Men's March Madness Sunday takeaways: How Purdue won

Men's March Madness Sunday takeaways: How Iowa State, Purdue won

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Men's March Madness Sunday takeaways: How Iowa State, Purdue wonMiami Hurricanes21mESPNSources: Cuse turns to ex-star McNamara as HCSyracuse Orange5hPete Thamel and Jeff BorzelloPainter picks up win No. 500 as Purdue advancesPurdue Boilermakers2hHuskers survive after Vanderbilt's heave rims outNebraska Cornhuskers18hBrooke PryorProvidence hires USF's Hodgson as new coachProvidence Friars9hPete ThamelMiller: Texas not Cinderella despite Sweet 16 runGonzaga Bulldogs20hRyan McFaddenSources: UNC, Davis discussing future after lossNorth Carolina Tar Heels1dPete Thamel and Jeff BorzelloAcuff revels in 'big moment,' helps Hogs advanceArkansas Razorbacks17hRyan McFaddenMichigan handles Saint Louis to make Sweet 16Michigan Wolverines1d'Nice hobby to have': Kentucky's Jayden Quaintance uses manga comics to fuel recovery in March MadnessKentucky Wildcats9hBen Baby'Nice hobby to have': Kentucky's Jayden Quaintance uses manga comics to fuel recovery in March MadnessKentucky Wildcats9hBen BabyMen's tournament odds: Michigan leapfrogs Arizona as title favorite, Purdue improvesDuke Blue Devils7hDoug GreenbergMen's tournament: Lines, totals and BPI projections for Sunday's gamesArizona Wildcats9hESPNMen's coaching carousel tracker: All the intel entering the NCAA tournamentBoston College Eagles3dJeff BorzelloRanking the top 50 men's college basketball players who could define March MadnessDuke Blue Devils4dJeff Borzello and Myron MedcalfBoozer, Dybantsa, Peterson, Wagler: Coaches break down freshmen built for MarchDuke Blue Devils3dJason JordanJeff Le-Imagn ImagesESPNMultiple AuthorsMar 22, 2026, 05:04 PM ETEmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsWhich eight teams will join the first half of the Sweet 16 field in advancing to the 2026 men's NCAA tournament regionals?

ESPN reporters across the country are recapping how each second-round game is decided Sunday.

How Iowa State won: After a rather rough start to the game, Iowa State finally got shots to fall in the second half. Kentucky also kept turning the ball over. The Wildcats committed 20 turnovers, their most in an NCAA tournament game since 1993, per ESPN Research. And even though the Cyclones didn't have senior forward Joshua Jefferson (sprained ankle), Tamin Lipsey (26 points) and Milan Momcilovic (20 points) picked up the slack to push them back into the Sweet 16. The big question coming out of this one for the Cyclones: Can Jefferson play next weekend? -- Ben Baby

How Purdue won: Leave it to the seniors to bring it home for Purdue. Fletcher Loyer had a game-high 24 points and Trey Kaufman-Renn added 19 to send the 2-seed Boilermakers back to the Sweet 16 for the third straight season.

After alternating the guards early in the first half, Matt Painter kept Loyer and point guard Braden Smith on the floor for the entire second half -- and the senior tandem not only stabilized Purdue but helped neutralize a Miami squad that looked potent in the first half. In an era when rosters can be flipped on a yearly basis, Purdue is making a strong case for homegrown continuity. It seemed to be the difference Sunday in St. Louis.

Still, give Miami and Jai Lucas a ton of credit. The Hurricanes had a 19-win differential in Lucas' first season at the helm. -- Ben Baby

Purdue's second-round opponent: Texas

How the Boilermakers can advance to the Elite Eight: The late-season return to form of Kaufman-Renn and Loyer has taken Purdue to a different level -- and is likely the Boilermakers' biggest key moving forward. Kaufman-Renn had 20 points in the Big Ten tournament title game, 25 points in the first-round NCAA tournament win over Queens, then went for 19 points and nine rebounds in the second-round victory against Miami. Loyer was perfect from 3-point range (4-for-4) against the Hurricanes and is now shooting 19-for-35 from beyond the arc in his last five games.

While Texas' defense has tightened up recently, it was still ranked in the bottom half of the SEC, while Purdue enters the Sweet 16 with the best offense in the country. Moreover, the Boilermakers rank in the top 10 nationally in 3-point percentage, while the Longhorns are in the bottom third in 3-point defense. If C.J. Cox is healthy and can make shots alongside Loyer and Kaufman-Renn, Purdue should be able to light up the scoreboard. -- Jeff Borzello