Ranking the Sweet 16

The race for the national championship has been whittled down from 364 teams to just 16 as we head into the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament.

While this year's event lacked Cinderella upsets in the opening two rounds, the reward is a loaded Sweet 16 with all teams hailing from major conferences.

Here's how we rank the remaining 16 squads heading into Thursday's action.

1. Duke

Results: 93-49 vs. No. 16 Mount St. Mary's, 89-66 vs. No. 9 Baylor
Average winning margin: 34.5 points

Duke crushed Mount St. Mary's and Baylor thus far, winning by an average of 34.5 points. The story through the opening weekend is undoubtedly Tyrese Proctor, with the junior guard fully on NBA Jam mode through two games. According to college basketball statistician Jared Berson, Proctor became the first player in NCAA Tournament history to make at least six 3-pointers on at least 75% 3-point shooting in consecutive games.

2. Houston

Results: 78-40 vs. No. 16 SIU Edwardsville, 81-76 vs. No. 8 Gonzaga
Average winning margin: 21.5 points

Houston rolled in the opening round before ending Gonzaga's consecutive Sweet 16 streak at nine Saturday. We've known Kelvin Sampson's team gets after you defensively, but it's the offense - most notably L.J. Cryer - that carried the Cougars past the Bulldogs. Expect a hostile atmosphere in the Sweet 16 with Purdue's campus just 70 miles from Indianapolis.

3. Auburn

Results: 83-63 vs. No. 16 Alabama State, 82-70 vs. No. 9 Creighton
Average winning margin: 16 points

Auburn has somehow posted an average winning margin of 16 points through two rounds despite looking largely pedestrian. Star forward Johni Broome struggled versus Creighton 7-foot-1 center Ryan Kalkbrenner, making only 4-of-13 shots, but the team's depth carried the day. The challenge remains tall - literally - in the next round as Michigan boasts a pair of 7-footers in Vlad Goldin and Danny Wolf.

4. Florida

Results: 95-69 vs. No. 16 Norfolk State, 77-75 vs. No. 8 UConn
Average winning margin: 14 points

Walter Clayton Jr. lifted Florida past UConn with some clutch shotmaking in the final minutes to eliminate the two-time defending champions. That came on the heels of a dominant offensive performance in the opening round. When Florida is in full flight, there's no better team to watch in the sport. However, the Huskies showed you can muck it up with the Gators and keep things close as a result. That's probably the blueprint Maryland will attempt to follow in the Sweet 16.

5. Tennessee

Results: 77-62 vs. No. 15 Wofford, 67-58 vs. No. 7 UCLA
Average winning margin: 12 points

Perhaps the biggest compliment we can give Tennessee through two rounds is that you really haven't had to watch any of the team's games. The Volunteers have handled their business with ease from the jump, holding halftime leads of nine and seven points. Tennessee's defense is undoubtedly championship-worthy, but the 11-for-22 shooting performance from deep versus UCLA shows the offense might also be up to the task. The next challenge will be a chance at redemption with a third meeting of the season against Kentucky.

6. Michigan State

Results: 87-62 vs. No. 15 Bryant, 71-63 vs. No. 10 New Mexico
Average scoring margin: 16.5 points

Tom Izzo's tough mentality was on full display Sunday versus New Mexico with Michigan State getting to the foul line a whopping 28 times. The 19 points scored there ended up being the difference as the Lobos added just five from the free-throw line in the loss. KenPom's fifth-ranked defense now faces the task of slowing down an Ole Miss team that just hung 91 points on Iowa State.

7. Kentucky

Results: 76-57 vs. No. 14 Troy, 84-75 vs. No. 6 Illinois
Average winning margin: 14 points

Gone are the days of stressful early rounds for Kentucky under John Calipari, with the Wildcats cruising to the Sweet 16 in the first season under Mark Pope. Kentucky's veteran-laden roster has shone defensively - including in an eye-opening 14-steal performance versus Illinois. The Wildcats now look to beat Tennessee for the third time this season and make the program's first Elite Eight since 2019.

8. Alabama

Results: 90-81 vs. No. 15 Robert Morris, 80-66 vs. No. 7 Saint Mary's
Average winning margin: 11.5 points

Alabama without Grant Nelson actually trailed with 7 minutes to play in the opening round against Robert Morris. The Crimson Tide with the star forward erased that deficit, won by nine, then completely outclassed Saint Mary's on the weekend. If Nelson is healthy enough to play serious minutes, the Tide could push to the Final Four. If he isn't, BYU could pull the upset Thursday.

