The East Region is down to just two teams. On Saturday night in Washington D.C., one school will advance to the Final Four.
After knocking off top-seeded Indiana on Thursday night, Jim Boeheim and the Syracuse Orange are looking like a trendy pick to possibly win the NCAA title. This team has always had the talent needed to make a run in March, but putting it together for more than a handful of games has been an issue. Now, it seems they are peaking at the right time, as this article from SB Nation's blog, Nunes Magician, points out.
Marquette probably shouldn't even be in the position they're in now. No. 14 seed Davidson had them beaten in the final minute, but a last-second collapse propelled MU to the third round. They then snuck by Butler to move on to the Sweet 16. The Golden Eagles answered any skeptic's questions on Thursday night though, blowing out No. 2 seed Miami to give coach Buzz Williams his first shot a Final Four. Check out Anonymous Eagle for more on Marquette's journey through Mach.
The two Big East foes met once in the regular season, with Marquette winning at home, 74-71, in late February. Syracuse led by as many as 11 points in the first half, but they couldn't get anything to fall in the second as MU pulled away down the stretch. Davante Gardner had a big game with 26 points and eight rebounds, while C.J. Fair led the Orange with 20 and seven.
Tipoff from D.C. is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. ET at the Verizon Center. The game will be televised by CBS.
Fans can find the updated bracket here. Need a bracket to print off? That can be found here.
More in College Basketball:
• Chasing Cinderella: Dunk City, USA
• Bill Connelly: Here's how FGCU beats Florida
• The best and worst from a sweet Thursday
• 16 things you should know about the Sweet 16
• Printable bracket for March Madness