Lower than three hours into the spherical of 64 of the lads’s match, and we have already got a wild end, with No. 13 seed Furman knocking off Virginia, a No. 4 seed that could be greatest recognized for dropping its first-round sport because the match’s prime general seed 5 years in the past.
This time, it regarded like Virginia would maintain off a rally by Furman till an inbounds play by the Cavaliers utterly broke down. Kihei Clark tried to move the ball midway up the courtroom, however it was intercepted by Furman’s Garrett Hien. He shortly handed it to JP Pegues, who nailed a 3-pointer from the wing to offer Furman a game-winner with about 2 seconds left. Remaining rating: 68-67.
Missouri’s protection clamped down on Utah State’s 3-point capturing.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Utah State was hanging round. Simply as quickly as they discovered openings in 3-point territory, the pondering went, the Tenth-seeded Aggies had been going to dash previous Missouri.
However that by no means occurred. The No. 7 seed Tigers, a staff seen as a possible upset sufferer within the first spherical of the lads’s N.C.A.A. match, gained the sport, 76-65.
Missouri’s stress protection stymied an Aggies staff that ranked fifth within the nation in 3-point field-goal share, holding them to 0 for 11 within the first half and simply 4 for twenty-four for the sport. Utah State was 0 for 13 earlier than junior guard Steven Ashworth, sixth within the nation in 3-point share (.443), lastly swished one with 17:51 remaining. For the sport, the Tigers held Ashworth to 2 for 10 from 3-point land.
“Our method was to stress full courtroom,” Missouri guard D’Moi Hodge mentioned. “We all know what they wished. They wished leap photographs. We tried to drive them to the basket to make them make two, make the massive man rating.
“Make them take powerful threes, drive them into dangerous photographs,” Hodge added. “That helped us in the long term.”
Missouri ranked first nationally with a turnover margin of plus-5.9. The Tigers practically matched that quantity Thursday: They compelled 15 Utah State turnovers and dedicated solely 10 themselves. — Scott Miller
Kansas performed with out Coach Invoice Self.
Kansas coach Invoice Self missed Thursday’s first-round NCAA match sport towards Howard as he continues to get well from a current well being downside.
Norm Roberts, a Kansas assistant coach who had been a head coach at St. John’s, continued to teach the staff in Self’s absence.
Self, 60, missed the Large 12 match final week after present process a process to deal with blocked arteries in his coronary heart. The Corridor of Fame coach was launched Sunday from a hospital.
Kansas (22-7) went 13-5 within the Large 12, profitable a regular-season title for the seventeenth time throughout Self’s 20-year tenure, however misplaced to Texas, 76-56, within the Large 12 match last on Saturday. The Jayhawks, who gained final 12 months’s N.C.A.A. match, are the No. 3 general seed — and No. 1 within the West — this postseason regardless of shedding three starters from the 2022 title-winning staff. — Adam Zagoria
Michigan is recovering simply in time.
BATON ROUGE, La. — The Michigan ladies’s staff could also be getting wholesome at simply the appropriate time.
The Wolverines performed all of February with out Laila Phelia, who had a leg damage. Phelia, a sophomore guard, is considered one of three Michigan gamers averaging at the least 16 factors per sport. The staff went 4-3 with out her, however she returned for the Large Ten Convention match.
Michigan additionally performed the final two video games of February with out Leigha Brown, the fifth-year guard who scores a team-leading 18 factors per sport and whose 5.9 assists per sport rank fifteenth in Division I.
In late February, the Division I choice committee regarded Michigan as a top-16 seed, which might have allowed the Wolverines to host the primary and second rounds on campus in Ann Arbor. However Michigan closed the month with three losses in 4 video games, together with a street loss to sub-.500 Wisconsin.
Michigan slid to a No. 6 seed, forcing it to journey to Louisiana State’s campus, the place it should tackle Eleventh-seeded U.N.L.V. on Friday on the Pete Maravich Meeting Middle.
However the staff sees positives to the time missed by its leaders. Sophomore guard Jordan Hobbs began each sport in February and posted three double-figure scoring video games. Greta Kampschroeder and Cameron Williams additionally elevated their roles.
“Lots of people received expertise that perhaps they wouldn’t have if Laila was nonetheless there,” Emily Kiser, a graduate ahead who averages 16.2 factors and seven.1 rebounds per sport, mentioned in a information convention. “So I feel we’re coming again stronger from it.”
Kiser expects a bodily sport towards U.N.L.V., which enters the match having gained 22 consecutive video games. However Michigan will enter with its prime three scorers — Brown, Phelia and Kiser — again collectively.
“As a result of different groups aren’t ready to do this, simply take away one participant, we’re capable of produce other choices,” Phelia mentioned. — Evan Easterling
Accidents might play a starring function.
ALBANY — Among the prime groups within the males’s N.C.A.A. match are coping with important accidents to key gamers.
Houston guard Marcus Sasser, the participant of the 12 months within the American Athletic Convention, suffered a groin damage within the semifinals of the convention match. Houston was nonetheless put in as a No. 1 seed and the No. 2 general behind Alabama regardless of the uncertainty round its first first-team All-American since Hakeem Olajuwon.
