Sure, Cinderella missed out on the Sweet 16 this year. Our consolation prize? A weekend of high-quality hoops. On Thursday night, three teams from the heartland, all hailing from the Big Ten Conference, dominated the proceedings.
No. 2-seeded Purdue made a last-second tip-in to outlast No. 11 Texas, No. 3 Illinois knocked off No. 2 Houston, and No. 9 Iowa surprised everyone, making its first Elite Eight since the 1980s.
Over the next few days, there are more stellar matchups to come. By the end of the weekend, the Final Four will be set. We have you covered below and, as always, at NBC News.
Sweet 16 Roundup
Kenneth Richmond / Getty Images
A Big Ten Conference school hasn’t won the NCAA men’s basketball national championship since 2000, but if Thursday is any indication, this could be the year that changes.
The first day of Sweet 16 games ended with three victorious Big Ten teams — Purdue, Illinois and Iowa. With Purdue and Illinois facing each other in the South regional final Saturday, at least one Big Ten team is guaranteed to make the Final Four.
Facing No. 2-seeded Houston, No. 3 Illinois broke its eventual 65-55 victory open in the second half, holding the Cougars scoreless for nearly seven minutes of game time. Illinois is stocked with players recruited from Eastern Europe, and it is currently playing as well as any team in America.
No. 2-seeded Purdue turned in the night’s most dramatic finish after it appeared headed toward another early exit. In six previous tournaments as a No. 3 or better seed, Purdue had lost in the Sweet 16 or earlier four times.
On Thursday, the Boilermakers were on the ropes again after No. 11 Texas tied the game with 11.9 seconds to play. But given one final possession, Purdue’s Trey Kaufman-Renn made a last-second tip-in, off a teammate’s missed layup, to give Purdue a 79-77 win.
“It’s winning time,” Kaufman-Renn said. “It’s our job to make big plays in big moments.”
Next up for Purdue: Arizona, which crushed Arkansas, 109-88, by holding every Razorback not named Darius Acuff Jr. in check.
Meanwhile, Iowa advanced to the Elite Eight for the first time since 1987 in a 77-71 win over hated rival Nebraska.
It has been a magical first season for Iowa’s Iowa City-born coach, Ben McCollum. McCollum spent 17 seasons coaching at the Division II level, winning four national titles and 80.8% of his games, before he got his first crack at Division I in 2024. He has proven to be a quick study.
Sweet 16 Preview
Just like Thursday, we identified some key players who could swing tonight’s Sweet 16 matchups.
No. 1 Duke vs. No. 5 St. John’s: If the Red Storm stand any chance, they’ll need a big night from Zuby Ejiofor, the 6-foot-9 senior forward. Ejiofor scored 18 points and grabbed nine rebounds last round against Kansas. Now he’ll battle inside with the Blue Devils’ freshman phenom, Cameron Boozer.
No. 1 Michigan vs. No. 4 Alabama: Yaxel Lendeborg can do just about everything on the basketball court. Standing 6-foot-9, weighing 240 pounds, he’s a force driving to the rim. He can get out in transition. But if he’s making 3-pointers, too, like he did last round against Saint Louis, Michigan will be hard to beat.
No. 2 UConn vs. No. 3 Michigan State: Tom Izzo leans on point guard Jeremy Fears Jr. to run the Spartans’ offense, and Fears has compiled 27 assists (!) through the first two rounds of the tournament. In a tight moment, expect the ball in Fears’ hands.
No. 2 Iowa State vs. No. 6 Tennessee: The Cyclones lost Joshua Jefferson to an ankle injury in the first round of the tournament. He’s expected to be a game-time decision tonight. Jefferson averages 16.4 points and 7.4 rebounds per game. Whether he plays — and if so, at what level — could mean Iowa State makes its first Elite Eight since 2000 or heads home.
What We’re Reading
With a baseball lockout looming next winter, the Dodgers’ owner believes “we’ve got to come up with something that will give us some parity.”
Baseball’s new automatic challenge system is forcing teams to decide which players will have the green light to initiate challenges.
Tom Brady says he inquired about returning to play while remaining a minority owner.
U.S. Olympic hockey hero Jack Hughes finally fixed the teeth he broke in the gold medal game.
Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm sues his parents for millions, accusing them of misusing his money.
Big-budget college basketball rosters are increasingly common, but less so in women’s basketball. But funding by a Reddit co-founder has helped change Virginia’s fortunes.
Speaking of women’s college basketball, UConn coach Geno Auriemma thinks that in the new revenue-sharing era, “Title IX legislation is probably over.”
Fun story here. Sportswriter Tyson Alger hit the driving range with Derek Radley, the coach of the powerhouse women’s golf team at the University of Oregon.
What We’re Watching
The Sweet 16 continues tonight. Can Rick Pitino and the Johnnies keep their magic going against top seed Duke? Later, a terrific matchup between two fiery coaches, Dan Hurley (UConn) and Tom Izzo (Michigan State). Bless the referees working that game.
All times are Eastern:
- 7:10 p.m.: No. 1 Duke vs. No. 5 St. John’s, on CBS
- 7:35 p.m.: No. 1 Michigan vs. No. 4 Alabama, on TBS
- 9:45 p.m.: No. 2 UConn vs. No. 3 Michigan State, on CBS
- 10:10 p.m.: No. 2 Iowa State vs. No. 6 Tennessee, on TBS
That’s it for now! We’ll be back Monday.
