College Basketball

Bracket racket: What to watch for in Sweet 16

So, how’s your bracket looking? If it hasn’t been thrown in the trash already, that is. We thought so.

The first weekend of the NCAA Tournament was chock full of upsets, surprising Sweet 16 teams from power conferences — the unpredictable becoming the norm. It sets up for a great second weekend after a transcendent first.

Frosh prince

The pressure proved to be too much of a burden for the two most acclaimed freshmen in the tournament, Kansas’ Andrew Wiggins and Duke’s Jabari Parker, but Kentucky’s Julius Randle — the forgotten man in this troika — has handled it with aplomb.

The brute power forward was brilliant in the Wildcats’ dramatic 78-76 victory over Wichita State on Sunday, with 13 points, 10 rebounds and six assists, which followed his 19-point, 15-rebound effort in a second-round win over Kansas State.

The 6-foot-9, 250-pound Texan is a force in the paint, but he’s also versatile, a better ball handler than some realize, and far more skilled than he’s given credit for. He has proven to be tough, too, handling the criticism aimed at him, and is enjoying a far better tournament than the two players considered his superior.

Phenoms flame out

Unlike Randle, Wiggins and Parker weren’t surrounded by quite as much talent, and the two enjoyed sensational freshman seasons. Wiggins likely would still be playing if fellow freshman star Joel Embiid didn’t miss Sunday’s game against Stanford with a bad back. It bears noting, however, that with all eyes on them, in the pressure-cooker of the NCAA Tournament, Wiggins and Parker fell well short of pulling a Carmelo Anthony.

That doesn’t change their skill-sets or enormous talent, but it is something scouts and NBA executives will think about. Wiggins’ lack of aggression is a red flag. He floats in and out of games, too willing to cede the spotlight. Parker picked the worst time to have an off night, like the rest of Duke in its loss to Mercer.

Commonwealth Showdown

The last two national champions. Rick Pitino vs. John Calipari. Louisville’s depth and experience vs. Kentucky’s young on-the-rise talent. Friday’s Midwest regional semifinal sells itself. Furthermore, the game is being played in Indianapolis, just a few-hour drive from each campus. Lucas Oil Stadium is going to be rocking as these two Blue Bloods battle for a spot in the Elite Eight.

Big Least, AC-woe

Twitter was flooded Sunday night with Big East vitriol after Creighton was destroyed by Baylor, and eliminated the new league from the NCAA Tournament, the first time since 1993 there will be no representative in the Sweet 16. Somehow, the mighty ACC’s struggles escaped the minds of so many so-called experts, as only one of its six tournament teams made it into the final 16.

It has been a disappointing performance for both conferences, unable to get the likes of Villanova, Creighton, Duke, North Carolina and Syracuse past the opening weekend. Meanwhile, the SEC — considered weak in comparison to the other power conferences — has all three of its teams alive, the most surprising No. 11 Tennessee out of the Midwest.

No Cinderella

Eleven-seeds Tennessee and Dayton and 10-seed Stanford come from power conferences, so let’s not use the Cinderella tag on them. That doesn’t mean they aren’t worthy of our attention or rooting interest. Stanford coach Johnny Dawkins and Tennessee’s Cuonzo Martin have spent most of the year on the hot seat; that chair is now as cool as the other side of the pillow.

All three teams were on the bubble, needing strong finishes just to reach the Big Dance. They were expected to be one-and-done, Tennessee even having to go through the First Four and beat Iowa. Dayton’s last trip to the Sweet 16 was after the 1983-84 season, and Archie Miller is proving it’s not just his older brother, Arizona coach Sean Miller, who can coach.

Coaches heating up

Archie Miller has turned Dayton into a winner in three short years, and though the school announced he signed a contract extension through the 2018-19 season on Monday, there is the chance a big-name program such as Marquette or Boston College comes calling. Manhattan coach Steve Masiello reportedly has been tied to the South Florida job after his Jaspers nearly upset Louisville, and Iowa State coach Fred Hoiberg is seen as a future NBA coach, if “The Mayor,” as he is known in Ames, Iowa, wanted to go that route after another big March run for the Cyclones.

Our favorites prevail

For all the stunners, the four prevailing favorites we earmarked are still alive. When the brackets were released, Arizona (West), Florida (South), Michigan State (East) and Louisville (Midwest) were our chalk picks. They’ve had some close calls, — Louisville was nearly upset by Manhattan in its opener while Michigan State was pushed by Harvard Saturday night — and while all four still look like good plays to get to Dallas, the road is far from easy.

All four could go down in the regional semifinals — Florida’s meeting with UCLA in Memphis will be the Gators’ first real test of the tournament while Michigan State will have its hands full with Virginia Friday night at the Garden — and all four could survive the weekend. We’re sticking with these four, which would make for an unbelievable April weekend in the Lone Star State.