice. -- Jeff Borzello
(9) Creighton vs.
(1) Auburn
Final: Auburn defeated Creighton 82-70
How Auburn won: After trailing 37-35 at halftime, Auburn used an 18-4 run to take control of the game and build enough of a buffer to withstand a small Creighton surge deep in the second half. Two big factors were at play: Auburn's second-half defense, and the play from guards Tahaad Pettiford and Denver Jones. Pettiford scored 16 of his game-high 23 points in the second half, while Jones also tallied 11 after halftime. Their contributions were big after Chad Baker-Mazara, who scored eight points early in the half, sat out the rest of the game after a hard fall on a drive to the basket. It wasn't the cleanest or the most inspiring performance, which could be a problem for the top-seeded Tigers, who entered the tournament with big aspirations -- but they will have a few days to figure that out. After being bounced in the first weekend in three straight years, Auburn is headed to the Sweet 16 for the second time in coach Bruce Pearl's tenure. -- Ben Baby
Auburn's Denver Jones drives for a tough and-1 to extend the Tigers' lead and hits the "night-night" celebration.
Auburn's key to Sweet 16 matchup against Michigan: The Tigers' depth. A lot went wrong for Auburn early on Saturday, beginning with Creighton connecting on 64% of its 3-point attempts in the first half. Chad Baker-Mazara left about seven minutes in with an injury and never looked like he was 100% after returning. Johni Broome, one of the top-two national player of the year candidates, started 4-for-13. And Dylan Cardwell dealt with cramps in the second half. All bad stuff. But the Tigers turned to Tahaad Pettiford (23 points) and Denver Jones (15 points) as they stormed back in the final 20 minutes. Auburn continues to prove that it can win, even when the team's best players go through lulls. That's the strength of this team -- and its most important asset for the next round. -- Myron Medcalf
(10) Arkansas vs.
(2) St. John's
Final: Arkansas defeated St. John's 75-66
How Arkansas won: In a second-round game that had the intensity and physicality of a Sweet 16 matchup -- with an amped-up crowd contributing to a special March Madness environment -- Arkansas built an 11-point second-half lead before holding off a late charge from St. John's to post the nine-point victory. RJ Luis Jr., the Big East Player of the Year, had nine points on 3-of-17 shooting from the field, as his struggles reflected what ultimately cost the Red Storm most: a brutal shooting performance. After totaling a season-high 14 3-pointers in their first-round win over Omaha, the Storm were 2-of-21 from 3 against Arkansas. They shot 28% from the field.
But take nothing away from the Razorbacks, which navigated much of the second half with big man Jonas Aidoo playing with four fouls and backup Zvonimir Ivisic fouling out midway through the second half. That was asking a lot against St. John's Zuby Ejiofor, who was terrific with 23 points and 12 rebounds. St. John's managed to cut the lead to two in the second half, and Amica Mutual Pavilion was buzzing. But Arkansas held its ground. -- Mike Reiss
Arkansas' key to Sweet 16 matchup against Texas Tech: Win the paint. When Adou Thiero went down with an injury in late February, John Calipari moved Trevon Brazile into the starting lineup and has leaned into the two-big look, with the 6-foot-10 Brazile and 6-foot-11 Jonas Aidoo causing problems for opponents at both ends of the floor. On the offensive end, Arkansas has been far more potent in the paint. Aidoo dealt with foul trouble against St. John's but had averaged 18.5 points and 8.5 rebounds in his previous four games, while Brazile had double-doubles in four of his previous five games. Texas Tech was the best defensive rebounding team in the Big 12, and JT Toppin has been the most dominant frontcourt player in the country over the past month. Can Arkansas win the battle at the rim? That's the key question. -- Jeff Borzello
(11) Drake vs.
(3) Texas Tech
Final: Texas Tech defeated Drake 77-64
How Texas Tech won: Put simply, the Red Raiders were too big. Two days after the Bulldogs more than held their own physically against a bigger opponent in Missouri, Texas Tech dominated Drake inside, outscoring the Missouri Valley Conference champions in the paint 50-20 behind a monstrous and efficient 25-point (11-of-13 FG), 12-rebound performance from sophomore JT Toppin. Along with a game-high 28 points from Darrion Williams and a 16-point, seven-assist effort from Elijah Hawkins, the Red Raiders had more than enough to overcome a putrid, 2-for-13 shooting performance from 3-point range. For Drake, it's the end to a storybook season powered by first-year coach Ben McCollum, guard Bennett Stirtz (21 points, 8 assists) and an unlikely 10-man rotation filled with Division II and junior college transfers. All eyes now fall on where the Bulldogs -- and McCollum -- go from here, while Texas Tech advances to a Sweet 16 date with 10-seed Arkansas next Thursday in San Francisco. -- Eli Lederman
JT Toppin goes 9-of-10 from the field in the first half for 19 points for the Red Raiders.
Texas Tech's key to Sweet 16 matchup against Arkansas: Establish JT Toppin. Texas Tech's first two games of the tournament couldn't have been more different from an offensive perspective. The Red Raiders shot 46 3-pointers in the first round against UNC Wilmington, making 13 of them. Against Drake, they shot just 14 from beyond the arc -- and made just two. They will need to find a happy medium against Arkansas in the Sweet 16. Getting a healthy Chance McMillian back would be helpful, but the most important thing is establishing Toppin on the interior. He has been utterly dominant over the past six weeks, averaging 22.6 points and 10.6 rebounds in his past 13 games, with 25 and 12 against Drake. In Tech's past three losses, though, Toppin is putting up 13.0 points and 9.0 rebounds. We also saw against St. John's how Arkansas can be susceptible to foul trouble. -- Jeff Borzello
(5) Michigan vs.
