March Madness: Kentucky beats Santa Clara in overtime, top seeds Arizona and Florida dominate

The No. 2 Huskies are moving on to the second round after beating the No. 15 Paladins 82-71.

That was definitely closer than UConn wanted it to be. The Huskies led by only 4 at halftime and the game remained tight until the final few minutes.

Tarris Reed Jr. had a monster game for UConn, scoring 31 points and collecting 27 rebounds.

Alex Wilkins and Tom House each had 21 points for Furman.

A nice win for the No. 7 Hurricanes, who withstood multiple runs from No. 10 Missouri in the second half.

Senior forward Malik Reneau led Miami with 24 points. Senior guard Tre Donaldson added 17 of his own. The duo combined for 33 points in the second half.

Jayden Stone had 21 points in a losing effort for the Tigers.

The Huskies are only up six points with just under 7 minutes remaining in a matchup they were expected to cruise. Dan Hurley appears furious (as he typically does) on the sideline. Should be a fantastic finish to this one!

After Malik Reneau’s and-1, Tre Donaldson drilled a 3 on Miami’s next possession. The Hurricanes now lead 74-62 with 1:29 to go...that may be too much for Missouri to overcome.

Reneau hit a hook shot and nailed the and-1 to give Miami a 71-62 lead with 2 minutes to go.

The Hurricanes are in front as we head down the homestretch. Both teams have gone on big scoring runs in the second half.

Miami is finally up to 40% shooting from the field...but is only 50% from the free-throw line.

Kansas coach Bill Self can take a big sigh of relief. Despite a late charge from No. 13 Cal Baptist, the No. 4 Jayhawks will advance with a 68-60 win. Kansas got 20 points in the second half from star freshman Darryn Peterson, who had 28 on the night.

The Jayhawks will face Rick Pitino and St. John's on Sunday.

Kansas was up big most of this game but California Baptist is on an 8-0 run and now only trail 66-60 with just over a minute remaining.

After the Tigers took a 54-52 lead, Miami reeled off 7 points in under 2 minutes to pull back ahead.

Malik Reneau is cooking, he had a block and hit two jumpers to spark the run.

The Tigers took their first lead of the second half by reeling off eight straight points, but a Tre Donaldson 3-pointer put the Hurricanes back ahead...only for Missouri to jump right back in front with a Mark Mitchell 3.

It’s 54-52 Tigers with 7:39 left in regulation. The action is picking up!

The Huskies are on an 8-2 run right now against Furman and after a tight first half are starting to pull away. They lead 50-40, their biggest advantage of the night, with 17 minutes remaining.

The Hurricanes and Tigers are trading blows in a close game. It’s 46-43 Miami with 11:36 to go.

It’s been largely a defensive slugfest so far, though the offenses are starting to percolate a bit in the second half.

Will the crowd play a factor? Missouri is practically playing at home, which could give the Tigers a little boost down thr stretch.

The No. 1 Gators thoroughly dismantled the No. 16 Panthers, winning 114 to 55.

The defending champs looked every bit like a team on a quest to repeat.

Florida has 7 players in double figures, including all five starters. Boogie Fland let the Gators with 16 points.

No. 2 seed UConn was expected to cruise against No. 15 Furman, but it's been anything but that halfway through their matchup. The Paladins have been led by guard Alex Wilkins, who has 15 points including three 3-pointers.

UConn big man Tarris Reed Jr., meanwhile, has been utterly dominant. He has 19 points and 16 rebounds — a total that would be impressive over an entire game.

After a slow start to the game, Kansas has gotten it going offensively. The Jayhawks lead the Lancers 38-18 at halftime. Star freshman Darryn Peterson, who struggled early, leads all scorers with 15 points.

Miami led by as many as 10, but the Tigers scored the final 9 points of the first half to make it a 1-point game at the break.

Anthony Robinson II leads Missouri with 8 points off the bench. Dante Allen is pacing the Canes with 7 points.

It’s been a brickfest so far, as the teams have combined to shoot only 30.6% from the field.

One of college basketball's best programs is in trouble early. The Huskies lead No. 15 seed Furman 16-15 with 12 minutes left in the half. Furman has already hit three 3s and Alex Wilkins leads all scorers with 11 so far.

Remember when this was a 2-point game? The No. 1 Gators ended the half on a 43-6 run. 43-6!!!!!

Four Florida starters are in double digits. No Panthers have more than 6 points.

Good game so far!

Miami is shooting only 33% from the field, but 8 offensive rebounds are helping keep the Hurricanes in front.

The Jayhawks struggled early on against California Baptist but have finally found a groove and are on a 9-0 run. Kansas is now up 23-8 with 9 minutes remaining in the first half.

At the under-12 timeout, the Hurricanes have a 12-10 lead over the Tigers.

Missouri’s Jayden Stone leads all scorers with 7 points.

The Kansas star (and potential No. 1 pick in the upcoming NBA Draft) has started the game 0-for-6 from the field. But he's not alone: the Jayhawks as a whole are shooting 13% overall. They are lucky to be winning 10-5 against California Baptist with 10 minutes remaining in the first half.

After a tight start, the Gators have opened up a 33-17 lead over the Panthers.

