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The 2023 NCAA Tournament resumed on Thursday with the Sweet 16 taking center stage, and the four-game slate gave college basketball fans a little bit of everything as we get down to the nitty gritty in March Madness. We saw games that will be considered instant classics, an underdog moving one step closer toward an improbable Final Four berth and a traditional power that continued to reestablish itself as a force to be reckoned with.
The Sweet 16 slate started off with all the fireworks as Kansas State outlasted Michigan State in overtime behind a historic performance from guard Markquis Nowell. The second game of the early window was less exciting, however, as UConn advanced to the Elite Eight in the West Region by drubbing Arkansas. In the late window, FAU kept its dream season alive by surging past Tennessee on the biggest stage of Madison Square Garden before UCLA and Gonzaga gave us another classic meeting for the memory banks with the Zags pulling out a 79-76 win behind a Julian Strawther 3-pointer with six seconds left.
Half of the Elite Eight field is now set with four more teams set to punch their tickets on Friday.
Big Ten's rough tournament
Michigan State down went down with a fight, but when the Spartans fell in overtime against Kansas State, it ended the Big Ten's representation in the NCAA Tournament. The league put eight teams into the Big Dance, but none of them will be playing in the Elite Eight. It also means this will be the fourth NCAA Tournament in a row without a Big Ten team in the Final Four. The league still has Wisconsin playing into the NIT semifinals, but that hardly atones for what is another disappointing showing from the league in the postseason.
SEC struggles
The SEC did well to place three teams into the Sweet 16, but both who were in action Thursday departed with uninspiring performances. Arkansas never led against UConn and looked woefully overmatched while Tennessee lost to FAU, a No. 9 seed, because of another offensively lifeless performance. No. 1 overall seed Alabama is still kicking, but entering their Friday contest against San Diego State, the Crimson Tide are officially the SEC's last hope in the NCAA Tournament.
New title winner
With Michigan State's elimination from the field, the coach of the 2023 national champions is guaranteed to be a first-time national title winner. Of the 12 teams still alive entering Friday's slate of four Sweet 16 games, none have ever won titles as a head coach. Furthermore, only three of the 12 still coaching made CBS Sports' preseason list of the profession's Top 25 And 1 coaches. They were Mark Few of Gonzaga (No. 2), Kelvin Sampson of Houston (No. 5) and Greg McDermott of Creighton (No. 25). However, after such strong seasons and deep postseason runs, it wouldn't be a stunner if the likes of Nate Oats (Alabama), Jerome Tang (Kansas State), Dan Hurley (UConn), Sean Miller (Xavier) and Jim Larranaga (Miami) make next year's list.
2023 NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 TV schedule
All times Eastern | NCAA Tournament schedule | LIVE bracket
Thursday, March 23
- (3) Kansas State 98, (7) Michigan State 93 -- Nowell powers Wildcats in OT classic
- (4) UConn 88, (8) Arkansas 65 -- Huskies trounce Razorbacks, advance to Elite Eight
- (9) FAU 62, (4) Tennessee 55 -- Owls continue dancing into Elite Eight
- (3) Gonzaga 79, (2) UCLA 76 -- Zags rally late to stun Bruins, advance to Elite Eight
CBS Sports was with you the entire way updating this story with the latest from every Sweet 16 game on Thursday.
