As a No. 7 seed, Michigan State wasn’t expected to do much damage in the NCAA Tournament but has emerged as the team to beat in the East Regional. Oklahoma has won 12 of its past 15 games and provides Michigan State with challenges on the perimeter and in the paint.
North Carolina State upset No. 1-seeded Villanova in the round of 32 to advance to the Sweet 16. Louisville advanced to the regional semifinals for a program-record fourth straight time with a 66-53 win over Northern Iowa.
Gonzaga dominated UCLA when the teams met Dec. 16, but there is much more at stake Friday when the West Coast powerhouses meet in Houston in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. The Bulldogs led by double digits for most of the second half en route to an 87-74 road win.
Duke and Utah each rely heavily on a standout freshman in the post and a senior star in the backcourt — two matchups that will take center stage Friday in Houston when the teams meet in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.
With the cover on the line, Wisconsin star Frank Kaminsky calmly sank two free throws. Obviously, the 7-footer had no clue what the second shot meant, but he put the money ball in the bank, the Badgers walked off with a 79-72 victory over North Carolina and underdog players were left with a worthless ticket and a ridiculous bad-beat story.
Arizona received everything it expected and probably a little more than it desired from Xavier, but the Wildcats ultimately advanced with a 68-60 victory in a West Regional semifinal. The Wildcats will meet Wisconsin in an Elite Eight game with a trip to the Final Four on the line.
Wisconsin rallied late, and because of it will play for a second straight trip to the Final Four, having eliminated North Carolina 79-72 in a West Regional semifinal of the NCAA Tournament. The Badgers will play Arizona, a 68-60 winner over Xavier.
Point guard T.J. McConnell scored 13 of his 17 points in the second half, sparking second-seeded Arizona to a 68-60 victory over sixth-seeded Xavier in an NCAA West Regional semifinal Thursday night at Staples Center.
Forward Trey Lyles scored 14 points, and the top-seeded Kentucky Wildcats remained undefeated with an overwhelming 78-39 win over fifth-seeded West Virginia in the Midwest Regional semifinals Thursday night.
The late North Carolina basketball coach Dean Smith said thank you to all of his former players one last time in his will.
Sam Dekker posted 23 points and 10 rebounds as the Badgers topped the Tar Heels 79-72 in the West Regional semifinals of the NCAA Tournament in Los Angeles.
Demetrius Jackson scored 20 points on 7-of-10 shooting as third-seeded Notre Dame used a hot-shooting second half to knock off the seventh-seeded Wichita State 81-70 in the NCAA Tournament Midwest Regional semifinal in Cleveland.
It’s all about matchups at this point, and Kentucky has the edge mostly because of its size. Willie Cauley-Stein and Dakari Johnson are 7-footers, Karl-Anthony Towns is 6-11 and Trey Lyles is 6-10. Wildcats coach John Calipari, like him or loathe him, has done a great job of putting it all together.
Arizona, in the Sweet 16 for the third straight season, brings a 13-game winning streak into the game. Xavier has won five of its last six games and is in the Sweet 16 for the third time in six seasons under coach Chris Mack.
Kentucky is four wins from a perfect season and is about to take on its toughest defensive test so far against West Virginia. The Mountaineers beat up Maryland in the third round to advance and will put the Wildcats’ depth to the test with their full-court pressure.