Ruben Chinyelu and Alex Condon each have 9 points for Florida.

NBA fans better stay tuned to this one: a chance to watch star freshman Darryn Peterson play in his first NCAA Tournament game. Many prognosticators believe he could be the No. 1 pick in the upcoming draft.

An exciting West Region matchup between the No. 10 Tigers and the No. 7 Hurricanes tonight.

Miami is in the men’s tourney for the first time since making the Final Four in 2023.

The Bruins were up big most of the game, at one point 14 points, but UCF came back to cut it to one possession in the final seconds. UCLA hit the free throws needed to hold on and advance.

They were led by 20 points from Eric Dailey Jr. Xavier Booker added eight rebounds.

The No. 16 Panthers are hanging tough with the No. 1 Gators so far.

Florida has a lead but only a slim one, holding a 17-15 advantage with 12:52 left in the first half.

Two players on each team have already scored 6 points.

The Gators are the No. 1 seed in the South Region, while the No. 16 Panthers hail from the SWAC.

Florida, of course, is the NCAA men’s reigning champion.

The Johnnies dominated Northern Iowa 79-53 in the first round on Friday. Zuby Ejiofor led the way with 14 points and 11 rebounds. Rick Pitino's team will face the winner of Kansas-California Baptist, which is set to tip in a matter of minutes.

Queens University kept it interesting for a good chunk of the first half, but Purdue ultimately overwhelmed the Royals, winning 104-71.

The combo of guard Braden Smith and forward Trey Kaufman-Renn was great, combining for 51 points on 22-of-33 shooting from the field.

The Johnnies are up 20 points with seven minutes left in the game. Rick Pitino's team has dominated on the glass (35-21 rebounding advantage) and beyond the arc (eight made 3s to just two from Northern Iowa).

Clemson got a little hot in the second half, but it wasn’t enough to come back against the Hawkeyes.

Bennett Stirtz led Iowa with 16 points. The Hawkeyes shot only 38% from the field, but hit 24-of-31 free throws to secure the victory.

The Boilermakers are on a 10-2 run and have opened up a 58-38 lead early in the second half over Queens University.

Braden Smith and Trey Kaufman-Renn have combined for 32 points.

The Hawkeyes and Tigers are trading buckets, which favors Iowa at the moment.

The Hawkeyes lead 63-57 with 56 seconds to go. Clemson has the ball and a chance to cut into the deficit.

The refs are reviewing who has the ball right now, with the Hawkeyes taking a 6-point lead late in this game. Clemson has been much better in the second half, but can the Tigers complete a comeback?

The Bruins are getting it done on both ends of the floor and lead UCF by 12 points with 15:57 left in the game. Xavier Booker just threw down a huge breakaway dunk to push the advantage and UCF coach Johnny Dawkins took a timeout.

Still a lot left to play.

The Tigers have made 5 straight field goals and are on an 11-5 run. Clemson trails 56-51 with under 5 minutes to go.

After Clemson cut the lead to four, Iowa unleashed a 16-6 run to go ahead 51-37, the Hawkeyes’ biggest advantage of the game. The Tigers promptly answered with a 3 to slightly close the gap, but Iowa leads 51-40 with 7:36 left in regulation.

St. John's is cruising so far against Northern Iowa, leading 47-28 at halftime. Bryce Hopkins and Oziyah Sellers, with 11 points apiece, lead all scorers. The Johnnies are shooting a blistering 55% from the field and 47% from 3-point range.

UCLA, led by Eric Dailey Jr.'s 12 points, is currently topping UCF 35-27 at the break. The biggest difference has been on the defensive end. The Bruins have nine steals and have scored 14 points off turnovers so far.

Nice close to the first half for the Boilermakers, who extended a 5-point lead to a 45-33 advantage over Queens University at halftime.

Purdue is shooting 60% from the field, led by Braden Smith’s 15 points.

The Hawkeyes’ 7-point lead at the break has been cut to 4.

Clemson has opened the second half on a modest 6-3 run to make it a 35-31 game with 15:22 to go.

Smith just had his 1,077th career assist, breaking Bobby Hurley's record that stood for 33 years. The Boilermakers lead Queens 28-19 with 7:41 left in the first half.

Eric Dailey Jr. has eight points as the Bruins lead 22-12 with nine minutes left in the first half. UCLA is shooting 50 percent from the field thus far.

Unlike their male counterparts, the women’s basketball team at North Carolina will be playing in the second round after blowing out Western Illinois to the tune of 82-49. Nyla Harris led the Tar Heels with 17 points.

After the Hawkeyes led by as many as 12, Clemson clawed back to make it a 32-25 Iowa lead at the half.

Kael Combs has 11 points for Iowa, leading all scorers.

Butta Johnson leads the Tigers with 8 points.

The Johnnies just opened the game on a 10-0 run, hitting four of five field goal attempts. Dylan Darling leads the way with four points thus far but a ton of time left.

It’s a 25-16 lead for Iowa with under 4 minutes to go in the first half after an and-1 by Kael Combs was followed up by a Clemson bucket.

Combs is already up to 11 points, leading all scorers.

