Men’s March Madness Elite Eight: Preview for Illinois-Iowa and Arizona-Purdue

The Big Ten is well represented in the Elite Eight with three of its four teams playing on Saturday.

Illinois guard Andrej Stojaković drives to the basket against Iowa guard Bennett Stirtz during their regular-season game on Jan. 11. | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

The 2026 NCAA men’s basketball tournament is down to the Elite Eight with each team vying for a coveted spot in the Final Four next week in Indianapolis. On Saturday, the South Regional final between No. 3-seeded Illinois and No. 9 Iowa tips off first from Houston (6:09 p.m. ET on TBS and truTV) followed by the West Regional final in San Jose, No. 1 Arizona vs. No. 2 Purdue (8:49 p.m. ET on TBS and truTV). 

No. 3 Illinois vs. No. 9 Iowa

South Regional final, 6:09 p.m. ET Saturday on TBS and truTV

This Big Ten matchup will send a league representative to the Final Four in hopes the conference’s title drought will end after 26 years. Two other Big Ten teams will compete elsewhere in the Elite Eight, while no other conference has more than one team into this round. Illinois went 15–6 in Big Ten play, while Iowa was 12–11 this season. In their lone previous matchup, Illinois won, 75–69, on Jan. 11 when Illini freshman guard scored 19 points.

No. 1 Arizona vs. No. 2 Purdue

West Regional final, 8:49 p.m. ET Saturday on TBS and truTV

This matchup features high-level guard play from both teams. The Wildcats’ Brayden Burries shoots 50.2% from the field and averages 16.2 points and 4.8 rebounds per game, while Jaden Bradley shoots 46% from the field and averages 13.3 points and 4.4 assists per game. The Boilermakers’ Braden Smith set the NCAA career assists mark in the first game of the tournament and is averaging 14.3 points and 8.9 assists per game.

Sunday’s game schedule

• Midwest Regional final in Chicago: No. 1 Michigan vs. No. 6 Tennessee, 2:15 p.m. ET (CBS)
• East Regional final in Washington, D.C.: No. 1 Duke vs. No. 2 UConn, 5:05 p.m. ET (CBS)

Final Four in Indianapolis

• Semifinal 1, 6 p.m. ET April 4 (TBS)
• Semifinal 2, 8:30 p.m. ET April 4 (TBS)
• Men’s national championship game, 8:30 p.m. ET April 6 (TBS)

Men’s Elite Eight preview

• Four Bold Predictions for Men’s NCAA Tournament Elite Eight
• Jon Scheyer Built a Juggernaut in Duke’s Post–Coach K Era
• Yaxel Lendeborg Passed on the NBA and Became Michigan’s March Madness Monster
• Arizona’s Stability Is About to Be Tested by Tommy Lloyd’s Men’s Hoops Success

Men’s March Madness Elite Eight live scores, updates, analysis and highlights

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