Sweet 16 Friday: Duke, Michigan, UConn, and Iowa State Fight for Elite Eight Spots
·5 min read
Four high-stakes Sweet 16 matchups tip off Friday night, with No. 1 Duke facing a surging St. John's, UConn looking to defend its recent dynasty, and No. 9 Iowa pulling off one of the tournament's best upsets. Here's what's at stake.
March Madness reaches its Sweet 16 inflection point on Friday night, with four games on the CBS and TBS schedule that will determine half of the Elite Eight field. The bracket has survived one genuinely significant upset — No. 9 Iowa over No. 4 Nebraska in the Round of 32 — and is otherwise running close to chalk, which sets up a Sweet 16 slate loaded with marquee programs and high national viewership.
The headliner tips off at 7:10 PM on CBS: No. 1 seed Duke versus No. 5 seed St. John's. Duke, led by freshman phenom Cooper Flagg — the consensus No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft — comes in undefeated in tournament play and averaging 84.3 points per game in two wins. Flagg is averaging 23.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 4.5 assists in the tournament, numbers that have prompted comparisons to Kevin Durant's final college season at Texas in 2007.
March Madness 2026 · NCAA tournament · Sweet 16
St. John's is the legitimate threat in this matchup that casual bracket-holders may be underestimating. The Red Storm finished the regular season 27-7 and rode Rick Pitino's press-based system to 85.1 points per game during conference play. They are not here by accident — they beat a No. 4 seed to reach the Sweet 16 and will push Duke's half-court defense in ways the Blue Devils have not been tested this tournament. The line opened with Duke as a 6.5-point favorite, which is tight for a No. 1 versus No. 5 matchup.
Continue reading to see the full article
“John's is the legitimate threat in this matchup that casual bracket-holders may be underestimating.”
At 7:35 PM on TBS, No. 1 Michigan takes on No. 4 Alabama in what may be the most tactically interesting game of the evening. Michigan, coached by Dusty May in his second full season, runs one of the more efficient offenses in the country — ranking third nationally in adjusted offensive efficiency per KenPom. Alabama counters with the nation's best transition defense and a physical frontcourt that has neutralized superior offensive systems twice already in this tournament. Both teams shoot below 33% from three-point range in tournament play, meaning this game will likely be decided in the paint and at the free-throw line.
Key Takeaways
→March Madness 2026: Four games tip off Friday: Duke vs St.
→NCAA tournament: Four games tip off Friday: Duke vs St.
→Sweet 16: Four games tip off Friday: Duke vs St.
→Duke basketball: Four games tip off Friday: Duke vs St.
The late games on CBS and TBS are No. 2 UConn versus No. 3 Michigan State at 9:45 PM and No. 2 Iowa State versus No. 6 Tennessee at 10:10 PM. UConn is chasing what would be an unprecedented third consecutive national championship — the Huskies have won in 2023 and 2024 and have been in the Final Four conversation all season. Michigan State's Tom Izzo, who has now reached the Sweet 16 in 14 of his 30 seasons as head coach, has been here before. The Spartans beat a No. 1 seed in the Round of 32 and will be motivated to end UConn's dynasty conversation.
March Madness 2026 · NCAA tournament · Sweet 16
Iowa State versus Tennessee is the under-the-radar game of the session. Iowa State, the No. 2 seed out of the Big 12, leads the nation in defensive efficiency and has held both of its tournament opponents below 60 points. Tennessee's physical, aggressive style under Rick Barnes produced wins over a No. 3 and a No. 2 seed to reach this point. The winner will be considered a serious national championship contender regardless of who they face in the Elite Eight.
Advertisement
The tournament's upset story this week belongs to No. 9 Iowa, which eliminated No. 4 Nebraska in the Round of 32. Nebraska entered as a consensus top-15 team nationally after winning the Big Ten tournament, and its loss removed what many had projected as a potential national champion. Iowa advances to face the Duke-St. John's winner in the Elite Eight — a potential matchup between Flagg and Iowa's leading scorer that CBS has already been advertising heavily.
March Madness viewership in the Sweet 16 typically runs between 10 and 14 million per window on the combined CBS/TBS/TruTV telecasts, per Nielsen. The Duke-led window on Friday night is projected at the higher end of that range. For advertisers, the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight represent the tournament's highest CPM days — 30-second spots in the Duke-Michigan State window are running above $450,000, per industry sources cited by Variety.
What this means for you: Friday night's games are the last chance to separate correct brackets from busted ones before the Elite Eight. If your bracket still has Duke and UConn alive, the next 48 hours are your highest-leverage period — both programs are narrowly favored but facing genuine threats. Illinois, which advanced to the Elite Eight on Thursday, is already waiting to face Friday's Midwest region winner. The championship game is set for April 6 in Indianapolis.
What time are the Sweet 16 games on Friday March 27?
Four games tip off Friday: Duke vs St. John's at 7:10 PM ET on CBS, Michigan vs Alabama at 7:35 PM ET on TBS/TruTV, UConn vs Michigan State at 9:45 PM ET on CBS, and Iowa State vs Tennessee at 10:10 PM ET on TBS/TruTV.
Who is Cooper Flagg and why is he important?
Cooper Flagg is Duke's freshman forward and the consensus No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. He is averaging 23.5 points, 9 rebounds, and 4.5 assists in the 2026 NCAA Tournament, and his performance has drawn comparisons to elite college players like Kevin Durant's final college season at Texas.
Can UConn win a third consecutive national championship?
UConn won back-to-back championships in 2023 and 2024. A third consecutive title would be unprecedented in the modern era. They face Michigan State in the Sweet 16, with Tom Izzo's Spartans entering as a motivated underdog after beating a No. 1 seed in the Round of 32.
Who are the biggest upsets so far in the 2026 NCAA Tournament?
No. 9 Iowa's elimination of No. 4 Nebraska in the Round of 32 is the most significant upset so far. Nebraska had been considered a top-15 program nationally after winning the Big Ten tournament. Iowa now advances to face the Duke-St. John's winner.
When is the 2026 NCAA Championship Game?
The 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Championship Game is scheduled for April 6, 2026, in Indianapolis, Indiana.
