March 23, 2026
NCAA Tournament
March Madness Upsets & Thrillers
The second round of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament delivered several shocking upsets and thrilling finishes, completely busting all remaining perfect brackets.
The most significant upset of the day occurred when No. 9 seed Iowa stunned defending national champion and No. 1 seed Florida, 73 - 72. The game was decided in the final seconds when Iowa's Alvaro Folgueiras hit a game-winning 3-pointer from the corner. Folgueiras, who honors his late father after every made 3-pointer, finished with 14 points and 5 rebounds. The game also featured a heated first-half altercation between Folgueiras and Florida's Alex Condon, resulting in double technical fouls. Iowa now advances to their first Sweet 16 since 1999, where they will face Nebraska.
In another dramatic finish, No. 5 seed St. John's defeated No. 4 seed Kansas 67 - 65 on a buzzer-beating layup by Dylan Darling. Remarkably, Darling had not scored a single point in the game before hitting the game-winner. According to St. John's head coach Rick Pitino, Darling specifically requested the play be run for him during the final timeout. This victory sends St. John's to their first Sweet 16 appearance since 1999.
The final perfect brackets of the 2026 tournament were officially busted during the 44th game, when No. 6 seed Tennessee defeated No. 3 seed Virginia 79 - 72. Tennessee trailed early but rallied behind 21 points from senior guard Ja'Kobi Gillespie to secure their fourth consecutive Sweet 16 appearance.
In other notable action, No. 2 seed UConn advanced to the Sweet 16 with a 73 - 57 victory over No. 7 seed UCLA, led by a career-high 27 points from Alex Karaban.
Scholastic Basketball
State Championships
At the high school level, several state championships were decided and national tournaments caused shifts in the rankings.
In Ohio, Wyoming High School captured its first-ever boys basketball state championship in the program's 97-year history. The Cowboys dominated Cleveland Glenville 73 - 48 in the OHSAA Division IV state final. Senior Kellen Wiley led the way with 20 points, 11 rebounds, and 8 assists.
In Wisconsin, Wisconsin Lutheran completed an undefeated season (30-0) to win their third consecutive boys' basketball state title. They defeated Madison Memorial 57 - 37 in the Division 1 championship game, led by Mr. Basketball award winner Zavier Zens, who scored 20 points on 8-of-9 shooting.
National Rankings
On the national stage, The Throne national tournament significantly impacted the rankings. In girls' basketball, St. John Vianney (Holmdel, NJ) vaulted into the Top 10 after winning The Throne championship. They defeated Long Island Lutheran 71 - 68 in double overtime, with Georgetown-bound forward Stella Lockhart earning MVP honors. In boys' basketball, Columbus (Miami, FL) won The Throne by defeating defending champion Long Island Lutheran 66 - 55 in the final, led by Caleb Gaskins' 28 points and 10 rebounds.
Sourtces: -Bromberg, N. (2026, March 22). Alvaro Folgueiras hits game-winner to lift Iowa past No.1 Florida, into first Sweet 16 since 1999. Yahoo Sports. https://sports.yahoo.com/mens-college-basketball/breaking-news/article/alvaro-folgueiras-hits-game-winner-to-lift-iowa-past-no-1-florida-into-first-sweet-16-since-1999-013532355.html
Bromberg, N. (2026, March 23). Rick Pitino: Dylan Darling requested the play for his buzzer-beater in St. John's NCAA tournament win over Kansas. Yahoo Sports. https://sports.yahoo.com/mens-college-basketball/breaking-news/article/rick-pitino-dylan-darling-requested-the-play-for-his-buzzer-beater-in-st-johns-ncaa-tournamet-win-over-kansas-011148617.html
NCAA.com (2026, March 22). The longest an NCAA bracket has ever stayed perfect. NCAA. https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-mens/bracketiq/2026-03-22/longest-ncaa-bracket-has-ever-stayed-perfect
University of Tennessee Athletics. (2026, March 22). #23/25 Vols Reach Fourth Straight Sweet 16 with 79-72 Win over #9/8 Virginia. UT Sports. https://utsports.com/news/2026/3/22/mens-basketball-23-25-6-vols-reach-fourth-straight-sweet-16-with-79-72-win-over-9-8-3-virginia
Yahoo Sports Staff. (2026, March 22). March Madness bracket updates, live scores: UConn, UCLA battling late; No. 1 Florida knocked out; St. John's wins at buzzer; Arizona, Iowa, UT, Purdue, ISU on to Sweet 16. Yahoo Sports. https://sports.yahoo.com/mens-college-basketball/live/ncaa-mens-tournament-bracket-live-updates-scores-purdue-vs-miami-march-madness-sunday-duke-florida-uconn-return-to-court-134355502.html
Yahoo Sports. (2026, March 22). Ohio high school boys basketball team wins first state title in 97 years. Yahoo Sports. https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/ohio-high-school-boys-basketball-140533577.html
Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association. (2026, March 22). Wisconsin Lutheran's Third Straight Title Highlights Five Boys Basketball Champions. WIAA https://www.wiaawi.org/news/news-article/wisconsin-lutherans-third-straight-title-highlights-five-boys-basketball-champions
Sports Illustrated. (2026, March 22). Top 25 Boys High School Basketball National Rankings. Sports Illustrated. https://www.si.com/high-school/boys-basketball/top-25-boys-high-schooll-basketball-national-rankings-march-22-2026-01kmbwst3ddg
Sports Illustrated. (2026, March 23). Top 25 Girls High School Basketball National Rankings. Sports Illustrated. https://www.si.com/high-school/girls-basketball/top-25-girls-high-school-basketball-national-rankings-march-23-2026-01kmbzc6fqt8