NCAA Basketball NewsFriday, Mar 27, 2026

Alabama guard Aden Holloway, who was arrested on felony drug charges, was granted permission by a judge to leave the state on Friday as his team prepares to face Michigan in the Sweet 16 in Chicago. It's unclear whether the travel permission opens the door for Holloway to play in the NCAA Tournament game that is scheduled to tip off at 7:35 p.m. Eastern. Alabama listed Holloway as out on the availability report given to the NCAA on Thursday.

The Final Four will have at least one Big Ten team thanks to the Illinois-Iowa matchup in the Elite Eight

Coach Fred Hoiberg said a late-game blunder that left his team with only four players on the court before a critical three-point play in the final minute of Thursday night's loss to Iowa in the Sweet 16 was his fault.

James Nnaji, the 7-foot center and 2023 NBA draft pick whose signing drew criticism from coaches across college basketball last month, debuted Saturday, scoring five points with four fouls in Baylor's 69-63 loss to TCU in the Big 12 opener for both teams.

Watch the highlights from No. 3 Illinois and No. 2 Houston’s matchup in the Sweet 16 of the 2026 men’s NCAA tournament.

Illinois held Houston to just 34% shooting in its lowest-scoring game of the season, as the Fighting Illini won 65-55 to advance to the Elite Eight.

Arizona finally got over the Sweet 16 hurdle under coach Tommy Lloyd, getting 23 points from Brayden Burries and a dominant offensive effort in a 109-88 win over Arkansas on Thursday night in the NCAA tournament.

- Caleb Foster returned from a broken foot and rescued Duke's national title hopes, helping the top-seeded Blue Devils rally from a 10-point second-half deficit to beat St. John's 80-75 on Friday night and advance

Wagler's 12 rebounds flipped the game as Illinois outworked Houston on the glass, turning Underwood's emphasis into a Sweet 16 win.

- Alvaro Folgueiras converted a critical three-point play when Nebraska only had four defenders on the floor, and ninth-seeded Iowa continued its unpredictable

Less than 10 years ago, Rick Pitino's career seemed over. But after multiple scandals, he's back doing what he always does, winning in the NCAA tournament.

Oklahoma State, with a new coach, has nowhere to go but up.