March Madness is back for its second weekend of action, with the Sweet 16 tipping off a stacked slate to determine the 2026 Final Four contenders — with top seeds primed to collide throughout the bracket.
No. 2 seed LSU faces No. 3 Duke in Friday's nightcap, with the bounce-back Blue Devils looking to avenge their early December 93-77 loss to the Tigers.
"They're not the same team, we're not the same team," said Duke senior Ashlon Jackson. "That is a great team, great coach, great players. I would love to see our development over the months that it's been since we played them."
Both Duke and LSU have blown through the first two rounds of the tournament on 20- and 56-point average margins of victory, respectively, as Blue Devils coach Kara Lawson and Tigers boss Kim Mulkey crank up the postseason heat.
"I've gotten to the Elite Eight [every year] since I got to LSU," said Tigers guard Mikaylah Williams, who arrived in Baton Rouge just after the team won the 2023 national title. "It would be lovely for me to get past the Elite Eight and make it to the Final Four. We're almost there."
Despite Duke's recent surge, Las Vegas is currently leaning toward the SEC titans, favoring LSU by 8.5 points over the ACC underdogs.
How to watch Duke vs. LSU in the Sweet 16
The No. 2 Tigers will tip off against the No. 3 Blue Devils at 10 PM ET on Friday, airing live on ESPN.
