March Madness Sweet 16 winners, losers: Big Ten puts 4 teams in Elite 8

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March Madness Sweet 16 winners, losers: Big Ten puts 4 teams in Elite 8

March Madness Sweet 16 winners, losers: Big Ten puts 4 teams in Elite 8

Austin Curtright, USA TODAY NETWORK · USA TODAY Sports

Sat, Mar 28, 2026 ·

7 min read

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It's a party of Midwest teams heading to the Elite Eight of the Men's 2026 NCAA Tournament.

A record-breaking four Big Ten teams won Sweet 16 games , giving the conference half of the remaining teams in March Madness. It could've put five teams to the Elite Eight, but Michigan State narrowly lost to UConn 67-63.

Iowa has been the biggest surprise of the NCAA Tournament, and its historic run continued with an upset victory over fellow Big Ten foe Nebraska in the Sweet 16. First-year coach Ben McCollum and the Hawkeyes are making their first Elite Eight appearance since 1987, and McCollum has already won four career Division I NCAA Tournament games despite being in only his second season at the level.

ARMOUR: My apologies, Big Ten. I was wrong to doubt you

Iowa State Cyclones fans cheer against the Kentucky Wildcats during the first half in the second round of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Enterprise Center on March 22, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri.

(Jamie Squire, Getty Images)

Kansas Jayhawks cheerleaders perform before a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament against the St. John's Red Storm at Viejas Arena on March 22, 2026 in San Diego, Calif.
(Denis Poroy, Imagn Images)

Nebraska's Berke Buyuktuncel celebrates with fans following a second-round game in the NCAA men's basketball tournament between Nebraska Cornhuskers and Vanderbilt Commodores at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City on March 21, 2026.

(SARAH PHIPPS, THE OKLAHOMAN via USA TODAY NETWORK)

Arkansas Razorbacks cheerleaders in the second half against the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Moda Center on March 19, 2026 in Portland, Ore.

(Troy Wayrynen, Imagn Images)

VCU Rams fans react after a 3-pointer by Terrence Hill Jr. #6 of the VCU Rams in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 19, 2026 in Greenville, SC.
(Jared C. Tilton, Getty Images)

Howard Bison cheerleaders perform during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament against the Michigan Wolverines at Keybank Center on Mar 19, 2026 in Buffalo, NY.
(Mark Konezny, Imagn Images)

BYU Cougars cheerleader in the second half against the Texas Longhorns during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Moda Center on Mar 19, 2026 in Portland, Ore.
(Craig Strobeck, Imagn Images)

Former North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Roy Williams is seen in the crowd against the VCU Rams in the second half of a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on Mar 19, 2026 in Greenville, SC.
(Bob Donnan, Imagn Images)

Texas A&M Aggies cheerleaders during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Paycom Center on March 19, 2026 in Oklahoma City.
(William Purnell, Imagn Images)

Texas Longhorns band in the first half against the BYU Cougars during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Moda Center on Mar 19, 2026 in Portland.
(Craig Strobeck, Imagn Images)

St. John's Red Storm mascot Johnny Thunder mixes with players prior to taking the court during practice day ahead of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Viejas Arena at San Diego State University on March 19, 2026 in San Diego, California.
(Sean M. Haffey, Getty Images)

A Texas Christian University Horned Frogs cheerleader practices before the game during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 19, 2026 in Greenville, SC.

(Bob Donnan, Imagn Images)

The High Point Panthers fans cheer during the second half of a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament against the Wisconsin Badgers at Moda Center on March 19, 2026 in Portland, Or.
(Troy Wayrynen, Imagn Images)

The High Point Panthers cheerleaders react during the second half of a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament against the Wisconsin Badgers at Moda Center on March 19, 2026 in Portland, Or.
(Troy Wayrynen, Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images)

The North Dakota State Bison mascot and cheerleaders pose for a photo before the game against the Michigan State Spartans during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Keybank Center on March 19, 2026 in Buffalo, NY
(Gregory Fisher, Imagn Images)

Nebraska Cornhuskers fans cheer after defeating the Troy Trojans during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Paycom Center on March 19, 2026 in Oklahoma City.
(Alonzo Adams, Imagn Images)

The Wisconsin Badgers mascot performs during a time out during the second half of a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament against the High Point Panthers at Moda Center on March 19, 2026 in Portland.
(Craig Strobeck, Imagn Images)

A view of Buddy the Street Dog as Queens University of Charlotte Royals guard Yoav Berman talks to the media during a practice session ahead of the first round of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Enterprise Center in St. Louis on March 19, 2026.
(Jeff Le, Imagn Images)

