NCAA Tournament: Elite Eight tip off times released
The Elite Eight field is set, and not a single No. 1 seed remains for the first time since seeding the teams became commonplace at the end of the 1970s. With Alabama and Houston losing in the Sweet Sixteen — along with Purdue and Kansas failing to make it — the highest remaining seed still alive in whole field is Texas.
While the Longhorns looked formidable in a thorough drubbing of Xavier, they run into a Miami team that torched Houston for a season-high 89 points on Friday to get to the Elite Eight. That’s 33 more points than the Cougars normally give up. But the Longhorns poured in 83 against the Musketeers.
Either way, the winner of the Midwest region will be a deep squad with the ability to score form every level.
In the East region, Florida Atlantic eyes a first-ever Final Four appearance to continue a historic run. But to do that, the Owls will have to find a way to slow down fireplug Wildcats guard Marquise Nowell. Nowell dazzled in the Sweet Sixteen, scoring 20 points and adding 19 assists — an NCAA Tournament record — as Michigan State’s guards struggled to keep up defensively. Between Nowell and Keyontae Johnson, Kansas State has plenty to keep Florida Atlantic’s hands full with a Final Four trip in the balance.
Perhaps the single best matchup of the tournament so far, and featuring two teams playing excellent basketball right now, will determine the winner of the West region when Gonzaga and UConn square off.
The Bulldogs are coming off a survival against UCLA but looked every bit the part of a contender against the hard-nosed Bruins. And the Huskies have been lights out in the tournament, winning their three tournament games by an average of 24 points.
And in the South region, the top overall seed is not in the dance any longer after San Diego State pulled off the upset of No. 1 Alabama and secured a first-ever berth in the Elite Eight. There, the Aztecs will take on Creighton. And the only way to juice up the stakes on a trip to the Final Four?
The winner of the South region will be headed to the programs first ever, be it Creighton or San Diego State coming out unscathed.
Check out the full four-game Elite Eight schedule below.
All times are Eastern.
NCAA Tournament Elite Eight TV Assignment: East Region (New York)
No. 3 Kansas State vs. No. 9 Florida Atlantic — March 25, 6:09 p.m. (TBS)
NCAA Tournament Elite Eight TV Assignment: West Region (Las Vegas)
No. 3 Gonzaga vs. No. 4 UConn — March 25, 8:49 p.m. (TBS)
NCAA Tournament Elite Eight TV Assignment: South Region (Louisville)
No. 5 San Diego State vs. No. 6 Creighton — March 26, 2 p.m. (CBS)