ACC Sends Six Teams to the Sweet 16

The first four-day weekend of the NCAA Tournament has come to a close. The field started with 64 teams on Thursday and Sunday was whittled down to just the Sweet 16.

Four games will be played on Thursday and four others Friday which will narrow the field to the Elite Eight. Four of the eight will play Saturday and the other four Sunday. At the end of the weekend just the Final Four will remain.

One question on many people’s minds is how many members of the ACC will be playing in the Final Four. At present, the ACC is having an exceptional tournament with six teams from the conference reaching the Sweet 16.

Left in the tournament from the ACC are North Carolina, Duke, Virginia, Notre Dame, Miami and Syracuse. The only team from the seven in the conference picked to play that lost was Pittsburgh, which was beaten Friday by Wisconsin 47-43.

Since no team in the ACC will face one of its conference foes during the Sweet 16, all eight could conceivably reach the Elite Eight.

The last time so many schools from one conference reached the Sweet 16 was in 2009 when five teams from the Big East reached the Sweet 16 with four moving on to the Elite Eight.

The big question is can Miami handle the offensive power of Villanova, can Duke cool down a hot Oregon team, will North Carolina end Indian’s dreams, will Notre Dame continue its unexpected run, can Syracuse bring to an end Gonzaga’s tournament and can Virginia end the Iowa State march.

Here is the lineup for Thursday and Fridays Sweet 16

Thursday March 24

Kansas vs. Maryland

Region: South

Villanova vs. Miami

Region: South

Oregon vs. Duke

Region: West

Oklahoma vs. Texas A&M

Region: West

Friday March 25

North Carolina vs. Indiana

Region: East

Notre Dame vs. Wisconsin

Region: East

Gonzaga vs. Syracuse

Region: Midwest

Virginia vs. Iowa State

Region: Midwest