Deadspin reseeds this senseless men’s Sweet 16

A week into the NCAA Tournament, and madness is the perfect word to describe what has taken place so far in March. The only logical explanation for how things have gone is based on just how nuts this season has been from the jump — given all the pauses and disruptions that have occurred due to COVID-19, the lack of success from blueblood programs, the surge of mid-majors, and all the “ football schools” that have succeeded on the hardwood.

The Sweet 16 will get started on Saturday and continue on Sunday, as the Elite 8 will take place on Monday and Tuesday. Things will return to normalcy for the Final Four and the national championship game, as they will be played on their usual Saturday (April 3) and Monday (April 5) format.

Here’s how the remaining 16 teams should be reseeded after the opening rounds that have already destroyed brackets across the globe.

No other team in the field can say that they’ve already won three games besides UCLA. After the No. 11 Bruins knocked off No. 11 Michigan State by six points in the First Four, they went on to upset No. 6 BYU and dust off No. 14 Abilene Christian. UCLA’s resume is more than commendable, but, unfortunately, somebody has to be the lowest seed, and the Bruins fit the description.

A crisis can bring people together, even when it’s a racist one. Three weeks after Greg McDermott impersonated a slave master by telling his team “ I need everybody to stay on the plantation. I can’t have anybody leave the plantation,” the No. 5 Bluejays have figured out how to tune out their coach’s hateful words while focusing on his game plans.

Despite losing starting point guard Collin Gillespie for the season a few weeks ago, Jay Wright has gotten his team to the second weekend despite the absence of their most important player. After facing a No. 12 seed (Winthrop) and No. 13 seed (North Texas), No. 5 Villanova will have its hands full with No. 1 Baylor on Saturday.

After combining for 59 points and 37 rebounds in their first two games, Evan and Isaiah Mobley have led the way for the No. 6 Trojans. After their 34-point blowout of Kansas on Monday night, USC has become the hottest team in the West region.

Every time the Orange are on the bubble and make it in the NCAA Tournament, they go on a run. In 2016, Syracuse was a No. 10 seed and made it to the Final Four. Two years later, they were a No. 11 seed and made it to the Sweet 16. This year, they’re a No. 11 seed again. Let’s see what happens.

After the No. 12 Beavers upset No. 5 Tennessee in the first round, it raised some eyebrows. But when they got past No 4. Oklahoma State and Cade Cunningham – a lock for this summer’s No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft – they had everyone’s attention. Oregon State is making its first Sweet 16 appearance since 1982, the same year in which they last made it to the Elite Eight.

The No. 3 Razorbacks are finally back where they belong. After making it to the third game of the tournament in 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, and 1996, this is Arkansas’ longest tourney run in 25 years. Their next game is against the tournament’s biggest giant slayers, Oral Roberts.

On paper, it doesn’t make sense. But, I guess, that’s why they play the games. No. 15 seed Oral Roberts is the lowest-seeded team left in the field after upsetting No. 2 Ohio State and No. 7 Florida. The Golden Eagles are led by 6-foot-1, and that’s being generous, guard Max Abmas, the country’s leading scorer this season at 24.2 points per game. He’s averaging 27.5 in the tourney.

The second-seeded Cougars are hard to figure out. After beating No. 15 Cleveland State by 31 points in the first round, they barely squeaked by No. 10 Rutgers in the second round by three points. Of all the top-seeded teams remaining in the field, Houston is the one that’s been the closest to being eliminated.

Making it to the Sweet 16 is a badge of honor because it means you’ve survived the first weekend of the tournament with at least two wins on your resume. That hasn’t been the case for the No. 7 Ducks, as they’ve only played one game due to COVID-19 disqualifying VCU. Oregon’s tournament sample size may be small, but it’s an emphatic one, as they ran No. 2 Iowa out of the gym by 15.

The No. 4 Seminoles are the best team in the ACC with the least amount of national attention. This is the fourth time that FSU has made it to the second weekend since 2011. Leonard Hamilton’s team is never flashy, but they get it done and are always a tough out.

If it feels weird seeing the No. 2 Crimson Tide sticking around this late in the tournament, then you’re not wrong. Alabama hadn’t made the Sweet 16 since 2004, and before that, it was 1991. Earlier this season, Alabama was in the news because head coach Nate Oats called out Coach K over his concern for playing non-conference games in a pandemic. But now, all the focus is on Oats’ team, and not his words.

They’re back, and so is Sister Jean. After their magical 2018 Final Four run, the No. 8 Ramblers are back after stunning No. 1 Illinois in the second round. The Midwest region is wide open. Don’t be surprised if Porter Moser’s team is back in the Final Four in two weeks.

National championship game, national championship game, Elite Eight. That’s Juwan Howard’s resume as a player in the NCAA Tournament. No other team in the tournament has a coach that understands how to handle the ebbs and flows of the madness of March like No. 1 Michigan. Howard, in only his second season on the sidelines, is trying to get his alma mater back to the place he helped lead it when he was on the floor.

The Bears made it to the Final Four in 1948 and 1950, while 2010 and 2012 were the last times they made it to the Elite Eight. With five Sweet 16 appearances since 2010, No. 1 Baylor is hoping that this is the year they finally get over the hump, and No. 5 Villanova, No. 3 Arkansas, and No. 15 Oral Roberts are the only teams that could stop them from playing in April.

Who else was going to be No. 1 besides the Zags? They’re undefeated for a reason. However, if the Bulldogs don’t get it done this year, it will be a death blow to their program and Mark Few’s resume. The tournament is theirs for the taking, as they look to be the first undefeated champion since the Hoosiers did it in 1976.