March Madness upset picks 2024: 3 high seeds that aren't safe in Sweet 16

The Sweet 16 has arrived in the NCAA Tournament and there is a lot of high-caliber basketball on tap. Thanks to a lack of upsets on the first weekend, a lot of the nation's best teams are still dancing with a trip to the Elite Eight on the line.

Even though we don't have a bona fide Cinderella candidate left in the field it doesn't mean the chalk will continue to hold in March Madness.

Let's take a look at three high seeds in danger of getting picked off in the Sweet 16, starting with the No. 1 from the South Region.

3 High seeds in danger of upsets in the Sweet 16

No. 1 Houston Cougars

Many college basketball fans were fast asleep by the end of the Houston-Texas A&M game and it was hard to blame them as Houston built an 81-69 lead in the final two minutes before the Aggies put up 17 points in 1:17 to tie the game, including a buzzer-beating three to force overtime. The Cougars survived to advance to Dallas for the Sweet 16 but the overall physical nature of the game exposed a lack of depth from Houston, which needed a walk-on to hit the game-icing free throws after four starters fouled out.

Duke is set to face the Cougars in the Sweet 16 and put on a physical display in Brooklyn as they bullied a James Madison team that physically outclassed Wisconsin two days earlier. Elite guard play has carried the Blue Devils so far as Tyrese Proctor and Jared McCain have had huge performances, creating a formula for an upset if the deeper Blue Devils can get into another bruising battle with Houston.

No. 2 Tennessee Volunteers

In an ideal world teams that are in the Sweet 16 are hitting their stride and clicking on all cylinders. That certainly has not been the case for Tennessee, which dropped its final two games prior to the NCAA Tournament and fought tooth-and-nail to get past 7-seed Texas in the Round of 32.

Next up for the Volunteers is 3-seed Creighton, which won a double-overtime affair against Oregon thanks to plenty of clutch shotmaking from their terrific trio of Ryan Kalkbrenner, Baylor Scheierman and Trey Alexander. While Dalton Knect is a walking bucket for Tennessee, they may not have the firepower to keep up with the Bluejays if their shots are falling.

No. 1 Purdue

This pick may seem surprising since Purdue star Zach Edey has been a game-wrecker over the first two games of the NCAA Tournament. Edey was unstoppable down low and on the glass, helping the Boilermakers easily reach the Sweet 16, but a stiffer test awaits them in Detroit as the Boilermakers are set to take on Gonzaga.

These teams met earlier in the regular season, with Purdue winning by double digits in Maui, so Bulldogs' head coach Mark Few has seen what didn't work against the Boilermakers and can adapt a new plan to slow down Edey. Purdue has also shown a propensity to struggle in tight games, often getting away from the play that got them early leads during the regular season, and if Gonzaga can keep it close they may have more mental toughness than the Boilermakers to seal an upset.