Ranking the Sweet 16 teams of the 2015 NCAA tournament

Scott Gleeson | USA TODAY Sports

Show Caption Hide Caption 5 must-watch players in the Sweet 16 While deep NCAA tournament runs are often driven off great guard play, this year's Sweet 16 will feature big men as difference-makers.

After a six-day extravaganza of college hoops, we have our Sweet 16 for the 2015 NCAA tournament.

The madness came early, with two upsets of No. 3 seeds on Thursday — Georgia State shocking Baylor and UAB stunning Iowa State — and kept on coming — with No. 1 Villanova falling to N.C. State and No. 2 Virginia getting ousted by Michigan State in the round of 32.

After Sunday, there are 16 teams still with a chance to cut down the nets on April 6. How they rank:

1. Kentucky: The Wildcats are one of deepest and most talented teams we've ever seen in college basketball. If they don't finish the season undefeated and win the national championship, it will surely be a surprise. But this team has shown signs of vulnerability that lead us to believe they're beatable. If the tournament were a best-of-seven series like the NBA playoffs, Kentucky's net-cutting would be inevitable. But Iowa State and Villanova both lost to teams they would have crushed in a playoff series. Forget Xs and Os here. All it takes is one game with Kentucky playing a little off and a determined, hot-shooting effort from its opponent. Easier said than done, but certainly feasible.

2. Arizona: The Wildcats were deserving of a No. 1 seed and are playing like one in the tournament. Arizona boasts four future NBA players — Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Brandon Ashley, Stanley Johnson and Kaleb Tarczewski — but the team's most important player is veteran point guard T.J. McConnell (19 points, six assists and six rebounds in Arizona's win against Ohio State), who makes all four of those players better. Last year's Arizona team was one possession away from the Final Four. And this year's team is better.

3. Wisconsin: The Badgers got a scare in a close battle with Oregon in the round of 32, but there's no mistaking Wisconsin as a contender to win it all based on its roster. The Badgers have perhaps the toughest route to the Final Four — first facing North Carolina and then likely Arizona. If they make it to Indianapolis, they'll get a rematch with Kentucky. This is a veteran group that plays well together and has a great camaraderie. Frank Kaminsky (27 points, 12 rebounds vs. Coastal Carolina) dictates all the scouting reports because of outside shooting and ability to stretch the floor, but both Sam Dekker (17 points vs. Oregon) and Nigel Hayes (15 points and eight rebounds vs. Coastal Carolina) are key cogs in making this team so good. If Traevon Jackson returns as expected, it will be important for Bo Ryan to make sure his insertion doesn't jar the team's chemistry.

4. Duke: The Blue Devils have what they haven't had in more than a decade: A dominant big man. Freshman standout Jahlil Okafor (26 points in a third-round victory against San Diego State) gives Duke a unique edge against every opponent. Okafor's footwork is that of a 30-year-old NBA center and his finesse ability on the block draw double teams to get Quinn Cook and Tyus Jones open shots. Freshman Justise Winslow is an X-Factor; his energy and athleticism on both ends help the Blue Devils control the game's tempo. Offense is not a problem here. Defense is, with the Blue Devils allowing more than 64 points a game. The loss of Rasheed Sulaimon actually brought this team closer together. But the lack of the departed guard's perimeter defense could be an issue.

5. Michigan State: The seventh-seeded Spartans are following a script similar to last year's UConn team, also a No. 7 seed, that went on to win the national championship. Both teams have had the pieces and ability all season but didn't put it together until it mattered most in March. The Spartans took an extremely good Wisconsin team to the brink in the Big Ten Conference tournament title and is looking the part of a sleeper title winner following an impressive defensive performance in upsetting No. 2 Virginia in the round of 32. Travis Trice (23 points vs. Virginia) will be the key to Michigan State's success.

6. Wichita State: The seventh-seeded Shockers looked like the better seed in a clash with in-state foe Kansas, the second No. 2 seed to go down in the tournament. Much of that is a product of the selection committee overseeding the Shockers (the were worthy of a No. 5 or No. 6 seed). It was also a tough draw for Kansas. But that's unfortunate side of March Madness, as Wichita State experienced last season in the third round against Kentucky. Perhaps this year's Wichita State team isn't as good as last year's, but remember, Gregg Marshall's Final Four team in 2013 was hardly his best. The winning recipe, stirred heavily by toughness, is why this mid-major is so scary in March. One win against Notre Dame and the Shockers could get a rematch with the undefeated Wildcats in the Elite Eight. A win then would be the biggest shocker in tournament history. Fred VanVleet and Ron Baker make for a fearsome backcourt and they're even more potent when Evan Wessel and Tekele Contton are draining outside jumpers.

7. Gonzaga: The 'Zags got over the proverbial Sweet 16 hump (they hadn't been since 2009 despite a few high seeds) and now they have a favorable matchup against UCLA to reach the Elite Eight. But can Gonzaga go to the Final Four? Or win it all? It might seem like a long shot, but this is arguably coach Mark Few's best Bulldogs team based on depth, talent and how well the veteran group plays together. They looked rusty in an opening-round game against North Dakota State but hit their stride vs. Iowa. Kyle Wiltjer's versatility, Domantas Sabonis' raw skillset in the post and the veteran backcourt of Kevin Pangos and Gary Bell Jr. make this team a title contender on paper.