The High Point Panthers band performs prior to a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament against the Wisconsin Badgers at Moda Center on March 19, 2026 in Portland, Or.
(Craig Strobeck, Imagn Images)

High Point Panthers fans cheer prior to a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament against the Wisconsin Badgers at Moda Center on March 19, 2026 in Portland, Or.
(Craig Strobeck, Imagn Images)

The Wisconsin Badgers cheerleaders preform during the first half of a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament against the High Point Panthers at Moda Center on March 19, 2026 in Portland, Or.
(Craig Strobeck, Imagn Images)

The South Florida Bulls mascot performs during the second half against the Louisville Cardinals during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Keybank Center on March 19, 2026 in Buffalo, NY.
(Mark Konezny, Imagn Images)

The Texas Christian University Horned Frogs cheerleaders perform in the first half during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 19, 2026 in Greenville, SC.
(Jim Dedmon, Imagn Images)

The Troy Trojans mascot dances on the floor during the second half against the Nebraska Cornhuskers during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Paycom Center on March 19, 2026 in Oklahoma City.
(William Purnell, William Purnell-Imagn Images)

The UCF Knights band performs during a practice session ahead of the first round of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Xfinity Mobile Arena on March 19, 2026 in Philadelphia.
(Bill Streicher, Imagn Images)

Nebraska Cornhuskers cheerleaders perform during the second half against the Troy Trojans during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Paycom Center on March 19, 2026 in Oklahoma City.
(William Purnell, Imagn Images)

A Wisconsin Badgers cheerleader performs during the first half of a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament against the High Point Panthers at Moda Center on March 19, 2026 in Portland, Or.
(Craig Strobeck, Imagn Images)

The Ohio State Buckeyes cheerleaders perform in the second half during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 19, 2026 in Greenville, SC.
(Bob Donnan, Imagn Images)

Akron Zips fans in the first half against the Texas Tech Red Raiders during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Benchmark International Arena on March 20, 2026 in Tampa, Fla.
(Matt Pendleton, Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images)

Texas Tech Red Raiders cheerleaders in the first half against the Akron Zips during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Benchmark International Arena on March 20, 2026 in Tampa, Fla.
(Nathan Ray Seebeck, Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images)

Santa Clara Broncos fans react to game play against the Kentucky Wildcats during the second half of a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Enterprise Center on March 20, 2026 in St. Louis, MO.
(Jeff Le, Jeff Le-Imagn Images)

Akron Zips cheerleaders and mascot in the second half against the Texas Tech Red Raiders during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Benchmark International Arena on March 20, 2026 in Tampa, Fla.
(Matt Pendleton, Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images)

Wright State Raiders fans celebrate after a Wright State Raiders guard TJ Burch (22) scores during the second half against the Virginia Cavaliers during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Xfinity Mobile Arena on March 20, 2026 in Philadelphia, PA.
(Bill Streicher, Bill Streicher-Imagn Images)

Hofstra Pride cheerleaders in the second half against the Alabama Crimson Tide during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Benchmark International Arena on March 20, 2026 in Tampa, Fla.
(Matt Pendleton, Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images)

Garth Noble of the Louisville pep band is amped at the 2026 NCAA Women's March Madness basketball tournament at the KFC Yum Center In Louisville, Kentucky. March 21, 2026.
(Matt Stone/Courier Journal)

Michigan head coach Dusty May high-fives players after 95-72 win over Saint Louis at the NCAA Tournament Second Round at KeyBank Center in Buffalo on Saturday, March 21, 2026.
(Junfu Han, USA TODAY NETWORK)

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish band and spirit squad cheer during the first round of the NCAA women's basketball tournament against the Fairfield Stags at Ohio State's Schottenstein Center in Columbus on March 21, 2026.
(Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch)

Three No. 1 seeds — Duke , Arizona and Michigan — also punched their tickets to the Elite Eight. The Wildcats and Wolverines rolled in wins over No. 4 seeds Arkansas and Alabama , respectively, whereas the Blue Devils survived a tough matchup with coach Rick Pitino and No. 5 St. John's.

Here's a look at the winners and losers of the Elite Eight, with only four games remaining before the Final Four gets underway in Indianapolis :

Sweet 16 winners

Big Ten

The Big Ten put a record-breaking four teams — Michigan, Purdue , Illinois and Iowa — in the Elite Eight, making up half of the remaining teams in national championship contention. It's only the third time since the NCAA Tournament expanded that a single conference has had four members in the Elite Eight, joining the SEC in 2025, the ACC in 2016 and the Big East in 2009.

