Bracket reset: NCAA Tournament down
to a Sweet 16 of high-majors
[March 23, 2026]
By JOHN MARSHALL
Cinderella has been kicked out of the dance early for the second
straight season.
Following a madness-promising first day of upsets, the NCAA
Tournament has turned into a high-major affair.
The Sweet 16 invite is for power-conference programs only.
Advocates for fewer automatic qualifiers and bracket expansion will
have a field day with this one.
“I think parity is great for the game, but things change,” said
Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd, who spent 21 seasons as an assistant at
Gonzaga.
The Big Ten is the big conference on the block, pushing through a
league-record six teams into the Sweet 16 — three in the same
region.
The SEC has four Sweet 16 teams, the Big 12 three, the Big East two,
the ACC one.
Mid-majors: zero for the second straight season.
East Region
The top three seeds made it through the East.
St. John's is the Darling.
The fifth-seeded Red Storm (30-6) blew a 12-point lead against
Kansas, but Dylan Darling, who hadn't hit a shot all day, scored at
the buzzer for a 67-65 win that sends St. John's to the Sweet 16 for
the first time since 1999
Next up for the Johnnies is a date with Duke on Friday in
Washington.
The Blue Devils (34-2) and star freshman Cameron Boozer had an
opening 1-vs-16 scare against Siena, but took it out on TCU with an
81-58 win to reach the Sweet 16 for the third straight season.
The second regional semifinal will likely leave both teams bruised
and battered.
UConn (31-5) lost in the second round last season following
consecutive national championships, but clamped down on UCLA to earn
a Sweet 16 return.
Michigan State (27-7) is in the Sweet 16 for the 17th time under
coach Tom Izzo, led by the dynamic duo of Jeremy Fears Jr. and Coen
Carr.
South Region
No. 2 seed Houston avoided having to play reigning national champion
Florida — Iowa made sure of that — and will be playing at home for
the South Region.
The Cougars (30-6) will be surrounded by Big Ten teams, starting
with a two-mile trip from campus against Illinois on Thursday.
The Illini (26-8) are big — bigger than any team in the country.
They used that size to their advantage, clobbering Penn and VCU to
reach the Sweet 16 for the second time in three seasons under coach
Brad Underwood.
The second East semifinal will be the battle of the corn.
No. 4 seed Nebraska (28-6) is the closest thing the Sweet 16 has to
an underdog — only because it had never won an NCAA Tournament game
prior to this season.
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Duke head coach Jon Scheyer during the second half in the second
round of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 21,
2026, in Greenville, S.C. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
No. 9 seed Iowa (23-12) finished 10-10 the Big Ten,
but has bulled its way through the bracket so far, reaching the
Sweet 16 for the first time since 1999 by ending Florida's repeat
bid.
Midwest Region
Michigan has looked every bit a top seed, winning its first two
games by an average of 22 points.
Next up is a showdown with No. 4 seed Alabama on Friday in Chicago.
The Crimson Tide (25-9) washed away Texas Tech by raining down 19
3-pointers in a 90-65 thrashing to reach the Sweet 16 for the fourth
straight season.
No. 2 seed Iowa State took a big hit when All-America forward Joshua
Jefferson sprained his ankle in the Cyclones' opener and didn't play
against Kentucky.
It did little to slow them down; the Cyclones (29-7) spun away from
Kentucky 82-63 to reach the Sweet 16 for the third time under coach
T.J. Otzelberger.
Iowa State hopes to have Jefferson back for Friday's game and will
likely need him against Tennessee.
The No. 6 Vols (24-11) have been Sweet 16 regulars under coach Rick
Barnes and made it four straight by outlasting Virginia 79-72.
West Region
The West has an SEC team disguised as Cinderella.
Texas has a world of resources and plays in the SEC, yet found
itself in Dayton as a No. 11 seed.
The Longhorns (21-14) pulled it together at just the right time in
their first season under coach Sean Miller, knocking off No. 3 seed
Gonzaga to become the sixth First Four team to reach the Sweet 16.
That earns them a spot in the West semifinals against No. 2 Purdue
Thursday in San Jose, California
Coach Matt Painter has molded the Boilermakers (29-8) into a model
of consistency, reaching the Sweet 16 seven times the last nine
seasons — including the 2024 title game — with their 79-69 win over
Miami.
The showdown between No. 1 Arizona and No. 4 Alabama will be an NBA
scout's delight.
The Wildcats (34-2) go eight deep in potential future pros and guard
Jaden Bradley has a knack for making the biggest plays at the
biggest moments.
John Calipari set the standard for recruiting NBA lottery picks at
Kentucky and it's been no different in his second season in
Fayetteville. Fabulous freshman Darius Acuff Jr. was the star in
Arkansas' 94-88 win over High Point, scoring 36 points in the
Razorbacks' second straight Sweet 16 berth.
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