8. Oklahoma: For all the talk about how great the Big 12 was, the Sooners are one of two teams remaining of the orignal seven NCAA entrants. But the Big 12 gauntlet still helps make a team like Oklahoma become battle-tested. The Sooners won against Albany and Dayton without Buddy Hield shooting well (he was 4-for-13 vs. the Flyers). If Hield, the Big 12 player of the year, starts producing more, there's no reason this team can't come out of a wide-open East Region. And going even further isn't out of the question, either.

9. Utah: The Utes weren't playing well toward the end of the season, having lost three of their last five to finish behind Oregon in the Pac-12. But their overall body of work got them a No. 5 seed and ideal path to the Sweet 16 — where Utah held off Stephen F. Austin's upset bid and outplayed No. 4 seed Georgetown. Few could have projected Utah as a Final Four team, but the tournament is all about matchups. Every potential matchup in the South Region is winnable for this team. Do-everything Delon Wright is the Utes' driving force, but others — Jakob Poeltl (18 points, five blocks vs. Stephen F. Austin) and Brandon Taylor (14 points, five assists vs. Georgetown) have given Utah an extra gear.

10. UCLA: The Bruins are a prime example of a team that grows up over the course of the season and peaks at the perfect time. UCLA can thank the committee for getting its chance to reach its potential on the grandest stage in March, but this team's Sweet 16 appearance is a product of a matured team that's fully capable of doing more than busting brackets. The Bruins feature five players averaging double figures, and all have the ability to take over games. That's what makes this team so dangerous. In a win against SMU, Bryce Alford led the way with 27 points (nine three-pointers). In their win against UAB, big man Tony Parker had 28 points. And in a March 12 victory against USC, Isaac Hamilton broke out for 36 points. And the other two, Norman Powell and Kevon Looney, are considered UCLA's best players.

11. North Carolina: All season long, the Tar Heels looked like a potentially great team that never fully put things together. But they're clicking when it matters most in March, playing better defense and showing more discipline than they did throughout a season riddled with inconsistent play. Marcus Paige didn't have the All-American type of season he was expected to have, but if he's able to produce like he did in the second round against Arkansas, North Carolina is a tough out. UNC can be dominant on the glass (ranking seventh nationally with an 8.1 rebounding margin), but that's up to Brice Johnson and Kennedy Meeks. If the Tar Heels play to their potential, they could win it all. But it's tough to decipher whether this is just a late-season surge or a title run.

12. Notre Dame: The Irish are a potent offensive team, but it was a defensive play — Pat Connaughton's block to force overtime — that helped Notre Dame edge a pesky Butler team to get here. Notre Dame is playing with confidence and has momentum from winning the ACC tournament title. Coach Mike Brey has five players who can erupt offensively, starting with unselfish guard Jerian Grant (16.8 ppg, 6.6 apg).

13. N.C. State: The Wolfpack shocked No. 1 Villanova for perhaps the biggest upset of this year's tournament. That came after a last-second victory against LSU in the opening round. N.C. State, a bubble team in February, won't dominate any opponent but it's played the role of giant killer several times now, including regular-season victories against fellow Sweet 16 teams North Carolina and Duke. The formula for this team's success is no secret: Great guard play. That's spearheaded by Trevor Lacey and complemented by Anthony Barber. The duo had a combined 30 points in the win against 'Nova.

14. Louisville: Coach Rick Pitino has been blunt in interviews, saying this is far from his best team and that this group has been tough to coach based on diverse personalities. Factor in starting point guard Chris Jones being dismissed from the team late in the season and it was difficult to fathom Louisville, even as a No. 4 seed, reaching the Sweet 16. They struggled to put away UC Irvine in the opening round. Credit Terry Rozier, who's as good if not better in the shooting guard role than shot-happy Russ Smith. His 25 points and seven assists catapulted the Cardinals past a Northern Iowa team that was arguably better.

15. West Virginia: Juwan Staten is the team's best player, and it showed in a victory against potential giant-killer Buffalo in an opening round game that many picked as an upset. But the Mountaineers showed how good their other key players are in a victory against Maryland. Devin Williams led the way with 16 points, while Gary Browne had 14 points and five steals. Coach Bob Huggins always has his teams playing with a smothering defense. That's why they lead the nation in steals per game (10.8) and rank second in turnover margin (6.5).

16. Xavier: The Musketeers had perhaps the easiest path to the Sweet 16, handling a tired Ole Miss squad in the second round and ending Cinderella Georgia State's season in the third. But if Xavier gets a boost like it did against Georgia State, such as the 21 points off the bench from Jalen Reynolds, there's no reason this team can't continue to surprise. Matt Stainbrook is an underrated big man. If he's double-teamed, he's a great passer. If he's not, he's well polished on the block. Dee Davis is another guy who doesn't get enough credit. He's a pass-first point guard, but he's averaged 16 points in the tournament.