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Come Fan with UsTuesday, August 4, 2026

The most fun narratives of the Elite Eight

Let’s look at the most interesting storylines as we approach the Elite Eight, break down the matchups and establish the proper etiquette for when it’s acceptable to take a meaningless shot in the final seconds.Watch on YouTube | Subscribe to SB Nation on YouTube

With the Sweet 16 wrapped up and the Elite Eight matchups set, Susannah Collins joins Ryan Nanni to look ahead at some of the upcoming fun narratives that we’ll get from Oklahoma-Oregon, Villanova-Kansas, Syracuse-Virginia and Notre Dame-North Carolina. Whether it’s coaches who just can’t handle the high stakes, the Sooners underachieving or Syracuse refusing to play defense like men, the Elite Eight is rich with compelling storylines.

Furthermore, what do the Ducks, Jayhawks, Cavaliers and Tar Heels need to do to avoid being upset by those pesky underdogs -- or is it just an inevitability that we’ll have that rare Final Four featuring only the top seeds?

Finally, in the wake of Mike Krzyzewski’s frustration with Dillon Brooks’ end-game antics, it’s time to come up with official guidelines for when it should be considered OK to potentially run up the score by taking a meaningless shot at the end of a game.

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