2024 Sweet 16 Bracket

[Kenneth]

Ledby Tyler Kolek and Kam Jones, the Golden Eagles reached this stage of the March Madness bracket after surviving their second-round game against Colorado, 81-77, on Sunday. Marquette, seeded No. 2 in the South Region, is in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2013.

In 2024, NC State won five games in five days to win the ACC Tournament, an event it needed to win to get into March Madness. The Wolfpack hasn't slowed down in the NCAA Tournament, defeating Texas Tech in the first round and then next sending home tournament darling Oakland.

Marquette and NC State will play in the Sweet 16 of the 2024 NCAA Tournament in the first game of the evening at American Airlines Center in Dallas. The second game between Duke and Houston will be afterward.

The Golden Eagles pulled away from Western Kentucky in the second half of their first-round NCAA Tournament game, then held on against Colorado in a nailbiter Sunday after getting clutch performances from Kolek, Chase Ross and David Joplin down the stretch and another all-around impressive offensive showing from Jones.

NC State (24-14) is on an improbable run to the Sweet 16. The Wolfpack finished 10th in the ACC during the regular season with a 9-11 record and lost seven of its last nine games entering the ACC Tournament.

NC State won its first conference tournament since 1987 and became the first team in the tournament's history to win five games in five days. It defeated the No. 1- (UNC), No. 2- (Duke) and No. 3- (Virginia) seeded teams on its way to the title.

The Wolfpack defeated Marquette to win its first championship. And Lorenzo Charles' buzzer-beating dunk that led coach Jim Valvano to run around looking for someone to hug on the court after NC State's 1983 title are among the most iconic images in the history of the NCAA Tournament.

Welcome to March Madness. As you prepare to fill out your 2024 men's NCAA tournament brackets -- might I suggest ESPN Tournament Challenge, where you can submit up to 25? -- we have a boatload of facts and trends for you to sink your teeth into.

The usual disclaimer applies: This column is designed to inform and entertain, not to predict. You will hear from many ESPN personalities throughout the week, but this piece is all about historical nuggets we hope you will find interesting.

Note: Unless otherwise noted, all stats referenced are since 1985 (also called the "modern era" throughout the column). In addition, any historical reference to the "first round" relates to the round of 64, and "second round" to the round of 32. The First Four stands on its own to avoid confusion. Lastly, all results mentioned ignore any subsequent vacating by the NCAA. For example, we consider Louisville the winner of the 2013 national championship game, even though its appearance has been vacated.

Both teams that fit these criteria last season lost during the first weekend (No. 1 Purdue lost to FDU in the first round, No. 2 Marquette lost to Michigan State in the second round)Iowa State received no votes in the preseason poll, but earned a No. 2 seed and is ranked fourthEarly-exit alert: 15 of the 23 No. 2 seeds to meet these criteria lost in the first or second roundChampionship game17. There has not been a repeat champion since Florida in 2007. Since then, no defending champ has advanced past the Sweet 16.

Villanova won in 2016 as a 2-seedThe current six-tournament drought without a title game appearance is the longest everThere has never been a matchup of No. 2 seeds in the championship gameIt may be a little hard to believe, but this is the last time a No. 2 seed reached the title game. Kris Jenkins and Villanova made the most of it eight years ago. Ronald Martinez/Getty Images22. A No. 5 seed has never won a championship, the only seed in the top 8 that hasn't done so.

UNLV in 1990 (three-bid Big West Conference) and Louisville in 1986 (three-bid Metro Conference) are the only schools to do so in the modern tournament eraThis year, UConn, Marquette and Creighton - all top-3 seeds and the only Big East representatives -- are the highest-seeded teams looking to end this streak. Both WCC reps, Gonzaga and Saint Mary's, are No. 5 seeds.ConferencesThe trends below range from positive to negative to just plain interesting, so the conferences are listed alphabetically to make them easier for you to find your favorite leagues.

Last year, San Diego State became the first Mountain West team to get past the Sweet 16, advancing to the title gameHowever, MW teams are 2-12 in the first round in the past seven tournamentsMountain West teams seeded 10th or worse are 1-26 all time (including 0-4 in the First Four), with the only win coming in 2002While the conference received its most bids ever this year with six, four teams were seeded 10th or worse (Nevada, Boise State, Colorado State and New Mexico)San Diego State not only became the first Mountain West team to reach the Elite Eight last year, it also has the conference's only first-round win since 2019. Ben Solomon/NCAA Photos via Getty Images29. It's been 27 years since the Pac-12 had a national champion ... and this is its final chance.

