NCAA Tournament: Sweet Sixteen Power Rankings
Teams 3 and 4
Sweet Sixteen Appearance: Fourth (First since 2014)
Head Coach: Scott Drew, 279-178 (14th Season)
Top Players: F Johnathan Motley: 17.3 ppg, 9.9 rpg, 1.1 bpg (First Team Big 12); G Manu Lecomte: 12.3 ppg, 3.9 apg (Big 12 Newcomer of the Year); G Ishmail Wainright: 5.7 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 1.7 spg (Big 12 Defensive Team).
How they got here: Baylor opened the first round by beating 14-seed New Mexico State 91-73. They followed that up with a 82-78 victory over 11-seed USC in the second round.
Best Case Scenario: Baylor continues to find ways to win and reminds everyone of the team that earlier in the season was undefeated and ranked No. 1. They crush South Carolina and Florida in the Sweet 16 and Elite 8, respectively.
In their first Final Four since 1950, the Bears beat Gonzaga and move on to face North Carolina in the National Championship Game. Isaiah Hicks dunks over Johnathan Motley to win the game for the Tar Heels.
Sweet Sixteen Appearance: 11th (First since 2014)
Head Coach: Mike White, 47-23 (Second Season)
Top Players: G KeVaughn Allen: 13.4 ppg, 1.3 spg (First Team SEC); G Kasey Hill: 9.7 ppg, 4.5 apg, 1.7 spg (Second Team SEC); G Canyon Barry: 11.8 ppg, 2.9 rpg (SEC Sixth Man of the Year).
How they got here: Florida opened the first round by beating 13-seed East Tennessee State 80-65. They followed that up with a 65-39 victory over 5-seed Virginia in the second round.
Best Case Scenario: Florida continues to play smothering defense and shuts down the Badgers in the Sweet 16 and Baylor in the Elite 8. They then run into “press Virginia” and force the Mountaineers into multiple turnovers of their own.
The Gators run into UNC in the National Championship Game. There, they have a rematch of the 2000 Final Four game that Florida won. This time they come up just short and fall to the Tar Heels in the final minute.