NCAA tournament Elite 8: What you for Sunday's matchups

Nick BrombergSun, March 29, 2026 at 1:08 AM UTC

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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’re keeping you connected to the can’t-miss headlines and standout moments from every round.

We’ll know who all the 2026 Final Four participants are by Sunday evening.

The last two tickets to Indianapolis will be booked from the Midwest and East regions as No. 1 Michigan plays No. 6 Tennessee in Chicago and No. 1 Duke plays No. 2 UConn in Washington, D.C.

Here’s what you for the final two Elite Eight games of the 2026 men’s NCAA tournament.

No. 1 Michigan vs. No. 6 Tennessee

Michigan’s last Final Four appearance: 2018Tennessee’s last Final Four appearance: Never

Yes, you read that line above correctly. Tennessee is playing for the chance to get to the first Final Four in school history. Again.

The Vols have hit a wall in the Elite Eight in each of the past two seasons. A season ago, Tennessee had a brutal first half in a 19-point loss to Houston. In 2024, The Volunteers lost by six to Purdue. Both Houston and Purdue went on to lose in the national championship games.

This year’s Tennessee team is again a significant underdog. Michigan was a machine in the second half on Friday night as they outscored Alabama by 15 on the way to a 13-point win. The Wolverines’ frontcourt gets a lot of deserved attention, but guards Trey McKenney and Roddy Gayle Jr. scored 33 combined points off the bench in the Sweet 16 and were 6-of-9 from the 3-point line.

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Tennessee had a dominant second half late Friday night, too. The Vols outscored Iowa State by 13 points in their 76-62 win. Nate Ament had 18 points while Felix Okpara was 5-of-6 from the field and had 10 rebounds. Can the two forwards have similar success against Michigan’s bigs? They may need to for Tennessee to finally end that Final Four streak.

No. 1 Duke vs. No. 2 UConn

Duke’s last Final Four appearance: 2025UConn’s last Final Four appearance: 2024

A team that won back-to-back national titles just two seasons ago vs. a perennial power searching for its first national title in 11 seasons and first under a legendary coach’s handpicked successor? It’s the perfect game to cap off the Elite Eight.

UConn has won 17 straight Sweet 16 or later games in the NCAA tournament in a streak that dates back to 2011. As the Huskies have won four national titles in the past 16 years, they’ve also never made it past the first weekend of the NCAA tournament in any of their other five tournament appearances in that span.

The Blue Devils entered the 2026 NCAA tournament as the No. 1 overall seed and have had uneven performances through their first three games. The Blue Devils beat No. 16 Siena and No. 5 St. John’s by a combined 11 points and had a rough first half in their eventual rout of No. 9 TCU in the second round.

Duke has shot at least 21 free throws in each of those three games while its opponents have visited the line just 24 times overall. Yes, it’s a big discrepancy, but it isn’t one that’s limited to the NCAA tournament. Duke has attempted 818 free throws all season. Its opponents have shot 490.

And it’s also a pattern that seems likely to repeat itself on Sunday. UConn’s 17.6 free throw attempts per game rank 309th out of 365 Division I teams. The Huskies just don’t get to the line that often. Duke, meanwhile, is slightly above its season average of 22 free throws a game in the NCAA tournament.

Both teams can vacillate between looking unbeatable and vulnerable — sometimes even from possession to possession. And the Huskies’ best chance at the win may be to continue to force Cameron Boozer into committing turnovers. Boozer averages just 2.5 turnovers a game, but he’s committed 13 through the first three games of the NCAA tournament.

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Source: “AOL Sports”