Males’s March Madness dwell tracker: Updates on Saturday’s video games

The 2026 males’s NCAA event has whittled to 32 groups which have their eyes set on the Sweet 16.

ESPN reporters are on-site, from Buffalo to Portland, to present you a real-time have a look at the Madness. Follow alongside as they and the remainder of the employees monitor each second-round sport on Saturday, with extra matchups nonetheless to tip:

• (6) Louisville vs. (3) Michigan State: 2:45 p.m.

• (9) TCU vs. (1) Duke: 5:15 p.m.

• (10) Texas A&M vs. (2) Houston: 6:10 p.m.

• (11) Texas vs. (3) Gonzaga: 7:10 p.m.

• (11) VCU vs. (3) Illinois: 7:50 p.m.

• (5) Vanderbilt vs. (4) Nebraska: 8:45 p.m.

• (12) High Point vs. (4) Arkansas: 9:45 p.m.

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Live tracker

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Previews

2:45 p.m., CBS

How Michigan State can advance to the Sweet 16: Michigan State’s largest edge towards North Dakota State was its dominant frontcourt, with Carson Cooper, Jaxon Kohler, Coen Carr and Cam Ward combining for 62 factors and 24 rebounds. That may even be the place the Spartans might want to win towards Louisville. Despite having loads of measurement and depth up entrance, the Cardinals struggled on the defensive glass towards South Florida, and Michigan State is likely one of the top-10 offensive rebounding groups within the nation. The Spartans ought to be capable to have success in that space towards the Cardinals. Jeremy Fears Jr. would be the key — he did not rating the ball properly towards North Dakota State and turned it over a season-high 4 occasions, however he’ll be capable to get downhill and put stress on Louisville. — Jeff Borzello

How Louisville can advance to the Sweet 16: Despite main South Florida by 23 factors earlier than a late surge by the Bulls made the ultimate margin a lot nearer, Louisville has to wash up lots with a purpose to beat Michigan State. South Florida grabbed 18 offensive rebounds — 37.5% of its misses — and Louisville could have a tougher time towards Michigan State, one of the dominant offensive rebounding groups within the nation. The key on the offensive finish, because it at all times is for Louisville, can be making 3s. The Cardinals rank within the high 5 nationally in 3-point try charge and made 13 towards South Florida. Michigan State was in the midst of the pack within the Big Ten in 3-point protection and allowed a mean of 11.1 3-pointers in its losses this season. The X issue could possibly be the absence of Mikel Brown Jr., who has been dominated out once more with a lingering again damage, although Louisville has found out the way to win with out him over the previous 5 video games. — Borzello

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5:15 p.m., CBS

How Duke can advance to the Sweet 16: Well, it will assist in the event that they confirmed up just like the staff that dominated within the second half towards Siena — and never the model that performed within the first half, when it was down by double digits. Duke’s offensive rhythm was clearly disrupted with out Caleb Foster, its greatest 3-point shooter (40.2%), and the Blue Devils’ protection was weaker than anticipated with Patrick Ngongba II out resulting from damage, too. In the second half, nevertheless, the Blue Devils turned to a zone and performed with a distinct defensive depth. They’ll advance if they’ve the identical mojo towards TCU. Isaiah Evans was a headache for Siena on quick breaks and off the dribble after halftime; Duke has to do extra to place him ready to influence the sport. Cameron Boozer was 13-for-14 from the free throw line. Good protection, Evans making performs and Boozer being Boozer are the keys to Duke shifting on. — Medcalf

How TCU can advance to the Sweet 16: Siena turned the primary 16-seed to carry a double-digit halftime lead over a 1-seed in NCAA event historical past, per ESPN Research, due to its early dominance within the paint. Francis Folefac, a 6-foot-7 ahead, was the anchor of a Saints squad that scored 22 factors within the paint within the first half towards the Blue Devils. That must be the blueprint for TCU, too. The Blue Devils had been weak inside with out Patrick Ngongba II, their greatest defensive participant who is probably not accessible for the second spherical. That’s how the Horned Frogs can win, attacking inside and defending the rim towards Boozer & Co. They may even want 3s to fall once more (39% towards Ohio State), which solely occurred every so often in the course of the season once they had been fifteenth out of 16 groups within the Big 12 in 3-point taking pictures. — Medcalf