(4) Texas A&M
Final: Michigan defeated Texas A&M 91-79
How Michigan won: The Wolverines survived a breakout tournament from Texas A&M's Pharrel Payne and mustered just enough find-a-way, crunch-time heroics that Michigan coach Dusty May had lauded the day before, to move on to the Sweet 16. Michigan didn't even have a second-half lead until just over six minutes were left in the game. Payne, who had back-to-back games of 25 and 26 points for the Aggies in the tournament -- his two highest-scoring games of the season -- was a problem for most of the game, as was the Aggies' swarming defense that limited Michigan to 43% shooting. But May has said his players take on a different demeanor when it's time to settle in, no matter how the game has gone to that point -- that "it just looks different.'' The Wolverines went on a 9-0 run to start taking the lead, and that proved to be the difference. Guard Roddy Gayle Jr., who hit several free throws to close it out, led the Wolverines with 26 points while Vladislav Goldin finished with 23 points. -- Jeff Legwold
Vladislav Goldin fuels the Wolverines with 23 points as Michigan tops Texas A&M to reach the Sweet 16.
Michigan's key to Sweet 16 matchup against Auburn: The stamina of the Wolverines' 7-footers. At the end of Michigan's second-round victory over Texas A&M, the Aggies looked tired; they had to deal with Vladislav Goldin and Danny Wolf, both 7-feet tall and 250 pounds, for an entire game. A lot of teams have tough players in the post, but Goldin (32 minutes) and Wolf (35 minutes) tend to wear opponents down -- a strategy that worked against Texas A&M when the two were playing with a physical style around the rim, drawing extra defenders and creating space for their teammates on the perimeter all night. When they avoid foul trouble and sustain the energy to compete for an entire game, the pair are a challenge for any team. -- Myron Medcalf
(7) UCLA vs.
(2) Tennessee
Final: Tennessee defeated UCLA 67-58
How Tennessee won: Tennessee is the real deal. The 2-seed Volunteers were in cruise control in the second half against an overmatched UCLA squad. Senior guard Chaz Lanier, the star of this week's games in Lexington, led the Vols with 20 points. His catch-and-shoot ability was on full display and is a major reason Tennessee is back in the Sweet 16. Do not overlook senior guard Zakai Zeigler, either. Zeigler had a solid showing in Thursday's first-round win over Utah State and continued that form against the Bruins with 15 points, 6 assists and 3 steals. Between Lanier, Zeigler and senior forward Igor Milicic, Tennessee has the experience and firepower to make it to the tournament's final weekend. The Volunteers will face the winner 3-seed Kentucky and 6-seed Illinois next week in Indianapolis. -- Ben Baby
Tennessee's Zakai Zeigler pulls up from beyond the arc and hits the Volunteers' 10th 3-pointer of the game.
Tennessee's key in the Sweet 16: Staying competitive in the 3-point battle. Tennessee isn't going to outshoot Illinois or Kentucky from 3-point range. Illinois ranks fifth nationally in 3-point attempts per game and has made at least 11 3s in four of its past five games. Kentucky was the best 3-point shooting team in the SEC and went 12-for-24 from 3 in both games against the Vols this season. But Tennessee has the third-best 3-point defense in the country and has allowed just one of its past 10 opponents to hit double-digit 3s (and the Vols also held Illinois to 4-for-23 3-point shooting back in December). And the Vols do have some perimeter shotmakers, namely Chaz Lanier and Jordan Gainey. The Vols can't let either the Illini or the Wildcats get hot from 3, and Lanier has to be at his best. On that latter point, Tennessee improved to 21-0 this season when Lanier scored at least 18 points, according to ESPN Stats and Information. -- Jeff Borzello
(12) McNeese vs.
(4) Purdue
Final: Purdue defeated McNeese 76-62
How Purdue won: Purdue played with the pedigree of a team that was in the national championship game a year ago with its convincing 76-62 victory over McNeese. Led by junior forward Trey Kaufman-Renn (22 points, 15 rebounds) and All-America guard Braden Smith's steady hand in the face of pressure, the Boilermakers started fast by opening a 17-6 lead in making an early statement that they weren't overlooking the Cinderella-story Cowboys, who had dominated No. 5 Clemson in the first round. Purdue trailed just once (3-2) in a game that had a "been-there, done-that" feel to it. A signature moment came when Smith dove to keep the ball in play in the first half, directly in front of the Purdue bench. It was an all-out effort from the leader who was willing his team into the Sweet 16 in the Midwest Region, where they will play in Indianapolis, about 65 miles from campus in West Lafayette. -- Mike Reiss
Purdue's key to Sweet 16 matchup against Houston: Purdue has to force more turnovers. Purdue beat Michigan 91-64 on Jan. 23 after forcing 22 turnovers for a rate of one on almost one-third of the Wolverines' possessions. At the time, the Boilermakers were a defensive powerhouse that pressured teams into costly mistakes for 40 minutes (they ranked 15th in opponent turnover rate between Dec. 29 to Feb. 7, per BartTorvik.com). As they subsequently lost six of nine entering the NCAA tournament, though, the Boilermakers squandered their edge and turned into a subpar defensive team. A more assertive approach could be the difference between a trip to the Elite Eight and a sad plane ride home. -- Myron Medcalf