Big Ten Dominance Shines as March Madness Sweet 16 Unfolds

No. 9 Iowa stunned defending champion Florida with a last-second three. The shot sent the Hawkeyes into the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1999. The upset added drama as March Madness Sweet 16 unfolds.

Second-round shockers

Iowa trailed by as many as 12 points in the second half. With eight seconds left, Isaiah Brown went to the free-throw line for Florida. After a miss and a make, Iowa inbounded to Bennett Stirtz, who found Alvaro Folgueiras for a corner three.

That sequence sealed the victory and ended Florida’s title defense. The win altered bracket expectations late on Sunday.

Big Ten momentum

The Big Ten advanced six teams to the Sweet 16. The league went 6-1 in the second round, with only UCLA falling 73-57 to Washington.

• No. 1 Michigan (Midwest region)
• No. 2 Purdue (West region)
• No. 3 Michigan State (East region)
• No. 3 Illinois (South region)
• No. 4 Nebraska (South region)
• No. 9 Iowa (South region)

Conference strength is a major storyline as Big Ten dominance becomes clear. The six Sweet 16 berths were the second-most for a single conference this season.

Standout winners

Nebraska produced a late thriller. Freshman Braden Frager drove for a layup with 2.2 seconds left to beat No. 5 Vanderbilt 74-72.

Two days earlier, Nebraska had beaten No. 13 Troy for the program’s first NCAA Tournament win. The Cornhuskers now prepare for a third meeting with Iowa this year.

No. 11 Texas remains the only double-digit seed in the Sweet 16. The Longhorns won a play-in game against North Carolina State, beat No. 6 BYU in round one, and defeated No. 3 Gonzaga 74-68 to advance. This marks Texas’s second Sweet 16 since 2008.

Arkansas reached the Sweet 16 under coach John Calipari. The Razorbacks avoided an upset with a 94-88 win over No. 12 High Point. Arkansas scored 191 points and shot 52.9 percent through its first two tournament games.

The Razorbacks improved from deep. They made 9 of 16 three-point attempts against High Point. They had made only 4 of 21 from distance in their prior game against Hawaii.

Big names that fell

Florida’s title defense ended amid a wild finish. Iowa’s final sequence overturned the Gators’ comeback and sent the defending champions home.

Kentucky suffered a heavy second-round loss. The Wildcats fell 82-63 to No. 2 Iowa State after committing 20 turnovers and shooting 9 of 25 from three.

Iowa State played without its second-leading scorer, Joshua Jefferson, who sprained an ankle against Tennessee State. The Cyclones pulled away late and never relinquished control.

Kansas exited on a heartbreaking final play. Down 58-45, the Jayhawks rallied to tie the game. On the last possession, Dylan Darling took an inbounds pass near midcourt and banked a running layup as time expired for a 67-65 St. John’s win.

Darryn Peterson led Kansas with 21 points, while Darling’s buzzer-beater accounted for his only points.

Seeding and trends

Lower seeds went 4-12 in the second round. The combined seeding total heading into the second weekend stood at 60.

For the fourth straight year, only one double-digit seed reached the Sweet 16. That seed was No. 11 Texas.

Filmogaz.com will continue to track results as the tournament advances. The next weekend promises more high-stakes matchups as the field narrows.