A No. 1 seed and two No. 2s did not get past the first weekend.
March Madness lived up to its billing in the opening rounds of
Here’s a few things to watch as the tournament
TOP SEEDS
Gonzaga (1 seed). The Zags needed a while to get going
Arizona (1). These swashbuckling Wildcats have a flair for the dramatic and, as their coach has said, a razor-thin margin for error. But know this: Tommy Lloyd's bunch is fun to watch when they get rolling.
Kansas (1). Another NCAA Tournament, another Sweet 16. That's 32 now for the Jayhawks, who have the type of roster to keep it going.
Duke (2): The Blue Devils had to wrestle out a win
Villanova (2). Any team led by Jay Wright and Collin Gillespie is going to be a tough out.
UNDERDOGS
Saint Peter's. The small
Iowa State. Two wins last season to two opening NCAA Tournament wins. Two more and these scrappy Cyclones will play in the Final Four for the first time since '44.
Miami.
Providence. Ed Cooley's crew is in the Sweet 16 for the first time in 25. They've left bruised and battered opponents in their wake.
Michigan. Usually hard to call the Wolverines an underdog, but they are an 11 seed that barely got into the bracket. The preseason projections of greatness are finally coming to fruition.
KEY PLAYERS
Drew Timme, Gonzaga. Footwork of a ballerina, knows all the angles, lives for the big moments. Great 'stache, too.
Jaden Ivey, Purdue. Anticipation on his drives to the basket is like waiting for a rocket to burst in the air — his dunks are more like explosions.
Bennedict Mathurin, Arizona. Spring loaded and clutch. And don't make him mad —
Doug Edert, Saint Peters. Has turned into a March folk hero with that caterpillar under his lip and penchant for hitting big shots.
Ochai Agbaji, Kansas. Has a knack for making the biggest plays down the stretch.
MUST-SEE GAMES
Gonzaga vs. Arkansas, West Region, Thursday in San Francisco. The Zags wants to play fast. The Muss Bus will look to slow their roll.
North Carolina vs. UCLA, East Region, Friday in Philadelphia. Blue bloods facing off, an Elite Eight spot on the line? Yes, please.
Iowa State vs. Miami, Midwest Region, Friday in Chicago. One of these two defensive-minded upstarts is going to the Elite Eight. First one to 50 may get it.
Texas Tech vs. Duke, West Region, Thursday in San Francisco. The fate of Coach K's farewell tour could be in the diabolical defensive hands of Red Raiders coach Mark Adams.
Arizona vs. Houston, South Region, Thursday in San Antonio. The Wildcats weren't supposed to go this far in their first season under Tommy Lloyd. Neither were the Cougars after losing two starters to injury. Neither is going to give an inch now that they're here.
THE ODDS
A few Sweet 16 odds, according to
Best bet to win the championship: Gonzaga plus-240, Kansas plus-500, Arizona plus-650.
Worst title odds: Saint Peter's plus-35,000, Iowa State plus-10,000, Providence plus-7,500.
Biggest spread: Purdue minus-12.5 over Saint Peter's.
Smallest spread: Duke minus-1 over Texas Tech.
HOW TO WATCH
Thursday, March 24: West Region semifinals in San Francisco on CBS, South in San Antonio on TBS.
Friday, March 25: East Region semifinals in Philadelphia on CBS, Midwest in Chicago on TBS.
Saturday, March 26: West and South regional finals on TBS.
Sunday, March 27: East and Midwest finals on CBS.
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More AP coverage of March Madness: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25
