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Sunday’s NCAA Tournament second-round games will determine which teams are moving on to the Sweet 16. The fun starts with an intriguing matchup between No. 1 seed Florida vs. No. 8 seed UConn (12:10 p.m., CBS). UConn is tied with Duke for the second-most (13) consecutive wins in the NCAA Tournament.
Cooper Flagg and Duke are in action against No. 9 seed Baylor (2:40 p.m. ET, CBS) in the second game on the slate. Duke and Baylor will meet in the NCAA Tournament for the second time.
The intrigue doesn’t stop there. Although the first round of the NCAA Tournament lacked seeding upsets fans may be used to, No. 10 New Mexico and No. 12 Colorado State are still dancing as double-digit seeds. Colorado State faces No. 4 seed Maryland (7:10 p.m. ET, TBS), while New Mexico plays No. 2 seed Michigan State (8:40 p.m. ET, TNT) in one of the final games of the evening.
So from the top of the bracket all the way down to the No. 12 seeds, we’ve got a lot on the line as teams look to extend their tournament stay for another week. Let’s get into some of the big storylines to know for Sunday’s second-round action.
UConn’s NCAA Tournament win streak hangs in the balance
Dan Hurley and the UConn Huskies and their pursuit of a third straight NCAA title are still alive. UConn won its 13th consecutive NCAA Tournament game earlier this week with a win over Oklahoma to advance to the second round. UConn and Florida are the last two programs to repeat as national champions, adding more intrigue to a heavyweight matchup. Florida ranked No. 1 in the country in adjusted offensive efficiency, per KenPom.com, and features the 10th-ranked defense in adjusted efficiency. The Gators crash the offensive glass at a high level and have a deep rotation of bigs to go along with arguably the best guard in the country: Walter Clayton Jr.
This may not be the same UConn team that won national titles in 2023 and 2024, but the Huskies are still (and will always be) dangerous out as long as Hurley is roaming the sidelines. Florida hasn’t been to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament since 2017, the year the Gators lost in the Elite Eight to South Carolina. Florida has the most complete roster in the West Region, and it would take a valiant effort for anyone to send this team home early.
Duke vs. Baylor is a matchup of future top-five draft picks
The last time a matchup like this occurred in the NCAA Tournament — where both players went on to become top-five picks in the same NBA Draft — you would have to go back to 2021. That year, Gonzaga (led by future No. 5 pick Jalen Suggs) defeated a USC team that featured (future) No. 3 overall pick Evan Mobley. The most recent time before that was when De’Aaron Fox and Kentucky faced Lonzo Ball and UCLA in 2017.
When Duke and Baylor face off this weekend, there is a chance that Flagg and Baylor’s VJ Edgecombe will be able to join that list. Flagg projects to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft this summer, while Edgecombe should go somewhere in the early lottery. It wouldn’t be surprising if Edgecombe went in the first five picks this summer because of his elite athleticism. This matchup doesn’t happen every tournament, so don’t take it for granted.
Can double-digit seeds New Mexico, Colorado State stay alive?
The first round of the NCAA Tournament was historically chalky. Every top-four seed won its opening first-round game and advanced for the first time since 2017 and just the sixth time in NCAA Tournament history. The only double-digit seeds that advanced on Friday to Sunday’s second round were New Mexico and Colorado State. The Lobos will have to take down Michigan State to advance, while the Rams have a date with Maryland.
No matter who plays in the second round and beyond, there will always be storylines worth monitoring. New Mexico hasn’t been to the Sweet 16 since 1974 and would clinch its third appearance in the second weekend with a win over Michigan State. Colorado State hasn’t been to the Sweet 16 since 1969 and is making just its third appearance in the second round in program history. If you need an underdog to root for on Sunday, go with either of those Mountain West schools.
Check out the full TV and streaming schedule for Sunday’s second round games below.
Sunday’s NCAA Tournament streaming schedule
