No region in this year’s NCAA Tournament felt the wrath of March Madness like the teams in the Seattle 4 bracket, where No. 8 Ole Miss defeated No. 1 Stanford in the Round of 32. The Rebels’ victory helped them reach their first Sweet 16 since 2007 and marked the first time a No. 1 seed had fallen in the second round since 2009 (though No. 1 Indiana joined Stanford on Monday night).
That wasn’t the only upset, however. No. 6 Colorado and No. 5 Louisville knocked off No. 3 Duke and No. 4 Texas, respectively, in the second round. The combined seed sum of the four remaining teams is 21, the highest of any quadrant. Even without three of the region’s four top seeds, plenty of star power and intrigue remains in this part of the bracket. Ahead of action getting underway on Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET, when Iowa faces Colorado, we break down everything you need to know.
The teams
No. 6 Colorado vs. No. 2 Iowa
7:30 p.m. (ET) Friday, ESPN
No. 8 Ole Miss vs. No. 5 Louisville
10 p.m. (ET) Friday, ESPN
Who has the toughest path to the Final Four?
Ole Miss. Such is life when you’re a No. 8 seed. The Rebels have already had the most difficult road to reach the Sweet 16, beating a 28-win Gonzaga team in the first round and the top-seeded Cardinal in the second round. Now they have to face…
