NCAAB · 2 years ago

March Madness Hierarchy: NCAA Sweet 16 Power Rankings

David Connelly

Host · Writer

16. North Carolina State (+12000 to win the national championship)
Between banking in a three to save their season in the ACC Tournament and drawing 14th-seeded Oakland in the Round of 32, it feels like the Wolfpack fell into the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament. It's certainly depicted by the long odds here, and we are expecting to see North Carolina State exit stage left at some point this weekend.
1. UConn (+220 to win the national championship)
The Huskies have picked up right where they left off last season with their domination in March Madness. It's eight wins and counting by at least 13 points in the NCAA Tournament. hey'll look to extend that streak on Thursday against San Diego State.
2. Purdue (+550 to win the national championship)
The early-round doubts are a thing of the past for the Boilermakers this year, as they have made it to the second weekend for just the second time in four seasons. Zach Edey has been a wrecking ball in the paint, and we've yet to see a team that can limit his abilities.
3. Houston (+550 to win the national championship)
Houston survived a major scare in an overtime win over Texas A&M late Sunday night, but we're not letting that keep us from believing this team is a real contender. The way they resiliently competed despite loads of foul-outs showed the signs of a true team. Their grittiness, experience, and coaching give them a chance against anybody remaining in the field.
4. Arizona (+850 to win the national championship)
The talent in Tucson is undeniable. The Wildcats are loaded at every position and will have a matchup advantage or two that they can exploit against any opponent. The key here is consistency. Head coach Tommy Lloyd has struggled to find it in his first two NCAA Tournaments but seems to be finding his footing in his third edition in 2024.
5. North Carolina (+1300 to win the national championship)
The Tar Heels bounced back well from their upset defeat to North Carolina State in the ACC Tournament, handling Wagner and then throttling past Michigan State to reach the second weekend. The key here will always be the performances of tertiary pieces Elliot Cadeau, Cormac Ryan, and Harrison Ingram, all newcomers. If they can play their part, this team can go the distance.
6. Iowa State (+2000 to win the national championship)
Offensive consistency is the name of the game for the Cyclones. While they boast one of the top defenses in the entire country, the offense can hit some dry spells. We saw them do it out of the gate against Washington State on Saturday, a 14-6 start that immediately put them in a hole. Do that against any of the remaining elite teams, and there may be no surviving it.
7. Tennessee (+1100 to win the national championship)
The Vols held off Texas for their spot in the Sweet 16, and it survived an abysmal night from beyond the arc where they shot just three-for-25 from three. The fact that their defense is so dominant that they can survive a shooting night like that is promising, but the fact that things can get that poor offensively is a bit concerning.
8. Gonzaga (+2700 to win the national championship)
The Zags skyrocket up this list for us because head coach Mark Few finally seems to be figuring out his seven-man rotation. He knows who he can trust when the chips are down, and newcomers Graham Ike and Ryan Nembhard are playing their best ball of the season right now. This feels like a great dark horse value bet heading into the second weekend.
9. Marquette (+1600 to win the national championship)
Tyler Kolek looks healthy, and it means the world to Marquette's national title chances. They held on for a close call against a talented Colorado team and now get quite the favorable draw against North Carolina State. Get past the Wolfpack, and they'll get to play for a spot in the Final Four in what would be just the second appearance for the program in 47 seasons.
10. Duke (+2300 to win the national championship)
Many questioned Duke's toughness and consistency heading into the tournament, but they have answered every call by leaving no doubt against Vermont in the opening round and dominating an impressive James Madison team that many expected to give the Blue Devils a game. Houston awaits as Duke will be rare second-weekend underdogs.
11. Illinois (+3200 to win the national championship)
Illinois's defense is a major concern, but the domination of Terrence Shannon Jr. gives them a slight bump up on this list. There may not be anyone on a more absurd stretch since the start of conference tournament play than Shannon, who is averaging 31.6 points per game dating back to the start of the Big Ten Tournament.
12. Creighton (+2300 to win the national championship)
Creighton's boom-or-bust three-point shooting mentality got them into a tight game with Oregon, but it also lifted them past the Ducks when it mattered. After heading to a second overtime, the Bluejays simply could not miss and comfortably walked away with a 13-point victory. For a team that relies so heavily on its long-range shooting, they'll need to scorch the earth the rest of the way if they want to cut down the nets.
13. San Diego State (+7500 to win the national championship)
The lone representative of the Mountain West is the Aztecs, who obliterated Yale to earn this spot. Plenty of pieces are back from last year's national finalist team, like Jaedon LeDee, a bruising wing who scores at will and catapulted himself into the All-American conversation after being a bench piece a season ago. UConn is on the horizon, and a near-perfect performance will be required to down the Huskies.
14. Alabama (+3600 to win the national championship)
The Crimson Tide were strong in outscoring Charleston and out-mucking Grand Canyon, but this defense is far too poor to ignore. Ranking outside of the top 100 on KenPom, we've seen Alabama allow 90 or more points to other teams far too often this season to trust their defensive prowess. As Kentucky showed us, an inability to defend will set you up for a quick exit in this tournament.
15. Clemson (+8500 to win the national championship)
While Clemson's run has been a surprise, we struggle to see it going much further. The Tigers struggled for real consistency all summer long, and Arizona now puts them at a brutal athletic disadvantage. We'd imagine that Clemson's second-weekend visit will be short-lived, but they proved us wrong in the opening weekend. Who's to say they can't do it again?
16. North Carolina State (+12000 to win the national championship)
Between banking in a three to save their season in the ACC Tournament and drawing 14th-seeded Oakland in the Round of 32, it feels like the Wolfpack fell into the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament. It's certainly depicted by the long odds here, and we are expecting to see North Carolina State exit stage left at some point this weekend.
1. UConn (+220 to win the national championship)
The Huskies have picked up right where they left off last season with their domination in March Madness. It's eight wins and counting by at least 13 points in the NCAA Tournament. hey'll look to extend that streak on Thursday against San Diego State.

March Madness Hierarchy: NCAA Sweet 16 Power Rankings

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