The Hawkeyes lead the Tigers 18-8 with under 12 minutes to go in the first half.

Iowa has hit four of its first 7 3-point attempts, helping to build the early advantage.

The last time that No. 8 Clemson won a first-round game in the NCAA Tournament while being seeded seventh or worse was 1989. Beating No. 9 Iowa today would, of course, be an outlier in the school's history.

The 9-8 matchup in the South Region of the men’s tourney just tipped off. The Hawkeyes got the party started with a 3.

The second-seeded Wolverines outscored Holy Cross 27-6 after the first quarter and have turned that big advantage into a 43-22 lead at the halftime break of their first-round game in the Fort Worth region.

No. 2 LSU also is cruising in its own first-round matchup, this a 34-12 lead over Jacksonville with a minute still left in the first quarter.

In other games, No. 4 North Carolina leads Western Illinois, 38-24, at halftime, and No. 4 Minnesota is up on Green Bay, 22-15, halfway through the second quarter.

The RedHawks were the talk of college basketball this season, the mid-major school in Oxford, Ohio, that went undefeated in the regular season. But critics pointed to Miami's weak schedule and its poor defense as reason to doubt its chances in the NCAA Tournament.

Miami had its one-shining moment Wednesday, when it beat SMU 89-79 in Dayton, Ohio, about an hour from its campus, in a NCAA Tournament "First Four" game, in front many Miami students and alumni.

Today, Miami never really stood a chance against Tennessee, and ended up losing 78-56. The Volunteers were led by Ja'Kobi Gillespie, who scored 29 points and made six 3-pointers. But they also out-rebounded the RedHawks 42-25 and generally disrupted them with a physical style of play.

Tennessee now advances to face No. 3 Virginia on Sunday.

A wild finish in San Diego, as the Aggies uncorked a 15-3 run in the final minutes to put away the Wildcats.

Utah State was led by guards Mason Falslev and MJ Collins Jr., who combined to score 42 points on 16-of-28 shooting.

The Aggies will play No. 1 Arizona in the second round.

After the Aggies answered a free throw with a midrange jumper, MJ Collins just stole a lazy pass for a breakaway dunk. Utah State is on a 13-1 run and leads by 10 with a minute to go.

After a second straight Villanova turnover, MJ Collins took advantage with another layup to give the Aggies a 80-73 lead with 2:04 left in regulation. The Wildcats need to figure out their offense ASAP.

Huge play! After a mishandled pass, MJ Collins scooped up a loose ball, dribbled behind his back and hit a layup on the other end. Collins added a free throw to give Utah State a 78-73 lead with under three minutes to go.

Drake Allen sinks two free throws to put the Aggies ahead 75-73 with 3 minutes to go.

No. 1 Texas rocked No. 16 Missouri State 87-45 in the first round of the women’s tourney. Jordan Lee and Madison Booker combined for 33 points for the Longhorns.

The No. 8 Wildcats lead the No. 9 Aggies 73-71 with 3:54 to go in the second half.

Villanova is shooting lights out from three, converting on 14-of-29 attempts from deep. Utah State has hit only two 3-pointers, but has compensated by getting to the line 27 times, hitting 21 free throws.

Let’s see who can pull this one out!

After Utah State took the lead on a reverse layup, Villanova came back down the floor with a deeeep three to take the lead.

It’s 73-71 Wildcats with about five minutes to go.

With just under 12 minutes remaining in the second half, the Volunteers are leading Miami (Ohio) 60-36.

We've seen a lot of terrific individual performances the past few days. Oteg Oweh's 35 points today for Kentucky, Terrence Hill Jr.'s 34 points for VCU, AJ Dybantsa's 35-point, 10-rebound effort in a BYU loss.

Add Ja'Kobi Gillespie's performance to the list. About three-quarters through this game, Gillespie has 25 points and six assists, with six made 3-pointers.

One of Miami (Ohio)'s strengths is its 3-point shooting. Today, the RedHawks are shooting 28% from 3-point range (5-18).

Peter Suder, the senior guard, is the only player showing much fight. He's scored 17 points on 5-of-9 shooting from the field. The rest of his teammates have combined for 19 points on 7-of-23 shooting.

With about 15 minutes remaining, Tennessee leads Miami 55-36.

This 9-8 matchup is living up to the billing so far, with the Wildcats holding a slim 58-57 lead over the Aggies as we approach the midway point of the second half.

The second-seeded Cyclones cruised to an easy 108-74 win over No. 15 Tennessee State. Killyan Toure scored 25 points and Nate Heise added 22 for Iowa State.

But the headline is Joshua Jefferson's health and status going forward in the tournament. Early in the first half, Jefferson appeared to injure his ankle and needed help walking off the court. Jefferson is a do-everything forward, who averages 16.9 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 4.9 assists per game.

Iowa State plays No. 7 Kentucky on Sunday and will have to figure out how to defend Otega Oweh, who scored 35 points against Santa Clara today.

Despite a furious fourth-quarter rally, Gonzaga fell short to Ole Miss in the women’s tournament. The Bulldogs won the fourth quarter 29-13, but the Rebels still won 81-66.

