NCAA Tournament: Kentucky, Michigan State to Elite 8

The Huskies jumped out to a 36-26 lead by halftime, led by 22 combined points from Napier and Boatright. Hogue led the Cyclones in the first 20 minutes with nine points.

And Daniels did this:

A pair of Zak Irvin three-pointers has Mitch McGary pretty excited. It’s nice to be excited about things.

Tennessee and Michigan start the action at 7:15 p.m. ET. The Volunteers are the lowest seed that will play on Friday. As a No. 11 seed, they have beaten No. 6 Massachusetts and No. 14 Mercer in their bracket. No. 2 Michigan presents the biggest test for the Vols thus far. Connecticut and Iowa State will play at the same time.

The most anticipated Sweet 16 game will tip off at 9:45 p.m., when Kentucky and Louisville take the court. The two bitter rivals will meet with a spot in the Elite Eight on the line. Meanwhile, at 9:57 p.m., Michigan State and Virginia, two of the best teams in the tournament, will tip off.

The Golden Age of Virginia basketball occurred years a decade most of the current roster was born. Ralph Sampson led the Hoos to three straight Sweet 16 appearances from 1981-1983, and Virginia re-appeared in the Round of 16 without their vaunted center the following season. But in the 20 years since that great run, Virginia has reached that plateau just four more times. You would be hard-pressed to find a more frustrated fan base in the last three decades, one that is four games away from its first national title.

The name of the game is defense, and if the Hoos are going to survive four more games, they are going to have to be grueling. According to stat-cruncher Ken Pomeroy, Virginia has the fifth-best defensive squad in the country and fourth overall. Pomeroy also has the Cavs as sixth-slowest team in the nation, using fewer possessions than any other team remaining in the Big Dance. The eye test flushes out most of this, with Virginia opponents appearing to be carrying water coolers on their backs in the second half of games.

Friday’s Sweet 16 games feature an in-state rivalry, a pair of style clashes and a battle between power-conference tournament winners. If the first three rounds of the NCAA Tournament are at all predictive of how the next few rounds will play out, college basketball fans will remember this as one of the most exciting tournaments in the history of the event.

Here are the matchups that will be instrumental in determining who reaches the Elite 8.