AFP’s NCAA Tournament down to the Elite Eight

We started with 68. And then there were eight, including defending champ Virginia and 2019-2020 ACC champ Florida State.

Using Resident AFP Bracketologist Seth Megginson’s 2020 NCAA Tournament bracket, AFP has narrowed the field to eight teams, including UVA, the 2019 champ, which got past SEC champ Kentucky in a thrilling prime-time matchup in the East Region in Madison Square Garden.

The ‘Hoos, who defeated #11 seed Texas Tech and #3 seed Maryland to get to New York, will face the top seed in the East, Dayton, for a chance to return to the Final Four.

FSU, which finished a game ahead of Virginia in the ACC this season, will face the eight seed, LSU, which earlier had knocked off the top seed in the South, Baylor.

LSU defeated fourth seed Wisconsin in the Sweet Sixteen to earn the right to face the second-seeded ‘Noles, who defeated Iowa, the six seed.

The other half of the bracket has Midwest #1 seed Kansas facing two seed Creighton. Kansas dispatched #13 seed Vermont, which had earlier upset fourth-seeded Louisville before fighting off #12 seed Stephen F. Austin.

Creighton won a heavyweight title fight with three seed Michigan State to earn the Elite Eight slot opposite the Jayhawks.

Out West, top seed Gonzaga pulled away late to fight off #12 seed Liberty, which had upset #5 seed Auburn in the opening round, then got past four seed Oregon to earn a Sweet Sixteen bid.

The ‘Zags will face #3 seed Villanova, which won a slugfest with seven seed Providence.

Find out “hoo, ahem, who, advances to the Final Four live at 1 p.m. Sunday when Chris and Seth get together for their NCAA Tournament: Coronavirus Edition podcast.

Story by Chris Graham