The Crimson Tide struggled in the first half but evenetually pulled away in Tampa, thanks in part to Labaron Philon Jr.'s 29 points.

Hofstra just could not overcome an offensive lull in the middle 20 minutes of the game. The Pride fall to 0-5 all-time in NCAA Tournament games.

Alabama moves on to face No. 5 seed Texas Tech on Sunday, in what looks to be a highly competitive matchup.

At the first half buzzer, Ethan Burg rattled in another 3-pointer for Tennessee. The Volunteers are shooting 62% from deep (8-13) and most of those makes have come from Ja'Kobi Gillespie, a transfer guard from Maryland.

In the first half, Gillespie has tallied 22 points, four assists, and two rebounds.

Miami (Ohio), meanwhile, seems flustered by the Volunteers' size and physicality. Tennessee is out-rebounding the RedHawks (19-14) and has forced them into nine turnovers.

At the half, the Volunteers are leading Miami 51-32. Do the RedHawks have enough juice to make a second-half run?

Gillespie just hit his fourth 3-pointer of the first half, to extend Tennessee's lead. Gillespie has 19 points on 4-of-5 shooting from deep. He also has four assists and two rebounds. The Volunteers are beating Miami (Ohio) 41-23 with about three minutes left in the half.

First-year Villanova coach Kevin Willard was not happy to watch his team get outplayed inside the paint in the first half. In a sideline interview during the game, as Villanova was being outscored 16-2 in the paint, he voiced his displeasure succintly.

"I'm gonna fire my staff," he told sideline reporter Lauren Shehadi.

"Yeah, I am," Willard continued. "Because we've given up eight points on underneath out-of-bounds defense. The only thing I'm gonna do is fire them and get a new staff."

At halftime, Villanova is being outscored 20-8 in the paint.

Hofstra is still knocking, only trailing single digits with a few minutes to go.

Alabama's Labaron Philon Jr. is up to 26 points, including 18 in the second half. It'll be a big ask for the Pride to slow him down in crunch time.

No. 8 Villanova trailed by as many as nine points in the first half against Utah State but has rallied to lead, 39-37, at the end of the first half.

Watch out for Utah State in the second half, however, if it can hit 3-pointers, after the Aggies went just 1-for-8 from deep. Despite that disadvantage — Villanova has hit 7-of-14 — the underdog Aggies are still in this game.

The Maryland Terrapins are moving on in the women’s tournament, cruising past the Murray State Racers 99-67.

Murray State was somewhat in striking position before the fourth quarter, but Maryland won the final frame 26-8 to secure the victory.

Five Terrapins scored in double digits, led by Kyndal Walker’s 20 off the bench.

About 12 minutes into the first half, Tennessee is playing well on both ends of the floor. On defense, the Volunteers have forced six turnovers and have held the RedHawks to 39% shooting from the field.

On offense, Tennessee is shooting 63% and has 16 points in the paint, compared to 2 for the RedHawks.

Tennessee's Ja'Kobi Gillespie already has 13 points and 3 assists, as the Volunteers lead Miami (Ohio) 31-17.

Alabama has taken control of matters in Tampa, leading 59-48 with 11:51 remaining.

The Pride have 20 points in the last 19 minutes of play, which is not a good recipe against a Crimson Tide squad with serious offensive firepower.

The RedHawks just played Wednesday night in a NCAA Tournament "First Four" game, and according to the CBS broadcast, the team didn't arrive in Philadelphia until the wee hours of Wednesday night, Thursday morning.

About nine minutes into the game, Tennessee leads 23-15. Ja'Kobi Gillespie has tallied 10 points already, having hit two 3-pointers.

Also: Philadelphia Eagles coach Nick Sirianni is in attendance, with the game being played in Philly.

The Crimson Tide come out of the break on a 12-4 run, building a 49-39 lead as the defense clamps down on the Pride.

Hofstra has scored only 11 points in the past 15 game minutes, and its chances at an upset are quickly slipping away.

The 11th-seeded RedHawks went undefeated in the regular season, before losing in their first game of the Mid-American Conference tournament. With that one loss, Miami (Ohio) dropped to being one of the last teams to make the NCAA Tournament, and had to play in Dayton, Ohio, in one of the First Four games Wednesday.

In that game, Miami beat SMU 89-79 in front of what felt like a home crowd atmosphere.

Today, Miami has already hit two 3-pointers, to take an early 6-4 lead.

With former Villanova coach Jay Wright, who led the school to two national championships, watching from the stands, the eighth-seeded Wildcats are trailing Utah State, 18-13, seven minutes into the first half. The Winner of this matchup will face Arizona on Sunday.

Utah State is getting it done inside, scoring 12 of their points inside the paint, including on this poster dunk.

Sixth-seeded Baylor held on to beat Nebraska, 67-62, and avoid what would have been a surprising upset, considering the Huskers had played in the "First Four" round earlier this week.

Washington had a much easier time, in contrast, while blowing out South Dakota State, 72-54, also in the Sacramento region.

There are other lopsided games still taking place. Fifth-seeded Ole Miss is leading Gonzaga, 39-23, at halftime, and top-seeded Texas is up 17-3 near the end of the first quarter against Missouri State.

