
Sweet 16 Preview: 2026 NCAA Tournament Projections Meet Elite Eight Showdowns
After a chaotic first weekend, this piece narrows the field for Sweet 16 and Elite Eight, laying out regional projections (East: Duke–St. John’s; Michigan State–UConn; South: Iowa–Nebraska; Illinois–Houston; West: Arizona–Arkansas; Texas–Purdue; Midwest: Michigan–Alabama; Tennessee–Iowa State) and potential Elite Eight matchups (Duke–UConn; Iowa–Houston; Arkansas–Purdue; Michigan–Iowa State). It notes three of the four 1-seeds remain and highlights storylines like Duke and Michigan’s hot runs, Houston’s hometown game, Iowa State injury questions, and UNC coaching headlines affecting the second weekend.



