March Madness 2015: Updated Bracket, Championship Odds Ahead of Sweet 16

The power of March Madness is real. Multiple teams have become household names after just one week—for better or for worse.

Programs like Georgia State, N.C. State and UAB were thrust into the national spotlight for winning despite being underdogs. The Wolfpack is the only one still standing, but the Panthers and Blazers will be hard to forget after their impressive triumphs.

Meanwhile, several teams from the Big 12 had a week to forget. Iowa State and Baylor were the most notable casualties in the second round, while Kansas had a quick exit against Wichita State prior to the Sweet 16.

With a lot of basketball still to be played, here's a look at the full bracket and championship odds ahead of the next round.

Team	Odds
Kentucky	1-1
Arizona	13-2
Duke	8-1
Wisconsin	8-1
Gonzaga	12-1
Michigan State	14-1
Utah	20-1
Louisville	25-1
Oklahoma	25-1
North Carolina	33-1
Notre Dame	33-1
Wichita State	33-1
N.C. State	50-1
UCLA	100-1
West Virginia	100-1
Xavier	100-1

Breakdown

Opening rounds are interesting for all of the surprising stories, but matters normally stabilize by the Sweet 16. This year is no different since many of the championship favorites remain intact, with Kentucky of course being the top dog—er, cat.

The Wildcats looked like the Monstars against Hampton and put on a defensive clinic in a 13-point win over Cincinnati. Kentucky is not only blistering opponents on the offensive end, but also forcing turnovers and blocking shots with Willie Cauley-Stein and Karl-Anthony Towns leading the way.

Along with forcing more possessions on the defensive end, the Wildcats also control the ball well. Andrew Harrison, for example, has been nearly flawless during March, as Kyle Tucker of The Courier-Journal notes:

Just behind the Wildcats in the championship odds sits another set of Wildcats hoping to secure another national title of their own.

Arizona entered the NCAA tournament on an 11-game winning streak and has continued to surge. An easy dismissal of Texas Southern was followed up by another double-digit victory over Ohio State.

What that sets up is a huge matchup between Arizona coach Sean Miller and his former team Xavier. Current Xavier coach Chris Mack spoke about the upcoming game in the Sweet 16, via Stewart Mandel of Fox Sports:

Equipped with a trio of dynamic players like T.J. McConnell, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Stanley Johnson, Arizona has a wealth of talent to make a run at the Final Four.

Already making it to a pair of Elite Eights under Miller, the Wildcats will be looking to finally make the next step. Whether or not Arizona can knock off the other Wildcats might just be decided in the Final Four as both try to work their way through the rest of the field.

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