The overwhelming storyline of this college basketball season has been one of parity and balance.
That a handful of teams were capable of reaching the Final Four in Houston and cutting down the nets.
That was evident over the first four days of the NCAA Tournament.
A whopping 11 different conferences are represented in the Sweet 16, and of those 16 teams, six seem capable of winning it all.
The two remaining No. 1 seeds, Alabama in the South Region and Houston in the Midwest, are obvious choices.
No. 2 UCLA, No. 3 Gonzaga and No. 4 Connecticut in the West are also capable of winning four more games, and so is No. 2 Texas in the Midwest.
Big East’s big dance
The big winner of the first weekend was the Big East, with three out of its five teams advancing to the Sweet 16.
Two of them — Connecticut and No. 6 Creighton in the South — are favored to reach the Elite Eight, facing lower-seeded foes, while No. 3 Xavier in the Midwest Region advancing this far in coach Sean Miller’s first season is a significant accomplishment.
This was supposed to be a down year for the league, as Villanova took a step back following Jay Wright’s retirement.
And while the bottom half of the conference lacked the usual depth, the top half was strong, which has been clear so far in the tournament.
Contrast that to the Big Ten, which again flopped, sending just one of its eight tournament teams, seventh-seeded Michigan State in the East, to the second weekend.
Sweet 16 spotlight
UCLA-Gonzaga, in a rematch of their classic 2021 Final Four encounter, is the headliner of the Sweet 16. Two of the best teams out West loaded with experience is a must-watch.
Xavier-Texas in the Midwest is fascinating too, pitting the Musketeers’ seventh-ranked offense in terms of efficiency against the Longhorns’ 10th-ranked defense.
The game that is being overlooked is Alabama against fifth-seeded San Diego State.
It’s an intriguing contrast of styles.
San Diego State prefers to play slow and wins with physicality and defense. It has allowed an average of 54.5 points in its two tournament wins.
Alabama plays fast and faster, at the fifth-ranked tempo in the nation.
The Aztecs have the length and strength to at least put some game pressure on superstar freshman Brandon Miller and the Crimson Tide.
Garden intrigue
The Garden didn’t draw the major brands it almost surely was hoping for, as No. 5 Duke and No. 6 Kentucky both lost over the weekend.
It does have a number of intriguing stories, led by No. 3 Kansas State and its four New Yorkers of Markquis Nowell, Tykei Greene, Ismael Massoud and Nae’Qwan Tomlin.
The Wildcats’ star, Keyontae Johnson, collapsed on the court two years ago last December, and it was uncertain he would ever play again, adding another layer to Kansas State’s stunning turnaround under first-year coach Jerome Tang.
Michigan State upset No. 2 Marquette behind another local, former Christ the King star Tyson Walker.
Florida Atlantic, the No. 9 seed, won its first two tournament games in program history to continue its miraculous season and earn a trip to New York City.
Bulldog mentality
That’s now eight straight Sweet 16’s for Gonzaga. That’s quite an accomplishment. This notion that the Zags don’t perform in March because they haven’t won a title is silly.
They may be down this year compared to recent years — Mark Few’s team was a No. 1 seed in the three previous tournaments — yet Gonzaga is still one of the last 16 teams standing, and is surging, having won 11 straight games.
Maybe this is the year it goes all the way. It has the pieces and experience to do it.
Vegas sleeping on Cinderella
The experts still don’t believe in No. 15 Princeton, installing Creighton as a 10-point favorite Friday night in Louisville, Ky.
The Tigers’ shocker over No. 2 Arizona and commanding win over seventh-seeded Missouri didn’t do it, apparently.
Princeton has proven it belongs.
Do-it-all forward Tosan Evbuomwan, averaging 12 points, eight rebounds and 4.5 assists in the dance, has been one of the best players in the tournament so far.
He will give Creighton problems.
Evbuomwan is too mobile for 7-footer Ryan Kalkbrenner and too strong for the Bluejays’ wings.
Cinderella’s time at the ball may not be up just yet.
