Matt Johnson
We’ve reached the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament, with March Madness going fairly predictably as three of the No. 1-seeded teams have advanced to this round. We now get true matchups between the best college basketball teams in 2026, creating high stakes and a lot of excitement this weekend.
Let’s dive into our Elite Eight predictions for the weekend matchups in the men’s NCAA Tournament.
(3) Illinois Fighting Illini vs (9) Iowa Hawkeyes
The Iowa Hawkeyes are the lowest-seeded team left standing in the NCAA Tournament and are coming off a run that includes a last-second victory over the reigning national champion Florida Gators. The three-ball has been instrumental to the Hawkeyes’ success during this ride to the Elite Eight, with the team making 20 combined in the last two games. The Illinois Fighting Illini are favored to punch their ticket to the Final Four, but it’s worth noting this program allowed 8.4 three-pointers made per game (275th in NCAA) during the season. With that said, Illinois has played strong defensively throughout the tournament and its scoring prowess is nearly unrivaled. We are calling for the upset, with Iowa dictating the pace of the game and getting threes to fall in a nail-biting victory.
- Prediction: Iowa Hawkeyes – 74, Illinois Fighting Illini – 71
Related: Saturday’s Elite Eight Schedule
(1) Arizona Wildcats vs (2) Purdue Boilermakers
The Arizona Wildcats are on a tear entering the Elite Eight, with their last defeat coming all the way back on Feb. 14 against Texas Tech. During this win streak, the program has top-10 victories over Houston and Iowa State twice, and then it just handed Coach John Calipari his most lopsided defeat ever in the NCAA Tournament. The Purdue Boilermakers‘ resume might not be quite as impressive, especially coming off a narrow victory in the Sweet Sixteen over No.-11 ranked Texas. However, Purdue does have its own wave of momentum coming into this matchup with Braden Smith and Trey Kaufman-Renn looking unstoppable. Against another opponent, we might be inclined to pick Purdue. This draws, however, favors Arizona winning comfortably.
- Prediction: Arizona Wildcats – 80, Purdue Boilermakers – 71
Related: Arizona Wildcats HC Further Tied to UNC Tar Heels
(6) Tennessee Volunteers vs (1) Michigan Wolverines
If you’re a fan of watching defense, this Elite Eight matchup between the Tennessee Volunteers and Michigan Wolverines is right for you. Rick Barnes has taken Tennessee to the Elite Eight for the third consecutive season, with this run being the most remarkable given the amount of roster turnover during the offseason. Tennessee is coming off two impressive wins over Virginia (79-72) and Iowa State (76-62), but this feels like a matchup where the story ends. Michigan’s suffocating defense and its ability to score efficiently should propel the Wolverines to victory and a spot in the Final Four.
- Prediction: Michigan Wolverines 73, Tennessee Volunteers 68
(2) UConn Huskies vs (1) Duke Blue Devils
The Duke Blue Devils haven’t exactly looked like one of the best college basketball teams during the NCAA Tournament. They took Siena lightly in the first round, only escaping with a six-point win, then nearly lost to St. John’s in the Sweet Sixteen. Still, All-American freshman forward Cameron Boozer is capable of taking over a game, and we just witnessed Caleb Foster put up 11 second-half points less than a month removed from suffering a broken foot. Duke has proven itself comfortable in tight games. On the other side, Dan Hurley’s UConn Huskies have handled their business against the likes of UCLA and Michigan State, but they have struggled versus top competition. We think talent wins out in this one, with Duke headed back to the Final Four.
- Prediction: Duke Blue Devils – 77, UConn Huskies — 71
