"No Cinderella teams this year": College hoops world reacts to the final Sweet 16 bracket in 2024 NCAA Tournament

With the second round coming to a close, the stage is set for the Sweet 16 leg of the 2024 NCAA Tournament. The second round saw some unpredicted games like Clemson's wire-to-wire domination of Baylor.

For the most part, the bracket held, with Gonzaga and the aforementioned Clemson victories serving as the only upsets. With the three pre-tournament favorites, UConn, Houston, and Purdue, still in the running, the tournament's anticipation continues to increase.

The Sweet 16 fixtures getting finalized led to varied reactions from the fans. From excitement to disappointment, the spectrum of emotions that the NCAA Tournament brought was visibly apparent.

For one fan, the lack of Cinderella teams in the tournament was a surprise, with North Carolina State not counting for him.

"No Cinderella teams this year. NC State is a legit 11 seed. Doesn't count."

But for others, that was a plus point.

"I’m all for upsets day 1, but it’s so good to see the best teams remaining. These games should be great."

For others, the March Madness period was the most exciting time to be a fan of the sport. The common "going on a vacation at this time of the year" trope made its way back into the discourse.

For a few fans, though, it was the women's bracket that was more exciting than the men's side, with Caitlin Clark grabbing the national spotlight.

A fan's comment gave further credit to the Iowa Hawkeyes superstar's comments after her team's victory over the Holy Cross Crusaders, where she claimed that the women's sport was more famous than the men's counterpart.

"Boring boring boring. What time does Caitlin Clark play?"

Some fans were excited for a rematch from last year's NCAA Finals when the UConn Huskies took on San Diego State.

One fan noted how the tournament had just two mid-major teams remaining, both of which came from "Power 6" programs. To him, this iteration of the NCAA Tournament was the most "chalky" one that he could remember.

Here are other reactions from fans:

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How did the Second Round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament go?

Out of the second-round matchups, Gonzaga vs. Kansas was a wild affair, as the Bulldogs were able to make short work of the Kansas Jayhawks in an 89-68 blowout.

The other upset was especially surprising given Clemson's impressive performance against Baylor, with a PJ Hall dunk serving as the exclamation point. The lone Cinderella story in NC State had a relatively close battle against the Oakland Golden Grizzlies, but were able to pull through in the end.

Tennessee won 62-58 against Texas, while prohibitive favorites for the tournament, Houston needed overtime to defeat Texas A&M 100-95 after a fourth-quarter rally tied the game.

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What is the schedule for the Sweet 16 bracket of the 2024 NCAA Tournament?

Date	Match	Time	Channel	Betting Line
28 March	Arizona vs. Clemson	7:09 p.m. ET	CBS	Arizona (-7.5)
28 March	UConn vs. San Diego State	7:09 p.m. ET	TBS	UConn (-9.5)
28 March	North Carolina vs. Alabama	7:09 p.m. ET	CBS	North Carolina (-4.5)
28 March	Iowa State vs. Illinois	7:09 p.m. ET	TBS	Iowa State (-2.5)
29 March	Marquette vs. NC State	7:09 p.m. ET	CBS	Marquette (-6.5)
29 March	Purdue vs. Gonzaga	7:09 p.m. ET	TBS	Purdue (-4.5)
29 March	Houston vs. Duke	7:09 p.m. ET	CBS	Houston (-3.5)
29 March	Tennessee vs. Creighton	7:09 p.m. ET	TBS	Tennessee (-2.5)

The UConn Huskies and their dominance look like the one surefire bet from the oddsmakers in the Sweet 16, with most of the other matchups having relatively close lines. The lines suggest that the next round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament should turn out to be an exciting affair.

Which team do you think will cause the biggest upset in the next round? Let us know in the comments below.