The first half of the Sweet 16 is set, with 16 teams playing for one of the final eight tickets to the second weekend of the 2026 NCAA men’s tournament with the second round continuing on Sunday.
ESPN reporters are on site across the country, from Philadelphia to San Diego, to provide on-field insights. Follow up with them as they and the staff track all procedures.
Go to: Previews of the rest of Sunday’s matches
Previews
All times Eastern.
5:15 p.m., CBS
How Kansas can advance to the Sweet 16: Flory Bedunga should be the key for Kansas against St. John’s. He will be too busy facing Zobe Ejiofor, one of the best big men in the country, but Bidonga has held his own in duels against Motigos Krevas and JT Toppin. Bidonga has also struggled in other big games, with five points and four points in two games against Houston, two points against Arizona and eight points against North Carolina, and his win-loss splits are clear. In Kansas’ wins, Bidonga is averaging 15.1 points and shooting better than 70% from the field. In losses he is averaging 9.9 points and shooting 50.6% from the field. Defensively, the Jayhawks have to keep St. John’s out of transition and forcing the Red Storm to make perimeter shots. They rank near the bottom of the Big East in 3-point attempt rate and point-from-3s percentage. The 10 3s against Northern Iowa were the first time they made double-figure 3s in a game since January 10. — Borzello
How St. John’s can advance to the Sweet 16: The biggest advantage St. John’s will have against Kansas is on the offensive glass. The Red Storm are one of the most effective rebounding teams in the country, ranking 17th nationally in second chance points per game. Meanwhile, Kansas was one of the worst defensive rebounding teams in the Big 12, allowing opponents to rebound nearly 32% of their fouls. Ejiofor and Dillon Mitchell should get extra possessions for the Red Storm. With the exception of a defeat at UConn in late February, St. John’s defense has been operating at an incredibly high level for several weeks. The Red Storm have allowed their previous five opponents to average just 3.4 three-pointers per game. — Borzello
6:10 PM TNT
How Virginia can advance to the Sweet 16: This isn’t Tony Bennett’s team anymore. The Cavaliers knocked down 3s and also scored with a strong play in the paint. They also have a top-25 defense. They’ll need all of those tools against Tennessee, which ranks No. 1 in the country in offensive rebounding average. They can’t let the Vols dominate with second-chance points, and the Cavaliers are equipped to do that thanks to a top-five defense inside the arc. They’ll also have to limit projected NBA draft lottery catcher Nate Ament. Tennessee is 2-3 in its past five games when shooting nine or fewer shots inside the arc. They also have to put pressure on Jacoby Gillespie (11 turnovers in past four losses). The Cavaliers’ three-point barrage should continue after Virginia put up 13 points against Wright State. The Cavaliers probably can’t win without a big game from Thijs De Ridder, but they will struggle if they drop from the three-point line. –Medcalf
How Tennessee can advance to the Sweet 16: Rick Barnes’ team ended the Miami (Ohio) fairytale on Friday. The Volunteers outscored Travis Steele’s team 40-16 in the paint to take the lead — and they did so despite a projected NBA lottery selection of Ament who would go 0-for-3 in the game. The Vols will need Ament to look more like the player who scored 27 points in the SEC Championship win over Auburn to reach the Sweet 16. Ja’Kobi Gillespie continues to bolster this group. If he gets there, Ament plays to his potential and the Vols dominate the offensive glass, and they will have the offensive tools to win. But nearly 50% of Virginia’s field goal attempts are 3-pointers, and the Cavaliers are a top-10 offensive rebounding team. They could play Tennessee too. The Vols will have to play it better. –Medcalf
7:10 p.m., TBS
How Florida can advance to the Sweet 16: Preparing for the Florida game will focus on stopping Bennett Sturtz and getting the ball out of his hands. Stirtz is a high-usage guard, and Ben McCollum’s system revolves around him having a hand on almost every possession. Boogie Fland has really developed as a defender this season and will likely be tasked with guarding Stirtz. The rest of Florida’s plan will be about imposing its will. The Gators are bigger and more athletic than Iowa State, and they are elite on defense. If they can speed up the game and make Iowa uncomfortable, it’s hard to imagine the Hawkeyes will keep it up. Iowa State has not played a game with more than 70 possessions this season; Florida is averaging 70.7 possessions per game, per KenPom. — Borzello
0:39
Preview matchup of No. 1 Florida vs. No. 9 Iowa
Check out some stats from the matchup between Florida and Iowa in the men’s NCAA tournament.
