After four hectic days of play and 48 mostly-thrilling games (five and 52 respectively including the play-ins), just 16 squads are still dancing into the second weekend of play in the NCAA Tournament. March thus far has seen no shortage of the Madness we all craved, with a third of all games so far seeing the lower seeded team win, and nine of the 16 teams still standing being seeded fifth or lower. The average seed of the remaining 16 teams is an all-time record low of 5.88, and the number of remaining top two seeds (5) is just one more than the number of remaining double-digit seeds. Now that the final 16 teams are set in stone, about a week remains until the tournament is back on its feet. Until then, we wait in eager anticipation for the culmination of an already-exciting tournament. Here are my breakdowns of the remaining sixteen squads, ranked in order from best to worst, followed by my predictions for the rest of the tournament. Without further ado, let’s start with the No.1 team in the nation since Day 1:

Sweet 16 Power Rankings (seed numbers in parentheses)

1. Gonzaga (1)

The topsy-turvy nature of this year’s tournament has made this list one of the more difficult tasks I’ve had to carry out during my time writing for this site. Except for this spot. Gonzaga was the No.1 team all regular season long, and there is no reason to believe that anything has changed after the first two rounds of the tourney. The law firm of Kispert, Suggs, and Timme has faced little resistance en route to a 28-0 start, and the Zags are just four games shy of a historic perfect season. Although we’ve seen bid after bid for perfection derailed in the years since Indiana’s historic 32-0 run in 1976 that remains the last of its kind, and this year’s tourney has been the most unpredictable maybe ever, the question must be asked: Who’s stopping Gonzaga? 

2. Baylor (1)

Well if anyone’s stopping that team from Spokane, it’ll probably be these guys. Led by arguably the nation’s best backcourt tandem in guards Jared Butler and Davion Mitchell, the Bears rebounded from a disappointing semifinal exit in the Big 12 tournament to double digit wins in each of their first two tournament games, including a 76-63 decision over a talented Wisconsin team. Despite the Big 12’s underwhelming tournament performance, Scott Drew’s outfit is 7-2 against AP ranked opponents, third best in the nation among teams with at least four contests against top 25 opponents to only Virginia Tech and Gonzaga, leaving little doubt that they have the talent to hang with the best. Baylor boasts a blend of smothering defense and explosive offensive playmakers that few in the country can speak of, and the Bears are capable of beating anyone in the country at their best, even Gonzaga.

3. Alabama (2)

Alabama warrants the No.3 spot on this list by virtue of the Tide possessing virtually every quality that serves as an annual hallmark of a national championship team. Three-point shooting? The Tide rank fourth in the nation in threes made. Defense? Alabama’s opponents shoot just 28.9% from 3 this season, 10th in the country, and 39.8% from the field and 25.9% from 3 in Big 12, both conference bests. Top-to-bottom talent? ‘Bama has four players averaging double figures in scoring and five that shoot at least 37% from beyond the arc. All-in-all, the Tide are a force to be reckoned with no matter who their opponent is, and deserve to be mentioned among the elites of college basketball in 2021.

4. Michigan (1)

Now, were forward Isaiah Livers still healthy, Michigan would undoubtedly be top 3, perhaps even top 2. With Livers in tow, the Wolverines rolled to a 20-3 start in the toughest (regular season) conference in basketball, and were a no-brainer to be named a No.1 seed. Once Livers went out due to injury, they struggled to a semifinal loss in the Big Ten tournament, and were less-than-impressive in their first two tournament games. Should Livers return, Michigan is a surefire national championship contender. Without him, they may struggle to make it out of the region they own the No.1 seed in.

5. Loyola-Chicago (8)

Normally, an 8 seed being one of the top five teams remaining in the tournament by the Sweet 16 would raise some eyebrows, and rightfully so. However, Loyola-Chicago is no normal 8 seed. The Ramblers are no stranger to this type of Cinderella run, as multiple members of the historic 2018 Final Four run as an 11 seed still remain, most notably senior center Cameron Krutwig and the beloved Sister Jean. Loyola rolls into the Sweet 16 boasting the top-ranked defense in the entire country, and after a convincing 71-58 win over top-seeded Illinois in the Round of 32, there seems to be little in the way of yet another fairytale Final Four appearance for Sister Jean’s crew. With wins in 19 of their past 20 games (with the only loss coming by one point), and perhaps divine intervention on their side, is it fair to doubt these Ramblers any longer?

6. Houston (2)

Now who could possibly contend with Loyola’s top-ranked defense in the Midwest Region and halt their Final Four aspirations? Well, look no further than the No.2 ranked defense in the country. The issue with the Cougars is their apparent lack of offensive firepower, and even then they possess an 18 point-per-game guard who shoots 42% from behind the arc in Quentin Grimes. Simply put, Houston has all the tools necessary to reach the Final Four, and all that remains to be seen is whether or not they have the resiliency to pull through in a sneaky-tough region.

7. Arkansas (3)

Many doubted Eric Musselman’s squad entering the Big Dance due to the Razorbacks’ lack of historical success and experience, a notion that Arkansas has quickly put to bed. Led by freshman guard and 17 ppg scorer Moses Moody, the Razorbacks enter a matchup with 15-seeded Oral Roberts having lost just once since January 21st, and the 7th ranked offense in the nation is as capable of keeping up with Oral Roberts in a shootout as just about anyone else. If this team takes you down to the wire in a barnburner, they’ve won themselves a fighting chance, no matter the opponent.