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6:10 p.m., TNT

How Houston can advance to the Sweet 16: Houston, on paper, is constructed to resist Texas A&M’s urgent, up-tempo model. The Cougars have an elite three-guard trio in Kingston Flemings, Milos Uzan and Emanuel Sharp, who do not flip the ball over and are efficient at getting the sport to be performed at Kelvin Sampson’s most popular tempo. They can also pressure their very own justifiable share of turnovers, and A&M has had some points towards groups with intense on-ball stress. Where Houston can actually have an edge is on the offensive glass. The Cougars are yearly the most effective offensive rebounding groups within the nation, and whereas this yr’s group is not fairly as elite as earlier variations, they’re nonetheless within the high 30 nationally in offensive rebounding charge and second-chance factors per sport. A&M, in the meantime, was one of many worst defensive rebounding groups within the SEC. — Borzello

How Texas A&M can advance to the Sweet 16: It’s all about Bucky Ball and the way efficient it may be towards Houston and the most effective backcourts within the nation. A&M desires to play quick, it desires to pressure turnovers and it desires to make groups uncomfortable. Houston takes care of the ball, rating seventh within the nation in turnover proportion — and the Cougars are even higher in Big 12 play. A&M forces turnovers on 18.6% of its defensive possessions; Houston has turned it over that often simply 5 occasions all season. Can A&M win the tempo battle? The Aggies common greater than 70 possessions per sport, rating within the high 40 nationally. Meanwhile, the Cougars play simply over 63 possessions per sport, rating No. 352 nationally. This can be a real distinction of types, however the truth that A&M simply beat one other grind-it-out staff in Saint Mary’s ought to give the Aggies optimism. — Borzello

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7:10 p.m., truTV/TBS

How Gonzaga can advance to the Sweet 16: Gonzaga will get to keep away from going through AJ Dybantsa within the second spherical, however now the Zags must play a Texas staff with momentum — and one with measurement that might doubtlessly make life troublesome for Mark Few’s membership. What ought to decide the result would be the paint battle and free throw margin. Gonzaga leads the nation in paint factors per sport, scoring almost 45, whereas taking pictures almost 59% contained in the arc. But the Zags outscored Kennesaw State by solely 4 factors within the paint Thursday. Graham Ike must be his standard dominant self, and it will likely be useful to get Matas Vokietaitis in foul bother. Vokietaitis averages 5.3 fouls per 40 and dedicated not less than 4 fouls in seven straight video games coming into Thursday. On the flip facet, Ike should gradual the previous Florida Atlantic switch; Vokietaitis is averaging 17.6 factors over his previous 11 video games and had 23 factors and 16 boards towards BYU. — Borzello

How Texas can advance to the Sweet 16: Texas, after shedding 5 of six video games coming into the NCAA event, has picked up back-to-back wins over NC State and BYU — and it might want to proceed defending at a excessive stage to have an opportunity towards Gonzaga. The Longhorns’ defensive deficiencies haven’t precisely been a secret; Sean Miller has talked about it at size, bemoaning their incapacity to protect opponents with out fouling. But towards NC State, they held the Wolfpack to 0.98 factors per possession — their first time limiting an opponent to fewer than one level per possession since Jan. 14. BYU scored 1.06 factors per possession towards Texas, however that is properly under the Cougars’ season common, and so they have potential No. 1 NBA draft decide AJ Dybantsa. Fortunately for Miller, Gonzaga’s offense shouldn’t be predicated on attending to the free throw line. The Zags rating extra paint factors per sport than any staff within the nation, so Saturday’s sport can be key for Matas Vokietaitis to guard the rim and stifle All-American Graham Ike. — Borzello

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7:50 p.m., CBS

How Illinois can advance to the Sweet 16: Illinois, which owns the No. 1 offense in America, can advance with the identical overwhelming offensive assault it has relied on in wins over Texas Tech, Tennessee and Purdue. The Fighting Illini scored 40 factors within the first half towards Penn earlier than including 65 within the second half at a charge of 197 factors per 100 possessions. For comparability: The Denver Nuggets have the NBA’s greatest offense of the season at 120 factors per 100 possessions. That’s how good Illinois is true now. Brad Underwood’s staff can advance with one other overwhelming offensive effort. On Thursday, the Illini turned to David Mirkovic (29 factors, 17 rebounds) to maintain their nationwide title hopes alive. It’s a tall process for the Rams, who should cease one of the potent offensive assaults in latest school basketball historical past. Meanwhile, Illinois simply must be Illinois. — Medcalf

