NCAA men's Sweet 16 previews: Top teams and players to watch out for

The Sweet 16 is set to tip off on Thursday with four games to be followed by four more games on Friday.

It is a loaded slate full of college basketball powerhouses, title favorites and Cinderella stories.

Here is the schedule for Thursday:

• No. 3 Kansas State vs. No. 7 Michigan State | 6:30 p.m. | TBS
• No. 4 UConn vs. No. 8 Arkansas | 7:15 p.m. | CBS
• No. 4 Tennessee vs. No. 9 Florida Atlantic | 9 p.m. | TBS
• No. 2 UCLA vs. No. 3 Gonzaga | 9:45 p.m. | CBS

And the schedule for Friday:

• No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 5 San Diego State | 6:30 p.m. | TBS
• No. 1 Houston vs. No. 5 Miami | 7:15 p.m. | CBS
• No. 6 Creighton vs. No. 15 Princeton | 9 p.m. | TBS
• No. 2 Texas vs. No. 3 Xavier | 9:45 p.m. | CBS

Let’s take a look at five teams and five players to watch.

Top teams to watch in Sweet 16

No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide (31-5)

The No. 1 overall seed is still alive and rolling. The Tide cruised past their first two opponents in the tournament. They did not stumble to a No. 16 seed like Purdue and then destroyed No. 8 seed Maryland 73-51. They even won their first game despite star player Brandon Miller scoring zero points.

Alabama may keep its hot streak going with a favorable matchup against San Diego State (29-6), seeded fifth in the South. KenPom rates Alabama third in adjusted defense, which could lead to a long day for the Aztecs. The Alabama offense is no joke either, averaging 82.3 points per game, the eighth-best in the nation.

No. 2 UConn Huskies (27-8)

UConn has been one of the most impressive teams in the tournament. Despite slow first halves in both games, the Huskies, seeded fourth in the West, won comfortably in both rounds. UConn took down Iona 87-63 in the first round before sending Saint Mary’s home packing with a 15-point win, 70-55.

Adama Sanogo has been the driving force for the Huskies. He will need another big performance for the Huskies to advance past No. 8 seed Arkansas (22-13).

The Huskies have been on fire from deep, shooting 44.6% from 3-point range in the tournament.

No. 3 Houston Cougars (33-3)

The Cougars, seeded first in the Midwest, looked like a national-title winning team in the second half of their second-round matchup against Auburn. They dominated the half 50-23, after being down 10 at the break. They held Auburn to 4-for-24 shooting in the second half in the 81-64 victory.

Houston’s defense is one of the best in the country, holding opponents to 56.5 points per game. That is the 2nd best in the country. They also rank 4th in adjusted defense on KenPom.

Star player Marcus Sasser has played through a groin injury and will hopefully be healthier after the days off before Friday’s matchup against No. 5 seed Miami (27-7).

No. 4 Arkansas Razorbacks (22-13)

If this team was not exciting enough on the court, just watch the antics of coach Eric Musselman. He ripped off his shirt in celebration after his squad upset No. 1 seed and defending champion Kansas 72-71 in the second round. Musselman has led Arkansas to back-to-back Elite Eights and is looking to make it three in a row.

This team plays tenacious defense, allowing just 67.4 ppg. The Razorbacks are not afraid to mix it up and make a game ugly. They also have an experienced backcourt led by junior Ricky Council IV needed for a deep run in March.

No. 5 Princeton Tigers (23-8)

The biggest Cinderella that is still dancing, the Ivy League champion became just the fourth No. 15 seed to advance to the Sweet 16. The Tigers took down No. 2 seed Arizona 59-55 and then No. 7 Missouri 78-63. Next up is No. 6 seed Creighton (23-12) in a winnable matchup for the underdog. How far will this unlikely run go?

Top Five Players to Watch

No. 1 Adama Sanogo, UConn

Connecticut's Adama Sanogo has been dominant in the tournament.

Sanogo is one of the leading scorers in the tournament. He dropped 28 points and grabbed 11 rebounds against Iona in the first round. He then followed it up with a 24-point, eight-rebound performance against Saint Mary’s.

He outperformed his season averages of 17.3 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. The junior from Mali will have a tough matchup in the Sweet 16 against the defense of Arkansas. They rank 15th in adjusted defense, according to KenPom.

No. 2 Drew Timme, Gonzaga

Timme is trying to lead Gonzaga to its first national title. He was a part of the Gonzaga team that lost in the title game to Baylor 86-70 in 2021 and is seeking redemption. The senior was just named a finalist for the Naismith Player of the Year Award and is a consensus first-team All-American.

Timme scored 21 points in the first round against Grand Canyon and outdid himself in the second with 28 points against TCU.

No. 3 Marcus Carr, Texas

Carr has been around the college game for a long time. The fifth-year senior averaged 15.8 points and 4.0 assists this season. Carr will be key for Texas in against Xavier, a team with guard depth. Carr went 4 of 6 from 3-point range in the Longhorns' first-round game against Colgate.

No. 4 Jaime Jaquez Jr., UCLA

The senior is the leader for the Bruins. He was the team’s leading scorer this season with 17.5 ppg. He is the heart and soul of the team and plays with a tenacious spirit, averaging 8.1 rpg.

Jaquez has 41 points through the first two tournament games. He has experience in this round. He was a critical part of the UCLA team that made a Final Four run in 2021.

No. 5 Markquis Nowell, Kansas State

Do not underestimate the size. Nowell stands out on the court for many reasons. The guard is only 5-foot-8 but plays far above his size. Nowell is one of the best playmakers in the game. His flashy passes and style make him a highlight reel in waiting.

Nowell can shoot as well, taking over against Kentucky with clutch shots. He finished with 27 points and nine assists and was 3 of 8 from 3-point range.