March Madness can be characterized by one word: chaos. After weeks of upsets, dominance, and breakout performances, the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament–March Madness–has finally been narrowed down all the way to the final four teams that represent 2026 college basketball: the UConn Huskies, Illinois Fighting Illini, Michigan Wolverines, and the Arizona Wildcats.
But this tournament wasn’t what viewers call “chalk madness.” The top seeds did not advance through every round. Contrary to expectations, many lower seeds went through many more rounds than fans thought they would.
The Sweet 16: Dominance and Unexpectedness
This year, the Sweet 16 saw many unexpected entrants. Of all the teams in the sweet 16, three stood out for fighting their way to the position they were in with pure determination. The Texas Longhorns, the 11th seed, had made their way all the way to the Sweet 16, unexpectedly prevailing over teams like BYU(the 6th seed) and, even more shockingly, Gonzaga(the 3rd seed). This run led to Tramon Mark, their star guard, coming to prominence after his consecutive clutch performances against NC State and BYU. In the Sweet 16, they were pitted against the Purdue Boilermakers, the 2nd seed.
Along with this, the Iowa Hawkeyes, the 9th seed, had also unexpectedly made their way to the Sweet 16. They made their way to the Sweet 16 in the most unexpected manner out of all of the teams, not only beating Clemson, but more importantly, the Florida Gators. The Gators were not only the 1st seed in the region, but also were the defending champions of the March Madness title. By completely upsetting the nation, the Iowa Hawkeyes had established themselves as serious contenders, being led by guards Bennett Stirtz and Cooper Koch. In the Sweet 16, they were up against Nebraska, the 4th seed.
The final surprise came with the Tennessee Volunteers, the 6th seed, making it. In the previous round, they had prevailed over UVA with the help of their breakout star player, Ja’Kobi Gillespie. Although not as unexpected as the previous two teams, their victory over the Virginia Cavaliers actually ended the last perfect bracket this year.
Now, going to the matches for the Sweet 16.
- Texas played Purdue.
- Iowa played Nebraska.
- Illinois played Houston.
- Arkansas played Arizona.
- St. John’s played Duke.
- Alabama played Michigan.
- Michigan State played UConn.
- Tennessee played Iowa State.
Many of these games consisted of the higher-seeded winner prevailing, but that wasn’t always the case. Let’s quickly go over all of these games.
Texas v. Purdue. One of, if not the most entertaining, games of the Sweet 16. As the 11th seed, not many expected Texas to stand a chance against the Boilermakers, but Tramon Mark had something to prove. The game was extremely close throughout, with Mark scoring 29 points to keep his team in the game. As the clock wound down, Dailyn Swain of Texas scored a tough layup and free throw, allowing the game to be tied up at 77-77. And when fans were sure that the game was headed to overtime, Purdue was able to tip a missed layup to go ahead with 0.7 seconds left, sealing the win in an extremely intense game and sending them to the Elite Eight. 79-77.
Iowa v. Nebraska. Iowa, upsetting many predicted brackets, won over Nebraska with Stirtz scoring 20 to seal the deal. For the first time since 1987, the Iowa Hawkeyes had advanced to the Elite Eight as the 9th seed, continuing their unexpected, entertaining, and historical run in this year’s March Madness. 77-71
Illinois v. Houston. Surprisingly, Illinois was able to prevail over last year’s championship contenders. Many predicted Houston to win this, given their formidable offense, but Illinois was able to lock them down on defense and attack with many players on offense, such as Stojakovic and Mircovic. 65-55.
Arkansas v. Arizona. In this game, the pure dominance of Arizona was seen by all. Arkansas had an extremely hyped up team led by the breakout freshman duo Darius Acuff Jr. and Meleek Thomas. Both of these players are projected to be drafted early in the NBA. But despite this setback, Arizona was able to absolutely blow them out offensively. Peat and Burries on Arizona were both able to score over 20 points, with almost everyone else on the team who played in the game scoring over 10 points. 109-88.
St. John’s v. Duke. The Duke roster this year was extremely promising, especially with brothers Cameron and Cayden Boozer. Cameron, specifically, is projected to be a top 3 draft pick in his class. Despite this team difference, St. John’s was able to keep it close until the end, where Duke pulled away and was able to win in a close game. 80-75.
Alabama v. Michigan. Similar to Arizona, Michigan was able to establish its place as a number one seed in the tournament, led by breakout star Yaxel Lendeborg. He consistently scores over 20 points per game, leading his team to victory. 90-77.
