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And then there were eight.
Just eight teams remain in the NCAA Tournament following Sweet Sixteen games on Thursday and Friday, setting up great matchups for the Elite Eight on Saturday and Sunday. Four winners will advance to the Final Four in Minneapolis when the weekend comes to a close.
Following the eight games over the last two days, college basketball expert Andy Katz power ranked the remaining teams in the NCAA Tournament. He’s pretty high on Michigan State, but not quite as big on Purdue.
Here’s how Katz ranked the eight teams remaining:
- Gonzaga
- Michigan State
- Texas Tech
- Duke
- Auburn
- Purdue
- Kentucky
- Virginia
#Elite8 Power Rankings from @TheAndyKatz!
1. Gonzaga
2. Michigan State
3. Texas Tech
4. Duke
5. Auburn
6. Purdue
7. Kentucky
8. VirginiaWhat do you think? #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/4kRBcKpJ8e
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 30, 2019
If Katz’s rankings are correct, both Michigan State and Purdue would be advancing to the Final Four. The Spartans are higher than they’re Elite Eight opponent (Duke) and the Boilermakers are two spots above their opponent (Virginia).
While Michigan State may come in a bit higher than Purdue, both teams would be just fine with these rankings if they both get a win over the weekend.
Elite Eight games are scheduled to begin on Saturday at 6:09 p.m. ET and will continue through Sunday, with the final tipoff coming at 5:05 p.m. ET. All games will be aired on CBS.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB