Burning questions for every NCAA Sweet 16 team

The Sweet 16 tips off this weekend, and with it comes burning questions each remaining team must answer. We’ll dive into all of them in today’s column as we prepare for the next pulse-pounding round of March Madness.

Oregon State vs. Loyola Chicago

Oregon State: Can Ethan Thompson continue his strong tournament? The senior poured in 26 points and added seven rebounds in an upset over Oklahoma State, which came two days after a double-double against Tennessee.

Loyola Chicago: Two questions here. First, can the Ramblers maintain their shooting touch, which led to a 51% clip from the floor in their win over Illinois? Secondly, what’s Sister Jean’s secret to making it to 101 while remaining as sharp as a tack?

Villanova vs. Baylor

Villanova: Will the formula the Wildcats used to defeat Winthrop and North Texas work against the Bears? Collin Gillespie’s been out, but Villanova torched the Mean Green by shooting 55.4% from the floor and 50% from behind the arc.

Baylor: Can the Bears take care of the ball as well as they did against Wisconsin? The Badgers forced just four turnovers in 40 minutes. If Baylor is as smart on offense as they were last weekend, the Wildcats could be in for a long afternoon.

Oral Roberts vs. Arkansas

Oral Roberts: Can the Golden Eagles keep up their offensive efficiency? Oral Roberts combined to score 156 points against Ohio State and Florida, and this game with Arkansas promises to be a track meet.

Arkansas: Will the Razorbacks be recharged? They nearly squandered a 13-point lead to Texas Tech in the second round, and won despite shooting just 23.5% from three-point range. They’ll need to be sharper against a Cinderella team brimming with confidence.

Syracuse vs. Houston

Syracuse: Will the Orange’s three-point shooters be able to get open against Houston? The Cougars have held seven of their last nine opponents to 60 points or fewer. Syracuse may need far more than that to be competitive in the Saturday nightcap.

Houston: Where was the offense against Rutgers? Houston snuck by the Scarlet Knights after scoring 14 of the game’s final 16 points. Syracuse’s vaunted 2-3 zone won’t make life easy for the Cougars.

Creighton vs. Gonzaga

Creighton: Can the Bluejays keep up with the Bulldogs? Creighton’s offensive firepower is notable, and Marcus Zegarowski has scored 37 points through two tournament games, but the Big East representatives may need to be on warp speed for 40 minutes.

Gonzaga: Is there anyone capable of stopping this offense? The Zags lit up Norfolk State for 98 points, and while Oklahoma had its moments, Gonzaga still scored 87 in a 16-point victory. No team has held Gonzaga to fewer than 73 points all season.

Florida State vs. Michigan

Florida State: Which Florida State do we get? If the Seminoles who dusted a strong Colorado team show up, Michigan’s in for a fight. However, if the Seminoles who let UNC Greensboro hang around don the uniforms, Florida State will likely be sent home.

Michigan: Can the Wolverines salvage a terrible tournament for the Big Ten? Michigan is the lone representative still standing, and they got a scare from LSU before topping the Tigers 86-78.

UCLA vs. Alabama

UCLA: Can the Bruins get over the hump? UCLA hasn’t advanced past the Sweet 16 since 2008, and they’ve lost in the regional semifinals three times since 2014.

Alabama: Can the Crimson Tide keep up their relentless rebounding? Alabama out-rebounded Maryland 40-19 in a 96-77 second round triumph, which came on the heels of a 68-55 win over Iona where the Tide held a 42-26 edge on the glass.

Oregon vs. USC

Oregon: What’s changed since Feb. 22? It was that night when the Trojans handed the Ducks a 72-58 defeat. Since then, Oregon has won seven of eight games, including a 15-point victory over Iowa in the second round.

USC: Can the Trojans keep rolling and reach nearly-uncharted territory? USC has made the Elite Eight just once since the tournament expanded to 64 teams. That came in 2001, when the sixth-seeded Trojans topped No. 3 seed Boston College and No. 2 seed Kentucky before losing to the Duke Blue Devils, who wound up winning the national championship.