Jon Rothstein: Sweet 16 Loaded With Elite Matchups
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The waiting is over. Clock has struck midnight for Cinderella.
The NCAA Tournament is always synonymous with mid-majors that steal headlines, but this next weekend will be a little different.
The lowest seeds this weekend are all programs with strong traditions --- UCLA, Wichita State, Xavier, NC State, and Michigan State.
There are no cupcakes in the Sweet 16.
Kentucky will have its hands full with West Virginia and Notre Dame could have the same with Wichita State. The West Region also has serious sizzle with Wisconsin facing off against North Carolina and Sean Miller squaring off with his old school Xavier.
The other side of the bracket is more of a hodge-podge. NC State, Louisville, Oklahoma, and Michigan State make for a competitive couple of games in Syracuse while the South Region looks like the Duke Invitational.
But don't sleep on Gonzaga. Mark Few's squad was mightily impressive against Iowa and should have enough to get past UCLA and into the Elite Eight.
March Madness --- nothing better.
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Jon Rothstein is a college basketball insider for CBS Sports. Follow him on Twitter @JonRothstein.