Friday's NCAA men's tournament Sweet 16 takeaways: No. 1 seed Purdue survives while Houston's run ends

The Sweet 16 of the NCAA men's college basketball tournament closed on Friday night, and, for the second day in a row, one No. 1 seed advanced, while another saw its run come to an end. 

With matchups for the Elite Eight now set, here are some takeaways from Friday's action. 

Duke's win over No. 1 Houston gives them a shot at revenge in the Elite Eight

Duke and NC State's paths will cross again. 

The Blue Devils did just enough to power past a short-handed Houston team on Friday, setting up an all-ACC matchup in the Elite Eight and a shot at revenge against the No. 11-seeded Wolfpack. 

NC State defeated the Blue Devils, 74-69, in the ACC Tournament on March 14. The victory kickstarted NC State's improbable run of eight straight wins, capped off by an upset over No. 2 Marquette on Friday.  

This time around, Duke will be favored again. But, with the way NC State is playing, anything is possible. 

First-half injury to Jamal Shead played a significant role in Houston's Sweet 16 exit 

No. 1 Houston saw its NCAA title hopes crumble on Friday after falling to Duke, 54-51. It was a valiant effort by the Cougars, who battled until the end even without their star guard, Shead. 

Shead left the game with 6:38 left in the first half after rolling his right ankle during a fastbreak. X-rays were negative, but he never returned, and Houston felt the brunt. 

One player doesn't make a team, but after falling to Duke by only three points, it's hard to believe that Shead's presence wouldn't have made the difference. 

Volunteers prepare for battle with Purdue

Tennessee advanced to the Elite Eight for only the second time in school history, knocking off No. 3 Creighton 82-75 on Friday. The win sets up Sunday's contest against No. 1 Purdue, which has all the makings of a classic. 

The Volunteers, boasting the third-best points against in the SEC this season (70.2), boast an aggressive style of defense that could match up perfectly against the Boilermakers. Then again, even when tested, the Zach Edey-led Boilermakers have passed every test. 

Tennesee lost to Purdue 71-67 at the Maui Invitational in November. However, the result of that game won't matter when the two teams tip off Sunday, with a trip to the Final Four on the line. 

The Boilermakers are looking dangerous 

The No. 1 seed that survived on Friday, Purdue, moves on to face No. 3 Creighton/No. 2 Tennessee, looking like one of the more dangerous teams remaining in the tournament. After Friday's dominant 80-68 victory over Gonzaga, Purdue has won its games by an average of 26 points, trailing only defending champ UConn (29 points). 

Purdue didn't give the Bulldogs any room to breathe, building a lead as large as 18 and never looking back. They shot 57.1 percent (32-of-56) overall and 45 percent from three (9-of-20), paced by center Zach Edey (27 points, 14 rebounds) and guard Braden Smith (14 points, 15 assists, eight rebounds). 

Smith's playmaking skills, paired with the unstoppable force that is Edey, make the Boilermakers a formidable opponent heading into the Elite Eight. There's still work to do, but if the team's reaction to Friday's win is any indication, Purdue is very well aware of what lies ahead. 

It's beginning to feel like 1983 again for NC State

Following NC State's 67-58 upset of No. 2 Marquette, the Wolfpack are Elite Eight bound, conjuring memories of the program's magical run to the NCAA Championship in 1983. While they aren't there yet, it's starting to feel like destiny. 

NC State, which needed to win the ACC Tournament to receive an automatic bid, has now rallied off eight must-wins in a row. Meanwhile, during its tournament run, it stunned No. 6 Texas Tech and stomped on No. 14 Oakland's dreams before prematurely ending the No. 2 seed's season. 

This year's Wolfpack team hasn't reached the heights of the 83 team. But, after Friday's incredible win, they're one step closer. 

Another early exit for Shaka Smart 

After reaching the Sweet 16 with Marquette, head coach Shaka Smart thought he had shaken off the ghosts of tournament past. Not so fast. 

Unrealized expectations are becoming the norm for Smart and his teams. Following first and second-round exits over his first two seasons with the Golden Eagles, they made it only one step further this time, even as a No. 2 seed. Furthermore, their performance was lackluster, shooting only 33.3 percent from the field (20-of-60) and 12.9 percent from three (14-of-23)

Since leading an upstart Virginia Commonwealth team to the Final Four in 2011, Smart's teams are just 5-10 in the NCAA Tournament.