{"id":838423,"date":"2026-03-28T05:08:34","date_gmt":"2026-03-28T05:08:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/838423\/"},"modified":"2026-03-28T05:08:34","modified_gmt":"2026-03-28T05:08:34","slug":"elite-eight-breakdown-what-makes-each-mens-ncaa-tournament-matchup-so-exciting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/838423\/","title":{"rendered":"Elite Eight breakdown: What makes each men\u2019s NCAA Tournament matchup so exciting"},"content":{"rendered":"

And then there were eight.<\/p>\n

The men\u2019s NCAA Tournament Elite Eight is officially set \u2014 and it\u2019s a mix of heavy hitters and slight surprises. The East and West regions played out true to form, with No. 1 Duke and No. 2 UConn set to meet Sunday in Washington, D.C., and No. 1 Arizona and No. 2 Purdue doing battle Saturday in San Jose, Calif.<\/p>\n

But the South matches up a 3-seed (Illinois) and a 9-seed (Iowa), and sixth-seeded Tennessee broke through in the Midwest late in the night Friday to match up with top-seeded Michigan.<\/p>\n

Only two of the remaining programs \u2014 Duke and UConn \u2014 have won a national title in the 21st century. And half of the field \u2014 Purdue, Illinois, Tennessee and Iowa \u2014 has never won the NCAA Tournament.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s our first look at four enticing matchups.<\/p>\n

SouthNo. 3 Illinois vs. No. 9 Iowa<\/p>\n

When:\u00a0Saturday, 6:09 p.m. ET, TBS
Line: Illinois -7.5
The Athletic\u2019s projection<\/a>:\u00a0Illinois, 71 percent<\/p>\n

First look: Almost no one saw this matchup of former Big Ten West football schools coming. They already met once this season, on Jan. 11, with the Illini winning 75-69 in Iowa City.<\/p>\n

Iowa has been the darling of this year\u2019s tournament. Just two years ago, Hawkeyes coach Ben McCollum was still at Division II Northwest Missouri State. After one season at Drake, he and star point guard Bennett Stirtz came to Iowa, where they went .500 in Big Ten play this season. But Iowa has come alive in this tournament, knocking off defending national champion Florida and pulling out a Sweet 16 thriller against fourth-seeded Nebraska. McCollum\u2019s team employs a slow-down pace, takes care of the ball and works the ball relentlessly to find the perfect shot.<\/p>\n

But the Hawkeyes will have their work cut out against a talented Illinois team that has reeled off three straight double-digit victories. Coach Brad Underwood\u2019s team stifled No. 2 seed Houston in its hometown in the Sweet 16, holding the Cougars to 34.4 percent shooting in a 65-55 win. Freshman guard Keaton Wagler is a projected NBA lottery pick who can both score and pass.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s at stake? McCollum, who previously won four DII national titles, has a chance to lead Iowa to its first Final Four since 1980. It would be a remarkable feat for the Hawkeyes, given only one of the eight players in the rotation came back from Fran McCaffery\u2019s last team. Most of the roster came either from Drake or other mid-major programs.<\/p>\n

While Underwood has taken the Illini to their second Elite Eight in three seasons, the program is seeking its first Final Four trip since Dee Brown and Deron Williams reached the 2005 national championship game. They represent one of the Big Ten\u2019s best shots to end the league\u2019s 26-year title drought.<\/p>\n

Reason to be excited: A year after all four No. 1 seeds reached the Final Four, the South region will send either a formidable No. 3 seed or the closest thing to a Cinderella still standing in the bracket.<\/p>\n

\tFavorites to win the South region Make
Second
RoundMake
Sweet
16Make
Elite
EightMake
Final
FourMake
Champ.Win
Champ.3 \"Illinois\" Illinois\u2713\u2713\u271371%30%10%9 \"Iowa\" Iowa\u2713\u2713\u271329%6%1%2 \"Houston\" Houston\u2713\u2713\u2014\u2014\u2014\u20144 \"Nebraska\" Nebraska\u2713\u2713\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014 Updated March 28, 2026 at 12:27 a.m. E.T. <\/p>\n

\t\tWestNo. 1 Arizona vs. No. 2 Purdue<\/p>\n

When: Saturday, 8:49 p.m. ET, TBS
Line: Arizona -6.5
The Athletic\u2019s projection<\/a>: Arizona, 56 percent<\/p>\n

