2022 NCAA Tournament: What to watch for in Sweet 16 games

Locate your TV remote and make sure to find a cozy seat on your living room couch, as March Madness picks back up on Thursday night with a quartet of games from the South Regional in San Antonio and the West Regional in San Francisco.

All eyes will be on the Duke Blue Devils, who will face another difficult test in a Texas Tech team that will try to put an end to Coach K's last dance. A pair of No. 1 seeds also take the court on Thursday night, as Gonzaga will try to hold off No. 4-seed Arkansas, while Arizona will face a hard-nosed Houston team.

As the field gets set to go from 16 to eight over the next two days, here is a look at what to expect from a must-see slate of Sweet 16 matchups.

BEST MATCHUP: No. 4 UCLA vs. No. 8 North Carolina (East Region)

When you get to the Sweet 16, every matchup has the chance to be a must-see spectacle, but this North Carolina-UCLA clash has a special feel to it. For starters, these are two of the top programs in college basketball’s rich history going head-to-head with a trip to the Elite Eight on the line. When talking about college basketball blue bloods, you simply can’t finish that conversation without mentioning both UNC and UCLA. Neither of these teams lived up to their lofty expectations during the regular season, but here they are, both playing exceptional basketball when it matters most. 

The biggest question mark for the Bruins heading into this game will be the health of do-it-all forward Jamie Jaquez Jr., who suffered a sprained ankle in the Bruins’ Round of 32 win over Saint Mary’s. He is expected to play, but it remains unclear just how much that ankle might bother him. For the Tar Heels, they will continue to rely heavily on the starting group that has led them to this point. Armando Bacot has been outstanding throughout this entire season, while sophomore guard R.J. Davis put together arguably his best game of the season in the Tar Heels’ upset win over No. 1 Baylor. This game has all the makings of a classic.

PLAYER TO WATCH: Bennedict Mathurin

There hasn't been a more dominant player throughout the opening two rounds of the NCAA Tournament than Mathurin. The Wildcats' sophomore guard kicked off the Big Dance with an 18-point, five-rebound performance in a commanding win over Wright State, and then followed that up with a jaw-dropping 30-point outing in Arizona's 85-80 win over TCU in the Round of 32. After a slow start, Mathurin took over that game in the second half and overtime, using his combination of strength and pure athleticism to get to the basket at will. He will face a tough test on Thursday in a showdown with the defensive-minded Houston Cougars. 

Kelvin Sampson's team ranked third in the nation this year in total defense, holding opponents to under 60 points per game. If Mathurin can continue his hot streak against this defense, it's hard to see any team slowing down the Wildcats on their quest to New Orleans.

UPSET ALERT: Kansas Jayhawks

The good news for the Kansas Jayhawks is that Arizona State transfer Remy Martin looks to be healthy and is playing his best basketball of the season. The not-so-good news for the Jayhawks is that their All-American forward Ochai Agbaji has not looked like his dominant self through two games in this tournament. 

Ogbaji combined to shoot just 10-for-28 in Kansas' wins over Texas Southern and Creighton. If the Jayhawks are going to get by a really good Providence team in the Sweet 16, they are going to need both Martin and Ogbaji to play their best. Ed Cooley's group has that feel of a team of destiny. The Jayhawks should be on high-alert in this matchup.

FACING THE MOST PRESSURE: Duke

This one is a no-brainer. As long as the Blue Devils remain in this year's tournament, they will be the team facing the most pressure as a loss would bring Mike Krzyzewski's memorable coaching career to a close. Every time Duke steps on the floor, the college basketball universe is watching in anticipation. You have to wonder if the pressure of this potentially being Coach K's last game will eventually be too much for this young group. 

BEST STORY: Saint Peter's Peacocks

It seems like every year there is that one Cinderella team that makes a run to the Sweet 16 when no one saw it coming. Remember Oral Roberts' run in last year's tournament, or how about Loyola (Chicago)'s memorable run in 2018? There's no question about this year's Cinderella team as the No. 15-seeded Saint Peter's Peacocks shocked the college hoops world last week … twice! Shaheen Holloway's team kicked off the tournament with an unforgettable upset victory over No. 2-seed Kentucky, and then followed that up with a dominant win over Murray State, a team that had the best record in college basketball this season. 

You don't have to look far to find plenty of incredible stories surrounding this program, whether it's comparing their athletic facilities and coaching salaries to Kentucky, or the fact Peacock TV paid for the school's cheerleaders to join the team for it's second-round matchup against Murray State. But here's another special story that perhaps you haven't heard yet … Saint Peter's is the first New Jersey-based team to reach the Sweet 16 since 2000. The team to do that was Seton Hall … and their starting point guard was non-other than Saint Peter's head coach Shaheen Halloway.