Texas Crashes the Party: Gonzaga's Gone. And with Michigan, Duke, Houston and Michigan State wins March Is Just Getting Started

No. 11 Texas knocked off No. 3 Gonzaga, 74-68, in one of the most physical games of the tournament. It was the first upset in this tournament since Texas knocked off No. 6 BYU nearly 48 hours earlier.

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	Texas Crashes the Party: Gonzaga's Gone. With Michigan, Duke, Houston and Michigan State wins, March Is Just Getting Started Parker Sinclair - Sports Tell Us USA News Network ST. LOUIS, MO - Saturday’s second‑round action in the 2026 NCAA men’s basketball tournament delivered exactly what the script demanded: a few heavyweights flexing, a few hopefuls getting turned away, and one late‑day shock that cracked the bracket open just enough to keep the field on edge. Michigan, Duke, Houston and Michigan State all moved on with authoritative wins, while Texas landed the day’s loudest statement by knocking off Gonzaga and sending a top‑seed‑adjacent program packing. Michigan set the tone early, rolling past Saint Louis 95‑72 to become one of the first teams to punch a ticket to the Sweet 16. Duke answered with an 81‑58 win over TCU, using a decisive second half to pull its blue‑blood pedigree back into the conversation, while Houston handled Texas A&M 88‑57 with the kind of defensive clamp and transition control that has become its tournament trademark. Michigan State also advanced after taking care of Louisville, continuing a strong March surge that reinforces why the Spartans keep drawing tough opponents in the early rounds. But the storyline that will echo through the weekend is Texas‑Gonzaga. The Longhorns’ 74‑68 victory wasn’t just an upset; it was the kind of result that changes the feel of a region, because it removes one of the bracket’s most trusted postseason programs and opens the door for a team that played with poise down the stretch. Illinois also kept its season alive, overturning VCU 76‑55 to end another mid‑major Cinderella bid and keep the favorites in control where it matters most. By the final horn on Saturday night, the message was clear: the bluebloods mostly held serve, but March still found room for a surprise. Sunday’s second‑round slate wraps the round‑of‑32 and sets the full Sweet 16 field, with all remaining games tipping in Eastern Time across CBS, CBS Sports Network and the Turner family of networks. Here are the key matchups and start times (all times ET): (2) Purdue vs. (7) Miami (Fla.) – 12:10 p.m., CBS The Boilermakers’ size and discipline take on a Miami group built to press the tempo and turn Purdue’s bigs into decision‑makers at both ends. (7) Kentucky vs. (2) Iowa State – 2:45 p.m., CBS Kentucky’s athleticism and shooting square off against Iowa State’s physicality and defensive grit in what projects as a grind‑through‑the‑middle clash. (6) Tennessee vs. (3) Virginia – 6:10 p.m., TNT This is a classic matchup of tempo vs. tempo: Tennessee’s rebounding and length tested against Virginia’s pack‑line defense and patient half‑court attack. (9) Utah State vs. (1) Arizona – 7:50 p.m., truTV Arizona’s firepower and depth will look to blow past Utah State’s rugged, defensive‑minded style, with the Aggies’ ability to keep this low‑scoring the key to their upset chances. (5) Texas Tech vs. (4) Alabama – 9:45 p.m., TBS Alabama’s pace‑and‑space offense will face a Texas Tech defense that thrives on chaos in the passing lanes, making this the most stylistic collision of the night. With Saturday’s results already clearing paths for Michigan, Duke, Houston, Michigan State, Texas, Illinois and others, these Sunday games will complete the Sweet 16 and define the balance of power heading into the tournament’s second weekend. By late Sunday night, the bracket will tell us whether the favorite‑heavy blueprint holds or another round of upsets has rewritten the road to Indianapolis yet again.