SB Nation

March Madness Friday Open Thread

Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

With half of the elite eight set last night the tournament will weed out four more teams tonight

Here is where the Cinderella's, or what passes for Cinderella's in this tournament* will find their match. For me the most enticing game on the docket is Gonzaga and UCLA. This UCLA team made the tournament, but they were by no means a team that everyone thought should be dancing. They responded by controlling SMU from start to finish and overpowering UAB. Can they take it any further, and on the flip side can Gonzaga finally advance to the elite eight for the first time since they burst onto the scene almost 20 years ago.

*UCLA is the most storied program in college basketball history and NC State has won multiple national titles, so yeah, not really Cinderella's

Friday, March 27, 2026 Time (ET) TV
(11) UCLA vs (2) Gonzaga 7:15 PM CBS
(8) NC State vs (4) Louisville 7:37 PM TBS
(5) Utah vs (1) Duke 9:45 PM CBS
(7) Michigan St vs (3) Oklahoma 10:07 PM TBS

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