March Madness games today: Everything to know about NCAA Tournament's Elite Eight schedule

Elite is even sweeter than Sweet, but the teams that have reached the Elite Eight in the men’s NCAA tournament still have work to do in order to attain true hoops immortality.

The first two slots in the Final Four will be filled Saturday. Up first is the East Regional final in Boston, where the defending champion from not far away in New England looks to continue another dominant tourney run against a tough challenger from the Big Ten that is playing its best basketball in March. The nightcap in the West Regional finale in Los Angeles will feature a pair of schools more accustomed to squaring off on the gridiron than the hardwood, but one of them will be playing on semifinal Saturday for the first time. Here’s the lineup.

No. 1 Connecticut vs. No. 3 Illinois, 6:09 p.m. ET, TBS

Starting with last year’s run to the title, the Huskies have now won nine consecutive games in the NCAA tournament by double-digit margins. But the red-hot Fighting Illini might have the fire power to give UConn a close battle. The Huskies can get buckets in a variety of ways from numerous sources, with its top five producers averaging between 10.9 and 15.3 points. But it’s their relentlessness and attention to detail on the defensive end that has enabled them to build insurmountable leads. UConn’s opponents average just 63.6 points a game and shoot just 39.4% from the field. The way Illinois successfully negotiated Iowa State’s stingy defense in the round of 16 could serve as a blueprint for attacking UConn, but Terrence Shannon Jr. and Marcus Domask must take extra-good care of the basketball and avoid extended dry spells on offense.

No. 4 Alabama vs. No. 6 Clemson, 8:49 p.m. ET, TBS

Yes, yes, these are supposed to be football schools. But both have finished near the top of their respective conferences in hoops before. They have, in fact, already met this season on the court back on Nov. 28 as Clemson took an 85-77 decision in Tuscaloosa as part of the ACC/SEC challenge series. It’s not quite accurate to say Alabama relies solely on making treys. The Crimson Tide generate plenty of layups via drives to the basket as well, as demonstrated by Grant Nelson’s big game in Thursday night’s takedown of North Carolina. But it is true that the arc is a major part of the Tide’s formula, so Mark Sears and Co. will have to hit a few. Clemson’s perimeter defense, however, has been stellar in this tournament, helping the Tigers overcome a mini scoring slump from top dogs P.J. Hall and Joseph Girard. If those two can get going, as they did in their first encounter with Alabama, it could be the Tigers heading to Glendale, Arizona next week.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: March Madness games today: NCAA Tournament Elite Eight schedule