First look: It\u2019s hard to beat this matchup in San Jose. Purdue began the season No. 1 in the polls. Arizona later spent nine weeks in the top spot. The top-seeded Wildcats come into the Elite Eight having won 12 straight games, while the Boilermakers haven\u2019t lost since prior to the Big Ten tournament.<\/p>\n

Arizona has been a season-long buzzsaw. Behind point guard Jaden Bradley, who won Big 12 player of the year, standout freshman guard Brayden Burries, and the sizeable front line of Koa Peat, Ivan Kharchenkov and 7-foot-2 Motiejus Krivas, the Wildcats create great looks on offense and play smothering defense. They held No. 4 seed Arkansas to 22 percent 3-point shooting in Thursday\u2019s 109-88 Sweet 16 rout.<\/p>\n

Purdue has been less consistent, and needed a last-second putback<\/a> to survive 11th-seeded Texas in the Sweet 16, but the Boilers\u2019 biggest strength is their experience. Point guard and NCAA all-time assists leader Braden Smith, Fletcher Loyer and Trey Kaufman-Renn are all senior starters who played in the 2024 national championship game against UConn.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\n Trey Kaufman-Renn\u2019s last-second tip-in send Purdue past Texas in the Sweet 16. (Ezra Shaw \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n

What\u2019s at stake? For all of Arizona\u2019s success under fifth-year coach Tommy Lloyd and predecessor Sean Miller \u2014 six 30-win seasons and eight conference championships since 2011 \u2014 the Final Four has proven to be maddeningly elusive. The Wildcats last made it to the final weekend in 2001, with Lute Olson at the helm and Richard Jefferson and Gilbert Arenas on the court. This year is arguably their best chance since.<\/p>\n

Purdue, for its part, is still chasing the school\u2019s first national championship. It\u2019s the last missing piece in 21st-year coach Matt Painter\u2019s distinguished tenure. With a win, Smith and his senior class would become the first in program history to reach two Final Fours.<\/p>\n

Reason to be excited: With a different draw, we might have seen this matchup next week in Indianapolis. We\u2019ll gladly take it seven days sooner.<\/p>\n

\tFavorites to win the West region Make
Second
RoundMake
Sweet
16Make
Elite
EightMake
Final
FourMake
Champ.Win
Champ.1 \"Arizona\" Arizona\u2713\u2713\u271356%32%21%2 \"Purdue\" Purdue\u2713\u2713\u271344%22%13%4 \"Arkansas\" Arkansas\u2713\u2713\u2014\u2014\u2014\u201411 \"Texas\" Texas\u2713\u2713\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014 Updated March 28, 2026 at 12:49 a.m. E.T. <\/p>\n

\t\tMidwestNo. 1 Michigan vs. No. 6 Tennessee<\/p>\n

When: Sunday, 2:15 p.m. ET, CBS
Line:\u00a0Michigan -6.5
The Athletic\u2019s projection<\/a>: Michigan, 72 percent<\/p>\n

First look: Although NCAA Tournament games usually come down to guard play, this looks like a frontcourt showdown.<\/p>\n

The hulking Wolverines have looked like a national title contender all season and haven\u2019t slowed down in the tournament. Their three wins are by a combined 57 points. Forward Yaxel Lendeborg, the Big Ten player of the year, has starred since transferring from UAB. He stuffed the stat sheet (23 points, 12 rebounds, 7 assists) Friday to help Michigan pull away from Alabama.<\/p>\n

The Volunteers are one of the best rebounding teams in the country and entered Friday with (according to KenPom) the fourth-best offensive rebounding percentage this century (44.8). They outrebounded Iowa State 43-22 in the Sweet 16 to reach their third consecutive Elite Eight. Beyond the boards, Felix Okpara\u2019s 243 career blocks are second among active players.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s at stake?\u00a0Michigan\u2019s Dusty May and Tennessee\u2019s Rick Barnes are both looking to become the 17th coach to take multiple programs to the Final Four. May led Florida Atlantic there in 2023, and Barnes did it at Texas in 2003. May has already established himself as a top-tier coach, but a victory would be a legacy-defining moment for Barnes as the 71-year-old nears the end of his career.<\/p>\n

The Wolverines have a pair of national championship game appearances this century (2013 and 2018) and are hoping for their second national championship (first since 1989). The Vols\u2019 drought is even bigger, as they\u2019re one of the most successful programs without a trip to the Final Four. Tennessee has played Michigan three times this century, all in the NCAA Tournament, and lost all three (2022, 2014, 2011).<\/p>\n