The Big Ten could've broke the record, too, but Michigan State fell to No. 2 UConn by four points in the Sweet 16. Overall, the conference has a 17-5 record in the NCAA Tournament, proving the conference was the best in college basketball this season.

Iowa, of course, is the biggest surprise inclusion among Big Ten teams. Michigan, Purdue and Illinois are all ranked top 10 in KenPom . The Hawkeyes proved there's still some Madness in March, though.

Caleb Foster

Caleb Foster suffered a hairline fracture in his foot on March 7 that required surgery and returned to game action in Duke's 75-70 win over St. John's in the Sweet 16. His 19 minutes off the bench against the Red Storm Devils was his first 5-on-5 action in the 20 days since suffering the injury, and he didn't miss a beat.

While he didn't return to the starting lineup, he scored 11 points — all of which came in the second half. His gutsy performance resulted in a teary-eyed Jon Scheyer after he was asked of Foster after the game.

"He had no business playing today," Scheyer said to CBS Sports' Tracy Wolfson after the game. "He was determined. That was one of the most special performances I've ever seen. He was incredible, even in the huddles what he was doing, and some big-time plays too.

"That's a leader right there and that's a guy that came through for us when we needed him the most."

Tommy Lloyd

Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd has established himself as one of the premier coaches in men's college basketball in his first four seasons with the Wildcats, accumulating a 112-33 record. However, he and Arizona had some NCAA Tournament blunders, failing to surpass the Sweet 16 in any of those four seasons.

Lloyd and Arizona squashed that narrative against Arkansas in the Sweet 16, defeating the Razorbacks 109-88. The Wildcats were able to score 109 points despite making just five 3-pointers after shooting 64% from the field.

Arizona is playing like one of, if not the best team in college basketball right now.

Trey Kaufman-Renn

Purdue forward Trey Kaufman-Renn saw his scoring average dip from 20.1 points per game last season to 14.3 this season. He's shown up big for the Boilermakers in the NCAA Tournament regardless, proving he still has "it" when it matters.

The 6-foot-9 senior scored a buzzer-beater tip-in to give Purdue a 79-77 win over No. 11 Texas in the Sweet 16, avoiding an upset against the surging Longhorns. He finished the game with 20 points and eight rebounds on 8-of-10 shooting, after scoring 19 against Miami and 25 against Queens in the first round.

Kaufman-Renn has been wildly efficient in the postseason, as far back as scoring 20 points on 10-of-15 shooting in Purdue's Big Ten Conference Championship win over No. 1 Michigan prior to the NCAA Tournament. His re-emergence has been huge for the Boilermakers' chances at getting back to the Final Four.

Sweet 16 losers

Houston offense

Houston narrowly fell to Florida in the national championship game last season, and brought back three stars along with two potential NBA first-round picks in Kingston Flemings and Chris Cenac Jr. However, an offensive cold spell doomed the Cougars against Illinois in the Sweet 16.

Making their seventh consecutive Sweet 16, Houston was held to an abysmal 34% mark from the field in its 65-55 loss, making just 22 of its 64 shots. The Cougars' defense held a stout Illinois offense in check, one that ranks No. 2 nationally in KenPom's adjusted offensive efficiency this season.

Still, it wasn't enough to get back to the Final Four, leaving Houston heading into next season still seeking its first-ever national championship under legendary coach Kelvin Sampson, one of the best coaches to have never won a title.

North Carolina Tar Heels center Henri Veesaar reacts after losing to the VCU Rams in overtime of a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 19, 2026 in Greenville, SC.

(Bob Donnan, Imagn Images)

Brendan Coyle #21 of the Siena Saints reacts after the game against the Duke Blue Devils in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 19, 2026 in Greenville, SC. The Duke Blue Devils defeated the Siena Saints 71-65.
(Jared C. Tilton, Getty Images)

Head coach Kelvin Sampson of the Houston Cougars shakes hands with members of the Idaho Vandals following the first round game of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Paycom Center on March 19, 2026, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
(Stacy Revere, Getty Images)

McNeese Cowboys guard Tyshawn Archie (8) walks off the court after losing to the Vanderbilt Commodores during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Paycom Centeron March 19, 2026 in Oklahoma City.

(William Purnell, Imagn Images)

Riley Saunders #13 and Andy Stefonowicz #5 of the North Dakota State Bison high five after being defeated by the Michigan State Spartans in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at KeyBank Center on March 19, 2026 in Buffalo, New York.
(Ishika Samant, Getty Images)

Wisconsin Badgers guard Braeden Carrington (0) and guard John Blackwell (25) react during the second half of a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament against the High Point Panthers at Moda Center on March 19, 2026 in Portland, Or.

