The first round is done. Now, it\u2019s time to decide the Sweet 16.<\/p>\n
The NCAA Tournament moves to the weekend with 32 teams left in the bracket. A few Cinderellas remain \u2014 none feistier than the High Point Panthers<\/a>. But will any move on to the second weekend?<\/p>\n It all starts with \u201cCream Abdul-Jabbar\u201d and the Saint Louis Billikens against top-seeded Michigan, and it ends with High Point vs. Arkansas in a must-see nightcap. There should be plenty of twists and turns in between, and maybe even a buzzer-beater or two.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s what to watch for Saturday in the NCAA Tournament:<\/p>\n No. 1 Michigan vs. No. 9 Saint Louis<\/p>\n 12:10 p.m. ET, CBS<\/p>\n The first halves of Michigan\u2019s and Saint Louis\u2019 first-round games were different, but the result was the same. That\u2019s what makes this matchup between the Wolverines and Billikens in the second round such an interesting one.<\/p>\n The Wolverines can use bigs Aday Mara and Morez Johnson Jr. to damage opponents, and the Billikens can do the same with 6-foot-10 senior Robbie Avila (aka Milk Chamberlain). Saint Louis boasts the shortest 2-point field goal distance in the country, according to the CBS broadcast via KenPom, meaning it consistently gets points in and around the paint. Avila is at the core of that and has proven to be a threat both shooting and putting the ball on the floor. And he\u2019s not the only one.<\/p>\n Saint Louis shoots 39.8 percent from beyond the arc and isn\u2019t afraid to let it fly. That can create problems if the Billikens find their shooting touch early or if the Wolverines opt to slow the pace. Saint Louis can also dictate pace and tempo, which it did when it beat Georgia at its own strength.<\/p>\n Michigan\u2019s guard play is an X-factor and could make it dangerous if the Wolverines decide to push the pace. Elliot Cadeau and Nimari Burnett are two of Michigan\u2019s top 3-point shooters.<\/p>\n If transition points dictate the game, expect a high-scoring contest. Per The Athletic\u2019s C.J. Moore, Saint Louis coach Josh Schertz and Michigan coach Dusty May are good friends and talk often. This will be a fun, friendly rivalry. \u2014 Zach Powell, staff editor<\/p>\n No. 3 Michigan State vs. No. 6 Louisville<\/p>\n 2:45 p.m. ET, CBS<\/p>\n Expect a jarring clash of styles. The Cardinals want to push the pace and fire as many shots from deep as possible. Over 50 percent of the team\u2019s shot diet under Pat Kelsey is from 3-point range, and its 32.1 attempts per game are the most in the ACC.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, if there\u2019s one thing a Tom Izzo Michigan State team will do, it\u2019s take the air out of the basketball. The Spartans\u2019 68.9 possessions per game rank No. 265 in the country, and they take just 21.3 3s per game, the sixth fewest in the Big Ten.<\/p>\n The Spartans\u2019 two-big lineup of Jaxon Kohler (6-feet-9) and Carson Cooper (6-11) controlled the glass in Michigan State\u2019s 92-67 first-round win over North Dakota State. The two collected 19 combined rebounds compared to 23 from the entire Bison team.<\/p>\n Michigan State is also led by a true floor-general point guard in sophomore Jeremy Fears Jr., who is averaging 15.4 points and 9.2 assists this season. The Spartans will try to dictate the pace, and Louisville will have to push back without star freshman point guard Mikel Brown Jr., who is still nursing a nagging back injury.<\/p>\n How the Cardinals cope will likely decide this one. \u2014 Devon Henderson, staff writer<\/p>\n No. 1 Duke vs. No. 9 TCU<\/p>\n 5:15 p.m. ET CBS<\/p>\n Expect a much sharper and locked-in Duke squad when it faces TCU on Saturday. The Blue Devils looked out of sync for long stretches in their opener, grinding through a tougher-than-expected game against a Siena team that essentially ran with just five players.<\/p>\n If TCU wants to pull the upset, the blueprint is there: Slow the tempo, disrupt Duke\u2019s rhythm and turn it into a half-court battle. With Duke dealing with injuries, the Horned Frogs have a real opportunity to compete on the glass and capitalize on second-chance points. If their dynamic duo, David Punch and Xavier Edmonds, can control the boards and consistently pressure Duke\u2019s frontcourt, TCU can make this interesting \u2014 especially if foul trouble becomes a factor. It\u2019s also worth noting that while TCU ranks in the\u00a0 top 65 in free-throw attempts, the Horned Frogs shot only 14 against Ohio State. Expect a much more aggressive approach attacking the rim this time around.