The 2026 men’s Sweet 16 is set

The GIST: Call up MTV because the men’s (super) Sweet 16 is set following 48 heart-pumping games. Catch up on the second-round drama, then take a moment to regroup before the fun resumes on Thursday.

💛 No. 9 Iowa bounces reigning national champ No. 1 Florida: It was a dog fight from start to finish, but Iowa junior and mama’s boy Alvaro Folgueiras’ trey with 4.5 seconds left sealed the 73–72 dub to oust the champs in dramatic fashion, making the Gators the first No. 1 seed to fall. The Hawkeyes are now back in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1999 — this is what makes March, March.

• No. 5 Vanderbilt nearly had an even better buzzer-beater, but the bank’s closed on Saturday night: Sophomore Tyler Tanner’s half-court shot didn’t fall, sending No. 4 Nebraska to the program’s first-ever Sweet 16. Maybe Midwest really is best.

🤘 No. 11 Texas is lowest-seeded team to survive: The Longhorns are so hot right now, winning three high-stakes games in five days, most recently their 74–68 Saturday stunner against legacy program No. 3 Gonzaga. Cinderella, is that you?

📋 Rick Pitino takes battle of legendary coaches: Pitino’s No. 5 St. John’s Red Storm won an absolute thriller, topping head coach Bill Self’s No. 4 Kansas 67–65 thanks to a late layup from redshirt junior Dylan Darling that left him speechless. Turns out the key to winning a coaching battle is keeping it simple.