Top seeds Michigan and Duke face pivotal round of eight matchups against Tennessee and UConn respectively as the 2026 men’s college basketball tournament continues on Sunday.
The highly anticipated fixtures will determine who advances to the prestigious semi-final stage of the national collegiate competition.
Michigan enter their afternoon clash as strong favourites to overcome the sixth-seeded Volunteers.
Later in the evening, fellow number one seeds Duke take on second seeds Connecticut in a heavyweight encounter.
Duke seek to break down stubborn Huskies
Bookmakers have installed the Blue Devils as 5.5-point favourites for their evening tip-off.
However, analysts suggest the low projected points total of 133.5 may underestimate the offensive capabilities of both prestigious programmes.
The Durham-based outfit have consistently surpassed higher points totals when facing elite defensive units throughout the current campaign.
Danny Hurley’s Huskies will need to establish an early offensive rhythm to prevent their formidable opponents from controlling the late stages.
Volunteers face massive test against Wolverines
In the early game, Michigan carry a 7.5-point handicap advantage into their battle with the Southeastern Conference challengers.
The Ann Arbor institution possesses one of the most efficient shooting attacks in the nation, ranking second overall in two-point conversion percentage.
To orchestrate an upset, the underdog Volunteers must restrict their highly-fancied opponents to below 45% shooting from the field.
Tennessee rely heavily on offensive rebounding to generate scoring opportunities, but they face a daunting task against an elite Michigan frontcourt.
Top seeds South Carolina stormed into the Elite Eight of the women’s March Madness tournament with a dominant 94-68 victory over Oklahoma in Sacramento.
Ta’Niya Latson scored 28 points as the Gamecocks overpowered their fourth-seeded opponents to set up a regional final clash against either TCU or Virginia.
Raven Johnson added 18 points during a commanding performance that keeps the perennial contenders on track for the Final Four in Phoenix.
The emphatic win also served as revenge for South Carolina, who suffered their only regular-season Southeastern Conference loss to this same Oklahoma outfit earlier this year.
Latson leads early offensive blitz
Playing in her first Sweet 16, former Florida State guard Latson orchestrated a blistering 10-0 start for the tournament favourites.
The senior playmaker accounted for eight of those opening points as her team established an early stranglehold on the contest.
Johnson further compounded the misery for the Sooners, contributing nine points to build a 23-13 advantage by the end of the first quarter.
Oklahoma struggled to find their rhythm in response, turning the ball over on three of their first four possessions in the second period.
Sooners’ comeback hopes extinguished
A sensational four-point play from Latson in the final minute of the half extended the lead to 47-28, effectively putting the game out of reach before the break.
Despite Second-team AP All-American Joyce Edwards being held scoreless in the opening 20 minutes, the Gamecocks possessed more than enough firepower to maintain their dominance.
The top seeds made a concerted effort to involve Edwards after the interval, with the forward scoring the team’s first four points of the third quarter.
She eventually finished with eight points and nine rebounds, ensuring the Sooners had no realistic path back into the match.
Aaliyah Chavez managed a valiant 21 points for the eliminated side, while Raegan Beers contributed 14 in a losing effort.
South Carolina, who boast three national championships in their recent history, are now just one victory away from their seventh Final Four appearance in nine tournaments.
The Milwaukee Bucks have been officially eliminated from NBA playoff contention after suffering a heavy 127-95 defeat by the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday.
The comprehensive loss brings a bitter end to a nine-year postseason streak for the Eastern Conference franchise.
Only the Boston Celtics now hold a longer active run of consecutive playoff appearances.
Milwaukee’s alarming late-season struggles have been severely compounded by the ongoing absence of Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Antetokounmpo absence proves costly
The two-time MVP missed his sixth consecutive game at the weekend due to a left knee hyperextension and bone bruise.
He has featured in just 36 games this campaign, a pivotal factor behind his team’s disastrous slide down the standings.
Recent debates have intensified regarding the franchise’s medical handling of the Greek forward.
The National Basketball Players Association issued a statement earlier this week seemingly criticising the organisation for considering shutting their star player down entirely.
Without their talisman on the court, the struggling side have now lost nine of their past 11 matches.