<\/p>\n At its best, Duke thrives on offensive flow, and it starts with Cameron Boozer. TCU will throw multiple defenders at him, but Boozer has the edge in those matchups. The question is who steps up alongside him. His twin, Cayden Boozer, delivered with 19 points and five assists against Sienna, while Isaiah Evans contributed 16 points and 10 rebounds despite struggling from deep. For Duke to separate, it will need another piece \u2014 whether it\u2019s Dame Sarr, Maliq Brown or Nikolas Khamenia \u2014 making timely plays on both ends. \u2014 Tobias Bass, staff editor<\/p>\n No. 2 Houston vs. No. 10 Texas A&M<\/p>\n 6:10 p.m. ET, TNT<\/p>\n Houston enters this matchup with a top-15 offense and a top-5 defense, per KenPom, but here\u2019s the reality \u2014 Texas A&M can\u2019t afford to sit back. The Aggies have to be aggressive.<\/p>\n Yes, the analytics say Houston is elite on defense, but the Cougars haven\u2019t been quite as disruptive as they were a year ago. Teams have found cracks. When opponents shoot 40 percent or better from the field, Houston is just 2-4. That opens the door for an Aggies team that ranks top 55 in 3-point percentage and top 50 in offensive efficiency. Playing timid won\u2019t cut it \u2014 especially with an Aggies defense that is giving up 78.7 points per game. This game will require Texas A&M to score, plain and simple.<\/p>\n The challenge? Finishing inside won\u2019t come easy. Former Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year JoJo Tugler is a force at the rim, so the Aggies will need to lean heavily on their perimeter shooting.<\/p>\n Houston counters with one of the most dangerous backcourts in the country \u2014 a three-headed monster featuring projected top-seven pick Kingston Flemings (16.4 points per game), Emanuel Sharp (15.3) and Milos Uzan (11.1).<\/p>\n Flemings, in particular, is relentless. He lives in the paint and can get to his spots whenever he wants. You\u2019re not stopping him, you\u2019re just hoping to slow him down.<\/p>\n Still, Texas A&M has enough firepower to make this interesting. Rashaun Agee leads the way with 14.9 points per game, and the Aggies have the kind of shooting that can flip a game instantly. If Rylan Griffen and X-factor Pop Isaacs get hot, this is a team capable of knocking down 15-plus 3s out of nowhere.<\/p>\n So the question becomes: Is Saturday the day everything clicks? \u2014 Tobias Bass, staff editor<\/p>\n No. 3 Gonzaga vs. No. 11 Texas<\/p>\n 7:10 p.m. ET, TBS\/truTV<\/p>\n You never quite know which version of Texas will show up. One night, the Longhorns look unstoppable, the next, they struggle to find rhythm. Regardless, they\u2019ve played their way into a Round of 32 showdown with Gonzaga.<\/p>\n Texas brings balance offensively, with four players averaging 13-plus points per game, headlined by NBA prospect Dailyn Swain. The Longhorns rank top 10 nationally in both free-throw attempts and makes and pair that with a top-20 offense. On any given night, that core can erupt \u2014 each capable of dropping 20 and swinging the game.<\/p>\n The concern? Texas doesn\u2019t generate turnovers and lacks consistency in other areas outside of offensive rebounding, making it harder to recover when things go south.<\/p>\n Gonzaga, on the other hand, leans into experience \u2014 and it shows. The Bulldogs are disciplined, rarely turning the ball over, while ranking top 10 in defensive efficiency and 31st in offense. Third-team All-American Graham Ike anchors them with 19.7 points and 8.2 rebounds per game, setting the tone physically and offensively.<\/p>\n This is a tough, physical Gonzaga group that thrives inside, ranking 17th in 2-point efficiency.<\/p>\n The deciding factor could come down to the glass. Texas is 13-1 when it secures 36 or more rebounds, but only five teams have managed to hit that mark against Gonzaga this season.<\/p>\n If Texas can impose its physicality and win the rebounding battle, the upset is very much in play. Either way, this is one of the more underrated matchups of the round. \u2014 Tobias Bass, staff editor<\/p>\n No. 11 VCU vs. No. 3 Illinois<\/p>\n 7:50 p.m. ET, CBS<\/p>\n