March Madness: The most intriguing matchup from each Sweet 16 game

The NCAA Tournament has provided plenty of thrills through one week of action, but while there's been no shortage of tight games and thrilling finishes, for the most part, the top seeds have all navigated their way through the minefield to still be standing tall as the Sweet 16 is set to begin.

For just the fifth time since 1979, and only the third time this century, every No. 1 and 2 seed is still alive with just 16 teams left. Only one double-digit seed remains, meaning that almost across the board, the Sweet 16 features matchups between the very best teams in college basketball.

Only two more wins separate each of the remaining teams from the Final Four. FanSided's own Mike Phillips predicted how the remaining games will play out, but we're doing something different here. Let's cut to the chase and look at one matchup from each Sweet 16 game that will determine which teams will get one step closer to a national championship.

Cam Spencer (UConn) vs. Jaedon LeDee (San Diego State)

The rematch of last year's national title game is an intriguing one. Many of the most important players from that game, such as Adama Sanogo, Andre Jackson Jr., and Jordan Hawkins for UConn and Matt Bradley for San Diego State, are gone, which means penciling in UConn for a repeat of last year's 76-59 victory isn't quite so simple.

The Huskies are even better this year, but San Diego State has made an art form out of being overlooked and succeeding anyway. While it's fair to point out that Brian Dutcher's group beat UAB and Yale, a No. 12 and 13 seed, to reach this point, it also needs to be said that this is a team that is very different than last year.

Most of the Aztecs' top players are back from last year's national runner-up, but whereas that team had no clear alpha dog (San Diego St.'s top six scorers all averaged between 7.4 and 12.6 points per game), this is now clearly Jaedon LeDee's team.

LeDee has nearly tripled his scoring output from a year ago, pacing the team and the Mountain West with 21.5 points per game. For the Aztecs to exact revenge and knock off the heavy favorites to once again cut down the nets, they'll need a transcendent game from their senior leader. The good news for Aztecs fans? LeDee is locked in, having scored 58 points in the first two rounds of the tournament.

Most college basketball fans expected UConn to take a step back after losing Sanogo, Jackson, and Hawkins, but Dan Hurley somehow took his Huskies to new heights with the additions of freshman Stephon Castle and Rutgers transfer Cam Spencer. It's Spencer in particular the Aztecs need to worry about, as his 44 percent clip from three-point range has often been the catalyst for one of UConn's patented game-sealing runs during their 33-3 campaign.

As a team, San Diego State held opponents to only 30.8 percent from deep this year, and much of the credit for that goes to Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year Lamont Butler. There's a good chance that Butler is matched up on Spencer for much of the game, so it'll be up to him to prevent the sharpshooter from getting hot. As important as containing Spencer is, though, LeDee's ability to carry the load on offense is just as critical to the Aztecs' chances. Nobody on San Diego State scored more than 14 points in last year's national title game. LeDee needs to double that.

Terrence Shannon Jr. (Illinois) vs. the Iowa State defense

There may be no player in the country that is playing better than Terrence Shannon right now. The Illinois forward has put up a First Team All-American type of season, but he's been particularly unstoppable lately.

Shannon scored over 100 points in the Illini's three-game Big Ten Tournament title run, and he picked up where he left off in the Big Dance, dropping 26 on Morehead State and 30 on Duquesne. The 6-foot-6 senior is an all-around scorer who can get his points from anywhere on the court, and he's a matchup nightmare for any defense, which is why this matchup is so fascinating.

Iowa State has one of the best team defenses in the country. The Cyclones are stingy from two and from three, but where they really shine is in their ability to take the ball away. Over 25 percent of opponent possessions end in a turnover, which is double the rate of Illinois' defense.

Shannon turned the ball over five times against Duquesne, so even though he's almost certain to get his points, the Cyclones have to feel good about their ability to force him into mistakes, as well. They'll also need to keep him off the foul line, as he's averaged more than 11 free throw attempts per game since the start of the Big Ten Tournament.

It was 21 years ago that another orange-clad scoring machine led a No. 3 seed to a championship. Shannon and the Illini have a lot more in common with Carmelo Anthony and Syracuse than just the color of their uniforms, though, and if Iowa State wants to prevent Shannon and his team from marching on, it will take a total team effort.

RJ Davis (UNC) vs. Mark Sears (Alabama)

The NCAA Tournament is all about guard play, and no Sweet 16 matchup features a more compelling battle in the backcourt than Carolina-Alabama. RJ Davis and Mark Sears have been two of the best players in the country all year, and their clash will go a long way in determining which team advances to the West regional final.

Let's begin with Davis. An integral part of the team that came within a few points of a national championship two years ago, the ACC Player of the Year has improved each year he's been in Chapel Hill. Davis is often one of the smallest players on the court, but he has a big game. He's shooting over 41 percent from three and over 87 percent from the line on the season, and he also boasts one of the college game's best mid-range jumpers. Whenever the Tar Heels fall behind, as they did early against Michigan State, Davis is there to bring them back.