Reason to be excited: The frontcourt will have a matchup of potential lottery picks, Michigan\u2019s Lendeborg and Tennessee five-star freshman Nate Ament (who has been up and down this postseason but scored 18 points Friday).<\/p>\n

\tFavorites to win the Midwest region Make
Second
RoundMake
Sweet
16Make
Elite
EightMake
Final
FourMake
Champ.Win
Champ.1 \"Michigan\" Michigan\u2713\u2713\u271372%37%24%6 \"Tennessee\" Tennessee\u2713\u2713\u271328%8%3%2 \"Iowa Iowa State\u2713\u2713\u2014\u2014\u2014\u20144 \"Alabama\" Alabama\u2713\u2713\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014 Updated March 28, 2026 at 12:49 a.m. E.T. <\/p>\n

\t\tEastNo. 1 Duke vs. No. 2 UConn<\/p>\n

When: Sunday, 5:05 p.m. ET, CBS
Line: Duke -4.5
The Athletic\u2019s projection: <\/a>Duke, 66 percent<\/p>\n

First look: The sixth NCAA Tournament meeting between these teams should be a good one.<\/p>\n

Even if you\u2019ve been focused on other teams, you\u2019ve probably seen Duke twins Cayden and Cameron Boozer on several commercials, which tells you something about their star power. Cameron Boozer was the first Division I player in three decades to finish a regular season with at least 700 points, 300 rebounds, 100 assists and a field goal percentage above 50 percent. He had another double-double in the Sweet 16 (22 points, 10 rebounds) against St. John\u2019s to help Duke win its 14th consecutive game.<\/p>\n

The Huskies have rebounded well from a 20-point loss to St. John\u2019s in the final of the Big East tournament. They pulled away from Furman in the first round and beat UCLA by 16 in the second before edging Michigan State on Friday night. UConn has won with balance; five different players entered Friday averaging double figures, led by center Tarris Reed Jr.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\n Tarris Reed Jr. had 20 points to lead UConn in its Sweet 16 win over Michigan State. (Emilee Chinn \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n

What\u2019s at stake?\u00a0Jon Scheyer has done well since succeeding Mike Krzyzewski, with three consecutive Elite Eight appearances and a Final Four. But the ultimate goal (a national title) remains elusive. Getting back to the Final Four seems like a baseline expectation for a team that has been a championship favorite for most of the last two seasons and has one of the nation\u2019s top players in Cameron Boozer.<\/p>\n

UConn can continue bolstering its claim as arguably the top current program in the sport. A victory would put the Huskies in the Final Four for the third time in four seasons after back-to-back titles in 2023 and 2024. Coach Dan Hurley\u2019s NCAA Tournament winning percentage (.782) just passed Ohio State\u2019s Fred Taylor for No. 3 all time. Another Final Four would inch him closer to John Wooden (.825).<\/p>\n

Reason to be excited: It\u2019s a matchup between two of the game\u2019s biggest brands with a trip to the Final Four on the line. It sells itself.<\/p>\n

\tFavorites to win the East region Make
Second
RoundMake
Sweet
16Make
Elite
EightMake
Final
FourMake
Champ.Win
Champ.1 \"Duke\" Duke\u2713\u2713\u271366%45%21%2 \"UConn\" UConn\u2713\u2713\u271334%18%6%3 \"Michigan Michigan State\u2713\u2713\u2014\u2014\u2014\u20145 \"St. St. John’s\u2713\u2713\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014 Updated March 28, 2026 at 12:27 a.m. E.T. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"And then there were eight. The men\u2019s NCAA Tournament Elite Eight is officially set \u2014 and it\u2019s a…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":838424,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[2283,4706,7643,7,4728,1286,5480,71,49,48,4729,1541],"class_list":["post-838423","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-ncaa-football","tag-arizona-wildcats","tag-connecticut-huskies","tag-duke-blue-devils","tag-football","tag-illinois-fighting-illini","tag-iowa-hawkeyes","tag-mens-college-basketball","tag-michigan-wolverines","tag-ncaa","tag-ncaa-football","tag-purdue-boilermakers","tag-tennessee-volunteers"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/116305077104698626","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/838423","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=838423"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/838423\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/838424"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=838423"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=838423"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=838423"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}