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The Elite Eight is set.
Duke held on to beat St. John’s, Michigan pulled away from Alabama, UConn held off Michigan State’s comeback attempt and Tennessee throttled Iowa State to reach the regional finals of the 2026 men’s NCAA tournament.
ESPN reporters Adam Rittenberg and Jeff Borzello were on-site in Chicago and Washington, D.C., respectively, to break down how each of Friday’s Sweet 16 games were won. Expert college basketball analyst Myron Medcalf also identifies keys for each winner to advance to the Final Four.
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(1) Duke 80, (5) St. John’s 75How Duke won: Duke heads to its third straight Elite Eight after a huge second half from three key players: Cameron Boozer, Isaiah Evans and Caleb Foster. Boozer started slowly, but he had 13 points and nine rebounds after halftime. Evans was terrific all game, scoring 25 points and hitting a massive step-back 3 to give Duke a 70-69 lead with 3:54 to go. Foster, who suffered a fracture in his foot just 20 days ago, was a game-changer in the second half, coming off the bench to go for 11 points on 5-for-7 shooting after halftime.
St. John’s took a 10-point lead early in the second half after a flurry of Duke turnovers, but Foster settled down the Blue Devils, and the Red Storm’s incredible 3-point shooting from the first half predictably cooled off. They went just 4-for-14 from 3 after making nine in the first half. — Borzello
Duke’s Elite Eight opponent: UConn (5:05 p.m. on Sunday)
How the Blue Devils can advance to the Final Four: It’s clear they aren’t 100%. Patrick Ngongba II has played just 29 total minutes in the two NCAA tournament games he’s played in since returning from a foot injury. And while Foster scored 11 key points in the second half of their Sweet 16 win after returning from a foot fracture that sidelined him for five games, he didn’t look like the standout guard we’ve seen throughout the season. Still, the Blue Devils can advance with the same punishing approach in the paint that’s worked for them this postseason.
Since the start of the ACC tournament, Duke has made just 30% of its 3-point attempts. It has also made 57% of its shots inside the arc and grabbed 45% of its missed shots, a top-five mark over that stretch. Even though the Blue Devils have been cold from the perimeter, they continue to win by following Cameron Boozer’s lead and owning the paint. They will have to solve the riddle known as Tarris Reed Jr., though — the Huskies’ 6-foot-11 center has been a force on both ends of the floor lately, posting double-doubles in two of his three NCAA tournament games so far. — Myron Medcalf
(1) Michigan 90, (4) Alabama 77How Michigan won: The Wolverines had the best overall player on the floor in Yaxel Lendeborg, and their overall backcourt depth leaned on Alabama after halftime. Lendeborg did it all, including catching and throwing lengthy outlet passes, finishing just three assists shy of a triple-double (23 points, 12 rebounds).
The Wolverines also received an early boost from freshman guard Trey McKenney, who had 12 of his 17 points in the first half, and benefitted from second-half surges from guards Elliot Cadeau (17 points) and Rodney Gayle Jr. (14). Michigan was much more efficient than Alabama from 3-point range, connecting on 13 of 27 attempts, and improved defensively as the game went along — that helped offset mostly shaky offensive performances from big men Morez Johnson Jr. and Aday Mara.
When the Wolverines are hitting from range and Lendeborg is filling the stat sheet, they are almost impossible to beat. — Rittenberg
Despite a 35-point performance from Labaron Philon Jr., the 4-seed Crimson Tide drop their regional-semifinal matchup against the Wolverines, 90-77.
Michigan’s Elite Eight opponent: Tennessee (2:15 p.m. on Sunday)
How the Wolverines can advance to the Final Four: An Alabama team ranked third nationally in adjusted offensive efficiency took 31 shots in the second half of its loss to Michigan, and 23 of them were 3-point attempts. The Wolverines not only protect the paint — opposing teams make just 48.9% of their shots in the post against them, per Synergy Sports — but they also limit the type of shots opponents can take.
