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The tournament's opening weekend is over and 16 teams remain in the hunt for a national championship. On Friday, four of those teams will play in the South regional semifinal with the hope of advancing to the Elite Eight.
No. 1 seed Kansas gets things started shortly after 6:30 p.m. CT. The Jayhawks will go up against No. 4 Michigan, who clobbered VCU in the third round to advance to the Sweet 16. Kansas overcame an early deficit to North Carolina in its third-round game to reach Dallas.
Both teams are led by superstar guards. Trey Burke averages 18.8 points and nearly seven assists per game and has no problem getting players such as Tim Hardaway Jr. or Mitch McGary involved. Ben McLemore counters for Kansas; the freshman scored 15.8 points per game and hauls in 5.3 rebounds. He scored just two points against the Tar Heels last weekend, however, and did not make a field goal the entire game.
The late game from Dallas features No. 3 Florida against No. 15 Florida Gulf Coast. The Gators won back-to-back national championships in 2006 and 2007 and then ran away with the SEC this year to emerge as one of the region's most popular picks.
But of course, everyone has been watching Florida Gulf Coast much more closely. As the first 15 seed to ever advance to the Sweet 16, the Eagles' relentless interior attack and focus on high-percentage shots have earned the praise and awe of fans and analysts alike. But in order for Florida Gulf Coast to take Dunk City to the Elite Eight, it will have to play its game against a Gators team that can also get out and run and is known for blowing out less talented opponents.
More in College Basketball:
• Bill Connelly: Here's how FGCU beats Florida
• NBA Draft: Can Ben McLemore get back on track?
• Sweet 16 power rankings: Cards still on top
• Get to know Florida Gulf Coast, best school ever
• Printable bracket for March Madness