On Wednesday, forward of Houston’s Thursday evening sport with No. 16 Northern Kentucky, Coach Kelvin Sampson advised reporters that Sasser can be “a kind of notorious game-time selections.”
Totally wholesome, Houston might have the perfect backcourt in school in Sasser, who averages 17.1 factors and three.2 assists, and Jamal Shead, who averages 10.3 factors and 5.4 assists. However with out Sasser, Houston might wrestle to attain.
Miami’s Norchad Omier is a 6-foot-7 ahead from Nicaragua who averages 13.6 factors and 9.7 rebounds; he additionally performs a key function as an enormous, bodily physique within the staff’s defensive scheme. Omier missed most of Miami’s Atlantic Coast Convention match semifinal towards Duke with an ankle damage, however he regarded good throughout an on-court exercise Thursday at MVP Area in Albany.
“We’re going to place him via a exercise right this moment and see how he does,” Miami coach Jim Larranaga mentioned beforehand. “If he’s good, we’re good. If he’s not, we’ll understand it and we’ll make the adjustment.” –
A number of different groups are lacking additionally key contributors. Tennessee level guard Zakai Zeigler suffered an A.C.L. tear in a win over Arkansas on Feb. 28. Xavier is taking part in with out ahead Zach Freemantle, out since Jan. 28 with a foot damage. And U.C.L.A. doesn’t have Jaylen Clark, among the best defenders within the nation, due to an Achilles damage.
Heading into Thursday’s sport with No. 15 U.N.C. Asheville, the No. 2 Bruins had been additionally weighing whether or not to play freshman large man Adem Bona, who’s battling left-shoulder soreness after an damage towards Oregon within the Pac-12 match. He did take part in “some stuff” throughout Wednesday’s follow, head coach Mick Cronin advised reporters.
“He’s going to need to play via some soreness sooner or later if we’re nonetheless taking part in,” Cronin mentioned. “However he would by no means be put in hurt’s manner for his profession.” — Adam Zagoria
Obama picked Iona as an upset candidate.
ALBANY — Iona Coach Rick Pitino already admired former President Barack Obama. Now he’s a good larger fan.
When Obama posted his N.C.A.A. tournament brackets on Twitter on Wednesday, he picked Pitino and the No. 13 Gaels to upset No. 4 Connecticut within the males’s first spherical, of their assembly Friday afternoon, after which to beat V.C.U. earlier than shedding to Kansas within the spherical of 16.
“I’ve all the time mentioned that President Obama was one of the crucial clever presidents we’ve ever had, and this lends credence to that,” Pitino cracked right here Thursday.
Obama has a males’s Remaining 4 of Baylor towards Duke in a single nationwide semifinal and Houston towards U.C.L.A. within the different. The previous president picked Duke over Houston within the last.
Within the ladies’s Remaining 4, Obama picked all No. 1 seeds, with South Carolina, the defending champion, beating Indiana within the last.
Pitino, 70, has been linked to the St. John’s head teaching opening, after the varsity fired Mike Anderson final week after 4 seasons.
“I’ve a terrific staff coming again,” Pitino mentioned Thursday, including, “It’s going to take a particular place for me to contemplate leaving.Along with teaching stints at Kentucky and with the Knicks and Celtics, Pitino, a Naismith Corridor of Famer, additionally beforehand coached within the Large East at Windfall, main the Friars to the 1987 Remaining 4, and at Louisville, which he guided to the N.C.A.A. championship in 2013. That title was vacated after the NCAA dominated that the varsity had paid escorts to assist recruit gamers. Pitino has denied that he knew something in regards to the escort scandal. — Adam Zagoria
Matchups to Watch
We’re on the hunt for upsets as the lads’s N.C.A.A. basketball match will get entering into earnest. Listed below are our picks for the video games we don’t wish to miss (all occasions Jap):
No. 8 Iowa vs. No. 9 Auburn
6:50 p.m., TNT
Iowa has a possible first-round N.B.A. draft decide in Kris Murray, whose twin brother, Keegan, was a lottery decide final 12 months. However the Hawkeyes have been inconsistent all season, together with in a house loss to woeful Jap Illinois. Auburn additionally recorded an up-and-down season: The Tigers had profitable streaks of eight video games (to begin the 12 months) and 5 video games (in January), however in any other case didn’t win greater than two video games consecutively. Auburn’s protection might give the Iowa offense hassle; modelers are giving the sting to the Tigers on this tossup sport.
No. 5 Duke vs. No. 12 Oral Roberts
7:10 p.m., CBS
Duke is a classy Remaining 4 decide in its first 12 months underneath Coach Jon Scheyer, however the Blue Devils might want to deal with Oral Roberts first. The Golden Eagles posted a document of 30-4, together with an ideal 18-0 in Summit League play. However Duke can be on a scorching streak and has gained its previous 9 video games on the way in which to an Atlantic Coast Convention match title. Followers are largely choosing Duke, however some modelers are skeptical, with Pomeroy giving Duke a 63 p.c probability to advance.
Supply: NY Times