NCAA tournament Sweet 16 keys to victory: Which team has coaching edge in every matchup?
Here's a look at keys to victory and which coach has the edge in each NCAA tournament Sweet 16 matchup Thursday and Friday.
No. 1 Gonzaga vs. No. 4 Florida State (Thursday, 7:09 p.m. ET, CBS). Gonzaga's Mark Few has long been one of the best offensive coaches, and his team leads the country with 89 points per game. But defensively he's underrated, with Gonzaga ranked sixth in field goal percentage defense (39 percent). FSU coach Leonard Hamilton will have to figure out a way to use his team's size and athleticism to its advantage, all while trying to guard a Gonzaga team that's mastered positionless basketball. FSU was able to hold the best remaining three-point shooting team in this tournament, Virginia, to 20 percent in an ACC tournament upset win. It will take a similar recipe to advance on Thursday. ► Coaching edge: Few.
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No. 2 Tennessee vs. No. 3 Purdue (Thursday, 7:29 p.m. ET, TBS). Rick Barnes' team has not played well, with Tennessee struggling to put away No. 15 seed Colgate and blowing a 25-point lead against No. 9 Iowa. Meanwhile, Purdue coach Matt Painter's team has played more like a No. 2 seed than a No. 3, crushing Villanova in the second round. For Barnes, containing Carsen Edwards will be key as his Vols try to rekindle an A-game that helped them look like a title contender when they beat Kentucky in the SEC tournament. Look for Painter to focus his scouting report on Grant Williams. ► Coaching edge: Barnes.
No. 2 Michigan vs. No. 3 Texas Tech (Thursday, 9:39 p.m. ET, CBS). Red Raiders coach Chris Beard has his team locked in on defense, entering the Sweet 16 with the No. 1-rated defensive efficiency rating, per KenPom. Texas Tech will put that up against a Michigan defense that's on par with coach John Beilein's last two teams to reach the Sweet 16, including last year's national runner-up. But don't expect a lack of offense. All-American guard Jarrett Culver picked Big 12's best defenses apart, while the Wolverines' offensive flurries come by committee, with Charles Matthews and Ignas Brazdeikis the top options. ► Coaching edge: Beilein
No. 1 Virginia vs. No. 12 Oregon (Thursday, 9:59 p.m. ET, TBS). This will be another great defensive battle. The Cavaliers have the nation's best statistical defense — allowing just 55 points a game. The Ducks' season-long statistics won't tell the full story since Dana Altman's team used late February and March to evolve from a pedestrian team to an elite one. That transformation starts on defense with Kenny Wooten's shot-blocking and Payton Pritchard's ball-hawking. If Oregon can offset UVA's tempo-controlling pace, it'll have a chance. ► Coaching edge: Bennett.
No. 2 Michigan State vs. No. 3 LSU (Friday, 7:09 p.m. ET, CBS). The Spartans have been turnover-prone in this tournament and that's not a recipe for advancing against an athletic team like LSU. The Tigers were top-10 nationally in steals and are playing with grittiness under interim coach Tony Benford. Michigan State's Tom Izzo, a hard-nosed man-to-man coach, should either zone the Tigers because they shoot 32% from beyond the arc, or at least dictate his scheme around making crafty guards Tremont Waters (32 percent) and Skylar Mays (31 percent) shoot threes. ► Coaching edge: Izzo.
No. 1 North Carolina vs. No. 5 Auburn (Friday, 7:29 p.m. ET, TBS). The Tigers live and die by the three. North Carolina coach Roy Williams has a great perimeter-defending team that can handcuff guards Bryce Brown and Jared Harper in a way Kansas couldn't in Auburn's rout of the Jayhawks in the second round. UNC has the best rebounding team in the country and gets its offense in a variety of ways (Coby White off the dribble, Cameron Johnson off the ball, Luke Maye on the low block) so expect Auburn coach Bruce Pearl to mix it up defensively to keep Carolina on its heels (no pun intended). Coaching edge: Williams
No. 1 Duke vs. No. 4 Virginia Tech (Friday, 9:39 p.m. ET, CBS). Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said his team got "lucky" in its win over Central Florida. Expect his team to be refocused now. Virginia Tech coach Buzz Williams will have a difficult time containing Zion Williamson and R.J. Barrett. Can Williams replicate UCF's blueprint by forcing Duke's supporting cast and outside shooting to beat them? Even if Virginia Tech exploits some of their weaknesses, the Blue Devils are just too good. ► Coaching edge: Krzyzewski
No. 2 Kentucky vs. No. 3 Houston (Friday, 9:59 p.m. ET, TBS). The Cougars have the best field goal percentage defense in the country, limiting opponents to 27 percent. However, Kentucky doesn't shoot many threes, so Houston coach Kelvin Sampson will have to prepare his team to limit penetration. Yet again, Kentucky coach John Calipari has seen a young team grow up fast, and the continued maturity of freshmen Keldon Johnson, Ashton Hagans and Tyler Herro will be the difference against a veteran squad. ► Coaching edge: Calipari