All articles tagged with #elite eight
South Carolina dominated TCU 78-52 in the Elite Eight to reach a sixth consecutive Final Four. Joyce Edwards led with 24 points and 12 rebounds, while freshman Agot Makeer came off the bench for 18 points in 31 minutes, as the Gamecocks leveraged single coverage and strong defense to seal the win and set up a repeat Final Four field.
Detroit News writers Angelique S. Chengelis and Tony Paul predict Texas will beat Michigan in the Elite Eight of the Women's NCAA Tournament, with both pundits favoring the Longhorns (picks include 70–65 and 74–65). They cite Texas’s No. 1 seed status and SEC tournament title, plus a strong defense, while Michigan—though returning to the Elite Eight for the first time since 2022—brings youth and a tough schedule to a matchup against Texas’s veteran, high-level execution.
Braylon Mullins hit a 35-foot game-winner with 0.4 seconds left to cap a dramatic Elite Eight comeback that toppled Duke and sent UConn to the Final Four, a moment many compared to the iconic Laettner shot. Down big early, the Huskies staged a late rally, with Mullins creating the decisive sequence after a Duke defensive miscue as Dan Hurley’s fiery leadership helped pull off one of the tournament’s most unforgettable finishes.
Michigan overwhelmed Tennessee 95-62 in the Elite Eight, led by Yaxel Lendeborg’s standout play and a selfless team effort, earning a trip to the Final Four under coach Dusty May.
Arizona rode coach Tommy Lloyd’s “figure it out” approach to erase a halftime deficit and beat Purdue 79-64 in the West Region final, earning its first Final Four in a quarter century. A deep, versatile lineup—Brayden Burries, Koa Peat, Ivan Kharchenkov, Jaden Bradley, Motiejus Krivas, Anthony Dell’Orso and Tobe Awaka—took over in the second half, combining interior dominance, improved guard play and rebounding to seal the win and keep Arizona’s title potential alive.
No. 1 UCLA overcame a halftime deficit and Duke’s defense to surge in the third quarter, with Lauren Betts scoring 23 and grabbing 10 rebounds (plus five blocks) and Angela Dugalic adding 15 off the bench, as the Bruins outscored Duke 20-8 in the third to win 70-58 and advance to the Final Four in Phoenix.
Freshman Cayden Boozer said he ruined Duke’s season after a six-second turnover allowed UConn’s Braylon Mullins to hit a game-winning shot in the Elite Eight, capping Duke’s dramatic collapse from a 15-point halftime lead as Silas Demary Jr. tipped the pass to Mullins; Duke’s coach Jon Scheyer called the finish an unthinkable defeat for the No. 1 seed.
Michigan erased a slow start with a 21-0 run and cruised past Tennessee 95-62 to reach the Final Four, led by Yaxel Lendeborg's 27 points as the Wolverines minimize turnovers and push toward a national title under coach Dusty May.
UConn erased a 19-point gap and edged Duke 73-72 in the Elite Eight when Braylon Mullins hit a 3 with 0.4 seconds left after a Duke turnover, sending the Huskies to the Final Four for a meeting with Illinois.
SportsLine’s projection model simulates Michigan vs. Tennessee 10,000 times in the Elite Eight, showing Michigan as 8.5-point favorites with a predicted Over on 146.5 and a spread edge in many simulations; the article promotes the model’s full predictions.
The 2026 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament Elite Eight features UConn vs. Notre Dame (Sun, 1 p.m. ET on ABC) and UCLA vs. Duke (Sun, 3 p.m. ET on ABC); on Monday Texas vs. Michigan (7 p.m. ET on ESPN) and South Carolina vs. TCU (9 p.m. ET on ESPN). Games are broadcast on ESPN/ABC, with venues at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth and Golden 1 Center in Sacramento.
ESPN analyst Seth Greenberg says UConn’s path to an Elite Eight upset of Duke hinges on taking care of the ball against Duke’s length and crafting a defensive plan to neutralize Cameron Boozer, Isaiah Evans, and Foster, with Tarris Reed Jr. staying out of foul trouble as a crucial factor.
The 2026 NCAA tournament Elite Eight games are scheduled for this weekend: Illinois vs Iowa (Sat 6:09 p.m. ET, TBS), Arizona vs Purdue (Sat 8:49 p.m. ET, TBS), Michigan vs Tennessee (Sun 2:15 p.m. ET, CBS), and Duke vs UConn (Sun 5:05 p.m. ET, CBS). A college basketball writer provides Sweet 16 recaps and ranks Elite Eight teams by championship chances, with discussion invited in comments.
UCLA used a defensive lockdown to pull away from Minnesota 80-56 in the Sweet 16, advancing to the Elite Eight behind 21 points from Kiki Rice and a double-double from Angela Dugalic (13p, 10r) along with Lauren Betts’ 16 points and five blocks, setting up a showdown with Duke.
Four Elite Eight games are set: UConn vs. Notre Dame, UCLA vs. Duke, Texas vs. Michigan, and South Carolina vs. TCU. UConn is the overall favorite across all four panels, while Notre Dame has surged since KK Bransford’s return but faces a Husky squad riding a 53-game win streak. UCLA is predicted to beat Duke by three of four analysts, Texas is favored over Michigan, and South Carolina is expected to advance past TCU. Predictions are split 3-1 in UCLA–Duke (UCLA favored) and Texas–Michigan (Texas favored), with unanimous picks for UConn and South Carolina reaching Phoenix.