This is the first time Duke has been a 3-seed or worse in consecutive tournament appearancesThis is the sixth time the Blue Devils are not a top-3 seed. In the previous five instances, they lost in the first or second round three times and lost in the Sweet 16 twice.43. Florida

Since 1985, they have reached the Final Four nine of the 14 times they were a No. 1 seed, including four national championshipsBy contrast, they have just one Final Four appearance in seven trips as a No. 2 seedRJ Davis leads the Tar Heels, a program that has historically experienced a noticeable difference between being a No. 1 and No. 2 seed. Grant Halverson/Getty Images57. Northwestern

No. 1 seed in consecutive years for the first time in school historySeeking its first Final Four appearance since 1980 and its first trip to the title game since 1969Purdue has lost to teams seeded 16th, 15th and 13th in the past three tournaments -- the only school ever to be eliminated by a team seeded 12th or worse three straight yearsNo school has more NCAA tournament appearances as a top-2 seed without reaching the Final Four than Purdue59. Saint Mary's

Tennessee has the fourth-most NCAA tournament appearances without making the Final Four (25)In eight previous trips as a top-4 seed in the modern era, the Vols are unbeaten in first-round games (8-0) but have never advanced past the Sweet 16Last year's second-round win against Duke was Rick Barnes' first win against a single-digit seed since 2008 (when he led Texas to the Elite Eight)In four of Barnes' five previous tournament appearances at Tennessee -- all as a 5-seed or better -- his teams have been eliminated by a No. 9, 11 or 12 seedDalton Knecht has provided the offensive punch Rick Barnes needed to go along with the Vols' usual stout defense. Bryan Lynn/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images64. Texas Tech

First time as a No. 1 seed since 2009, when the Huskies reached the Final FourUConn won its first outright Big East regular-season title since 1999, when it went on to win its first national championship. This year, the Huskies are seeking their sixth title.In case you missed it above, the last time we had a repeat national champion is also the last time a defending champ advanced past the Sweet 16 (Florida in 2007)66. Utah State

Before making your 2024 NCAA Tournament bracket picks from the first round all the way through the Final Four, consulting Ken Pomeroy's eponymous KenPom ratings is a must. March Madness gets its nickame because of those unforeseen upsets, early exits and fantastic finishes, but in the end, it's still about statistical sanity.

Just look at the results of the last 15 NCAA Tournaments. From Kansas cutting down the nets in 2008 to Connecticut winning it for a fourth time overall last year, only six of 60 teams (10 percent) that went into those tourneys ranked outside the top 20 in KenPom advanced to the Final Four.

That's how you find the right chalk. But KenPom can also help you identify bracket sleepers and busts based on two signature stats: adjusted offensive efficiency and adjusted defensive efficiency. If a team is highly rated in either area, tit can compensate for deficiencies on the other end.

In 2018, when Loyola Chicago crashed the Final Four, it had the No. 17-rated KenPom defense on its side. In 2017, South Carolina ranked 91st in offense but made a Cinderella run to the Final Four as a No. 7 seed thanks to its third-ranked defense. In 2013, Louisville rode its seventh-ranked offense and top-ranked defense to the Final Four.

Houston and UConn have strong company here throughout in some loaded heavyweights who are playing at the right time. It's hard to see, however, anyone out of the top six winning the 2024 NCAA Tournament in Phoenix.

Purdue is boosted plenty here by the dominant scoring of Zach Edey. while Tristen Newton leads a more balanced attack for UConn. Alabama's Mark Sears and Illinois' Terrence Shannon Jr. are also top-15 national scorers to watch beind Edey.

Houston and UConn appearing here vs. offense shows that defense still wins championships. North Carolina's rating here was key in getting a top seed. Michigan State is a lot more dangerous as an anomaly than Virginia.

Michigan State and BYU do stand out as sleepers and no one should be surprised if either or both teams roll into the Sweet 16. Purdue is also vulnerable to Gonzaga in the third round once the latter gets a break vs. an injury-ridded Kansas team. Grand Canyon and James Madison both can join Northwestern with purple pride in winning as lower seeds in the first round.

3a8082e126