The biggest college basketball tournament is here, bringing plenty of excitement and storylines. Will we see Cinderellas pull upsets, or will the bluebloods keep their grip on the tournament? With the power of a reliable connection always important during a successful tournament run, we\u2019re keeping you connected to the can\u2019t-miss headlines and standout moments from every round.<\/p>\n
The first two spots in the Final Four<\/a> will be booked on Saturday. And there are three schools vying to break droughts that span at least 20 years.<\/p>\n Only Purdue, which made the national title game in 2024, has gotten to the Final Four in the last two decades. Will the Boilermakers get back for the second time in the past three seasons and give the Big Ten two teams in the national semifinals?<\/p>\n Here\u2019s what you need to know for Saturday\u2019s Elite Eight games.<\/p>\n No. 3 Illinois vs. No. 9 Iowa<\/p>\n Illinois\u2019 last Final Four appearance: 2005<\/p>\n Iowa\u2019s last Final Four appearance: 1980<\/p>\n We\u2019re guaranteed to have at least one Big Ten team in the Final Four and it\u2019s through a matchup only the most die-hard fans of the conference would have predicted before the NCAA tournament.<\/p>\n Iowa overcame a hot start from Nebraska<\/a> to take down the Cornhuskers on Thursday night and Illinois beat Houston at its own game in a low-scoring slugfest<\/a>. The Hawkeyes would probably like to take their chances that Illinois can\u2019t duplicate a performance like that in a game where possessions are at a premium.<\/p>\n Draft your Yahoo Fantasy Baseball team for the 2026 MLB Season<\/a><\/p>\n The Hawkeyes dictated the slow tempo against Nebraska and shot 52% from the field and nearly 64% from inside the arc. Of course, Nebraska\u2019s four-men-on-the-court blunder<\/a> is the play that will be relived for years, but Iowa already led before that happened.<\/p>\n Iowa probably can\u2019t give up 10 offensive rebounds again, however. Illinois had nine in its win over Houston, though the Illini shot just 43% from the field against Houston\u2019s tough defense. The Cougars, meanwhile, were an abysmal 34% from the field and made just 28% of their 3-point attempts.<\/p>\n The two teams met once during the regular season; Illinois got a 75-69 road win.<\/p>\n No. 1 Arizona vs. No. 2 Purdue<\/p>\n Arizona\u2019s last Final Four appearance: 2001<\/p>\n Purdue\u2019s last Final Four appearance: 2024<\/p>\n This could be the highest-scoring game of the Elite Eight. Both teams have topped 100 points once in the NCAA tournament and Arizona\u2019s 78 points in the second round against Utah State is the lowest total of either team through the first three rounds.<\/p>\n The Wildcats were simply unstoppable on offense in the Sweet 16<\/a>. They shot 64% from the field and had 19 assists on 37 baskets in a 109-88 rout over Arkansas<\/a>. Purdue will have to provide more resistance at the rim \u2014 and they\u2019re a team much better equipped to do so with center Oscar Cluff and forward Trey Kaufman-Renn.<\/p>\n