March Madness Sweet Sixteen: Surprises and Stars

On March 23rd, the 2026 men's March madness tournament rolls into the Sweet 16 after a

wild first and second round.

The biggest shock so far came when the No. 9 Iowa Hawkeyes knocked out the defending

champion No. 1 Florida Gators, marking the first top.

Seed to fall and Iowa's first trip to this stage since 1999.

Several other surprises shook things up too.

Kansas, featuring top NBA draft prospect Aaron Peterson, fell at the buzzer to No. 5 St. John's

in the second round. Meanwhile, No. 6 BYU with AJ Dibanza got upset by No. 11 Texas right

in the first round. Basketball fans are buzzing about the star still in the mix,

like Cameron Booser leading No. 1 Duke in the East.

Over in the West, No. 4 Arkansas relies on Darius Ackhoff Jr.'s scorching offense,

even if their defense has some holes.

Action kicks off Thursday, March 26th, with Nebraska facing Iowa at 7.30 pm.

Eastern, followed by Houston versus Illinois at 10.0.

5 Friday brings Duke against St. John's at 7.10.

Yukon taking on Michigan's state letter that night, plus games in the West and Midwest regions.

The Elite 8 follows over the weekend of March 28th and 29th,

building toward the final four on April 4th and the championship.

On April 6th, all at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

Keep an eye on these battles as the field narrows.