Sure, Cinderella missed out on the Sweet 16 this year. Our consolation prize? A weekend of high-quality hoops. On Thursday night, three teams from the heartland, all hailing from the Big Ten Conference, dominated the proceedings.
No. 2-seeded Purdue made a last-second tip-in to outlast No. 11 Texas, No. 3 Illinois knocked off No. 2 Houston, and No. 9 Iowa surprised everyone, making its first Elite Eight since the 1980s.
Over the next few days, there are more stellar matchups to come. By the end of the weekend, the Final Four will be set. We have you covered below and, as always, at NBC News.
Sweet 16 Roundup
Illinois’ David Mirkovic drives to the basket against the Houston Cougars in the Sweet Sixteen of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. Kenneth Richmond / Getty ImagesA Big Ten Conference school hasn’t won the NCAA men’s basketball national championship since 2000, but if Thursday
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