Hofstra has largely met the moment so far, but it's the Alabama Crimson Tide who take a 37-35 lead into the halftime break. Shooting and rebounds are just about even for each team.

We've got all of the indictions of a good one brewing in Tampa.

Late in the Arizona-Long Island blowout, both teams emptied their benches -- and that gave Long Island's Eddie Munyak a shot at glory.

Munyak, a 6-foot-1 sophomore guard from Huntington, NY, only appeared in one game all season, and had not scored a point. Today, he banked in a 3-pointer against Arizona in the NCAA Tournament. Take a bow, Eddie.

The Cyclones appear to be cruising to an easy win over Tennessee State, as they lead 55-29 at halftime. But Iowa State's best player -- Joshua Jefferson, who averages 16.9 points and 7.6 rebounds -- left the game after only a few minutes due to an apparent ankle injury.

Jefferson appeared to land awkwardly on his ankle during a layup attempt, and he stayed on the ground writhing in pain. He had to be helped off the court and did not appear to be putting weight on the ankle.

No. 13 seed Hofstra looks awfully comfortable for a program that has never won an NCAA Tournament game. Hofstra is shooting 46% and playing stellar interior defense against Alabama, one of the country's superior offensive teams.

The Pride lead 30-25 with 3:15 to go in the first half.

After a back-and-forth game that saw the lead change between No. 3 Virginia and 14th-seeded Wright State nearly 20 times, the Cavaliers broke their first-round matchup open by scoring 11 unanswered points to lead, 78-70, with just over a minute to play, as Wright State missed six straight shots.

That was enough to help Virginia hold on for an 82-73 win.

Both teams made 13 3-pointers to shoot well above their average from deep. Six of Virginia's 3-pointers were made by Jacari White, who led all scorers with 26 points to help the Cavaliers win their first tournament game since 2019.

After 16 points in the first half, Wright State's Solomon Callaghan scored just two in the second half while he was used lightly.

The Cavaliers went on a run to seize control of this game against Wright State, capped by a 3-pointer by Jacari Wright and then a layup by White. He has 26 points off the bench for Virginia.

The ball just bounced Virginia's way. On a broke play, in the Cavaliers' offensive end, the ball seemed up for grabs until it fortuitously bounced to Dallin Hall, who flipped a pass to a teammate for a layup.

Virginia leads Wright State 73-70 with 2:59 remaining.

We've got some action in Tampa!

The Pride of Hempstead, New York, have used an 8-0 run to take a 20-16 lead against Alabama, who haven't scored in nearly three minutes. There is 11:05 remaining in the first half.

The raiders just went on a 7-0 run to take a 68-67 lead with under six minutes to play. Wright State has three players who've scored at least 15 points.

The Wildcats won this game easily, 92-58. No. 1 seed Arizona had four players score in double-digits, led by Brayden Burries, who had 18 points, five rebounds, and two assists.

The Wildcats will play on Sunday, against the winner of today's game between No. 8 Villanova and No. 9 Utah State.

About 12 minutes into the first half, the Cyclones have a commanding lead. Milan Momcilovic and Nate Heise have combined for 20 points for Iowa State.

Iowa State is winning 36-9. This one could be over by halftime.

The Crimson Tide are out to an early 13-9 lead as the Pride turned the ball over in three of their first six possessions. Still early though for those pulling for one of the more popular upset picks today.

The Ducks, seeded eighth, handled No. 9 Virginia Tech, 70-60, to advance to the second round. The Hokies went nearly six minutes without scoring in the first quarter and from there could never overcome the double-digit deficit that grew out of that scoring drought.

In the round of 32, Oregon will face the winner of top-seeded Texas and No. 16 Missouri State on Sunday.

In other women's games:

--No. 6 Washington leads No. 11 South Dakota State, 38-24, at halftime

--No. 5 Maryland is up on Murray State, 28-19 at the end of the first quarter

--And No. 11 Nebraska is keeping its upset hopes alive by leading Baylor, 40-37

The Cavaliers have developed a bit of a reputation for being upset early in the NCAA Tournament. Take a look at their recent history:

2023: No. 4 seed Virginia loses to No. 13 Furman

2021: No. 4 seed Virginia loses to No. 13 Ohio

2018: No. 1 seed Virginia loses to No. 16 UMBC

This year, No. 3 Virginia currently trails No. 14 seed Wright State, 60-58, with about 11 minutes remaining.

The Crimson Tide have 26 NCAA Tournament wins. The Pride have zero. That's the history facing Speedy Claxton's Hofstra team this afternoon.

Claxton has already helmed his alma mater to their first NCAA Tournament appearance in two decades, not far off from when he was a player at the school under then-coach Jay Wright.

Wright State is in position to stun Virginia because it made eight 3-pointers in the first half, one more than they averaged all game this season.

Six minutes into the second half, however, Virginia has pulled ahead, 51-50, after Wright State has made just one more 3-pointer. The upset-minded No. 14 seed is 9-for-23 from deep today. The Cavaliers, meanwhile, are 10-of-18 on threes.

The Wildcats feature two freshmen who could be potential first-round picks in the coming NBA draft: Brayden Burries and Koa Peat.

