NCAA Sweet Sixteen Games Thread for Fri Mar 27

[Orangezoo]

I smell a Hurley hissy fit in the elite 8.

As good as UConn is, I watched them run the same 5 sets over and over with some wrinkles all game. Izzo finally recognized it better and they almost got over the hump. Once they lockdown both Karaban and Mullins and don’t let Danny, Murray and his green notebook beat them I think they will end UConns run this year.

 

[dasher]

Nah. They won their third title in 2011. After that it was clear they were a level above us. And the distance has only gotten larger.

They weren't a level; above us in 2010 and 2012? We were great. Best team in the country in 2010 and at worst the second-best team to Kentucky in 2012. And we went to the final four in 2013. It was at that point we began our slide. Much like our academic ratings.

 

[sufan59]

Can't believe Autry beat an Elite 8 team. Lol

We were level 5 that night! Also, JP Estrella didn’t play.

 

[sufan59]

Ugh UConn is going to do it again, aren’t they? I’m numb to it at this point lol. Actually rooting for Duke in the next one lol. Also, making GMAC look pretty good in that Duke was just completely exposed by Siena, but they ran out of gas and Duke is still actually really good. I know another reason is the guys they have had return since that game, but still.

 

[IthacaMatt]

Something to note- of the remaining teams still playing including right now only 2 are in the top 100 in Adjusted Tempo per Ken Pom and 8 are outside the top 200.

Yes, you have to be able to grind in the halfcourt to win in the tournament.
It's not all fast breaks and alley oop dunks.

 

[Ghost]

Gutless performance by Iowa state .
They were down by 1 at half . Vols hit a 3 to open the second half. Game over. They never even threatened. Never seen anything like it from a 1 seed

They're pretty limited offensively without Justin Jefferson - very small too. Jefferson is their one freakish athlete that has some size so the rebounding dips without him as well.

Tennessee is monstrous inside. I think the stat they keep running is that they have the 3rd highest percentage of rebounds on their own missed shots in history. On missed threes they get the rebound about 50% of the time. lol

After that Barnes did a great job of just concentrating every bit of their defense on never allowing Momilovic a shot - and otherwise leaving it up to the fact that they could outrebound them.

Iowa State would have been better equipped to compete with most other teams...Tennessee was a bad matchup for them with all that bulk/size.

 

[Newhouser]

UConn will get calls tomorrow. They throw it into their big . St johns drew no fouls because their best post guy stopped trying to post after maliq ate him up early. Factor that with getting hot from three, they stopped attacking the basket. No fouls when shooting jumpers

 

[kirbivore]

Duke in the 2026 NCAA Tournament through 3 rounds

First Round: 71-65 win over Siena

Free throws: Duke 21, Siena 6

Second Round: 81-58 win over TCU

Free throws: Duke 23, TCU 10

Sweet Sixteen: 80-75 win over St. John’s

Free throws: Duke 24, St. John’s 8

I just hope either Michigan or Arizona gets through on the other side of the bracket to beat Duke in the championship. I like Michigan's chances gettting another shot at the Dukies and Arizona is a wagon.

 

[bpo57]

I've never seen a team set as many moving screens as Duke. Brutal.

 

[Orangezoo]

Ugh UConn is going to do it again, aren’t they? I’m numb to it at this point lol. Actually rooting for Duke in the next one lol. Also, making GMAC look pretty good in that Duke was just completely exposed by Siena, but they ran out of gas and Duke is still actually really good. I know another reason is the guys they have had return since that game, but still.

I don’t think so. I think Duke beats them especially now that they have both Foster and Ngongba back.

 

[Ghost]

I don’t think so. I think Duke beats them especially now that they have both Foster and Ngongba back.

Yeah, I'd agree. I think UConn wins if they get the version of Braylen Mullins everyone says exists...and was expected, but I'm not sure that's happening this year. I think it'll be fairly close either way, both teams are pretty similar in that they're capable of having trouble scoring in stretches.

 

[bpo57]

I just hope either Michigan or Arizona gets through on the other side of the bracket to beat Duke in the championship. I like Michigan's chances gettting another shot at the Dukies and Arizona is a wagon.

Illinois is capable of beating Duke, too.