The NCAA men’s basketball tournament has been red hot and continues Friday with four compelling Sweet 16 matchups that will determine half of this year’s Elite Eight field. The evening’s games feature conference rivals, top seeds, and contrasting styles that promise exciting basketball.

In yet another Sweet 16, Purdue will need to pull a monumental upset Friday night to keep advancing in the NCAA Tournament, as it meets top-seeded Houston at Lucas Oil Stadium. DETAILS: Friday, March 28,

The top-seeded Blue Devils, who face the fourth-seeded Wildcats on Thursday night, are the only Sweet 16 team that won each of their first two games by at least 20 points and averaged 1.48 points

The lack of upsets during the first week of the NCAA Tournament led to discourse about whether NIL and the transfer portal are hurting the sport in the long run. None of that stopped the tournament from hitting some record numbers for viewership.

The Spartans, the No. 2 seed in the South Region, and the Rebels, the 6 seed, will tip at 7:09 p.m. at State Farm Arena in Atlanta. CBS will have the broadcast, with Ian Eagle, Bill Raftery and Grant Hill on the call. Tracy Wolfson will be the sideline reporter.

The Iowa State men are in for a fight in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Sunday. The Cyclones, who handled business vs. Lipscomb on Friday, take on Ole Miss of the SEC in Milwaukee from the Fiserv Forum.