8. Florida State (4)

FSU boasts nothing too special as compared to some of the other squads in the Sweet 16; good but not great offense, likewise on defense, and no true superstar. However, this is a cohesive and deep team with an excellent coach in Leonard Hamilton, and a team that hung tough in a relatively difficult conference., albeit weaker-than-expected. Against a depleted Michigan team missing one of its biggest stars, there is no reason to believe that FSU can’t win on through to the Elite Eight and perhaps the Final Four.

9. USC (6)

Following the shock exit of Cade Cunningham’s Oklahoma State Cowboys in the second round, the Trojans may boast the best player remaining in the tournament in lanky center and top draft prospect Evan Mobley. Mobley has put up a double-double in both tournament games thus far, and USC pulled off maybe the biggest statement win of the Round of 32 in an 85-51 win over No.3 Kansas despite Mobley ranking just fourth on the team in scoring. The Trojans have begun peaking at the perfect time, and Mobley’s supporting cast has hit its stride just enough for USC to be taken seriously as a longshot Final Four contender.

10. Oregon (7)

Another squad that has found its form at the perfect time, the Ducks enter the Sweet 16 having played just one game in the tournament following the unfortunate withdrawal of their first round opponent VCU due to positive COVID testing. Their second round contest was a thumping upset win over 2nd-seeded Iowa by a 95-80 scoreline, and although we have yet to see much of them in the tournament, they’re already looking like a force to be reckoned with. Dana Altman’s crew shot a staggering 55.9% from the field and 44% from three in that win, and offensively the likes of Chris Duarte, Eugene Omoruyi, L.J. Figueroa, and Will Richardson headline a deadly efficient scoring attack that has now won 7 of its last 8 games. They may be a 7 seed, but they’re the last 7 seed that anyone wants to play right now.

11. Villanova (5)

The ‘Cats represent a tragedy similar to that of Michigan: Following the loss of a star player, in this case point guard Collin Gillespie, Villanova limped into the tournament by losing three of its last four games and four of its last seven. Once March Madness rolled around, however, Jay Wright’s crew took it to another gear. They’ve won their first two tournament games by an average of 16.5 points, and veteran leadership has brought the team together in the face of tremendous adversity. That being said, it seems unlikely that a depleted ‘Nova outfit has the star power to contend with some of the other teams remaining, and their feel-good run will likely end at the hands of a powerful Baylor squad.

12. Syracuse (11)

Two words: Buddy. Boeheim. The son of head coach Jim Boeheim is on an absolute tear heading into the Sweet 16, averaging 28.3 points per contest on astounding 60.0/55.8/91.7 shooting splits in four games from the conference tournament through the first two games of March Madness. Aside from his play, little inspires confidence from a Syracuse side that barely even made the field of 68, much less the Sweet 16. However, ‘Cuse poses a fierce defensive threat to any opponent behind Jim Boeheim’s infamous 2-3 zone, and as long as Buddy keeps shooting, it’s perhaps best to assume the Orange will always have a fighting chance.

13. UCLA (12)

In rebuttal to Syracuse’s Buddy Boeheim, I present to you UCLA’s Johnny Juzang. Juzang leads all scorers with 67 total points this tournament, and has shot 51% from the field and 39% from 3 in three games for the Bruins including the play-in versus Michigan State. Similarly to ‘Cuse, little can be said regarding the Bruins’ overall skill level, but as long as their superstar stays hot, they can hang with anyone.

14. Creighton (5)

You may be starting to sense a pattern by now. Creighton limped into the dance coming off of a 73-48 upset loss to Georgetown in the Big East Championship Game, and needed every bit of themselves to squeak by 12-seed UCSB in the first round by just a one-point margin. However, like UCLA and Syracuse, Creighton boasts a true star in Marcus Zegarowski, a sweet shooter who averages 16/4/4 on 42% from 3 from the guard position for the Blue Jays. Just like the two teams ranked ahead of it, Creighton goes as far as its star will take it.

15. Oral Roberts (15)

The darling of this year’s tournament, Oral Roberts became just the second 15-seed to reach the Sweet 16 with wins over No.7 Florida and No.2 Ohio State, and the guard-forward duo of Max Abmas and Kevin Obanor has shattered just about everything in its path. Together, the two have combined to score 113 of the Golden Eagles’ 165 points in the tourney thus far, and have shown little signs of slowing down. Now, it’s always hard not to get caught up in the excitement of a Cinderella run like this one, and it’s even harder to imagine a 15-seed in the Elite 8 of the tournament, within striking distance of the Final Four. That being said, one thing is for sure, and it’s that no one wants to face this team the way they’re playing. After all, who knows, this tournament has been wild enough to believe that maybe we will see a 15-seed in the Elite 8 for the first time in tournament history.

16. Oregon State (12)

Oregon State ranks dead last due to the fact that there just isn’t quite anything that you can point to as a means of them making the Final Four. Neither their offense nor their defense rank within the top 100 in the country, and they couldn’t even break .500 in conference play. Their two tournament wins came against two teams that happened to have arguably the worst games of their seasons at the worst of moments, and no one player stands out on their roster. That said, this team is hot, having come into the tournament after winning the Big 12 conference tourney, and with March, you never really know just what the next game will bring from any given opponent.

Predictions:

West Region:

Gonzaga over Creighton

Oregon over USC

Regional Final:

Gonzaga over Oregon

South Region:

Baylor over Villanova

Arkansas over Oral Roberts

Regional Final:

Baylor over Arkansas

East Region:

Michigan over Florida State

Alabama over UCLA

Regional Final:

Alabama over Michigan

Midwest Region:

Loyola-Chicago over Oregon State

Syracuse over Houston

Regional Final:

Loyola-Chicago over Syracuse

Final Four:

Alabama over Gonzaga

Baylor over Loyola-Chicago

National Championship:

Baylor over Alabama