Spurs continue impressive surge
In stark contrast, San Antonio secured their eighth consecutive victory to maintain a remarkable run of late-season form.
The Texas-based team have completely transformed their fortunes by winning 13 of their last 14 fixtures.
This relentless surge moves them within two games of the first-place Oklahoma City Thunder in the highly competitive Western Conference.
Stephon Castle orchestrated the latest triumph by registering a dominant triple-double, finishing with 22 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds.
Meanwhile, French sensation Victor Wembanyama further bolstered his MVP credentials by adding 23 points, 15 rebounds and six assists.
Notre Dame star Hannah Hidalgo insists her team will not repeat their starstruck performance when they face rivals UConn in Sunday’s Elite Eight rematch.
The Fighting Irish suffered a bruising 38-point defeat during the previous meeting in Storrs back in January.
However, the junior guard believes the sixth seeds are now playing their best basketball of the season following a strong recent run.
“I feel like I can say that UConn hasn’t seen the best Notre Dame,” Hidalgo said.
Moving past early intimidation
The previous encounter proved a difficult learning experience for a relatively inexperienced roster.
The talented playmaker was restricted to just 16 points on five-for-15 shooting during that heavy mid-season loss.
“I think before when we played UConn, we played a little afraid,” Hidalgo admitted.
“I think we were a little probably starstruck, but now that we’ve seen it, we’ve been through it, I think it’ll help us a lot.”
Peaking at the perfect moment
The Indiana-based programme has recovered formidably since the turn of the year, winning 10 of their past 11 matches.
Their only defeat during that impressive stretch came by a narrow two-point margin against a resilient Duke side.
Head coach Niele Ivey, who previously won a national championship as a player, understands the mental fortitude required against such dominant opposition.
“They can crush you from the beginning, so you have to have confidence for 40 minutes,” Ivey explained.
The former assistant coach stressed that her squad now possesses the necessary experience to handle the high-pressure tournament environment.
LeBron James and Bronny James have made NBA history by recording the league’s first father-son assist during the Los Angeles Lakers’ 116-99 victory over the Brooklyn Nets.
The historic moment arrived in the second quarter when the veteran forward, facing a heavy double team, kicked the ball out to his open son on the left wing.
Bronny confidently drained the three-pointer, officially etching the James family name into the basketball record books twice on a single play.
“It was a special moment with us two and a lot more to come down the road,” the 21-year-old guard said following the victory.
Confidence returning after health scare
The young prospect is enjoying an increasingly prominent role for the Lakers following a highly publicised and challenging start to his collegiate career.
His freshman season at USC was heavily disrupted after he suffered a cardiac arrest during a summer workout prior to the 2024 draft.
However, the rookie has demonstrated steady improvement during his second NBA season, currently shooting 40% from beyond the arc.
The four-time NBA champion expressed immense pride at seeing his eldest son earn meaningful back-to-back minutes on the court.
“Just not take it for granted being in a moment of us being on the floor once again… definitely a cool moment for us and also for the family.”
LeBron James
A growing rhythm on the court
Bronny’s shooting proficiency extends to the G League, where he boasts a 41.7% success rate for the South Bay Lakers.
“I’ve gotten more and more reps being comfortable shooting behind the NBA line,” the former Trojan explained.
His legendary father noted that the young guard is simply returning to the high-level form he consistently displayed throughout high school.
“It’s just getting back to where it was before the incident. He’s always been able to shoot the ball,” the NBA’s all-time leading scorer observed.
This growing on-court confidence has reportedly translated into some lighthearted familial trash talk behind closed doors.
Following Friday’s victory, Bronny humorously claimed his father once broke a backboard at their Miami home out of frustration after losing a one-on-one game against him.
Head coach Ben McCollum and senior guard Bennett Stirtz have led Iowa to their first Elite Eight appearance since 1980 following a dramatic comeback victory over Nebraska.
The Hawkeyes recovered from an early 10-point deficit in their Sweet 16 clash to continue an unlikely postseason journey.
The crucial turnaround was sparked by an explosive mid-game tirade from their demonstrative manager.
Fire and ice partnership
Stirtz watched unfazed as his coach smashed a whiteboard and shattered a marker pen on the hardwood floor.