Burries has 18 points so far, and has connected on 4-of-5 shots from 3-point range, while Peat has 13 points, six rebounds, and two assists.

With about 11 minutes remaining, Arizona leads 67-43. The Long Island fans are having fun at least:

The Cyclones are headlined by two talented forwards: Milan Momcilovic and Joshua Jefferson, who combine to average 34 points and 10.7 rebounds a game.

The Tigers are coached by Nolan Smith, the former Duke point guard.

Could blowouts be giving way to suspense in the women's tournament?

After easy wins by TCU and Duke to begin the day, and with Oregon leading Virginia Tech, 55-40, entering the fourth quarter, there has been little drama to speak of.

But that could soon change, with No. 6 Washington and No. 11 South Dakota State tied, 15-all, early in the second quarter, and Nebraska leading No. 6 Baylor, 28-27, at halftime elsewhere in the bracket.

Third-seeded Virginia entered today's game as one of the country's best shot-blocking teams, but it hasn't been able to fully deny No. 14 Wright State at halftime of their first-round game in the Midwest region. The Cavaliers trail, 43-38.

Wright State's Solomon Callaghan leads all scorers with 16 points.

Akron fought to cut the lead to five, but since that point, it was all Texas Tech, which used a 18-6 run late in the second half to dispel any threat of an upset. It was a wire-to-wire 91-71 win for the Red Raiders.

Led by a 24-point performance from Jaylen Petty, Texas Tech shot a scorching 65% from the field.

Next up for Texas Tech will be Alabama or Hofstra on Sunday.

Moments after Kentucky's overtime win against Santa Clara, the Wildcats' hero Otega Oweh was interviewed on the telecast. After Santa Clara hit a 3-pointer with 2.4 seconds remaining, Oweh responded with a heave from just inside half court to send the game to overtime. Kentucky then outscored Santa Clara 16-11 in the extra frame.

"That's what March is," Oweh said on the telecast. "All the best games happen at this time of the year. It was a blast. I'm just glad we got to pull it out."

Asked about his mindset, down three with 2.4 seconds left, Oweh said, "I was trying to get as close as possible to make the shot. I don't know, it just went in. It's March Madness."

The Wildcats lead Long Island 53-29 at the half. Brayden Burries has 14 points, on 4-of-5 shooting from 3-point range, while Koa Peat has added nine points.

If Arizona advances, it would play the winner of No. 8 Villanova and No. 9 Utah State.

Kentucky's Otega Oweh forced overtime with his heave just inside halfcourt, and Brandon Garrison provided a key boost with less than a minute to play in extra time to help the seventh-seeded Wildcats escape with an 89-84 victory over Santa Clara.

Garrison blocked a 3-point attempt on one end, then turned it into a dunk on the other for an 83-79 lead. Garrison later added another huge defensive play when he blocked a second 3-pointer by Sash Gavalyugov with 35 seconds to play, a stop that led to free throws for Kentucky.

Those sequences were critical for the Wildcats as they eventually held off 10th-seeded Santa Clara, which had looked ready to spring the upset all day. The Broncos were making their first appearance since 1996, only to lose in agonizing fashion.

Oweh was the star even before his game-tying shot at the end of regulation. He scored 35 points, with eight rebounds and seven assists.

The Wildcats went on a 8-0 scoring run late in overtime to take a lead over Santa Clara. The Broncos just hit a 3-pointer to pull within three points. But Kentucky has the ball and is leading 85-82 with under 20 seconds to play.

Akron's on a little 10-5 run. Tech's LeJuan Watts, who has 14 points today, has fouled out. The crowd in Tampa has woken up.

The Zips, who have never won a Division 1 NCAA Tournament game, are only down six points with eight minutes to go.

Remember, the Red Raiders are already without injured star JT Toppin. They will be down two of their top players the rest of the way.

Midway through overtime, Sash Gavalyugov made a deep 3-pointer for Santa Clara, and then Kentucky responded with a layup inside.

Kentucky leads 81-79 with about a minute left in OT.

Wow! Santa Clara's Allen Graves made a 3-pointer with 2.4 seconds left, to give the Broncos a three-point lead. Then Otega Oweh, Kentucky's star player, made a halfcourt heave to send this game to overtime, tied 73-73.

Oweh had 29 points in regulation, with seven rebounds and six assists.

Since Kentucky's Otega Oweh scored on a layup with 4:48 to play in the second half, Kentucky has scored just one point, and that has put the Wildcats in a difficult position, trailing Santa Clara, 70-68, with 24 seconds left.

Outside of a few brief moments, Akron has managed to keep the Red Raiders' lead in the single-digits. The Mid-American Conference champions trail by eight points with 12 minutes to play.

If the Zips have an upset run in them, they'll need to make it soon. Maybe star guard Tavari Johnson, who has struggled today, will have something down the stretch.

Tenth-seeded Santa Clara holds a narrow 70-68 lead with 38 seconds left in regulation and just grabbed an offensive rebound to hold onto the possession. Seventh-seeded Kentucky is on upset alert.

No. 14 seed Wright State is beating No. 3 Virginia 16-13 about eight minutes into the game.

