Only UCLA is left from the West after Sweet 16 upsets of top seeds Gonzaga and Arizona

Thursday night time’s Candy 16 video games left us all gasping for air — and greedy for any sense that we will precisely predict something that’s going to occur on this 12 months’s NCAA event.

If Thursday was any indication of what’s to return Friday, possibly Saint Peter’s can change into the primary No. 15 seed to make the Elite Eight. Possibly North Carolina will get previous UCLA and arrange a possible Remaining 4 battle in opposition to Duke, which might be the primary assembly between the bitter rivals in March Insanity (and naturally it could occur in Coach Okay’s ultimate season).

The purpose is, it’s all on the desk after Thursday’s assault on the West Coast’s No. 1 seeds, Arizona and Gonzaga, the unquestioned favorites to win all of it coming into the event.

Listed here are 4 takeaways from one of many extra surprising Candy 16 quartet of video games in historical past:

UCLA, it’s all on you now

The Bruins are as soon as once more carrying the banner for the West after Arkansas upset Gonzaga in San Francisco and Houston bloodied Arizona in San Antonio.

As of now, UCLA’s theoretical path to the nationwide championship sport can be by way of No. 8 seed North Carolina, No. 3 seed Purdue (if it ends the Peacocks’ Cinderella strut) and the winner of No. 2 seed Duke and No. 4 seed Arkansas on Saturday.

The Bruins couldn’t have hoped for far more assist.

However now Mick Cronin’s staff has to play with the consistency and poise that it ought to with veteran guards Tyger Campbell and Johnny Juzang pulling the strings. UCLA isn’t flashy, nevertheless it doesn’t should be to win this time of 12 months.

Arizona’s high-wire act collapsed

When the Wildcats had been on, they had been probably the most enjoyable staff to observe in school basketball. They turned a classy choose to win the championship in coach Tommy Lloyd’s first season principally as a result of folks simply liked the concept of getting to observe them play six extra instances.

However in the end they bumped into two more durable groups in Texas Christian and Houston, who like to grind out wins. Arizona was lucky to flee TCU within the second spherical, surviving due to electrical performances from Bennedict Mathurin and Christian Koloko.

The Horned Frogs’ adept dealing with of them put so much on tape for Houston coach Kelvin Sampson this week, and Sampson, top-of-the-line coaches within the nation that everybody by some means forgets about, took benefit.

Arizona was definitely able to making a deep run and profitable all of it. However this event is all about matchups, and the bracket did the Pac-12 champions no favors, because it turned out.

Gonzaga’s two-year window as favourite closed

Gonzaga may make it again to the nationwide championship sport within the subsequent few years, nevertheless it seemingly gained’t be as a No. 1 seed or odds-on favourite to win its first title.

Final 12 months, the Zags had a staff stuffed with future professionals and got here up simply brief in opposition to a Baylor staff that was extra cohesive and higher on the defensive finish. They misplaced a ton of expertise, together with level guard Jalen Suggs and sharp-shooter Corey Kispert, however put themselves proper again on the high by convincing Drew Timme to return and bringing in star recruit Chet Holmgren.

The Bulldogs blew a golden alternative in opposition to an Arkansas staff that misplaced eight video games this season and was a 10-point underdog.

Subsequent 12 months, Holmgren will likely be within the NBA, and, whereas Timme may come again for yet another 12 months, he’ll really feel strain to go professional.

It is likely to be a aid to educate Mark Few after the final two years for Gonzaga to enter the event with much less of a bull’s-eye on its again and really feel slightly extra of that underdog mojo.

Coach Okay’s youngsters are maturing quick

I used to be lucky sufficient to see Duke’s season-ending loss to North Carolina in Coach Okay’s Cameron finale from press row, and it actually felt like the burden of his retirement tour had sunk the younger Blue Devils. They only regarded drained.

Then, after they couldn’t beat Virginia Tech within the ACC event championship every week later, it actually spelled doom.

Effectively, after pushing previous Michigan State within the ultimate minutes of a good sport and making key performs late as soon as once more in opposition to Texas Tech, the Blue Devils at the moment are a real risk to ship their legendary coach out on high with a sixth nationwide championship. They gained’t see one other No. 1 or No. 2 seed till the championship sport.

The common age of Duke’s starters is nineteen. The common age of Texas Tech’s is 22. That have hole didn’t matter as a result of Duke level guard Jeremy Roach has discovered the best way to shut video games, giving confidence to freshman stars Paolo Banchero, A.J. Griffin and Trevor Keels.