Men’s March Madness 2026: UConn, Duke hold on late to reach Elite Eight
The final night of the Sweet 16 promised top-tier basketball, and the four games more than delivered.
Top-seeded Duke rallied from down double digits to outlast fifth-seeded St. John’s, while No. 1 seed Michigan pulled away from fourth-seeded Alabama in a back-and-forth affair that the Crimson Tide led at halftime.
In the nightcap, UConn held off a reeling Michigan State team to advance and Tennessee upset Iowa State.
Here’s a look at Friday night’s action in Chicago and Washington:
No. 2 UConn 67, No. 3 Michigan State 63
UConn is back in the Elite Eight after topping Michigan State, a big-name program, to set up a showdown with Duke, an even bigger big-name program, with a trip to the Final Four on the line.
The second-seeded Huskies dominated early, opening up a 19-point lead midway through the first half. Michigan State missed 21 of its first 25 shots, and the game appeared to be a dud.
It wasn’t. The third-seeded Spartans eventually answered with a 16-2 run sandwiched around halftime. They finally, briefly regained the lead midway through the third quarter with a transition basket and free throw by Jaxon Kohler.
UConn quickly usurped control on offense (four straight field goals) and defense (holding the Spartans scoreless for three and a half minutes), but couldn’t quite pull away. The Huskies had three players in double figures, led by center Tarris Reed Jr. (20 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists) and forward Alex Karaban (17 points, 7 rebounds). They combined to make six free throws in the final minute to help seal it.
The victory put UConn coach Dan Hurley one win away from leading the Huskies to their third Final Four appearance in the last four seasons. Spartans coach Tom Izzo fell to 11-6 in the Sweet 16. – Matt Baker, college basketball writer
No. 1 Duke 80, No. 5 St. John’s 75
Duke-St. John’s delivered in the first of two Sweet 16 games at the loaded East Regional in Washington, and the Blue Devils can thank their stars that they are moving on to the Elite Eight for a third straight season under coach Jon Scheyer.
Cameron Boozer and Isaiah Evans were the best two players on the court down the stretch, and top-seeded Duke rallied from 10 points down to eliminate St. John’s.
The Big East champions gave the ACC champions all they could handle. The Johnnies led for much of the second half before Boozer and Evans (47 points combined) took over late with a major assist from Caleb Foster, who scored 11 points in his return from a foot injury.
For 73-year-old St. John’s coach Rick Pitino, the loss was just the second of his career in 14 Sweet 16 games.
Duke will face UConn on Sunday for a second straight trip to the Final Four. – Ralph D. Russo, college basketball writer
No. 1 Michigan 90, No. 4 Alabama 77
It was shaping up to be a night of dueling stars in the Sweet 16, with Michigan’s Yaxel Lendeborg and Alabama’s Labaron Philon Jr. exchanging shot for shot, each over the 20-point mark early in the second half.
However, it was the supporting cast that helped the Wolverines pull away for a victory over Alabama. Michigan, the top seed in the Midwest Regional, advanced to its first Elite Eight since 2021 in Year Two under head coach Dusty May and set a single-season program record with 34 wins in the process.
Lendeborg, the Big Ten Player of the Year, led the way with 23 points, 12 rebounds, seven assists and 4-of-5 shooting on 3-pointers. Yet, he got a boost from guards Trey McKenney (17 points, 3-of-5 on 3s), Elliot Cadeau (17 points, 3-of-8 on 3s) and Roddy Gayle Jr. (16 points, 3-of-4 on 3s). Michigan made 13-of-27 3-pointers compared to just 14-of-47 for the Crimson Tide.
Alabama led by two at the break, but during one critical stretch early in the second half, that trio of Wolverines hit three straight buckets – triples by Gayle and Cadeau sandwiched around a McKenney layup – for an 8-0 run that put Michigan up by 13 points. Alabama never got within eight the rest of the way.
Philon was stellar with 35 points (10-of-21 shooting), seven rebounds and four assists, but it wasn’t enough. The Tide relied on him considerably to initiate offense and finally appeared to miss guard Aden Holloway, the team’s second-leading scorer who hasn’t been with the team during the Tournament after a felony arrest earlier this month. Philon had 16 of his team’s 28 points in the second half, as Michigan outscored the Tide 43-28.
The Wolverines will face No. 6 Tennessee on Sunday. – Justin Williams, college basketball writer
No. 6 Tennessee 76, No. 2 Iowa State 62
Remember when Rick Barnes had a reputation as a great regular-season coach who couldn’t get it done in the NCAA Tournament? Well, his team’s suffocating 76-62 win over Iowa State on Friday at the United Center makes it three straight Elite Eights for Tennessee – a program that had one in its history before this streak.
Bob Knight, among many other distinguished coaches, never reached three straight Elite Eights. The Midwest Region No. 6 seed Vols (25-11) have earned an opportunity at No. 1 seed Michigan (34-3) Sunday in an attempt to earn the program’s first Final Four and the second of Barnes’ career. The Vols’ chances hinge on a top-15 defense and an offensive rebounding rate that leads the nation. Better shooting – UT was just 7-for-22 from long range – would help as well.
Oh, and Tennessee needs some luck. It got some Friday in the absence of Iowa State’s best player, forward Joshua Jefferson, who was out with a sprained ankle. The Cyclones (29-8) have been on an offensive tear lately, but struggled mostly to find any space for the nation’s best shooter, Milan Momcilovic (2-for-9, 6 points). Tamin Lipsey scored 18 in his final game for Iowa State.
Tennessee’s best player, freshman wing Nate Ament, seems to be getting healthier after struggling recently with ankle and knee injuries. He hit a mid-range shot to push the lead to 11 points with less than 3 minutes to play, then capped the night with a 3-point swish and finished with 18 points. Ja’Kobi Gillespie scored 16, and the Vols offset 17 turnovers with 16 offensive rebounds. — Joe Rexrode, senior writer