Mar 22, 2026, 11:45 AM ET
The second round of the Madness is here! After two thrilling days of big wins, close calls and star performances, the round of 32 gets going Sunday with 16 teams vying to make it to the Sweet 16.
Will Duke put on another defensive clinic? Can Washington -- or anyone -- stop Olivia Miles? Before the games tip off, our ESPN college basketball analysts have you covered with a key to winning the game for every team.
Make sure to come back as the games get underway for live updates from the second round.
Jump to: Sunday game previews
All times Eastern.
(5) Maryland vs. (4) North Carolina
Noon ET, ESPN
How the Terps can advance to the Sweet 16: Other than one first-round loss in 2023, Maryland has reached the Sweet 16 in every NCAA tournament dating to 2021. Brenda Frese has a successful history in the second round, too. The production from Mir McLean and Kyndal Walker is a good sign. So much had fallen on leading scorers Oluchi Okananwa and Isimenme Ozzy-Momodu in other games, but the help wasn't there. That was largely to blame for Maryland losing two games prior to the NCAA tournament -- which cost the Terps the ability to host games this weekend. That duo combined for just 13 points on Friday, yet the Terps still won comfortably. -- Charlie Creme
How the Tar Heels can advance to the Sweet 16: The Tar Heels face former ACC rival Maryland, which could be a very competitive game. The Terps beat Murray State 99-67 in the opening round and outrebounded the Racers 51-21. North Carolina will need to try to limit Maryland on the boards and also keep the Terps off the line as much as possible. Maryland made 19 of 22 free throws vs. Murray State. -- Michael Voepel
(7) NC State vs. (2) Michigan
1 p.m. ET, ABC
How the Wolfpack can advance to the Sweet 16: With the uncertainty around Zoe Brooks' injury, the Wolfpack will have to lean on each other to push through the next round. Players such as Zamareya Jones need to create bigger opportunities in the paint. Tennessee was able to limit NC State's offense when keeping the Wolfpack out of transition, so the Wolfpack have to find a way to get to the basket. -- Charlotte Gibson
How the Wolverines can advance to the Sweet 16: Consistency over the next couple of games will be key for Michigan. The best part about this team is its strength in numbers. Mila Holloway led the charge Friday, but fellow sophomores Olivia Olson and Syla Swords are the team's top two scorers this season. Look for them to keep contributing with big numbers. -- Gibson
(5) Ole Miss vs. (4) Minnesota
2 p.m. ET, ESPN
How the Rebels can advance to the Sweet 16: The Rebels reached the regional semifinals a year ago, but this group is entirely different from last season's team. The Rebels brought in eight new players this season but figured out how to make the transition as seamless as possible. One thing to watch for: Though Ole Miss dominated Gonzaga early, the Bulldogs put together a 17-0 run in the fourth quarter to cut into the Rebels' 30-point lead. The Rebels need to keep their foot on the gas. -- Kendra Andrews
How the Gophers can advance to the Sweet 16: The Gophers can't afford another slow start in the second round, because No. 5 seed Ole Miss will make them pay. The Rebels defeated Gonzaga 81-66 in the first round of the Sacramento 2 Regional; Ole Miss had 40 points in the paint, plus scored 23 points off turnovers. The Gophers will have their hands full with Ole Miss, which made it to the SEC tournament semifinals. -- Voepel
(7) Texas Tech vs. (2) LSU
3 p.m. ET, ABC
How the Lady Raiders can advance to the Sweet 16: There is no doubt LSU will provide a different challenge, but having played a defense as tough as Villanova on Friday should serve the Lady Raiders well. They cannot afford to get off to a slow start, though, because LSU has the type of offense to put the game out of reach early. The Lady Raiders will have to limit their turnovers -- 20 against Villanova is simply not going to get the job done if they are going to have any chance at pulling the upset on LSU. -- Andrea Adelson
How the Tigers can advance to the Sweet 16: The Tigers have made it to the Elite Eight the past two seasons, and all the way to the title game -- which they won -- in 2023 as a No. 3 seed. As strong as their offense was against Jacksonville, LSU coach Kim Mulkey said she wanted their defense to improve after the first half (the Dolphins had 36 points at the break). Tightening up that defense going forward is a must if LSU wants to continue to grow each round. -- Andrews
