Over the course of four days, a total of 48 basketball college basketball games were played in eight different venues around the country. There were upsets, buzzer-beaters and more than a few busted brackets along the way.

But now, with 48 teams officially eliminated from the 2015 NCAA tournament, the business end of determining a national champion is about to commence. For the Big 10, that means two conference members remain amongst the last 16 squads still standing after opening weekend.

Just about everyone expected Wisconsin to be here. As for Michigan State, many analysts figured the Spartans might be due for an early exit from the Big Dance in 2015. After all, this is hardly a vintage Tom Izzo outfit. Nevertheless, the Spartans are right where they always are – in the hunt. With their win over Virginia on Sunday, Michigan State advanced to yet another Sweet 16, where Lon Kruger’s Oklahoma Sooners await.

The Spartans are probably feeling pretty good about their chances as they head to Syracuse. Top seed Villanova is gone and Michigan State, seeded an unflattering seventh in the East Region, is looking very much like a potential Final Four squad. Their upcoming matchup with the Sooners figures to be fascinating. Contrasting styles always offer great talking points, and in this case, there are more than enough differences to stir conversation.

The Spartans have always been known for their toughness, rebounding ability and interior defense. Izzo’s teams are notoriously well schooled in fundamentals and perform at their best in pressure situations. Meanwhile, Oklahoma has gained a reputation for uptempo, finesse basketball that emphasizes simply outscoring the opposition.

In an interesting twist, both teams feature hybrid versions of their established identities this time around. Michigan State remains tough as nails defensively. After all, the Spartans held Virginia under 30 percent from the field in their 60-54 win on Sunday. But Michigan State, a team that has always relied heavily on its post-play for both offense and defense, are led by a pair sharpshooting guards in Travis Trice and Denzel Valentine.

For the second straight game, Trice was simply outstanding, scoring 13 points in the opening 10 minutes before making a few keys plays late to help Michigan State hold off Virginia. Small in stature but big in clutch performances, the 6-foot senior has become the focal point of Izzo’s team during the NCAA tournament.

Oklahoma has become a stronger defensive team in 2015 than in previous seasons. The Sooners surrendered 76 points per game in 2013-14 while allowing better than 43 percent shooting. This season, the Sooners have bounced back in a big way, cutting their defensive average by nearly 14 points per outing. Oklahoma is also holding the opposition under 40 percent from the field for the season.

With all that said, this is still Michigan State and Oklahoma. The Spartans remain stout defensively and carry one of the tournament’s more challenging frontcourts in the trio of Branden Dawson, Matt Costello and Gavin Schilling. Those three, along with Valentine and Trice, make the Spartans one of the tourney’s more balanced teams.

The Sooners remain ready and willing to shoot the three-ball. Oklahoma attempts just under 20 three-point shots per game, and they have three players who have taken more than 100 treys in 2014-15 in Buddy Hield, Isaiah Cousins and Frank Booker. In other words, expect plenty of long-range bombs from the Sooners inside the Carrier Dome.

Add it all up, and Friday should present the assembled crowd plenty of both intensity and entertainment in Syracuse. The only question now is which team will continue its journey towards Indianapolis.

Matt Johnson is a Big 10 basketball writer for www.rantsports.com. Follow him on Twitter at mattytheole or “like” him on Facebook.