Alabama boasts arguably the most efficient offense in the nation, and it all runs through Mark Sears. The senior lefty is like a mirror image of Davis, with nearly identical stats. The Crimson Tide's leader raised his scoring average by nine points a game from last year, and his 43.5 percent mark from deep and 85.8 percent clip from the line are both near the top of the SEC.

Both guards love to get out and run, but they're also both tireless competitors who play over 33 minutes per game. This contest will feature a breakneck pace and a lot of points, and whichever of the two smallest players on the court plays the biggest will move on to the Elite Eight.

Oumar Ballo (Arizona) vs. PJ Hall and Ian Schieffelin (Clemson)

Few people expected Clemson to be in the Sweet 16, but the Tigers have earned their spot by jumping on New Mexico early and hanging on against a resilient Baylor team. Arizona withstood a second-half run from Dayton to reach the Sweet 16 for the second time under head coach Tommy Lloyd, and now one of these teams will advance to within one game of the Final Four.

It's tempting to choose the matchup between Pac-12 Player of the Year Caleb Love and Chase Hunter as the one to watch. Love has made the most of his new lease on life after transferring from North Carolina and luckily avoiding the dumpster fire that was Michigan this season. Hunter has been the kind of steady senior guard that teams need in the tournament, but for most of the year he's taken a back seat to First Team All-ACC player PJ Hall, and even at times to backcourt mate Joe Girard. Hunter has really found his footing in the tournament, though, scoring 21 points against New Mexico and 20 against Baylor, while handing out six assists in each game.

Love versus Hunter is sure to produce fireworks, but we're going with the battle down low that will determine the outcome in this one. Hall is the Tigers' best player, but it was Schieffelin who wore the Baylor frontcourt out, notching 11 points and nine rebounds as his chef hat-wearing cheering section went wild.

Clemson will need Hall and Schieffelin to both be operating at peak efficiency, because Arizona's Oumar Ballo is a problem on both ends. Ballo averages 12.9 points and 10 rebounds per game, and he's the anchor of the Wildcats' 10th-ranked (according to KenPom) defense. The 7-footer wasn't much of a factor against Dayton and its three-point-centric attack, but against Clemson, he'll be a focal point.

Hall's ability to step outside and knock down the occasional three could drag Ballo out of the paint, giving the Tigers a chance to hang tough in the rebounding battle, a necessity if they want to pull the upset. On the other end of the court, Ballo could take advantage of Hall's propensity for foul trouble. Hall has fouled out of seven games this year, including on Sunday against Baylor. Schieffelin is a blue-collar workhorse of a player, but if Hall gets into foul trouble and needs to sit, being left on an island with Ballo is going to be an issue.

Jamal Shead and LJ Cryer (Houston) vs. Jeremy Roach and Jared McCain (Duke)

This game is shaping up to be a battle of the backcourts. Shead and Roach are the floor generals and senior leaders of their respective teams, while Cryer (Baylor transfer) and McCain (freshman) are newcomers who are high-volume sharpshooters.

Houston has the edge defensively, especially with Shead, who is as tenacious an on-ball defender as there is in the country. Roach is a perfect foil, a point guard equally comfortable driving and dishing as he is launching from deep, where he shoots nearly 44 percent.

Duke's offense begins with Roach. He has a 2.5-1 assist-to-turnover ratio on the year, but that will be tested by Shead's smothering D. That could put the ball in McCain's hands earlier in the shot clock, but the freshman has been up to the task of whatever head coach Jon Scheyer throws his way this year. He's a deadeye shooter who is especially potent on the fast break, and if the Cougars didn't already know that they need to key on him, they do now after seeing the 30 points he dropped on James Madison.

Shead willed his team to victory over Texas A&M last round, and if the Cougars advance yet again, it will likely be because of his heart and toughness. Nearly the entire Houston starting five fouled out against the Aggies, leaving Shead to bear the ballhandling and free throw-shooting burden nearly by himself as the game went to overtime, where he too eventually fouled out with just 18 seconds to go.

Cryer's performance has often been a bellwether of whether Houston wins or loses. In three of the Cougars' four losses, the senior has been held to 25 percent shooting or worse, with the lone exception being a loss to Kansas at Phog Allen Fieldhouse in early February. Houston doesn't always lose if Cryer is off his game, but if he's on, they almost always win.

One factor that could tilt this matchup in Duke's favor is Kyle Filipowski. The 7-footer is a matchup problem for anyone, but especially for Houston, whose tallest player is only 6-foot-8. If Filipowski can get in the lane and draw the defense to him, it could spring Roach and McCain for open looks from outside.

Filipowski isn't just a ticket to the Elite Eight, however. Duke lost both games it played this year to North Carolina, a team whose defense ranks sixth in efficiency according to KenPom. Houston's is even better, so if Kelvin Sampson's group can lock Duke down, the Cougs could find themselves in their third Elite Eight in four years.

Marquette's pace vs. NC State's half-court offense

There are fascinating individual matchups to consider when the Golden Eagles take on the Wolfpack, such as Tyler Kolek vs. DJ Horne or Oso Ighodaro vs. DJ Burns. This feels like a game where the winner will be decided not by one player versus another, but by which team can force the other to play its style of game.