How VCU can advance to the Sweet 16: Phil Martelli Jr.’s squad can advance previous Illinois if Terrence Hill Jr. performs the position of Superman once more and his teammates make use of the identical resilience — on offense and protection — they demonstrated within the ultimate 10 minutes of regulation on Thursday. The key’s they will must do it for 40 minutes towards Illinois on Saturday. The Rams scored at a clip of 138 factors per 100 possessions within the second half earlier than they pressured time beyond regulation towards the Tar Heels. But the 19-point deficit the Rams needed to overcome may flip right into a 40-point drawback towards an Illinois squad with one of the best offense within the nation. They cannot let that occur. They’ll additionally want Lazar Djokovic (15 factors, 2 blocks) to place up large numbers, too, as they try and stall the Illinois offensive machine. — Medcalf

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8:45 p.m., TNT

How Nebraska can advance to the Sweet 16: Nebraska has already made historical past by profitable the primary NCAA event sport at school historical past. Now it could add to that feat with one other victory and its first Sweet 16 look. How? Its protection has the flexibility to pressure Vanderbilt star Tyler Tanner into troublesome photographs. He was simply 2-for-6 towards McNeese within the first half Thursday, struggling towards its relentless stress. Nebraska is greater and higher (top-10 protection nationally) than McNeese, and the Cornhuskers have put the identical defensive clamps on elite groups in Big Ten play. Against everybody else, they have been ferocious. But they did maintain Troy to only 47 factors (77 factors per 100 possessions) — one of the best protection we have seen within the opening spherical by the primary half of Thursday. Combine that with Pryce Sandfort, Rienk Mast and Sam Hoiberg all hitting large photographs within the first spherical, and Nebraska is perhaps on its method to the Sweet 16 for the primary time. — Medcalf

How Vanderbilt can advance to the Sweet 16: Vanderbilt wants Tyler Tanner to excel and to restrict Nebraska’s shooters with a purpose to advance. The Commodores had been a distinct staff within the second half towards McNeese on Thursday when Tanner, a projected first-round NBA draft decide, bought extra comfy towards the stress from one in all America’s greatest defensive groups. He scored 17 of his game-high 26 factors after halftime. Overall this season, Vanderbilt is 13-3 when the 6-foot guard scores not less than 20 factors. Nebraska, which had one of the best protection in Big Ten play this season, will do all it could to frustrate him. It’s not on him alone, although. The Commodores should do their greatest to close down the Cornhuskers on the 3-point line: They’ve made 34 3-pointers of their previous three video games. — Medcalf

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9:45 p.m., truTV/TBS

How Arkansas can advance to the Sweet 16: Arkansas desires to run, and it desires a high-scoring sport. High Point can be prepared to play into that hand, and it is arduous to see how that is not a plus for John Calipari’s staff. The Razorbacks do not give the ball away since they’ve two high-level playmakers in Darius Acuff Jr. and Meleek Thomas, and their frontcourt is considerably extra cell and athletic than Wisconsin’s bigs. The turnover battle can be key; High Point ranks within the high 5 in defensive turnover proportion, however Arkansas protects the ball higher than any staff within the nation. If Acuff and Thomas care for the ball and the Razorbacks can dominate the paint like they’ve completed numerous occasions this season, High Point possible will not have a solution. Defensively, they can not let Chase Johnston get scorching — from wherever on the ground. — Borzello

How High Point can advance to the Sweet 16: High Point has gained 23 of its previous 24 video games and simply beat Wisconsin whereas taking part in a run-and-gun up-tempo affair — do not rely the Panthers out towards Arkansas. They will not be afraid of the tempo battle, though they will must discover a method to gradual Darius Acuff Jr. and backcourt accomplice Meleek Thomas. Both are troublesome to maintain from attending to their spots, and High Point simply allowed Nick Boyd and John Blackwell to mix for 49 factors within the win over the Badgers. Where High Point may have some success is on the different finish of the ground. Arkansas is strong defensively, however vulnerable to off ball and rotation lapses, and High Point will look to rise up and down the ground and take 3s. A repeat 15-for-40 3-point taking pictures effort can be good, too. — Borzello