“That’s what he likes to do,” Stirtz said following the victory.
“He’s the negative guy, and then our assistant coaches are the positive people. He was just telling us we sucked and we were soft.”
McCollum offered a much lighter interpretation of the pivotal huddle.
“We called the team into the huddle and just said very nicely, ‘I would like you to play harder, guys,'” the coach joked.
From Division II to the grand stage
The contrasting duo are currently at their third school together after previous stints at Northwest Missouri State and Drake.
Despite an underwhelming 10-10 record in the Big Ten conference, the team are now on the brink of a historic Final Four berth.
This marks the fourth consecutive year the manager and player have advanced together in an elimination tournament.
Their journey began in Division II, suffering a second-round exit in 2023 before losing to the eventual national champions in the 2024 Sweet 16.
Stepping up when it matters
Following their jump to Division I with Drake last season, the perpetually cool playmaker carried his former team to a first-round upset over Missouri.
The transition to Iowa has proved equally seamless for the former MVC Player of the Year.
Stirtz earned second-team All-Big Ten honours after averaging 19.7 points per game during the regular season.
The prolific scorer delivered once again against the Cornhuskers, sinking a crucial three-pointer with just over two minutes remaining to secure Iowa’s first lead of the contest.
The Hawkeyes will now face Illinois on Saturday with a coveted Final Four spot on the line.
Sixth-seeded Tennessee produced a dominant rebounding display to upset second seeds Iowa State 76-62 in Chicago and reach their third consecutive Elite Eight on Friday.
Nate Ament spearheaded the scoring with 18 points, while Ja’Kobi Gillespie added 16 to keep their team’s Final Four dreams alive.
A formidable performance on the glass proved decisive as the Volunteers ruthlessly outrebounded their opponents 43-22.
Absence of Jefferson proves costly
Iowa State clearly struggled to fill the void left by injured star Joshua Jefferson.
The All-America forward, who averaged 16.4 points and 7.4 rebounds this season, sustained a tournament-ending injury during their March Madness opener against Tennessee State.
Despite his absence, Nate Heise and Tamin Lipsey fought valiantly to keep the Cyclones competitive by contributing 18 points each.
A tense first half concluded with Rick Barnes’ side clinging to a narrow 34-33 advantage after Felix Okpara converted two late free throws.
Carey powers second-half surge
The contest broke open following the interval when the sixth seeds orchestrated a decisive 13-4 scoring run.
Jaylen Carey emphatically capped this momentum shift with a crucial three-point play off a tip-in.
The imposing 6ft 8in forward turned to the roaring crowd and flexed before sinking his free throw to establish a commanding 14-point lead with 11 minutes remaining.
Okpara provided essential support in the paint, chipping in with 12 points and 10 rebounds to secure a crucial double-double.
Wolverines await in regional final
Victory moves the university within just one win of a historic first Final Four appearance.
They will face top seeds Michigan in Sunday’s Midwest Region final after the Wolverines comfortably dispatched Alabama 90-77.
Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic faces an automatic one-game suspension after picking up his 16th technical foul of the NBA season during Friday’s game against the Brooklyn Nets.
The MVP candidate was penalised following a third-quarter physical altercation with Nets forward Ziaire Williams.
Crew chief Sean Wright assessed double technical fouls after an offensive foul was called with just over five minutes remaining in the period.
Video replays showed the Lakers playmaker pushing Williams, who subsequently retaliated by swiping at his opponent’s face.
Pending appeal and recent reprieves
If the NBA upholds the decision, the mandatory ban will be served when the Washington Wizards visit Los Angeles on Monday.
An overturn appears highly unlikely given that officials reviewed the baseline incident extensively before confirming the penalties.
The reigning Western Conference Player of the Week recently escaped a similar suspension last weekend.
League officials rescinded a technical awarded for a verbal altercation with Orlando Magic centre Goga Bitadze following a successful Lakers appeal.
Costly absence during stellar run
Any enforced absence would severely disrupt a phenomenal run of form for the Los Angeles talisman.
He has averaged an astonishing 39.5 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 7.3 assists over his past 11 appearances.
This prolific scoring streak has driven a dominant sequence of results, with the franchise winning 10 of those recent matchups.