Marquette thrives on chaos. Like most Shaka Smart teams, they like to play fast, create turnovers, and get out and run. The Golden Eagles force nearly 15 turnovers a game, and with Tyler Kolek at the helm, they have a point guard who can turn those turnovers into easy points.

NC State is comfortable running, as they have a trio of guards who can handle the ball. What the Wolfpack really likes to do, though, is slow things down and play half-court basketball. NC State ranks just outside the top 10 percent of the country in offensive efficiency not because they shoot well (they don't) nor because they shoot a lot of threes or free throws (they don't), nor because they grab a large share of offensive rebounds (still nope), but because when they have the ball, they get a shot up.

State rarely turns the ball over, a simple fact that makes them perfectly suited to withstand the pressure that Marquette loves to exact on foes. The perfect Wolfpack offensive possession features DJ Horne taking the ball up, feeding the ball to DJ Burns in the post, and then letting the big man go to work. Burns has a soft touch around the rim and is a terrific passer for a man his size. That size (he's listed at 6-foot-9, 275 pounds but seems even heftier than that) is impossible to deal with alone, and Ighodaro, who is listed at 40 pounds lighter than Burns, is going to need help to stop him.

This game is a matchup between the tortoise and the hare. Marquette will try to speed State up and force uncharacteristic mistakes, while State will try to methodically run their sets. Whichever team succeeds more will be the one moving on to face the winner of Houston and Duke.

Matt Painter (Purdue) vs. Mark Few (Gonzaga)

This is another game that feels bigger than just the players on the court. Both Purdue and Gonzaga are loaded with talent to be sure, with guys like Zach Edey, Ryan Nembhard, Braden Smith, and Graham Ike all set to heavily factor into the outcome. It's the coaches on the sideline that interest me in this one, though.

Matt Painter has turned Purdue into one of the most consistently powerful teams in the country. The Boilermakers have won at least 29 games in each of the last three years, improving from a 4-seed in the NCAA Tournament in 2021, to a 3-seed in 2022, to a 2-seed last year, to a 1-seed this year. All of that success has been overshadowed, though, by what has become a terrible March tradition: losing in the tournament to a double-digit seed.

The list of teams that have knocked Purdue out of the tournament in recent years is not exactly filled with blue bloods. North Texas (No. 14 seed), St. Peter's (No. 15 seed), and Fairleigh Dickinson (No. 16 seed) have all claimed a Purdue Pete scalp, which has led to real questions on whether Painter can ever lead his team to the promised land.

Mark Few has faced these questions himself, having worn the crown of "Best Coach to Never Win a National Title" for years now. Few has made Gonzaga a consistent winner, though, leading the Zags to nine-straight Sweet 16s and two national runner-up finishes. Painter has reached one Elite Eight, and if he can't get this team, which features soon-to-be two-time National Player of the Year Zach Edey as its centerpiece, to at least the Final Four, those questions will reach a fever pitch.

These teams met in the Maui Invitational to start the year, and Purdue emerged victorious, 73-63. Gonzaga has improved as the season has gone on though, so this result is anything but a foregone conclusion. Nembhard helped lead Creighton to the Elite Eight last year, and Gonzaga looked incredible in dispatching Kansas with ease in the second round. Can Painter overcome his tournament demons, or will Few get one step closer to the ultimate prize?

Dalton Knecht (Tennessee) vs. everybody (Creighton)

We spoke already about Terrence Shannon being the kind of player that is capable of carrying a team to a Final Four, comparing him to Carmelo Anthony on that fantastic 2003 Syracuse team. Don't look now, but there's one more guy wearing orange in this tournament who has the goods to put a team on his back.

For my money, no player in the country is as good when he's feeling it as Dalton Knecht. The Northern Colorado transfer has been the man since his first game with the Volunteers, and he's the primary reason why they could reach the program's first Final Four since 1980.

Knecht is capable of scoring 40 on anyone, and he can do it in a variety of ways. He shoots 39 percent from deep, he can drive and finish with either hand, he can get to the foul line, and he has the size to shoot over anybody.

Creighton has a defense that can make life as difficult for Knecht as any he's faced this year. Head coach Greg McDermott likely knows that he can't guard Knecht straight up with only Baylor Scheierman or Trey Alexander, so expect him to overplay the sweet-shooting forward on the perimeter and funnel him inside, where three-time Big East Defensive Player of the Year Ryan Kalkbrenner will be waiting. The 7-foot-1 senior is the biggest reason why the Bluejays are so stingy on two-pointers and so strong on the defensive glass. Creighton also fouls less than any team in the country, meaning Knecht won't be getting easy points at the line.

On the other end, Creighton is a prolific three-point shooting team, both in terms of attempts and makes. Seven different Bluejays are willing and able shooters, and Scheierman, Alexander, and Steven Ashworth all made at least four threes against Oregon last round.

Knecht isn't a one-man team. Zakai Zeigler, Josiah-Jordan James, and Joseph Aidoo are all very good players, but if Rick Barnes is going to get back to his second Final Four, it's going to have to be Knecht who leads him there.