2026 March Madness Sweet 16 Preview: Loaded East; Acuff vs. Zona; Michigan leads 6 Big Ten teams

Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander preview the eight matchups in the Sweet 16 of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. The East Region is loaded with Duke, St. John's, UConn and Michigan State. Michigan and the Big Ten have an incredible chance to end the national title drought. Darius Acuff will go toe-to-toe with Arizona and so much more from the second weekend.

0:00 Intro + GP is back!
3:00 Which region would you attend if you could pick any of them?
14:00 Ranking the 8 Sweet 16 Matchups
14:30 Illinois vs Houston
19:40 Arkansas vs Arizona
23:35 Iowa vs Nebraska
28:45 St. John’s vs Duke
33:10 Alabama vs Michigan
37:30 Michigan State vs UConn
41:25 Texas vs Purdue
43:30 Tennessee vs Iowa State
51:35 Sling TV Game to Watch
56:10 DraftKings Upset Alert
1:02:05 Coaching Carousel: Hubert Davis and everything else

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🎙ABOUT EYE ON COLLEGE BASKETBALL
CBS Sports’ official college basketball podcast is the most entertaining and informative of its kind. Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander bring the sport into your ears at least three times per week with commentary, reporting, insider information and statistical analysis throughout college basketball all year long.

🎙ABOUT INSIDE COLLEGE BASKETBALL NOW
We're also the home for Inside College Basketball Now, hosted by Jon Rothstein. Known for his unmatched insider knowledge, bold takes, and relentless coverage, Rothstein goes deep to deliver what’s really happening in college hoops. From breaking down the biggest storylines to in-depth interviews with the top coaches in the country, this podcast is your all-access pass to the pulse of the game — 365 days a year. This. Is. March… and everything in between.