Elite Eight is set.
The Auburn Tigers and Houston Cougars have each betting over Michigan State and Purdue, meaning four No. 1 seeds account for half of the remaining NCAA tournament field. The two-seeded Tennessee volunteers and the Michigan Spartans are also on the way as Multimadness rolls into the final seven games.
All four winners of Friday’s game will play again on Sunday. Relive every night’s action with analysis from each of the four matchups and an archive of real-time updates.
Move: Eight Eight Matchups and Schedules | Friday Results and Analysis | Relive Action
Friday results, analysis
Finals: Houston defeated Purdue 62-60
How Houston Won: Purdue played Houston towards the wire, but the Cougars held back boilermakers thanks to a layup that won with Milos Uzan, with 0.9 seconds of regulation. It was a game before and after that, featuring 10 lead changes in the first half alone. Houston ultimately scored the biggest lead (10 points) with 7:59 left. From there a 9-1 run from the boilermaker brought them closer, and Camden Heide’s three-pointer tied it at 60 at 0:35, but the Cougars’ final inbound play punched tickets to the Elite Eight. Uzan finished with a game-high 22 points. -ESPN Staff
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Houston creates a great play and wins the winner in under a second left
Milos Uzan gets the ball back from inbound passes and score, then purd over Houston for two to get the rest of the 0.9 seconds.
Houston’s key to Elite 8 Tennessee: Second Chance Points. Tennessee has one of the elite defenses in the country, as it is usually under Rick Burns, but one of the weaknesses of volunteers at the edge of the floor is on top of the glass. And giving the Cougars’ offensive glass an advantage, which allowed them to play directly into Houston’s hand. They averaged 12.5 offensive rebounds and 13.1 second chance points per game, ranking 11th in the nation for their offensive rebound rate. Tennessee tightened it a bit with the defensive glass of the NCAA Tournament, but Houston’s incredible aggression and emphasis on that aspect is a completely different task. The Cougars wiped Purdue out on Glass on Friday, grabbing 16 offensive rebounds and turning it into 20 second points. They also won the final outbound play after Joseph Taggler crashed offensive glass to keep his possessions alive. – Jeff Bolzero
Final: Auburn beat Michigan 78-65
How Auburn Won: In the second half, Tahard Pettiford gestured after being fouled and then hit a turnaround jumper, as if he was making a call. Perhaps he had imagined calling the NBA team as his breakout performance against Michigan might have changed his future. Auburn overcame a sloppy first half (32% off the field) as Pettiford, Denver Jones and Johnny Bloom combined scored 62 points, bringing spectacular events at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, sounding like Tegao’s home game just over 100 miles from campus.
Auburn’s defensive coordination regarding Danny Wolf was also important. After a layup at the 13:06 mark, Michigan had a seven-point advantage. From there, Auburn denied his touch and worked to push him into a tough shot. Wolf didn’t score again.
Overall, the Tigers, which appeared in the second half, looked like the same one they had been the number one team in the country for almost three months. – Myron Medcalf
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Tahaad Pettiford gets hot in a continuous tough bucket
Tahaad Pettiford took over late and acquired consecutive possessions to control Auburn.
Auburn’s Key to Elite 8 Michigan: Take advantage of Michigan’s 3-point Issues. Michigan is one of the worst 3-point shooting teams in the country, accounting for just six trays per game (332nd) with 31.1% clips (318th). The Spartans are elite at creating opportunities for second chances and reaching the free throw line, but the Tigers are able to hold the edges from the boundary. They can get hot from 3 that has done four double digit 3Ss in the last 10 games.
Pettiford is a dynamic shot maker, and the Denver Jones made four threes in their victory at Michigan. Auburn shot over 37% over the arc and scored 37% over 9 per game in SEC play. – Jeff Bolzero
Final: Tennessee beat Kentucky 78-65
How Tennessee won: Tennessee jumped into a double-digit lead within the first eight minutes, not looking back, extending his advantage to up to 19 points, and never putting the game within single digits in the second half. It was a complete effort for the volunteers. The volunteers were holding a 34-24 edge to glass as they shot 50.9% off the field and punched tickets to the second straight Elite Eight. Zakai Zeigler led the Vols with 18 points and added four assists to score an SEC record in one season. Chaz Lanier finished in double digits with 17 points, while Jordan Gainey added 16 from the bench. -ESPN Staff
Editor’s Pick
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Tennessee’s key to Houston in the Elite 8: Win the Point Guard battle. Zakai Zeigler was incredible in the NCAA Tournament, averaging 15.0 points and 9.3 assists on 2.3 turnovers. He has 18 points and 10 assists against Kentucky, allowing him to create problems on the defensive side. Houston becomes a disruption to Tennessee’s crime at the time of the attack – it’s Zeygler. Milos Uzan was one of the nation’s best point guards later in the season, earning six assists against Purdue on Friday with 22 points and six assists, including shots in the game. If Zeiglers are unable to effectively get the ball to volunteer shooters, their attacks will not be as efficient as they are needed against the cougars. – Jeff Bolzero
Final: Michigan beat Ole Miss 73-70
How Michigan won: Before his matchup with Ole Miss on Friday, Tom Izzo said the Spartan team was one of the most “connected” Michigan teams he has ever coached. Its chemistry has proven essential to overcoming double-digit deficits against rebels.
Shortly after Jaden Akins scored in a late layup, Tre Holloman cut off Ole Miss Star Sean Pedura with a game-linking shot. Jace Richardson played big. Coenker’s second half dunk also electrified the Spartan fans at State Farm Arena. It wasn’t always pretty (Michigan missed 11 of its first 17 field goal attempts), but that’s how these blue-collar Spartans (36-30 advantage of paint points) prefer to win – and why they’re heading for the 11th Elite 8 under Izzo. – Myron Medcalf
Michigan’s key to Auburn in the Elite 8: Hit offensive glasses. It’s no surprise to see Tom Izzo’s coached team gain an edge over his opponents through offensive glass. Michigan was the best offensive rebound team in the Big Ten, with Auburn ranked near the bottom of the SEC in defensive rebounds. The Spartans earn 13 or more second chance points per game, while the Tigers rank 50th in the nation on the other end, allowing over 12 second points. Michigan must take advantage of this edge.
Michigan had two seven footers against Auburn and got 10 offensive rebounds, but only nine second chance points, outscored in that category over the course of 12 years. It’s important to crash the offensive board as the Spartans are unlikely to become an elite 3-point shooting team in the next 36 hours.
