Sweet 16 rankings: Duke drops, Houston rises

The stage is set for the Sweet 16 after a dramatic Sunday finished off an exciting opening four days of action in the NCAA Tournament. Now that we've had a couple of days to digest the early results, it's time to re-rank the remaining teams before the regional semifinals tip off.

16. Texas

Texas became just the sixth team ever to go from the First Four to the Sweet 16, and the team had to travel from Dayton, Ohio, to Portland, Oregon. However, we need to pour some cold water on the achievement based on the Longhorns' opposition:

• NC State, which was 2-8 in its last 10
• A BYU squad that was 4-5 since losing Richie Saunders
• The worst 3-point shooting team Mark Few's ever had at Gonzaga

Texas' run has been impressive, but the jump in competition to No. 2 Purdue on Thursday might be too steep.

15. Iowa

Fresh off a stunning upset of Florida, Iowa sits at No. 15 in the Sweet 16. Some may take that as a sign of disrespect, but instead consider it a shoutout to Ben McCollum's incredible coaching versus the Gators. Yes, Florida's ridiculous strategy and execution at the finish may have helped his cause, but McCollum's Hawkeyes had the defending champs off guard the entire game.

Don't be shocked if McCollum's group books an Elite Eight spot - they've already beaten Sweet 16 foe Nebraska this season.

14. Tennessee

After stomping out the upset chances of America's darling, Miami (Ohio), in the opening round, Tennessee's backcourt led the way to oust No. 3 Virginia on Sunday. Ja'Kobi Gillespie and Bishop Boswell combined for 34 points, 15 assists, and just three turnovers in the win. That duo will need to be even better in the 40 minutes of hell that is any game versus the swarming Iowa State defense.

13. Nebraska

Nebraska might have been the story of opening weekend with arguably the loudest fans we've seen so far in the tournament. The Cornhuskers finally won the first NCAA Tournament game in the program's lengthy history and added a Sweet 16 berth with a victory over Vanderbilt. Sure, the Cornhuskers got a major assist from perhaps the cruelest rim in the world - which denied the Commodores' Tyler Tanner and his potential 65-foot winner - but Fred Hoiberg's team just needs a victory over familiar foe Iowa to reach the Elite Eight.

12. Arkansas

Arkansas will go as far as Darius Acuff Jr. takes it. Perhaps no player left in the tournament plays a larger role for his team. The electric point guard is averaging 30 points and 6.5 rebounds in the tourney so far. Whether he can maintain that pace against a significant jump in competition is the biggest question facing John Calipari. The Razorbacks' path thus far has been as smooth as it gets, giving them matchups with No. 13 Hawaii and No. 12 High Point - both outside the top 80 in KenPom. Now, it's No. 1 Arizona's turn to try to slow down Acuff and take out Arkansas.

11. UConn

Death, taxes, and UConn making a deep run in the NCAA Tournament. Dan Hurley has become as much of a March staple as St. Patrick's Day. The Huskies are in the Sweet 16 essentially because of an outrageous two-game performance by Tarris Reed Jr. and the sharpshooting of Alex Karaban.

Unfortunately for UConn, everyone on the roster besides Karaban is ice-cold from beyond the arc, shooting just 15.2% from distance. Reed has been able to grab the board on a high number of those misses, but that will become significantly harder against the nation's third-best rebounding team, Michigan State.

10. Alabama

No Aden Holloway, no problem. Alabama hasn't missed a beat without its second-leading scorer; in fact, points have been the furthest thing from the issue for the Crimson Tide. The 3-pointer might as well have been a layup for Alabama in the Round of 32 as the Tide hit 19 in the win - the third-most threes all time in an NCAA Tournament game. That will be difficult to replicate against Michigan and the nation's 30th-ranked 3-point defense. The Wolverines also hold a major size advantage, so Alabama likely needs another lights-out shooting performance to advance.

9. St. John's

A buzzer-beater put St. John's in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1999, but the Red Storm were fairly dominant in 75 of their 80 minutes of action this tournament. While a late-game collapse versus Kansas made the dramatic winner necessary, Rick Pitino must be fairly pleased with his team on the whole. The challenge doesn't get easier in the Sweet 16 with Duke on deck, although the Blue Devils look vulnerable without Caleb Foster.

8. Michigan State

The Spartans' brand of basketball isn't always pretty, but Michigan State's toughness has once again made it a difficult opponent in March. The main question is whether the Spartans can score enough to handle a top opponent. Coen Carr took care of that in the Round of 32, pouring in 21 points to fall just one shy of his career best. The vast majority of those points came on passes from Jeremy Fears Jr., who surpassed Magic Johnson for most assists in a tourney game for Michigan State. That duo will need to carry the load once again versus UConn.

7. Purdue

Purdue managed to overcome an eight-turnover showing by star guard Braden Smith in the Round of 32, mainly thanks to an absurd 57% shooting performance from deep. That's likely not sustainable, but it's also almost unfathomable that Smith would be so careless with the ball again. The bracket's been very favorable for the Boilermakers, giving them a Sweet 16 date with No. 11 Texas.

6. Duke

Yes, we've put the No. 1 overall seed in the entire tournament in the sixth slot. While full-strength Duke is a No. 1 seed, the version without Caleb Foster isn't the same. The Blue Devils pulled away from TCU in a strong second half over the weekend, but for three of four periods of basketball this tournament, they've severely underwhelmed. If they do that again versus St. John's, Jon Scheyer's team will make an early exit.

5. Illinois

Illinois has enjoyed a fairly stress-free experience through two rounds with No. 14 Penn and No. 11 VCU not providing much resistance. However, a Sweet 16 matchup against No. 2 Houston in an essential home game is going to hit like a sucker punch from behind. The Fighting Illini's offense is as efficient as it gets, with endless options that can beat opponents both in the paint and from the outside. But can Illinois handle the intense physicality Houston brings on a possession-by-possession basis?

4. Iowa State

Iowa State has been one of the best teams through two rounds of March Madness, and that's without star Joshua Jefferson. The Cyclones won their first two games by an average of 26.5 points and held Kentucky to just 63 in the last round. Jefferson looks likely to return to the lineup against Tennessee, but even if he doesn't, this team is more than capable of winning it all.

3. Arizona

Arizona's second-round win over Utah State happened at roughly the same time Iowa was stunning Florida, so the Wildcats' advance has been fairly quiet. Their defense has been particularly stout through two rounds, holding both opponents below 70 points. That will be much harder to do with Acuff and Arkansas on tap, but the Wildcats' supreme depth should be able to wear the Razorbacks' star down.

2. Houston

Kelvin Sampson is reminding us that nobody bullies an opponent like his Houston squad.

The Cougars' reward for two blowout wins is the friendliest setting for any team in the second weekend. Houston gets virtual home games in the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight, with the city hosting the regional semis and finals at the Rockets' arena just 4 miles from campus. That raucous atmosphere will be helpful as the swarming defense looks to slow down the electric Illinois offense.

1. Michigan

Michigan looked like the best team in the country for most of the season, so it's no surprise the Wolverines enter the Sweet 16 in our No. 1 spot. Dusty May's offense is rolling, putting up an average of 98 points per game through two rounds. That's likely to continue in a Sweet 16 matchup versus Alabama and the second-worst defense left in the tournament.