March Madness moves on to second set of Sweet 16 games: How to watch the best games, players

If the first half of the Sweet 16 is any indication, the second half will be elite.

The East and West regional finals are set after some scintillating performances on Thursday.

The nets in Newark, New Jersey, may have to be replaced after Alabama broke the NCAA Tournament record with 25 3-pointers in a 113-88 blowout of BYU. Mark Sears led the Tide, hitting 10 3s while scoring 35 points.

The Crimson Tide will face Duke and fabulous freshman Cooper Flagg, who set up a showdown between the East Region’s top two seeds with a stellar all-around performance in the Blue Devils’ 100-93 win over Arizona.

Florida wasn’t too shabby on offense, either, running away from Maryland 88-71. The Gators will need all the offense they can muster against stingy Texas Tech, which rallied from a 16-point deficit to beat Arkansas 85-83 in overtime.

Next up are the South and Midwest regional semifinals on Friday. Buckle up.

Games to watch

Tennessee vs. Kentucky, Indianapolis. The Southeastern Conference rivals have played 242nd times over 115 years, yet this will be their first meeting in the NCAA Tournament. The Wildcats solved one of the nation’s top 3-point defenses in winning the two regular-season meetings, hitting 12 from beyond the arc both times. The Vols have been superb defensively through the first two games of the NCAA Tournament, holding teams to an average of 60 points.

Auburn vs. Michigan, Atlanta. The Tigers were arguably the nation’s best team during the regular season, spending eight straight weeks at No. 1 in the AP Top 25. The Tigers used their depth to wear down Alabama State and Creighton to reach the Sweet 16 for the first time since getting to the 2019 Final Four. The Wolverines have had quite a turnaround under first-year coach Dusty May, reaching their first Sweet 16 since 2022 after going 8-24 under Juwan Howard last season.

Michigan State vs. Mississippi, Atlanta. The Rebels have had a nice turnaround of their own, reaching the program’s second Sweet 16 — the other was 2001 — under second-year coach Chris Beard. Awaiting them is a coach who’s no stranger to deep March Madness runs. Tom Izzo has led the Spartans to their 27th straight NCAA Tournament and 16th Sweet 16 in a career spanning three decades.

Houston vs. Purdue, Indianapolis. Kelvin Sampson has turned Houston into one of the nation’s best defensive teams and has some offense to go with it this season. Led by LJ Cryer, the Cougars averaged 79 points their first two NCAA Tournament games to reach the Sweet 16 for the sixth straight season. Purdue has a similar makeup. Typically a bruising team, the Boilermakers have been adaptable under coach Matt Painter to reach the Sweet 16 after playing in last year’s national championship game.

How can I watch?

Every game of the men’s tournament will be aired — here is a schedule — either on CBS, TBS, TNT or TruTV and their digital platforms, including Paramount+. CBS will broadcast the Final Four and national title game. The NCAA will also stream games via its March Madness Live option.

Who are the favorites?

The top betting favorites as the Sweet 16 arrived were (in order): Duke, Florida, Houston and Auburn, according to BetMGM Sportsbook.

When are the games?

The Sweet 16 and Elite Eight from March 27 to 30 will include games in Newark, New Jersey (East Region), Atlanta (South), Indianapolis (Midwest) and San Francisco (West). The Final Four is in San Antonio on Saturday, April 5, with the championship game April 7.

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