UConn Marches Past Michigan State to Return to Elite Eight
UConn Marches Past Michigan State to Return to Elite Eight
Kyle WoodSat, March 28, 2026 at 6:11 AM UTC
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WASHINGTON, D.C. — Dan Hurley said UConn's Sweet 16 game against Michigan State went exactly as he expected — save for the hefty lead his Huskies built up in the first half. He knew it was too early and the Spartans too good for that 19-point lead to hold.
"We weren’t winning going away," the Huskies' coach said, "although that would’ve been nice."
Michigan State indeed worked its way back. Hurley had seen this movie before. But he had the heroes to make sure it didn't turn into a horror story.
The final five minutes was all Alex Karaban and Tarris Reed Jr., the former the lone holdover from No. 2 seed UConn's back-to-back title teams and the latter a transfer from Michigan who knew a thing or two about sparring with Spartans. It was those two seniors who helped the Huskies hang on for a 67-63 win over the No. 3 Spartans on Friday night at Capital One Arena, setting up an Elite Eight date on Sunday with No. 1 seed Duke, which outlasted No. 5 St. John's.
UConn Huskies forward Tarris Reed Jr. celebrates with guard Malachi Smith during their NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen game against the Michigan State Spartans in Washington on March 27, 2026.Geoff Burke-Imagn Images (Geoff Burke-Imagn Images)
"That's what this time of year is all about," Hurley said. "You've got to have great upperclassmen, great juniors, great seniors, veterans who are not gonna blink."
Karaban had his eyes wide open. Though he was quiet in the first half as UConn (31-5) amassed that double-digit lead, he found his flow when that advantage vanished.
"The main thing in the huddle that really stuck with me is coach saying, 'Go out there and fire; have no regrets at the end of this,' when Michigan State started making their run," Karaban said. "That just really stuck with me."
Of course, Karaban listened to his coach and connected on a clutch pair of 3-pointers from the top of the key to provide a bit more cushion down the stretch. And on a night that saw UConn struggle from the stripe, he and Reed combined to hit all six of their free throws in the final minute to stay just in front.
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Michigan State (27-7) somehow rebounded from a woeful 2-for-16 shooting start to finish shooting 40% from the field. But not enough 3-pointers fell for coach Tom Izzo's squad (4-for-16). Jeremy Fears Jr. countered one of Karaban's late trey balls with one of his own, but Kur Teng's game-tying try was off the mark.
UConn Huskies players huddle up during the second half of their Sweet Sixteen NCAA Tournament game against the Michigan State Spartans in Washington on March 27, 2026.Amber Searls-Imagn Images (Amber Searls-Imagn Images)
After a Round of 32 exit a season ago as the back-to-back defending champions, the Huskies are now in their third Elite Eight in the past four years. And the Blue Devils are an unfamiliar foe. The last meeting between the two blue bloods was back in 2015, before Hurley and Duke coach Jon Scheyer were in charge at their respective programs.
Hurley said there's an air of confidence about his team in the tournament, given the recent success they've had on this stage. Continuity helps, too, given the carry over from the coaching staff and championship experience of players like Solo Ball and Karaban, whom he compared to having an assistant coach out on the floor.
That "assistant" is now up to 16 wins in the NCAA Tournament, a mark only bested by Christian Laettner and Hurley's brother, Bobby — at Duke. If there is a 17th win in store for Karaban, it will come at the expense of the Blue Devils back at Capital One Arena on Sunday afternoon.
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This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Mar 28, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Basketball section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Source: “AOL Sports”
