College Basketball

Just over two weeks ago, Illinois walked off the United Center floor with heads hung low. After the Illini fell to Wisconsin in overtime of the quarterfinal round of the Big Ten Tournament – their fifth loss in nine games – they were set to enter the NCAA Tournament without one iota of momentum. Has that less-than-desirable final month of …

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Arizona is headed back to the Final Four for the first time in 25 years after the top-seeded Wildcats got 20 points from freshman Koa Peat to beat Purdue 79-64 in the NCAA Tournament’s West Region final on Saturday night. After years of disappointment in March, coach Tommy Lloyd has gotten Arizona (36-2) back to being …

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — A dejected Braden Smith walked down the sideline shaking the hands of his Purdue teammates after the final buzzer sounded. The dream of ending a college career in a home-state Final Four in Indianapolis ended one step shy for Smith and the other two members of the Boilermakers’ four-year senior class as Purdue was overwhelmed …

Illinois guard Kylan Boswell controls the ball against Iowa Hawkeyes defenders in Elite Eight action at Toyota Center, in Houston, Texas. – Maria Lysaker/Imagn Images/Reuters Connect Two spots remain in the men’s Final Four after dominant wins on Saturday by Illinois and Arizona, who are heading to the NCAA tournament’s final weekend for the first time since the early part …

Illinois guard Kylan Boswell controls the ball against Iowa Hawkeyes defenders in Elite Eight action at Toyota Center, in Houston, Texas. – Maria Lysaker/Imagn Images/Reuters Connect Two spots remain in the men’s Final Four after dominant wins on Saturday by Illinois and Arizona, who are heading to the NCAA tournament’s final weekend for the first time since the early part …

Arizona men’s basketball is the toast of the town online. The Wildcats advanced to the Final Four for the first time since 2001 by beating Purdue 79-64 in the NCAA West Regional Final. X, formerly Twitter, reacted accordingly. Advertisement Arizona didn’t make it easy on itself by falling into a first-half deficit that led to some critics questioning whether the …

The 2025–26 season has been nothing short of a revelation for Michigan basketball under Dusty May. With a Big Ten regular-season title already secured and a deep NCAA Tournament run underway, the vibes in Ann Arbor are at a multi-year high. However, the most significant news for the program’s long-term health arrived this week off the court: star guards Elliot …

SAN JOSE, CA — “Here we go again.” It was the collective thought nearly every Arizona fan had when the Wildcats went into halftime of their Elite Eight matchup against Purdue down seven points. One of the best teams in program history was on the verge of a familiar result that had plagued the program for 25 years: falling short …

Yaxel Lendeborg What channel is Michigan vs. Tennessee on today? Time, TV schedule, live stream to watch March Madness Elite Eight originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here. Advertisement The Elite Eight wraps up on Sunday, March 29, with the final two matchups of the round. The day begins with …

Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd admits that it wasn’t his halftime speech that inspired the Wildcats’ dazzling second-half rally against Purdue. He invited his players to do most of the talking when they entered the locker room trailing by seven and needing a strong second-half push to save their season. Advertisement Once Arizona associate head coach Jack Murphy showed the players …

How Arizona used second-half rally to power past Purdue and into 2026 Final Four originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here. SAN JOSE, Calif. – Arizona looked dead in the water at halftime of its Elite 8 clash with Purdue. That is not a sentence Arizona fans have often uttered …

Brad Underwood is a Kansas native who has spent much of his lengthy college basketball coaching career in the Great Plains, southeast and southwest. His dream, though, was to one day find himself where he currently is — as the head coach of the Illinois men’s basketball program. Advertisement On Saturday, March 28, Underwood helped lead Illinois to a 71-59 …

Bruce Pearl names one ideal coaching candidate for North Carolina originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here. With the NCAA Tournament in the midst of the Elite Eight games, one former powerhouse hit a different phase with the offseason already upon them. As North Carolina’s coaching search heats up, Bruce Pearl …

HOUSTON – Keaton Wagler’s eyes flirted with the rim and his feet appeared to follow suit. The Illinois freshman guard dribbled past the 3-point line and suddenly spun to his left, sending his defender stumbling backward as if propelled by an invisible force. Iowa guard Isaia Howard scrambled to his feet, but by then Wagler was launching a stepback 3-pointer …

The top seed in the Midwest Region, the Michigan Wolverines, faces off against the sixth-seeded Tennessee Volunteers Sunday in the Windy City with a trip to the Final Four on the line. Led by Big Ten Player of the Year Yaxel Lendeborg and a high-powered offense averaging 95 points per game in the tournament, Michigan has dominated each of their …

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Arizona is headed back to the Final Four for the first time in 25 years after the top-seeded Wildcats got 20 points from freshman Koa Peat to beat Purdue 79-64 in the NCAA Tournament’s West Region final on Saturday night. After years of disappointment in March, coach Tommy Lloyd has gotten Arizona (36-2) back to …

Arizona is heading to the Final Four for the first time in 25 years. The No. 1 Wildcats used a second-half blitz to put away No. 2 Purdue 79-64 and win its first Elite Eight game in six tries since making the national title game in 2001. Advertisement Arizona took over midway through the second half after Purdue led by …

HOUSTON — As Illinois fans screamed and clapped Saturday night at the Toyota Center, the hugging began. Illinois coach Brad Underwood and his assistants on the bench. Keaton Wagler, still holding the ball, and David Mirković. The rest of the Illini players joined in. With a 71-59 win over Iowa in the South Region final of the NCAA Tournament, the …

How Illinois’ Keaton Wagler went from recruiting afterthought to Final Four lynchpin in just one year originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here. The kids at the top of the list – it’s OK to call them kids, right? – earned every bit of the attention accorded them. Three of …

One more win against a Big Ten team. More specifically, one more win against a Big Ten team they already defeated this season. That was the barrier between the Fighting Illini and their first trip to the Final Four since two months into the second term of the 43rd POTUS. Advertisement The draw fell ideally in Illinois’ favor. Hell, they …

TCU junior guard Brock Harding shared on Instagram earlier today that he’ll be returning to the Horned Frogs for the 2026-27 season. The former Iowa transfer averaged 8.0 points and 5.6 assists on 37.2 percent shooting from the floor during his first year with TCU. The 6-foot guard from Moline, Illinois has one year of eligiblity remaining and will be …

The biggest college basketball tournament is here, bringing plenty of excitement and storylines. Will we see Cinderellas pull upsets, or will the bluebloods keep their grip on the tournament? With the power of a reliable connection always important during a successful tournament run, we’re keeping you connected to the can’t-miss headlines and standout moments from every round. We’ll know who …

CHICAGO (AP) — Michigan’s Dusty May looked at the highlights of his most recent meeting against Tennessee, back when he was coaching Florida Atlantic. The Owls beat Tennessee in the Sweet 16 three years ago as part of a stunning run to the Final Four. This time, May leads Michigan (34-3) into an Elite Eight matchup against the Volunteers (25-11) …

Ben McCollum’s dream run through the NCAA tournament is over. No. 3 Illinois finally pulled away from the Hawkeyes late in the second half on Saturday night in their Elite Eight matchup to grab a 71-59 win at the Toyota Center in Houston. That officially secured the Illini their first trip to the Final Four since 2005, when they fell …

And then, there were eight. That’s right, there are eight teams left in the 2026 men’s NCAA tournament, with the Elite Eight coming on Saturday and Sunday to set up the Final Four to begin the end of March Madness. The second game on Saturday? That would be No. 2 Purdue vs. No. 1 Arizona. And if you’re here, you …