Overview
- Illinois and Arizona, which won Saturday’s Elite Eight games, clinched spots with wins of 71-59 over Iowa and 79-64 over Purdue to reach their first Final Fours since 2005 and 2001.
- Illinois’ surge has leaned on a sharpened defense that kept VCU and Houston to 55 points and limited Iowa to seven two-point baskets in the regional final.
- Arizona pulled away by owning the interior, finishing with 40 points in the paint and 20 at the free-throw line to outscore Purdue by 28 in those zones.
- Tennessee plays Michigan and Duke faces UConn on CBS Sunday to fill the last two men’s berths, with the Volunteers still chasing the program’s first Final Four.
- On the women’s side, UConn vs. Notre Dame and UCLA vs. Duke headline Sunday’s Elite Eight on ABC as teams try to punch tickets to Phoenix.