(Troy Wayrynen, Imagn Images)

Thomas Dowd of the Troy Trojans reacts after coming out of the game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers during the second half in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Paycom Center on March 19, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Okla.

(Stacy Revere, Getty Images)

Ohio State Buckeyes forward Amare Bynum (1) and Ohio State Buckeyes forward Brandon Noel (14) react after losing to Texas Christian University Horned Frogs during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 19, 2026 in Greenville, SC.
(Bob Donnan, Imagn Images)

Texas Christian University Horned Frogs forward Xavier Edmonds (24) reacts after defeating the Ohio State Buckeyes during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 19, 2026 in Greenville, SC.
(Bob Donnan, Imagn Images)

Lehigh Mountain Hawks huddle together after being defeated by the Prairie View A&M Panthers during a first four game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at University of Dayton Arena on March 18, 2026.
(Rick Osentoski, Imagn Images)

SMU Mustangs guard Boopie Miller (2) and SMU Mustangs center Jaden Toombs (10) leave the court after being defeated by the Miami (OH) RedHawks during a first four game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at University of Dayton Arena on March 18, 2026.
(Rick Osentoski, Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images)

Trevon Blassingame #1 and Seth Joba #21 of the Idaho Vandals react after the defeat against the Houston Cougars in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Paycom Center on March 19, 2026, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
(Stacy Revere, Getty Images)

Joshua Jefferson -less Iowa State

Iowa State won't get to see how far it could've gone with star forward Joshua Jefferson, after the senior forward suffered an ankle injury in the opening minutes of the Cyclones' first-round win over East Tennessee State. He missed out on Iowa State's win over Kentucky in the second round and was unable to get ready for its 76-62 Sweet 16 loss to No. 6 Tennessee.

Jefferson, a second-team All-American, averaged 16.4 points with 7.4 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game this season, making him one of the best all-around players in college basketball. His presence was missed against the Vols, who finished with 16 offensive rebounds and outrebounded Iowa State 43-22 overall.

It's an unfortunate ending for Iowa State's veteran trio of Jefferson, Tamin Lipsey and Milan Momcilovic , who have started nearly every game for the Cyclones the past two seasons. Jefferson and Lipsey end their college careers with 232 regular season starts, while Momcilovic will likely lead the program as a senior next season.

Alabama

Alabama was on fire in the first half against No. 1 Michigan in the Sweet 16 on March 27, even leading the Wolverines 49-47 in the first half. The Crimson Tide came out of halftime and were dominated the rest of the game, however.

Alabama made nine 3-pointers in the first half and was led by star guard Labaron Philon Jr. , who scored 19 points in the first 20 minutes before finishing with 35 points with seven rebounds and four assists. The shooting went cold as it was outscored by Michigan 43-28 in the second half, as the Crimson Tide were held to a 5-of-23 mark from 3-point range and only 10 field goals in general.

The Crimson Tide were close to pulling off an upset, but ultimately won't be heading to the Elite Eight for the third consecutive season.

Nebraska fans

Nebraska fans took over Oklahoma City for its first-ever wins in the NCAA Tournament against Troy and Vanderbilt in the first weekend. Cornhuskers fans arrived in droves for their Sweet 16 game against Big Ten foe Iowa in Houston, but to no avail after Nebraska lost in heartbreaking fashion to the Hawkeyes.

Nebraska led for all but 2:10 of regulation, which happened to be the final moments of the game. The Cornhuskers also had only four players on the court following a timeout, which led to a massive 3-point play for Iowa's Alvaro Folgueiras , which ultimately sealed the game.

Nebraska ultimately leaves March Madness as winners in 2026, laying the groundwork for where the program can go in the future. However, it squandered an opportunity to keep its run going against Iowa, which it already defeated once this season in conference play.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Winners of losers of men's NCAA Tournament Sweet 16

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Sweet 16 winners

Big Ten

Caleb Foster

Tommy Lloyd

Trey Kaufman-Renn

Sweet 16 losers

Houston offense

March Sadness hits hard in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament

March Sadness hits hard in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament

March Sadness hits hard in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament

March Sadness hits hard in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament

March Sadness hits hard in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament

March Sadness hits hard in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament

March Sadness hits hard in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament

March Sadness hits hard in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament

March Sadness hits hard in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament

March Sadness hits hard in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament

March Sadness hits hard in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament

March Sadness hits hard in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament

Joshua Jefferson -less Iowa State

Alabama

Nebraska fans