March Madness Elite Eight 2026: UConn's Buzzer Beater, All Results & Final Four Bracket

March Madness delivered its greatest moment of the 2026 tournament on Sunday night — and it may go down as one of the greatest shots in NCAA tournament history. UConn's Braylon Mullins drained a three-pointer from the logo with just 0.4 seconds remaining to stun Duke 68-67 in the Elite Eight, sending the Huskies to the Final Four and ending the Blue Devils' season in the most heartbreaking fashion imaginable. Here is the complete Elite Eight results breakdown, the full Final Four bracket, and everything you need to know heading into Indianapolis.

The Shot Heard Round the Country: UConn 68, Duke 67

Where were you when Braylon Mullins let it fly? That question will be asked in Connecticut — and in basketball circles everywhere — for decades. With Duke leading 67-65 and 4.2 seconds remaining on the clock, UConn inbounded the ball from halfcourt. Mullins caught it at the logo — well beyond the three-point arc — pump-faked once to create a sliver of space, and launched a rainbow three-pointer as the final seconds drained away.

The shot — which Braylon Mullins grew up just outside of Indianapolis, the site of this year's Final Four — banked in off the glass and triggered one of the most electric scenes in tournament history. UConn's bench stormed the court. Duke's players stood frozen in disbelief. The broadcast team went silent for a full three seconds before the roar of the crowd made commentary impossible.

The victory sends UConn to its third consecutive Final Four — a dynasty-level achievement in the modern college basketball era. The Huskies have now won back-to-back national championships in 2023 and 2024 and are hunting for an unprecedented three-peat. After Sunday night's shot, nobody is betting against them.

All Elite Eight Results — Weekend Recap

Saturday March 28 — Elite Eight Game 1 & 2

No. 2 Purdue 72, No. 9 Iowa 61 — The Cinderella story is over. Iowa's remarkable run — a No. 9 seed that knocked out the defending champion Florida Gators, stunned Nebraska in the Sweet 16, and became the feel-good story of the tournament — came to an end against a Purdue team that simply had too much size and experience. Trey Kaufman-Renn finished with 24 points and 11 rebounds for the Boilermakers, who advance to their second Final Four in three years. Iowa's Bennett Stirtz had 19 points in what may have been his final college game — an extraordinary career ending in an extraordinary tournament run.

No. 1 Arizona 81, No. 2 Houston 74 — The Pac-12's last surviving program made a statement. Arizona dominated the second half behind Koa Peat's 22 points and 13 rebounds, pulling away from a Houston team that had been one of the tournament's most consistent performers. The Wildcats advance to their second Elite Eight in three years and will face Purdue in the national semifinals on Saturday April 4 in Indianapolis.

Sunday March 29 — Elite Eight Game 3 & 4

UConn 68, Duke 67 — Mullins buzzer beater — Covered in full above. The greatest shot of the 2026 tournament sends the defending back-to-back national champions to Indianapolis for a chance at a three-peat.

No. 1 Michigan 77, No. 4 Alabama 69 — Michigan punched its ticket to the Final Four with a controlled, composed performance that showcased exactly why the Wolverines entered the tournament as a top seed. Guard Tre Donald led Michigan with 26 points and 7 assists, while Alabama's talented but inconsistent offense never found its rhythm. Michigan advances to face UConn in what promises to be the most anticipated national semifinal matchup of the weekend.

The 2026 Final Four Bracket — Full Matchups

The Final Four is set. Here are the two national semifinal matchups, both played at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Saturday April 4:

• Semifinal 1 — Saturday April 4, ~6:09 PM ET: No. 1 Arizona vs. No. 2 Purdue
• Semifinal 2 — Saturday April 4, ~8:49 PM ET: No. 2 UConn vs. No. 1 Michigan

The national championship game follows on Monday April 6 — the same day as Trump's Iran war deadline — also at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Tip-off is scheduled for approximately 9:20 PM ET on TBS.

Can UConn Win a Three-Peat? Breaking Down Each Final Four Team

UConn Huskies — The Dynasty Hunting History

No team in the modern college basketball era has won three consecutive national championships. UCLA did it four times between 1967 and 1975 under John Wooden — but that was a different era of basketball, before the one-and-done recruiting phenomenon and the transfer portal completely reshaped roster building. What Dan Hurley has done at UConn — winning back-to-back titles in 2023 and 2024, reaching a third consecutive Final Four, and doing so with a new roster each year — is already one of the great coaching achievements in the sport's history.

