The primary two rounds of the 2026 NCAA males’s basketball match are within the books, and we now know the groups that may make up the Candy 16. So let’s check out a number of the largest winners and losers from Sunday’s second-round video games.
Winner: Dylan Darling
St. John’s basketball is again on the map with its first Candy 16 look in over 25 years. Head coach Rick Pitino is displaying he’s nonetheless one of many sport’s all-time biggest coaches, and putting his trust in Dylan Darling to make the game-winning shot turned out to be a brilliant move.
Two years in the past, Darling was a bench participant at Washington State, getting barely any enjoying time.
A yr in the past, he was enjoying at Idaho State in digital anonymity.
Now he’s making one of many largest photographs in St. John’s historical past to get them one step nearer to a championship.
Total only a brutal weekend for the Wildcats. Not solely did they get completely crushed of their second-round matchup in opposition to Iowa State (83-62), they needed to watch as their former coach, John Calipari, took his latest group (Arkansas) on to the Candy 16 on Saturday.
Winner: The Massive Ten
The Massive Ten already has a powerful declare on being the very best soccer convention in school sports activities, and it’s making a giant argument for the very best males’s basketball convention.
Thanks partly to Iowa‘s upset win over
Florida and Purdue‘s blowout win over Miami on Sunday, the convention has put six groups into this yr’s Candy 16. Iowa and Purdue are becoming a member of Michigan, Michigan State, Nebraska and Illinois in subsequent week’s video games.
Loser: The ACC
Whereas issues are going nice for the Massive Ten, nothing goes properly for the ACC. Regardless of placing eight groups into the match this yr, solely one in every of them (Duke) made it by the opening weekend and into the Candy 16. And even that got here with some luck as Duke was fortunate to get by No. 16 seed Siena within the opening spherical.
Winner: The Massive East’s prime groups
The Massive East is probably not what it as soon as was at its peak, however its prime two groups are nonetheless dancing their method into the Candy 16.
UConn and St. John’s each superior on Sunday, leaving a possible Elite Eight matchup (and fourth assembly of the season) as a risk.
Loser: Florida’s final possession
What a method for the defending champions to exit, not even getting a shot off on their ultimate possession with an opportunity to win the sport.
