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Men’s NCAA Basketball Championship: Second Round Upsets

The second round of the 2025 Men’s NCAA Basketball Championship has wrapped up, and the Sweet 16 matchups are set to take place later this week on the 27th and 28th.

(No. 5) Michigan def. (No. 4) Texas A&M 91-79

No. 5 Michigan overcame a 10-point deficit to defeat No. 4 Texas A&M and advance to the Sweet 16. Roddy Gayle Jr. led the Wolverines with a season-high 26 points, including 21 in the second half. He also contributed 12 rebounds and 3 blocks.

Texas A&M led 70-66 with less than eight minutes remaining, but Michigan responded by scoring 15 of the next 17 points to seize control. Although Texas A&M entered the game as the nation’s top offensive rebounding team, Michigan won the battle on the boards, recording 16 offensive rebounds to Texas A&M’s 15, and out-rebounding them 48-39 overall. With the win, Michigan will face No. 1 Auburn in the Sweet 16.

(No. 6) Ole Miss def. (No. 3) Iowa State 91-78

No. 6 Ole Miss came from behind to defeat No. 3 Iowa State and advance to the Sweet 16. Ole Miss fell behind 13-5 early but went on a 20-2 run to take a 28-17 lead. Sean Pedulla led the Rebels with 20 points and 7 assists, while the team shot an impressive 58.2% from the field, including 11 of 19 from beyond the arc. Curtis Jones added 26 points off the bench for the Cyclones, but it wasn’t enough as Ole Miss controlled the game for most of the contest. Ole Miss will now face No. 2 Michigan State in the Sweet 16.

(No. 10) Arkansas def. (No. 2) St John’s 75-66

No. 10 Arkansas earned a hard-fought win over No. 2 St. John’s to advance to the Sweet 16. Arkansas led by as many as 13 in the first half and held an eight-point lead with eight minutes remaining. St. John’s made a late push, cutting the lead to 62-60 with 6:11 left, but missed their next six 3-point attempts and converted only one of their final nine shots. St. John’s struggled, shooting only 28.0% from the field (21 of 75) and missing 20 of their 22 three-pointers. Star guard RJ Luis Jr. was benched late in the game after shooting 14 of 17 from the field and finishing with only 9 points.

John Calipari advances to his first Sweet 16 since 2019. The Razorbacks will face No. 3 Texas Tech next.

(No. 6) BYU def. (No. 3) Wisconsin 91-89

No. 6 BYU holds on to defeat No. 3 Wisconsin and advance to the Sweet 16 for the first time in over a decade. The Cougars led by 11 points at halftime and fought off a late rally by Wisconsin, who cut the lead to just two points in the final minute. Wisconsin had a chance to force overtime with a shot in the final seconds, but BYU’s defense held firm for the win.

Richie Saunders led BYU with 25 points and 7 rebounds, shooting 9-of-16 from the field, while the team shot 49.2% from the floor. BYU will now face No. 2 Alabama in the Sweet 16.

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