The Braylon Mullins shot will follow this team to Indianapolis and give them a psychological edge that is impossible to quantify. Teams that win on buzzer-beaters in the Elite Eight historically carry that momentum into the Final Four — and UConn is already the most experienced tournament team remaining. Guard Malachi Smith — who assisted the game-winner — is the kind of veteran presence who elevates his game on the biggest stage. If UConn gets to the championship game, history says do not bet against them.

Michigan Wolverines — The Road Warriors

Michigan has been the most consistent team in the Big Ten all season and enters the Final Four as one of the most complete rosters remaining. Guard Tre Donald gives them an elite playmaker who can score and create — the type of player who determines Final Four outcomes. Michigan's defense has been exceptional throughout the tournament, holding four opponents under 70 points. The Wolverines have the size, the depth, and the coaching to beat UConn — making their semifinal matchup the most compelling of the weekend.

Arizona Wildcats — The Pac-12's Last Stand

Arizona arrives in Indianapolis as arguably the most talented team in the field. Koa Peat is a legitimate NBA lottery pick and the most dominant frontcourt player in the tournament. The Wildcats' combination of size, athleticism, and depth has overwhelmed every opponent they have faced. Head coach Tommy Lloyd — in his fifth season at Arizona — has built one of the country's elite programs in remarkably short order. A national championship would validate everything the program has accomplished since Lloyd's arrival and give the dissolving Pac-12 conference a final moment of glory.

Purdue Boilermakers — The Veteran Contender

Purdue's path to the Final Four has been built on physicality and experience. Trey Kaufman-Renn is one of the most efficient big men in college basketball — a player who makes the right play every time, never forces the issue, and shows up in the biggest moments as his tip-in heroics against Texas demonstrated. The Boilermakers have been to the Elite Eight multiple times in recent years without winning a championship, and that near-miss experience could be a motivating factor or a psychological weight. Either way, they are the most experienced program in the field — a legitimate contender for the title.

The Braylon Mullins Story: From Indianapolis Kid to Indianapolis Hero

The most poetic detail of Sunday night's buzzer beater is one that will be repeated throughout Final Four week: Braylon Mullins grew up just outside of Indianapolis — the exact city where UConn will now play the Final Four. The kid from Indianapolis hit the biggest shot of the tournament to send his team back to Indianapolis. If the story gods were writing the script for this March Madness, they could not have done better.

Mullins is a sophomore from Noblesville, Indiana — a suburb of Indianapolis where he starred at Noblesville High School before committing to UConn. His shot Sunday night was not a lucky heave — it was a practiced, technically sound pull-up three-pointer from deep range that beat a closing Duke defender off the pump fake. That kind of skill under that kind of pressure, in front of that kind of crowd, from a kid heading home to his own backyard — it is the stuff March Madness legends are made of.

How to Watch the 2026 Final Four

Both national semifinal games on Saturday April 4 and the national championship game on Monday April 6 will be broadcast on TBS. The games are also available to stream on the March Madness Live app — which offers free streaming for all 67 tournament games — as well as on Max, Sling TV, DirecTV Stream, FuboTV, and YouTube TV for subscribers to those services.

Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis seats approximately 70,000 for basketball — making it one of the largest venues ever used for the Final Four. Tickets for the remaining sessions are available on StubHub, SeatGeek, and Ticketmaster, though prices are elevated given the UConn three-peat storyline and the Mullins homecoming narrative driving national interest.

Final Thoughts

The 2026 March Madness Elite Eight gave us everything the tournament promises — a dynasty chasing history, an underdog's incredible run finally ending, and a buzzer beater that will be replayed on highlight reels for the next twenty years. Braylon Mullins from Indianapolis, hitting a three from the logo to send UConn back to Indianapolis. Arizona and Purdue setting up a matchup between the tournament's most dominant frontcourt player and its most efficient big man. And Michigan standing between UConn and history. The Final Four on April 4 cannot come soon enough. Keep it locked to CelebTrends for daily March Madness coverage, Final Four previews, and live game updates all the way to the championship on April 6.

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