March Madness returned Thursday night as the Sweet 16 tipped off and four teams secured berths in the Elite Eight.
South region
– Iowa, a No. 9 seed, advanced to the Elite Eight for the first time since 1987 under first-year coach Ben McCollum. The Hawkeyes will face Illinois, which knocked off Houston.
– Purdue survived a dramatic finish against Texas and advanced to the Elite Eight. They’ll meet top-seeded Arizona, which handled Arkansas.
Friday’s slate and key matchups
– East region: No. 1 seed Duke faces St. John’s. Duke is the tournament’s top seed and a five-time national champion; each of those title runs included a tournament win over the Johnnies. Duke has dealt with injuries — a starting point guard was listed as a game-time decision — and coach and analysts say its defense is the team’s defining strength. Officiating and free-throw disparities have played major roles in recent Duke games, and how the referees call contact will be a storyline in this matchup.
– Midwest region: Top-seed Michigan vs. Alabama projects as a high-scoring affair. Michigan averaged about 98 points in its first two wins, while Alabama scored roughly 90 in back-to-back victories, setting expectations for an up-tempo shootout.
Coaching intrigue
– A heavyweight coaching matchup looms between veteran Tom Izzo and Dan Hurley. Analysts note both coaches’ strengths and histories in the tournament; one expert gave a slight edge to Hurley’s team, but called it a toss-up and praised the matchup’s intrigue.
What to watch
– Injuries and late availability (particularly at point guard for Duke) could swing outcomes.
– Defense vs. tempo: Duke’s defense, Michigan’s and Alabama’s scoring runs, and how teams handle pace will matter.
– Officiating and free-throw opportunities have already influenced results and could determine close games.
The Madness continues Friday night as teams battle to move one step closer to the Final Four.