The first half of the men’s Sweet 16 was an offensive firestorm

The GIST: Last night’s Sweet 16 games decided the first four Elite Eight teams, and tonight’s matchups will determine the other four who’ll advance. May the odds be ever in your squad’s — and bracket’s — favor.

Last night’s action: The two early games had very different vibes: No. 1 UConn demolished their 2023 title game opponent, No. 5 San Diego State, 82–52, while No. 6 Clemson neutralized No. 2 Arizona star scorer Caleb Love to kill the Wildcats’ natty dreams (and Pac-12 men’s basketball altogether) with a gutsy 77–72 dub.

• Later, No. 4 Alabama won a fast-paced thriller to oust No. 1 UNC 89–87 behind a historic performance from forward Grant Nelson, Bama’s mustached maestro. And No. 3 Illinois’ scoring prowess proved too much for No. 2 Iowa State’s elite D, lifting the Illini to the 72–69 dub.

Tonight’s throwdowns: The second half of the Elite Eight will punch their tickets tonight, and all four games are set to be barnburners. Tipping off the action? Cinderella squad No. 11 NC State and their March darling, forward DJ Burns Jr., who’ll try to keep the party going against No. 2 Marquette at 7:09 p.m. ET on CBS.

• Then, No. 1 Purdue and No. 1 Houston will face their toughest foes yet in No. 5 Gonzaga and No. 4 Duke, respectively, before the 10:09 p.m. ET grand finale between No. 2 Tennessee and No. 3 Creighton — two teams who barely survived the second round. Dance, dance.