(6) Baylor s. (3) Duke
4 p.m. ET, ESPN
How the Bears can advance to the Sweet 16: The Bears will have to beat the No. 3 seed Blue Devils on their home court. Duke lost just once at Cameron Indoor Stadium this season: Dec. 4 to LSU. But the Bears have a win over the Blue Devils already this season: 58-52 in the opener on Nov. 3 in Paris. Expect these teams' NCAA second-round game to be a similar defensive battle. -- Voepel
How the Blue Devils can advance to the Sweet 16: The Blue Devils have had one of the best defenses in the country, and that showed more in the first half Friday than the second. That's something Duke needs to be more consistent about in the second round. The Blue Devils moved the ball well with 25 assists, but part of coach Kara Lawson's irritation was turnovers, as Duke had 20. The Blue Devils won the rebounding battle 47-39, but Lawson wants more dominance in that category as well. -- Voepel
(8) Oregon vs. (1) Texas
6 p.m. ET, ESPN
How the Ducks can advance to the Sweet 16: The Ducks, who beat Maryland in the second round of the Big Ten tournament, have now won three of their past four games, their best streak since winning four in a row in late January. When Oregon beat Maryland in Indianapolis, Michigan was up next -- and the Wolverines handed the Ducks a 22-point loss. Oregon's likely next opponent, Texas, offers an even bigger challenge.
This was also the 23rd win of the season for the Ducks, making this their most successful campaign since Sabrina Ionescu's senior year in 2020, when the NCAA tournament was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. -- Creme
How the Longhorns can advance to the Sweet 16: The Longhorns, who have made it to at least the Elite Eight four of the past five years, face No. 8 seed Oregon in the second round. The Ducks beat Virginia Tech 70-60 in the first round. You can be sure Texas coach Vic Schaefer is focusing on a defensive game plan to limit Oregon standout guard Katie Fiso, who had 22 points on 9-of-12 shooting against the Hokies. -- Voepel
(5) Michigan State Spartans vs. (4) Oklahoma Sooners
8 p.m. ET, ESPN
How the Spartans can advance to the Sweet 16: Against Oklahoma, the Spartans will have to deal with the home crowd and one of the best point guards in the game in freshman Aaliyah Chavez -- not to mention one of the most dominant centers in Raegan Beers. The Spartans need to knock down some 3-pointers to help stretch the floor and open the court up for Grace VanSlooten down low. Michigan State's guard-heavy lineup has been here before and is more experienced, which could be an X factor against Chavez. -- ESPN
How the Sooners can advance to the Sweet 16: Keep doing what they're doing. Oklahoma was effective in the frontcourt and backcourt, shot 51% from the field and had four players in double-digit scoring. As impressive as Beers and Sahara Williams were, it's perhaps most notable that Chavez -- making her NCAA tournament debut -- had zero turnovers in 31 minutes. -- ESPN
(6) Washington vs. (3) TCU
10 p.m. ET, ESPN
How the Huskies can advance to the Sweet 16: This was Washington's first tournament win since 2017, the year the Huskies made it to the Sweet 16 behind Kelsey Plum's 30 points per game. Washington will face No. 3 seed TCU -- and triple-double threat Olivia Miles -- in the second round. The Huskies cannot fall into an early hole like they did against South Dakota State. Washington must make sure its defense is clicking early. -- Andrews
How the Horned Frogs can advance to the Sweet 16: After the Horned Frogs scored just 53 points in the Big 12 tournament championship game against West Virginia, they scored 48 in the first half against UC San Diego, erasing the memory of their second-lowest offensive output of the season. The Tritons are certainly not the Mountaineers, but an offensive game like this helps restore TCU's confidence. The pick-and-roll offense looked sharp again with the Horned Frogs registering 23 assists on their 32 field goals. The 13 3-pointers on 26 attempts were also the most for TCU since early December. Having that shooting stroke against either Georgia or South Dakota State in the second round will be important. -- Creme
