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Ranking the remaining teams in the NCAA Tournament

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Duke may have survived a Round of 32 scare against UCF, but the Blue Devils' shaky performance was enough to remove them from the top spot as we rank the Sweet 16.

Mike Krzyzewski's outfit is still the betting favorite, but Gonzaga's dominant performance through the opening two games was enough to earn our No. 1 spot.

Here's how the remaining teams stack up after two games.

1. Gonzaga

Wins: 87-49 vs. Fairleigh Dickinson, 83-71 vs. Baylor

Gonzaga has looked very comfortable thus far, while Brandon Clarke has done the heavy lifting. The 6-foot-8, 215-pound forward is a combined 20-of-26 from the field following his 36-point, five-block performance against Baylor. Pick against Gonzaga at your own peril, as Mark Few's program has lost just once since Dec. 15.

2. North Carolina

Wins: 88-73 vs. Iona, 81-59 vs. Washington

After struggling in the opening frame against Iona, North Carolina has outscored its opponents by 42 points over three halves and has certainly looked the part of a No. 1 seed. Nassir Little was a beast off the bench with 20 points and seven rebounds against Washington, and if he can continue to add that sixth-man production to North Carolina's strong starting unit, the Tar Heels could be a very tough out.

3. Virginia

Wins: 71-56 vs. Gardner-Webb, 63-51 vs. Oklahoma

Virginia was down early versus Gardner-Webb and the Twitter audience hopped right on board with jokes about another loss to a No. 16 seed. This year ended differently, however, as the Cavaliers righted the ship and have reached the Sweet 16 fairly easily. The bracket sets up well for Tony Bennett's program, as the worst seed remaining, No. 12 Oregon, awaits on Thursday.

4. Duke

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Wins: 85-62 vs. North Dakota State, 77-76 vs. UCF

Even Krzyzewski admitted Duke is lucky to still be alive in the NCAA Tournament after Sunday's battle with UCF. The Knights did their best to force someone other than Zion Williamson and RJ Barrett to beat them by packing the inside and leaving shooters open. Tre Jones and Jordan Goldwire shot a combined 2-of-11 from deep, and regardless of how great Zion is, those numbers will have to improve if Duke is to realize its title aspirations.

5. Texas Tech

Wins: 72-57 vs. Northern Kentucky, 78-58 vs. Buffalo

Texas Tech may be a No. 3 seed, but the Red Raiders have looked as good as any team in the field thus far. The Big 12 outfit is known for stingy defense, but also features one of the best offensive players in the field with Jarrett Culver. A matchup with another proud defensive team in Michigan could be the most physical of the Sweet 16.

6. Purdue

Wins: 61-48 vs. Old Dominion, 87-61 vs. Villanova

After pouring in a career-high 42 versus Villanova, Carsen Edwards is now the tournament's leading scorer with 34 points per game. His shooting alone is enough to keep the Boilermakers in any matchup, making for a compelling contest against an athletic Tennessee defense.

7. Michigan State

Wins: 76-65 vs. Bradley, 70-50 vs. Minnesota

After laboring through the opening game, Michigan State waxed Big Ten foe Minnesota in the Round of 32 to add another feather to Tom Izzo's cap. The tourney-tested coach can make the 10th Elite Eight of his storied career with a win over LSU on Friday.

8. Michigan

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Wins: 74-55 vs. Montana, 64-49 vs. Florida

Michigan has been cool, calm, and collected in breezing past Montana and Florida, but that's about to change with an expected slugfest against Texas Tech. While the balanced Wolverines have looked strong, a matchup with arguably the hottest team in the tournament will be tough.

9. Kentucky

Wins: 79-44 vs. Abilene Christian, 62-56 vs. Wofford

Kentucky definitely missed leading scorer PJ Washington in a narrow win over Wofford, but it appears the star forward is nearing a return from a foot injury. That would be a massive boost to the Wildcats' attack, especially against a strong defensive squad in Houston.

10. Tennessee

Wins: 77-70 vs. Colgate, 83-77 (OT) vs. Iowa

Despite seemingly doing its best to blow a 25-point lead against Iowa on Sunday, Tennessee escaped from a massive collapse to beat the Hawkeyes in overtime. The Volunteers are as talented as anyone in the tournament but struggled to pull away in both games thus far. Purdue's firepower could make Thursday's matchup the most entertaining on the slate.

11. Houston

Wins: 84-55 vs. Georgia State, 74-59 vs. Ohio State

Houston has looked outstanding through two games but faces a very tough Kentucky defense in the Sweet 16. The Cougars will likely go as far as Corey Davis Jr. takes them, but with the multitude of defensive weapons at the Wildcats' disposal, it will be difficult to keep this run through the tourney going past Friday.

12. Florida State

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Wins: 76-69 vs. Vermont, 90-62 vs. Murray State

After narrowly getting past Vermont, Florida State ended Ja Morant's run by pounding Murray State. The Seminoles boast very deep squad and can throw multiple lineups at Gonzaga to slow it down on Thursday. After taking down the Zags in last year's tourney, Leonard Hamilton has the blueprint to pull off another upset.

13. Auburn

Wins: 78-77 vs. New Mexico State, 89-75 vs. Kansas

Auburn basketball is never boring. The Tigers nearly flamed out in dramatic fashion in the opening round agaisnt Kansas before going crazy from deep in what turned out to be a comfortable win. Bruce Pearl's outfit has forced a whopping 32 turnovers in the tourney, but it will be difficult to crack the composure of North Carolina's star point guard Coby White.

14. Oregon

Wins: 72-54 vs. Wisconsin, 73-54 vs. UC Irvine

Oregon is far from the Cinderella story that its No. 12 seed would suggest. The Ducks easily took care of Wisconsin and UC Irvine, and they have the talent to give Virginia a real scare in the Sweet 16. Kenny Wooten has been a block machine, posting 11 through two games thus far.

15. Virginia Tech

Wins: 66-52 vs. Saint Louis, 67-58 vs. Liberty

Virginia Tech certainly won't fear Duke in the Sweet 16, as the Hokies beat the Blue Devils earlier this season. Zion wasn't in the lineup for that contest, but neither was Virginia Tech's star point guard Justin Robinson. Both players are back for the rematch that goes down Friday.

16. LSU

Wins: 79-74 vs. Yale, 69-67 vs. Maryland

Despite being a No. 3 seed, LSU wasn't expected to make a deep run due to the suspension of head coach Will Wade. The Tigers have banded together and are here thanks to Tremont Waters' game-winning shot against Maryland on the weekend. The roster is undeniably talented, but the SEC outfit is in tough against Izzo and Michigan State.

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