Quite simply, this is not the year of the Cinderella squad. The silver lining: The second-weekend matchups are loaded.

Oftentimes in the men's NCAA tournament, the Elite Eight is more of an elite three with four pretty good teams and one wild card who barely made the tournament before getting hot at the right time. But this year's Elite Eight is legitimately elite.

NCAA Tournament is shaping up to be one of the most thrilling seasons in recent memory. With powerhouse teams and breakout stars, the competition is fierce, but these eight teams are leading the pack.