9. Michigan

Results: 68-65 vs. No. 12 UC San Diego, 91-79 vs. No. 4 Texas A&M
Average winning margin: 7.5 points

Of course Michigan won a close game in the opening round. The three-point triumph over No. 12 UC San Diego was the program's 13th victory by four or fewer points this season - the second team since World War II to hit that mark in one campaign. However, it's the double-digit Round of 32 win over No. 4 Texas A&M that has the Wolverines dreaming about a Sweet 16 upset of top-ranked Auburn.

10. Purdue

Results: 75-63 vs. No. 13 High Point, 76-62 vs. No. 12 McNeese State
Average winning margin: 13 points

Purdue has looked comfortable with two double-digit wins while also facing the easiest path to the Sweet 16 of any team in the bracket. Thanks to McNeese State's upset of No. 5 Clemson in the Round of 64, the Boilermakers have yet to face a top-11 seed. However, things are about to quickly get real for Purdue with No. 1 Houston next on the slate. One bonus for the Big Ten program is the game will be just down the road from Purdue's West Lafayette, Indiana, campus.

11. Ole Miss

Results: 71-64 vs. No. 11 North Carolina, 91-78 vs. No. 3 Iowa State
Average winning margin: 10 points

From a basketball history perspective, Ole Miss might be the most surprising team in this year's Sweet 16. It had been 24 years since the Rebels made it past the first weekend, and they did so this year with a shocking rout of No. 3 Iowa State. Ole Miss blew the doors off the Cyclones with an outrageous 11-for-19 performance from beyond the arc, but that will be near-impossible to replicate in the Sweet 16 against Michigan State. The Spartans lead the country in 3-point defense, allowing just 27% shooting on the season.

12. Arkansas

Results: 79-72 vs. No. 7 Kansas, 75-66 vs. No. 2 St. John's
Average winning margin: 8 points

Arkansas is the worst team remaining in the tournament in KenPom's efficiency rankings, but its resume so far moves it up the list. No team has faced a tougher path than John Calipari's program, and it has passed with flying colors. The Razorbacks have defeated two Hall of Fame coaches in Bill Self and Rick Pitino by taking the games over down the stretch. Boogie Fland's return has brought stability to a team with plenty of scoring firepower.

13. Arizona

Results: 93-65 vs. No. 13 Akron, 87-83 vs. No. 5 Oregon
Average winning margin: 16 points

Arizona's fans likely didn't love the roller-coaster ride against Oregon. The Wildcats fell way behind in the opening half, roared back to take a lead in the second, then nearly blew that advantage in the dying seconds. However, they held on for the win to give Caleb Love one last matchup with Duke in his illustrious career.

14. Texas Tech

Results: 82-72 vs. No. 14 UNC Wilmington, 77-64 vs. No. 11 Drake
Average winning margin: 11.5 points

The versatility of Texas Tech has been a treat this tournament, with the Red Raiders getting the job done in very different ways. Texas Tech attempted a school-record 46 3-pointers while beating UNC Wilmington in the opening round. The second-round win over Drake was completely different with 50 points in the paint leading the way. If we had to knock Texas Tech's resume, it would be the Red Raiders' lack of quality opponents; the Sweet 16 contest with Arkansas will be its third consecutive tournament game against a double-digit seed.

15. Maryland

Results: 81-49 vs. No. 13 Grand Canyon, 72-71 vs. No. 12 Colorado State
Averaging winning margin: 16.5 points

Maryland looked incredible in the opening round but needed an electric Derik Queen buzzer-beater to get past No. 12 Colorado State. That doesn't bode particularly well with mighty Florida on deck. The Terrapins feature as much top-end talent as almost anybody left in the bracket, but they have yet to face anything remotely close to a contender in this tournament.

16. BYU

Results: 80-71 vs. No. 11 VCU, 91-89 vs. No. 3 Wisconsin
Average winning margin: 5.5 points

Although the Cougars fall last in these rankings, it's important to remember this is the list of college basketball's elite this season. BYU's offense can hang with any team in the country, and it was firing on all cylinders in the Round of 32. The Cougars nearly put up a 50-40-90 game versus Wisconsin, hitting 49% from the field, 46% from deep, and 94% from the line. Few teams can keep up with that level of talent, although Sweet 16 opponent Alabama is certainly one.