Solomon Callaghan has 11 points for the Raiders and is shooting 3-of-4 from 3-point range. The 3-point shot ... the great equalizer.

Texas Tech has slightly extended its lead out of half, leading 52-43 with 15:07 to play. The Red Raiders are shooting 8-for-14 from 3-point range. If that continues, it's hard to see the No. 12 seeded Zips keeping pace.

Santa Clara had scored just three points in nearly three minutes until Allen Graves scored his second field goal of the game to put the Broncos ahead, 64-63, with less than 6 minutes to play in the second half. But ever since, Kentucky has gone on a 4-0 run to take back a 67-64 lead.

As expected, the third-seeded TCU Horned Frogs crushed UC San Diego in the first round, 86-40, to move into the round of 32.

Elsewhere in the bracket, eight-seeded Oregon is already up on Virginia Tech, 26-14. The Ducks have won their opening game of the tournament five of their previous six appearances.

The Wildcats are already up 24-12, and Brayden Burries, Arizona's dynamic freshman guard has 9 points on 3-for-3 shooting from 3-point range.

Somehow, the Cavaliers haven't won an NCAA Tournament game since 2019, when they won the whole tournament. Here are their last three trips to the Big Dance:

2024: lost in First Four

2023: lost in Round of 64

2021: lost in Round of 64

The Cavaliers are led by Thijs De Ridder, a 6-foot-9 freshman forward from Belgium, who averages 15.5 points and 6.2 rebounds per game.

Tenth-seeded Santa Clara led Kentucky at halftime and has taken back the lead again, at 54-53, with 9:07 to play in the second half. These teams have the same number of points in the paint and field goals, with barely any separation between them in most other categories.

Elijah Mahi just hit another 3-pointer, giving him three for the day and 17 points total for the Broncos. Santa Clara is only down 53-52 with about 10 minutes remaining.

The Broncos haven't been in the NCAA Tournament in about 30 years, not since Steve Nash played there.

Check out this dunk:

NBC News' Steve Kornacki picked the Wildcats as his winner of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. So did NBC Sports' Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady, and Carmelo Anthony. Arizona just tipped off against No. 16 Long Island.

You might've seen this joke on the internet yesterday.

The third-seeded Blue Devils were never really threatened while pulling away to beat Charleston, 81-64, in the opening game of the women's NCAA tournament. Duke now advances to face the winner of No. 6 Baylor/No. 11 Nebraska, which tips off in 30 minutes.

The Red Raiders used 3-point shooting and stellar rebounding to keep the Zips at arm's length — but not much further than that.

Jaylen Petty leads Texas Tech with 10 points. Akron star Tavari Johnson has been unusually quiet with only 2 points on 1-7 shooting.

The Red Raiders lead Akron 40-35 at the half.

Texas Tech is starting to impose its will on the Mid-American Conference champs. Akron still can't score from close and is also losing the rebounding battle.

The Red Raiders lead 37-25 with four minutes remaining in the first half.

The Zips' Shammah Scott has 10 points off the bench. Texas Tech leads 31-25 with under five minutes remaining in the first half.

Big Blue will have to overcome a slight halftime deficit to avoid a first-round upset.

Seventh-seeded Kentucky trails, 31-29, to 10th-seeded Santa Clara at the break in St. Louis, where the Broncos' Elijah Mahi has 10 points and the Wildcats have taken just three free-throw attempts. Right now, this game is a coin flip.

Heavy favorites are having their way to begin the NCAA women's tournament as the day's first two games move into the second half.

At halftime in Fort Worth, third-seeded TCU leads UC San Diego, 48-25.

Meanwhile, No. 3 Duke continues to crush Charleston with 2 minutes left in the third quarter, leading 60-36.

Santa Clara is the fourth school that Herb Sendek has coached to the NCAA tournament in a head coaching career that began in 1993 at Miami (Ohio), and continued at NC State and Arizona State. But it was his four years on staff as an assistant at Kentucky, under coach Rick Pitino, that left him reminiscing this week as Santa Clara prepared to play the Wildcats.

While at Kentucky, Sendek recruited the current Kentucky coach, Mark Pope, but couldn't land his commitment.

"That four years was just, I mean, it was magic. Coach Pitino often refers to Kentucky as Camelot," Sendek told reporters this week. "And there’s a lot of truth to that. It is not like that everywhere else, you know."

The Broncos trail Kentucky, 26-23, with four minutes to play in the first half.

The two teams are a combined 4-13 from the field to start. Akron particularly has missed a handful of close-range layups. It's 6-3 Red Raiders with 15 minutes remaining in the first half.

The second men's game of the day features the No. 12 Akron Zips and No. 5 Texas Tech Red Raiders, who are missing star player JT Toppin to a season-ending injury suffered last month.

Akron has been a trendy upset pick but Texas Tech still has plenty of firepower, despite Toppin's absence. And keep your eyes peeled for senior Akron guard Tavari Johnson, who averages 20 points per game.

The No. 3 Horned Frogs lead UC San Diego, 30-12, early in the second quarter of their first-round game in the Sacramento region. TCU is a remarkable example of a program that has undergone a major transformation.

