For the previous couple of days, the fans of 16 men’s college basketball groups haven’t been ready to get one thought out of their heads: Two extra wins till the Final Four.
After surviving the gauntlet that’s the opening rounds of March Madness, the Sweet 16 is an accomplishment by itself. But the prospect to play for a nationwide championship now doesn’t simply really feel like a far-off hope; it’s just one weekend away.
Here are tonight’s outcomes:
No. 2 seeded Purdue shocked No. 11 seeded Texas 79-77 after Boilermakers ahead Trey Kaufman-Renn’s late basket gained them the sport with 0.7 seconds left.
It was a tightly contested matchup between the two applications and all of it got here down to the ultimate seconds after Longhorns’ and-one foul with 11 seconds left to tie the sport at 77.
Purdue star guard Braden Smith then acquired the inbounds go and tried for a contested layup with seconds remaining when Kaufman-Renn tipped it in, securing the Boilermakers’ journey to the Elite 8.
Kaufman-Renn completed with a team-high 20 factors as Purdue will face the winner of Arkansas-Arizona on Saturday in San Jose.
It was a Big Ten battle and a rivalry sport within the Sweet 16.
And the sport lived up to all of the hype.
No. 9 seed Iowa surprised No. 4 Nebraska 77-71 to advance to the Elite 8 for the primary time in 39 years.
The Hawkeyes overcame a 10-point first half deficit late within the sport and with simply over three minutes left, they tied it up at 65.
But star Bennett Stirtz and Alvaro Folgueiras performed hero but once more, main Iowa to a 12-6 run to finish the sport and clinch the victory.
Stirtz completed with 20 factors, and true freshman Tate Sage and Folgueiras mixed for 35 factors off the bench for the Hawkeyes.
Iowa will face the winner of Houston-Illinois on Saturday on the Toyota Center in Houston.
This season has been a return to type for the Arizona Wildcats after a number of common years following the 2021-22 return to type below Tommy Lloyd. But this level within the season has been the stumbling block for Zona – it’s been greater than 10 years because the Wildcats have made it previous the Sweet 16.
Standing of their approach is John Calipari’s Arkansas, again within the Sweet 16 for the second straight yr. The Razorbacks’ high-scoring offense will make for a superb foil for the Wildcats’ stout protection and anticipate the matchup between Hogs’ guard Darius Acuff Jr. and Wildcats star Brayden Burries to be the standout showdown of the night time.
Calipari, one of many leading members of the old guard of coaches who are shining on this Sweet 16, is trying to do one thing no man has completed earlier than by main Arkansas to the Final Four. It can be the fourth college he’s taken to the season’s closing weekend.
Only one different man has the chance to do this and his crew performs on Friday; Rick Pitino can be trying to take his fourth crew to the Final Four.
The night time’s closing sport is a doozy.
The Houston Cougars are principally enjoying a house sport within the Toyota Center, placing the cap on an exciting day for Houston sports activities followers (the Texas Children’s Houston Open teed off Thursday morning, the Astros have their opening day within the afternoon and then it’s the Sweet 16 at night time) with a showdown for a spot within the Elite Eight.
The Illini might be trying to crash the social gathering and definitely might achieve this, sending their squad of huge males at Houston’s swarming protection.
Both groups are led by veteran head coaches in Kelvin Sampson (Houston) and Brad Underwood (Illinois) who are trying to get to the Final Four for private causes. For Sampson, his Cougars fell within the nationwide championship sport to Florida final yr after they couldn’t get a shot off on the ultimate possession. Underwood, in the meantime, is trying to put a cherry on high of an extended and winding highway to the highest of faculty basketball with his first Final Four look.
Expect a decent sport all through this one and loads of powerful protection from each groups.
