Order returned to the NCAA tournament in time to produce a Sweet 16 filled with bluebloods and red hots.
March Madness is best when chaos reigns early and form holds late.
We want upsets to fuel the first weekend and heavyweights to carry us home.
Arkansas Little Rock over Purdue is great theater in the round of 64, but we’ll take Kansas and North Carolina for the title, thankyouverymuch.
Thus far, March Madness has conjured the best of both worlds. There were 10 victories by double-digit seeds in the first round, a tournament record.
But the favorites rallied over the weekend, with higher seeds winning 13 of the 16 games.
The end result is a tantalizing Sweet 16 headlined by four of the grandest names in the game: North Carolina, Duke, Kansas and Indiana, which have combined for 18 national titles.
Joining that quartet are stalwarts like Syracuse, Wisconsin, Villanova and Gonzaga, the lowest seed (No. 11) to reach the tournament’s second week.
Then there’s Texas A&M, which rallied from 12 points down with 44 seconds left to force overtime and outlast Northern Iowa.
Let’s assess the survivors:
1. North Carolina: If guards Joel Berry II and Marcus Paige play as well as they have, the loaded Tar Heels will be tough to beat. Very, very tough. Next: vs. Indiana.
2. Kansas: The tournament’s No. 1 overall seed has been as impressive as North Carolina. Tar Heels given the edge here because their ceiling is higher when all systems humming. Next: vs. Maryland.
3. Indiana: Victory over Kentucky warrants instant respect, but it only gets tougher this week. Hoosiers go from one powerhouse to another. Next: vs. North Carolina.
4. Virginia: Looked the part of a No. 1 seed, but we can’t avoid nagging feeling that Cavaliers will short circuit on offense this week for a long, and costly, stretch. Next: vs. Iowa State.
5. Villanova: It’s all icing from here for a program that lost in the round of 32 the past two years — as a No. 1 and 2 seed, no less. Next: vs. Miami.
6. Oregon: The last Pac-12 team standing needed a late push and clutch shooting from freshman Tyler Dorsey to escape St. Joseph’s and preserve a morsel of pride for the battered conference. Next: vs. Duke.
7. Duke: Better believe CBS and Turner executives were nervous as Yale pulled within four points in the final minute. But the Blue Devils, and the TV ratings, survived. Next: vs. Oregon.
8. Miami: Quietly turned in one of the best offensive showings of the weekend with 55 percent shooting from the field against Wichita State’s smothering defense. Next: vs. Villanova.
9. Oklahoma: Guard Buddy Hield showed why he’s the nation’s top player against VCU (29 points in the second half). But he needs help in order for the Sooners to survive the West regional. Next: vs. Texas A&M.
10. Syracuse: Coach Jim Boeheim makes the Sweet 16 for the 17th time in his illustrious/infamous career. Whether the Orange deserved a bid or not is inconsequential. It’s making the most of the opportunity. Next: vs. Gonzaga.
11. Iowa State: Forward Georges Niang scored 28 points in each of ISU’s wins as the Cyclones made amends for their early exit last season. Next: vs. Virginia.
12. Gonzaga: Go figure: Zags making one of their deepest NCAA runs after one of their most disappointing regular seasons. Scoring not an issue with Kyle Wiltjer and Domantas Sabonis. It’s all about the defense. Next: vs. Syracuse.
13. Texas A&M: The miracle entry in the Sweet 16 after stunning Northern Iowa. Now the Aggies face one of their former Big 12 rivals while carrying the flag for the SEC. Next: vs. Oklahoma.
14. Maryland: Challenged early, the Terps took control late against Hawaii to set up a showdown of the Nos. 3 and 4 teams in The Associated Press preseason poll. Next: vs. Kansas.
15. Notre Dame: Sure the Irish benefitted from good fortune against Stephen F. Austin. But they’re well coached, have a terrific guard (Demetrius Jackson) and could very well end up in the Elite Eight. Next: vs. Wisconsin.
16. Wisconsin: In the Sweet 16 for the fifth time in six years after a last-second dagger from guard Bronson Koenig propelled the Badgers past Xavier. Next: vs. Notre Dame.
For more on college sports, see Jon Wilner’s College Hotline at blogs.mercurynews.com/collegesports. Contact him at jwilner@mercurynews.com or 408-920-5716.
