Scott Gleeson

USA TODAY Sports

Down to the Sweet 16.

The NCAA tournament's field of 68 was quickly sliced down during the first weekend and now the group of teams vying for a national title is much smaller.

Getting to the second weekend didn't happen by accident and most teams that advanced got a significant boost from an individual player. Looking ahead to the second weekend of March Madness, here's a look at the 10 most valuable players in the Sweet 16.

Buddy Hield, Oklahoma

The senior guard is a scoring machine and shoots 50% from beyond the arc.

His offensive production has obviously played big part in the Sooners' success, and he keeps showing how he can take over games. Hield had 29 points in the second half of the Sooners' second-round win against VCU (36 in all), and 27 against CSU Bakersfield in the first round.

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Grayson Allen, Duke

Allen has carried the Blue Devils offensively all season long. His energy and fiery play also drive this team.

The explosive guard scores in a variety of ways — driving to the basket, connecting from deep and most any other way imaginable. In an opening-round victory against UNC Wilmington, for instance, he was 15-for-17 from the free-throw line.

He had 29 points in a second-round win against Yale after a blazing start in the first half.

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Angel Rodriguez, Miami

Coach Jim Larranaga said after the Hurricanes' upset win against Wichita State that the one trait the 5-11 Rodriguez has bigger than his opponents is his heart.

The crafty guard plays with a grit that can shoot life into a team, and that was on full display in the second round. He's also hard to stop when he's shooting lights out from the field. It's safe to say Miami goes as far as Rodriguez can take it.

Miami can go as far as Angel Rodriguez takes it

Georges Niang, Iowa State

The multidimensional forward scored 28 points in each of the Cyclones' two NCAA tournament games — first against Iona and next against Little Rock, helping ISU dispatch two Cinderella-type teams in the process.

Niang was an All-American in 2014-15 and had the numbers for it this season had his team not underachieved in the Big 12. Niang will be the key for Iowa State going forward; he helped the Cyclones beat fellow Sweet 16 teams Kansas and Oklahoma earlier in the season.

Domantas Sabonis, Gonzaga

Former All-American Kyle Wiljer might be the 'Zags' best offensive weapon, but Sabonis is the team's most crucial one.

The 6-11 sophomore is a force in the paint and plays with a tenacity that gives the Bulldogs a backbone and an identity atypical of most Mark Few teams.

No other team in the tournament has a versatile center quite like him. To beat Gonzaga, Sabonis (17.5 ppg, 11.7 rpg) must be stopped.

Melo Trimble, Maryland

Trimble didn't shoot well in Maryland's second-round win against Hawaii — 5-for-14 from the field and 1-for-6 from three-point range. But he finished with 24 points and eight rebounds and was 13-for-14 from the free-throw line.

It's no secret that the sophomore point guard needs to play well for the Terrapins to win, and that's especially the case against Kansas. Coach Mark Turgeon has a talented starting five, and each player is capable of scoring.

But if it is to upset the top-seeded Jayhawks, Maryland will need Trimble to lead the way.

Yogi Ferrell, Indiana

The 6-1 guard has an Isiah Thomas flavor about him, playing with an edge to fuel a team.

The Hoosiers wouldn't be Big Ten regular-season champs or in the Sweet 16 without him, that's for sure. In Indiana's program-lifting win against rival Kentucky, Ferrell scored 18 points and hit several clutch shots.

He had 20 points and 10 assists in the first-round win against Chattanooga.

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Brice Johnson, North Carolina

The senior forward has been the focus for the Tar Heels all season — averaging a double-double and tallying 39 points and 23 rebounds in a Jan. 4 win against Florida State.

His role hasn't changed in the NCAA tournament. Coach Roy Williams leans heavily on his veteran, and Johnson has responded. He had 21 points and 10 rebounds to help UNC dispatch Providence.

The Tar Heels will need production like that again to beat Indiana.

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Malcolm Brogdon, Virginia

The ACC Player of the Year makes the Cavaliers better in so many ways. Against Butler, the 6-5 guard had 22 points, five rebounds and five assists. That's a usual stat line for Brogdon, who's played a big part in UVA's last two stellar seasons.

Brogdon is at the top of his game and could lift the Cavaliers to the Final Four — or better.

Bronson Koenig, Wisconsin

Koenig hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer from the right corner to beat Xavier, lifting his new-look Wisconsin Badgers into the Sweet 16. Frank Kaminksy, Sam Dekker and Bo Ryan are gone from back-to-back Final Four teams, and Koenig is one of the few remaining starters.

His experience paid off this season and in this tournament. How well he plays will determine if Greg Gard's team can advance to the Elite Eight.

NCAA TOURNAMENT SWEET 16 TEAMS