The Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball team fell short of the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament, but March Madness rolls on with plenty of storylines.
Can the SEC and its seven teams keep rolling? Can No. 10 seed Arkansas keep winning? Can anyone beat Duke or the other No. 1 seeds Houston, Auburn and Florida?
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As we prep for the March Madness Sweet 16, here are Journal Star predictions for the next round of the NCAA Tournament from editor Wes Huett and reporters Dave Eminian and Adam Duvall.
Sweet 16 games (all times CT):
EAST
Thursday, March 27 at Prudential Center, Newark, New Jersey
2 Alabama (27-8) vs. 6 BYU (26-9) | 6:09 p.m. | CBS
- Wes Huett: Alabama
- Dave Eminian: Alabama
- Adam Duvall: Alabama
1 Duke (33-3) vs. 4 Arizona (24-12) | 8:39 p.m. | CBS
- Wes Huett: Duke
- Dave Eminian: Duke
- Adam Duvall: Duke
WEST
Thursday, March 27 at Chase Center, San Francisco
1 Florida (32-4) vs. 4 Maryland (27-8) | 6:39 p.m. | TBS/truTV
- Wes Huett: Florida
- Dave Eminian: Florida
- Adam Duvall: Florida
3 Texas Tech (27-8) vs. 10 Arkansas (22-13) | 9:09 p.m. | TBS/truTV
- Wes Huett: Arkansas
- Dave Eminian: Texas Tech
- Adam Duvall: Arkansas
SOUTH
Friday, March 28 at State Farm Arena, Atlanta
2 Michigan State (29-6) vs. 6 Ole Miss (24-11) | 6:09 p.m. | CBS
- Wes Huett: Michigan State
- Dave Eminian: Michigan State
- Adam Duvall: Michigan State
1 Auburn (30-5) vs. 5 Michigan (27-9) | 8:39 p.m. | CBS
- Wes Huett: Auburn
- Dave Eminian: Auburn
- Adam Duvall: Auburn
MIDWEST
Friday, March 28 at Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis
2 Tennessee (29-7) vs. 3 Kentucky (24-11) | 6:39 p.m. | TBS/truTV
- Wes Huett: Tennessee
- Dave Eminian: Tennessee
- Adam Duvall: Tennessee
1 Houston (32-4) vs. 4 Purdue (24-11) | 9:09 p.m. | TBS/truTV
- Wes Huett: Houston
- Dave Eminian: Houston
- Adam Duvall: Houston
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This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Sweet 16 bracket expert picks 2025: Who reaches March Madness Elite Eight?
