Neither Loyola Chicago nor Nevada was supposed to be here, and that was before a miraculous bounce and an historic comeback put them in the Sweet 16. Two of the teams who helped shake up the NCAA Tournament South Region square off Thursday in Atlanta, and one will become an unlikely entry into the Elite Eight.

 

Third-seeded Michigan looks to build on one of its most memorable wins in the NCAA Tournament when it faces No. 7 seed Texas A&M on Thursday in Los Angeles. Jordan Poole buried a deep 3-pointer as time expired against Houston on Saturday to help the Wolverines, who are the highest seed remaining in the West Region, make their fourth Sweet 16 appearance in six years while reaching 30 victories for the fourth time in program history.

Stars are made during the NCAA Tournament, and no one is shining brighter than Kentucky freshman Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The 6-6 point guard looks to continue his stellar play Thursday as fifth-seeded Kentucky faces No. 9 seed Kansas State in a South Region semifinal contest at Philips Arena in Atlanta.

Fourth-seeded Gonzaga is in the Sweet 16 for the fourth consecutive season but has higher aspirations as it faces ninth-seeded Florida State on Thursday in a West Region contest of the NCAA Tournament in Los Angeles. Gonzaga, which has won 16 straight contests, played in last season's NCAA title game and has had its odds of returning helped by the slew of upsets in the Tournament.