UConn v. Michigan State. Another close game between the 2nd and 3rd seeds, but UConn was able to edge out another win, leading them to the Elite Eight and cementing their legacy in modern March Madness after winning the 2023 and 2024 titles. 67-63
Finally, Tennessee v. Iowa State. Surprisingly, Tennessee, although being the underdogs, was able to convincingly win this match. Ja’Kobi Gillespie and Nate Ament were able to seal the deal, leading the Volunteers to the Elite Eight as well. 76-62
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The Elite Eight: Beatdowns and Last Minute Clenchers
The Elite Eight consisted of some of the most interesting matches. But for the most part– except for one glaring difference–it only reinforced the standings of the dominant teams that were in the Elite Eight. The matches were:
- Illinois against Iowa.
- Purdue against Arizona.
- Tennessee against Michigan.
- UConn against Duke.
Illinois v. Iowa. The game started with Iowa actually in contention and keeping up with Illinois, but as the game neared its end, Illinois pulled away. Keaton Wagler and Stojakovic helped Illinois secure their win, and even though Stirtz scored over 20 again, Iowa’s promising run came to an end. 71-59.
Purdue v. Arizona. Once again, Arizona established its dominance, convincingly winning over the Boilermakers. Once again, Koa Peat showed his efficiency, scoring 20 once again. Even though Purdue was surprisingly leading at halftime, a second-half surge brought the Wildcats to victory. 79-64.
Tennessee v. Michigan. There is only one word that we can use to describe this game. Beatdown. The game was close for a bit of the first half, and then Michigan went on a 19-0 run. Yaxel Lendeborg led the scoring with 27 points. Even though Ja’Kobi Gillespie dropped 21 points, the game was still a complete blowout, with Michigan completing one of the largest victories in Elite Eight history. 95-62.
UConn v. Duke. An extremely entertaining, unexpected, and thrilling game. From the start, the game seemed to be an easy victory for Duke. Even though UConn took the first point, they soon conceded too many points, and it seemed completely unwinnable for UConn. They were down 19 in the first half and down 15 at halftime. In March Madness history, number one seeds were 134-0 when up 15 at halftime. And it seemed like that record would only continue.
But in the second half, UConn started to come back. Slowly but surely, UConn made its way back up to only trailing by one with a minute left in the second half. When the odds were finally tilting towards UConn, Cameron Boozer made a clutch layup to put the score to 72-69 with 28 seconds left on the clock. UConn’s Demary Jr. was fouled with 10 seconds left on the clock, missing the first one and making the second one, making the score 70-72. And when it seemed like victory was certain for Duke, as they could just hold the ball, Cayden Boozer turned the ball over with 5 seconds left on the clock. Brayden Mullins got his hands on the ball with 2 seconds and made a three with 0.3 seconds left on the clock from the logo. UConn won 73-72, leading to Duke throwing away their March Madness chances once again. Along with this, UConn continues to establish its dynasty, making it to its third Final Four in four years.
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The Final Four: Predictions and Possibilities
The stage is set, with Michigan pitted against Arizona, and UConn versus Illinois. In my opinion, the former is going to be a lot more competitive, with the two most dominant teams in this year’s March Madness against each other. This game will likely be a high-scoring game, with fast-paced offensive plays for both teams. Koa Peat and Brayden Burries will be up against Yaxel Lendeborg: stars for each team will be up on offense against each other. On the other hand, Illinois v. UConn will likely focus a lot more on defensive prowess, with more stops and steals from each team. This game could come down to the final minutes.
Each team has a chance to make history by winning the championship.
If Arizona wins:
- First team to win the championship from the West Coast since 1997.
- Second championship ever.
- Cemented as an extremely offensive successful team.
If Michigan wins:
- Second championship ever.
- Validate the trade portal strategy that was used this year.
- End a Big Ten team drought.
If UConn wins:
- Seventh championship, tied for second most with Kentucky, only behind UCLA.
- Cement their modern dynasty with three championships in four years.
- Completely improbable winners due to the Duke game.
If Illinois wins:
- Completes their underdog story.
- First championship in school history.
No predictions can be made for sure, as March Madness is known for chaos and upsets, but one thing remains true no matter what. On Saturday, April 4th, the Final Four of the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament will, without a doubt, be extremely entertaining to watch, regardless of the match.
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