How Iowa State can advance to the Sweet 16: On paper, Iowa State has a tough night against Florida. The Gators have one of the most dominant frontcourts in the country, ranking second nationally in points in the paint per game and third in second chance points per game. They also lead the country in offensive rebounds per game. Iowa doesn’t block shots and allows opponents to shoot 56.5% inside the arc in Big Ten play, but the Hawkeyes played in a frontcourt of similar size and ability when they faced Michigan earlier this month. Despite their loss, they maintained their lead offensively, outscoring the Wolverines in the paint and scoring more second-chance points. Can the Hawkeyes repeat the feat against Florida? Iowa State will also have to take the game at its preferred pace, one of the slowest in the country, forcing the Gators to play in the half court more often than they would like. — Borzello
At 7:50 p.m., on True TV
How Arizona can advance to the Sweet 16: Arizona doesn’t have to adjust anything in its game plan to reach the Sweet 16 for the third straight time. Big 12 Player of the Year Jaden Bradley scored just seven points against LIU on Friday, and the Wildcats still scored 92 points. If they continue to rely on this depth, they will be difficult to stop; Five Arizona players scored at least eight points in the win over Long Island. Additionally, the Wildcats, who have been criticized after making just 33% of their 3-point attempts in Big 12 play, have made 39% of their shots from beyond the arc during their current 10-game winning streak. They are different now. To stop Utah State’s offense, Arizona will have to defend well against multiple ball screens that put MJ Collins Jr. and Mason Valslev in scoring positions. The Aggies will likely bash 7-foot-2 Arizona center Motiejus Krivas more than anyone else on ball screens, and they try to use their speed to set up big plays for their top guards. Utah State will need a magical effort to beat Arizona. –Medcalf
How Utah State can advance to the Sweet 16: Utah State will need another effort from Collins and Valslev — one of America’s best guard duos who combined for 42 points against Villanova — to get ahead of Arizona, a team with just two losses. In the second half of Friday’s game, the duo got a big thank you in part due to off-ball screens and back-end cuts to the basket. They have to find their footing to have a chance against Arizona as well. On defense, the Aggies could follow two schemes against Arizona: Kansas refused to give in to Arizona’s bruising frontcourt, and Texas Tech needed a combination of 31 points from JT Toppin and perimeter pressure that held the Wildcats to 4-for-16 from 3. But the Wildcats are diverse, so Utah State will need 6-foot-10 Zach Keller and 6-foot-9 Adlan. Elamin for paint protection. The Aggies will also need their guards to limit an Arizona team that has been hot from beyond the arc in recent weeks. –Medcalf
8:45 PM TNT
How UConn can advance to the Sweet 16: UConn can win most of its faceoffs in this game, even if Silas Demary Jr. doesn’t make it. Solo Ball can create shots off the dribble, Alex Karaban is a threat from the perimeter as he shoots 38.6% from 3-point range, and Tarris Reed Jr. finished. Just with 31 points and 27 rebounds in a win over Furman, Braylon Mullins is a potential first-round NBA draft pick. The Huskies have dealt with efficiency and turnover issues in recent weeks, but if they can play with more tempo, they can beat any team in the country. However, if Tyler Bilodeau returns, their seniors — including Reed — will be challenged to defend in space. However, the Huskies’ team, which had wins over Florida, BYU and St. John’s, overcame wins over Florida, BYU and St. Louis. John’s has more star power than UCLA has on its roster. UConn can keep things simple and win. –Medcalf
0:52
Game preview of No. 7 UCLA vs. No. 2 UConn
Check out some stats about the matchup between UCLA and UConn in the men’s NCAA Tournament.
How UCLA can advance to the Sweet 16: It would be helpful to have Bilodeau back. The 6-foot-9 star is UCLA’s best three-point shooter – he provides the floor for the Bruins in a unique way that balances out their offense. Against UConn, his presence will be a difference-maker because of his size and talent. Without him, the Bruins will have to work harder to find open looks against a UConn team that boasts a top-15 defense. And Donovan Dent, who was 4-for-17 from the field against UCF, can’t be a spectator in this game. He was one of the most sought-after transfers in the portal during the offseason. He has to play to the max to help UCLA beat a team that has won two of the past three national titles.
On defense, Xavier Booker will be responsible for containing Reid, who just finished with 31 points and 27 rebounds in a win over Furman. If the 6-foot-11 Booker can’t slow down Reed, UCLA doesn’t have a chance. The Bruins should also look to exploit UConn’s ball-handling woes — the Huskies have committed 79 turnovers in their past six games — especially if Demary is out again. –Medcalf
9:45 p.m., TBS
How Alabama can advance to the Sweet 16: Similar to Tech’s switches, Alabama has to win the perimeter battle. The Crimson Tide shoot the ball incredibly hard from beyond the arc, but they’re not nearly as accurate as the Red Raiders — and the Tide have lost four of the six games in which they’ve made fewer than 10 3s. Furthermore, Alabama’s three-point defense is much worse than Texas Tech’s three-point defense. Without Aden Holloway, Alabama has fewer players who can shoot the ball off the dribble, making the Crimson Tide more reliant on Labaron Philon Jr. To play another big match. As one of the elite playmakers and shot-makers in the sport, Philon will likely be up to the task. But he will face a fellow American in the first round in Christian Anderson. Who wins that match? This is the key. — Borzello
How Texas Tech can advance to the Sweet 16: Texas Tech is one of the few teams in America that can keep up with Alabama from the perimeter. Although the Crimson Tide leads the country in 3-point attempts made per game, the Red Raiders aren’t far behind – they rank third nationally in 3-point shooting percentage and fifth in 3-pointers made per game. They’ve trended more so since JT Toppin suffered a season-ending right knee injury, with a 3-point attempt rate above 51% in four of his past five games. On the other hand, can technology prevent Velon from entering the track at will? He’s a little bigger than Anderson, but Donovan Atwell has shown promise as an individual defender and can take over. — Borzello