Michigan’s offense has been virtually unstoppable all season. Its jumbo lineup is a problem only three teams have managed to solve (Duke, Purdue, Wisconsin). If the Wolverines can limit second-chance opportunities for a Tennessee team that ranks first nationally in offensive rebounding rate, and force the Vols into shots outside the paint, Michigan could be on its way to the Final Four. It’s really that simple.
(2) UConn 67, (3) Michigan State 63How UConn won: UConn showed its winning DNA down the stretch, shaking off a rocky middle 25 minutes of the game to make the clinching plays. The Huskies had an early 25-6 lead, but Michigan State fought all the way back to take the lead midway through the second half. UConn regained the lead a couple of possessions later and wouldn’t trail again. The Huskies led for more than 37 minutes, but the margin of victory was more indicative of the game. Alex Karaban hit a huge 3 with 1:39 left to push UConn’s lead to four, and then hit two more free throws with 22 seconds left after Michigan State had cut the lead to one. Tarris Reed Jr. was dominant in the paint when it mattered. He grabbed the biggest defensive rebound of the game and iced the game with two free throws with four seconds left. Perhaps the biggest “winning” stat for UConn: The Huskies made nine of their final 10 free throws after starting the game shooting 1-for-6 from the line. — Borzello
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UConn’s Elite Eight opponent: Duke (5:05 p.m. on Sunday)
How the Huskies can advance to the Final Four: They can reach their third national semifinal in four seasons by outplaying Duke in the paint. That starts with Tarris Reed Jr. avoiding foul trouble. Cameron Boozer is 53rd in the country in fouls drawn per 40 minutes — a couple quick fouls against Reed could be the difference in this game.
Boozer’s flaw has been turnovers; he had four in Duke’s two losses this season (Texas Tech and North Carolina). The Huskies need to force and capitalize on turnovers. And they do have the guard depth and size to harass a less-than-100% Caleb Foster and Isaiah Evans on the perimeter. They have to force Duke into tough shots then avoid scoring droughts like the one that led them to squander a 25-6 lead against Michigan State. That can be costly against the Blue Devils.
(6) Tennessee 76, (2) Iowa State 62How Tennessee won: The Vols pulled away in the second half because of their superior size, physicality and toughness, as Iowa State seemed to crack without star forward Joshua Jefferson (ankle). Tennessee held a 22-10 rebounding edge in the first half and led by only one, but the Vols started making Iowa State pay inside, as they held a 43-22 advantage with points in the paint. Vols forwards Jaylen Carey and Felix Okpara both tallied double-doubles, combining for 23 points and 20 rebounds, and Carey was the strongest man on the court. Tennessee punched first after halftime and Iowa State never really struck back, missing free throws and never getting Milan Momcilovic or the perimeter game going. Coach Rick Barnes and the Vols are back in their third consecutive Elite Eight, and will have a chance to reach the Final Four for the first time in team history. — Rittenberg
Nate Ament leads the Vols with 18 points while Ja’Kobi Gillespie pours in 16 and Bishop Boswell dishes eight assists to hold off the Cyclones, 76-62, to reach their third-straight Elite Eight.
Tennessee’s Elite Eight opponent: Michigan (2:15 p.m. on Sunday)
How the Volunteers can advance to the Final Four: To reach the national semifinals for the first time in program history, the Vols will have to execute a perfect game plan. The X’s and O’s of this game will matter, but they can’t beat Michigan unless Nate Ament and Ja’Kobi Gillespie combine to have a collective performance worthy of making the “One Shining Moment” highlight reel.
Felix Okpara, who has 10 blocks over the last three games, will have to hold his own against the best frontcourt in America, too. That means he has to avoid foul trouble so he’s available down the stretch. The Vols will also have to dictate the way this matchup is played by making it a battle in the paint — the only place they can win as the No. 1 offensive rebounding team in the country. Still, it seems likely they will need an extraordinary effort to survive Michigan.
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