2026 Elite Eight Predictions: Projecting Which Teams Reach Final Four

We’ve reached the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament, with March Madness going fairly predictably as three of the No. 1-seeded teams have advanced to this round. We now get true matchups between the best college basketball teams in 2026, creating high stakes and a lot of excitement this weekend.

Let’s dive into our Elite Eight predictions for the weekend matchups in the men’s NCAA Tournament.

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(3) Illinois Fighting Illini vs (9) Iowa Hawkeyes

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The Iowa Hawkeyes are the lowest-seeded team left standing in the NCAA Tournament and are coming off a run that includes a last-second victory over the reigning national champion Florida Gators. The three-ball has been instrumental to the Hawkeyes’ success during this ride to the Elite Eight, with the team making 20 combined in the last two games. The Illinois Fighting Illini are favored to punch their ticket to the Final Four, but it’s worth noting this program allowed 8.4 three-pointers made per game (275th in NCAA) during the season. With that said, Illinois has played strong defensively throughout the tournament and its scoring prowess is nearly unrivaled. We are calling for the upset, with Iowa dictating the pace of the game and getting threes to fall in a nail-biting victory.

Prediction: Iowa Hawkeyes – 74, Illinois Fighting Illini – 71

Related: Saturday’s Elite Eight Schedule

(1) Arizona Wildcats vs (2) Purdue Boilermakers

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The Arizona Wildcats are on a tear entering the Elite Eight, with their last defeat coming all the way back on Feb. 14 against Texas Tech. During this win streak, the program has top-10 victories over Houston and Iowa State twice, and then it just handed Coach John Calipari his most lopsided defeat ever in the NCAA Tournament. The Purdue Boilermakers‘ resume might not be quite as impressive, especially coming off a narrow victory in the Sweet Sixteen over No.-11 ranked Texas. However, Purdue does have its own wave of momentum coming…

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Publish date : 2026-03-28 16:48:00

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