NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 - Picks, Predictions

The NCAA men's basketball tournament starts with 65 teams in a single-elimination bracket. After a play-in game, 64 teams remain, playing on the opening weekend of the NCAA tournament in first- and second-round games held at eight sites. After these games, 16 teams remain in the tournament, and these teams are called the Sweet Sixteen.

The Sweet 16 teams play in the third round of the NCAA tournament, called the regional semifinals. Some people refer to the third round of the NCAA Tournament as the Sweet 16 Round. Four sites host regional semifinals and regional finals, and these games occur on the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament. These regional hosts are sometimes referred to as Sweet Sixteen sites.

The Sweet Sixteen Round matchups are played in prime time on a Thursday and Friday night, allowing for maximum TV exposure. College basketball teams keep track of Sweet 16 appearances, and advancing to the Sweet Sixteen usually is considered a very successful season.

The Sweet Sixteen winners advance to the fourth round of the tournament, called the regional finals or the Elite Eight Round. The winners of the four regional finals games advance to the fifth round of the tournament, also called the Final Four or the national semifinals, played the following weekend.