The downside to a mostly chalky first weekend of the NCAA Tournament is that the basketball going forward should be stellar. Big names litter the Sweet 16 matchups on Thursday and Friday night, with the East Region proving to be a hot ticket as Duke, St. John's, UCONN and Michigan State square off for a chance to go to the Final Four.
There are only eight games in this round spread across both nights, but which should you plan on watching? Here's a look at the storylines you need to pay close attention to as we rank the Sweet 16 games from most to least watchable.
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1. East Region: (1) Duke vs. (5) St. John's - Friday, Mar. 27 at 7:10 p.m. ET on CBS
The headlines write themselves for this game. St. John's is back in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1999 under Rick Pitino and now get to square off against one of their bitter rivals in Duke for a spot in the Elite Eight.
Both teams have shown plenty of vulnerability early on, with Duke struggling to get by Siena in the first round while St. John's perimeter woes nearly let Kansas steal a game they were dominating on Sunday. Cameron Boozer will also get a stiff test against a stacked Red Storm front line featuring Zuby Ejiofor, Dillon Mitchell and Bryce Hopkins in what looks to be an instant classic.
2. East Region: (2) UCONN vs. (3) Michigan State - Friday, Mar. 27 at 9:45 p.m. ET on CBS
Lock in on CBS on Friday night as the East Region's Sweet 16 matchups are incredible. The second game of the night sees UCONN, which has Final Four upside when everything is clicking, take on Tom Izzo's Michigan State Spartans in a true toss up affair.
The Huskies have been inconsistent since January, letting Furman hang around for a while in the first round before Alex Karaban elevated them past UCLA late on Sunday night. The Spartans are a good challenge as a rugged defensive team with an elite point guard in Jeremy Fears Jr, who has a bit of Grayson Allen in his game that could prove to be a powder keg in a close matchup.
3. South Region: (2) Houston vs. (3) Illinois - Thursday, Mar. 26 at 10:05 p.m. ET on TBS/TruTV
Houston will be playing de facto home games this weekend at the Toyota Center and will be the favorites to escape the South Region after Florida was upset on Sunday night. The stiffest test the Cougars will face comes in this game as they face a dangerous Illinois team loaded with shooting and a potential lottery pick in point guard Keaton Wagler.
There is a lot of pressure on Kelvin Sampson to get this team back to the Final Four after a heartbreaking finish in last year's title game against the Gators. The Fighting Illini have shown the ability to beat elite teams thanks to an explosive offense, which should be a good litmus test for the Cougars' traditionally strong defense.
4. West Region: (1) Arizona vs. (4) Arkansas - Thursday, Mar. 26 at 9:45 p.m. ET on CBS
If you are an NBA fan invested in seeing some of the league's future stars, this is the game for you. No. 1 seed Arizona has two potential lottery picks in its rotation, Koa Peat and Braydon Burries, while point guard Jaden Bradley is the conductor for a high-flying group that has seven players averaging at least 8.8 points per game.
The best player in this game, however, is Arkansas point guard Darius Acuff Jr, who has put the Razorbacks on his back in March. Acuff was the difference maker against upset-minded High Point, pouring in 36 points to push Arkansas to this game, and he can enhance his draft stock even more with a strong showing in this contest.
5. Midwest Region: (1) Michigan vs. (4) Alabama - Friday, Mar. 27 at 7:35 p.m. ET on TBS/TruTV
This is the game to circle if you like offense as both Alabama and Michigan can put the ball in the basket with remarkable efficiency. The matchup also offers a contrast in styles as Alabama's perimeter-based play goes up against Michigan's strong front line featuring three skilled forwards in Yaxel Landeborg, Aday Mara and Morez Johnson Jr.
The Wolverines have looked the best of anyone in the tournament so far, easily cruising past Howard and Saint Louis to reach the Sweet 16. Every potential champion has to experience at least one white knuckler on their way to a title and the Crimson Tide have a chance to make things interesting if they are hot from beyond the arc.
6. South Region: (4) Nebraska vs. (9) Iowa - Thursday, Mar. 26 at 7:30 p.m. ET on TBS/TruTV
This matchup is the true dark horse story on paper as few had either of these teams in the mix for a spot in the Elite Eight when the tournament started. Nebraska has reached its first Sweet 16 after surviving a potential buzzer-beater that went halfway down against Vanderbilt while Iowa pulled off the shocker of the tournament when they took down the defending national champs on Sunday in Tampa.
You'll want to check into this one for the intense rivalry, which can be downright nasty between the two fan bases and lead to a ton of drama on the court. Hawkeyes fans stormed the court earlier this season when Iowa upset then-No. 9 Nebraska in February, with former Iowa star Pryce Sandfort now becoming a key player in the Cornhuskers' rotation this season.
7. Midwest Region: (2) Iowa State vs. (6) Tennessee - Friday, Mar. 27 at 10:10 p.m. ET on TBS/TruTV
The main reason that this contest is down here is due to uncertainty surrounding the availability of Cyclones' star Joshua Jefferson, who missed their Round of 32 win over Kentucky due to an ankle injury. Jefferson is hoping to play against Tennessee here, but if he doesn't there is a good chance Rick Barnes can guide the Volunteers back to the Elite Eight.
Stop us if you've heard this before, but another potential NBA lottery pick can be a difference-maker here in the form of Tennessee guard Nate Ament. Injuries have hindered Ament a bit down the stretch but he played well against Virginia on Sunday night, racking up 16 points and four rebounds in 29 minutes of action.
8. West Region - (2) Purdue vs. (11) Texas - Thursday, Mar. 26 at 7:10 p.m. ET on CBS
The first game of the round is arguably the least compelling even though it features the only double-digit seed still dancing. Texas fits no one's definition of a Cinderella but they have earned their way here, becoming just the sixth team to go from the First Four to the Sweet 16 with wins over NC State, BYU and Gonzaga.
Purdue also saw point guard Braden Smith make history early in the tournament, becoming the NCAA's all-time assist king during their first round win over Queens. Fans of how college basketball used to be can also find comfort with the Boilermakers, who largely avoid the transfer portal as head coach Matt Painter prefers to develop his own players, leading to a roster filled with guys who have spen thteir entire college careers in West Lafayette.