The program won 14 games combined in the two seasons before Mark Campbell was hired in 2023, and since then the team has averaged 28 wins each of the last three seasons, including an Elite Eight run a year ago. I covered Mark Campbell when he was an assistant at Oregon, where he was critical to recruiting Sabrina Ionescu.

At the break of the first women's game of the day, No. 3 Duke is leading Charleston, 45-26, after holding the Cougars to just 19% shooting in the first half. Charleston has actually taken more shots than Duke (36 to 32) but made 10 fewer attempts.

The Blue Devils have led by as many as 24 points.

The second day of the round of 64 in the men's tournament begins with a matchup between a blueblood program and a team with little tournament history.

It's seventh-seeded Kentucky, making its 63rd tournament appearance, against 10th-seeded Santa Clara, in its first March Madness berth since 1996. These teams are in the Midwest region, with the winner facing the winner of Iowa State-Tennessee State on Sunday.

You're not alone.

Jay Croucher and Drew Dinsick discuss the underdogs that could make waves on Friday at the men's NCAA Tournament.

One of the big headlines from the tournament's first day on Thursday was Nebraska breaking a 40-year drought and winning its first tournament game. One day later, another Big Ten team is trying to put an end to a different kind of streak.

The Iowa Hawkeyes haven't made the Sweet 16 since ... 1999.

The first step to getting to the tournament's second weekend begins today when the ninth-seeded Hawkeyes face eight-seeded Clemson in Tampa, Florida. Both the Tigers and Hawkeyes rank 192nd or worst in scoring average, meaning this could be a defensive battle.

The women's NCAA tournament has tipped off, with third-seeded Duke facing Charleston in the first game of a busy day. Duke holds an early three-point lead. Today will also feature such notable teams including No. 1 seed Texas and second-seeded LSU and Michigan.

Ali Farokhmanesh, remember that name? In 2010, he helped Northern Iowa upset Kansas, in a nine-seed over one-seed upset. Both teams happen to be in action today. How fitting.

No. 12 seed Northern Iowa plays No. 5 St. John's at 7:10 p.m., and No. 4 Kansas plays No. 13 California Baptist at 9:45 p.m., in a potential upset watch, according to NBC News' Steve Kornacki. Can the Panthers replicate their March magic? Can the Jayhawks avoid repeating history?

Over the last half-century, only a few handful Division 1 basketball teams have finished the regular season undefeated. The list includes some of the most memorable teams in the history of the sport — Larry Bird’s 1979 Indiana State team, the 1991 Runnin’ Rebels of UNLV and John Calipari’s 2015 Kentucky team full of future NBA stars.

This year, they were joined by ... Miami (Ohio), a midsized public school in Oxford, tucked in the southwest corner of the state. The RedHawks play in the Mid-American Conference, with schools such as Bowling Green and Ball State. Their roster is not stocked with high-profile recruits or players with NBA upside.

But Miami finished the regular season a perfect 31-0, jumped into the Top 25 rankings and became the talk of college basketball. Despite losing in their conference tournament, they made the NCAA Tournament and face No. 6 seed Tennessee at 4:25 p.m. ET.

The Florida Gators, the reigning national champion, looked like a contender to repeat while winning the SEC regular-season title by going 16-2 in conference play this season. That included an 11-game winning streak.

And yet, there is some question about this roster's ability to repeat after it was routed, 91-74, in the SEC tournament by Vanderbilt. It wasn't enough to drop the Gators below a No. 1 seed, but it will dampen some of the enthusiasm about their title chances.

Prairie View A&M earned the 16 seed by beating Lehigh on Wednesday in the "First Four" round.

Drew Dinsick chats with Jay Croucher about the favorites he likes the most on Friday at the men's NCAA Tournament.

The Huskies are one of only 12 high-major teams this season with all five starters averaging double-digit points on the season. It helped UConn win 18 consecutive games in one stretch and earn a No. 2 seed entering today's NCAA tournament first round against 15th-seeded Furman.

The Huskies have won their tournament opener each of the last three years. This is Furman's first tournament berth since 2023.

NBA Showtime makes their official Final Four predictions ahead of the NCAA Tournament.

Peterson, a guard that has NBA fans (and teams) salivating, is expected to be the top pick in the upcoming draft. His No. 4 Jayhawks tip off at 9:45 p.m. ET against California Baptist. What makes him so special? Here's what Jeremy Woo of ESPN told NBC News earlier this week:

“When he’s at his best, there’s no better scorer in college,” Woo said. “His shooting, his ability to get to his shot off the dribble, he’s good at everything when he has it going. He’s also an underrated defender at this point.”

Woo added: “He’s one of the most talented guards we’ve seen in the last decade or so in terms of skill or scoring ability.”

How about Santa Clara, perhaps? The Broncos were last in the NCAA tournament in 1996, when a freshman point guard from Canada named Steve Nash beat Maryland in a first-round upset.

Santa Clara plays in the West Coast Conference, which sent three teams to the Big Dance this year — joining Gonzaga and Saint Mary's — for only the fourth time in the conference's history.

Drew Dinsick and Jay Croucher discuss the best ways to go about betting the Most Outstanding Player in the men's NCAA Tournament.