David Mirkovic had 14 points and 10 rebounds, and third-seeded Illinois flexed its defensive muscles to eliminate last year’s national runner-up from the NCAA Tournament, beating Houston 65-55 in the South Region semifinals.

The regional semifinals, better known as the Sweet 16, are up next in the NCAA Tournament.

Matas Vokietaitis had 23 points and 16 rebounds, and No. 11 seed Texas knocked off sixth-seeded BYU 79-71 on Thursday in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament, overcoming 35 points from Cougars forward AJ Dybantsa.

Arizona beats Iowa State 82 to 80 in a Big 12 Tournament semifinal after Jaden Bradley hits a last-second jumper.

Tre White scored a season-high 23 points and No. 14 Kansas bounced back from a surprising defeat with a 69-56 victory over No. 5 Houston.

Anthony Dell’Orso tied a season high with 22 points and No. 4 Arizona toppled second-ranked Houston 73-66 on Saturday to move into sole possession of first place in the Big 12 conference.

Nate Heise hit a go-ahead 3-pointer and Tamin Lipsey came up with an offensive rebound in the final seconds to cap No. 6 Iowa State’s rally in a 70-67 victory over Big 12 leader and second-ranked Houston on Monday night.

Robert Wright III answered the boos in his return to Baylor, posting the first 30-point game of his career as No. 22 BYU ended a four-game losing streak with a 99-94 victory over the Bears.

Brayden Burries scored 29 points and made the game-saving block in the final seconds as top-ranked Arizona remained unbeaten by holding off a furious rally from No. 13 BYU for an 86-83 victory.

A.

A.

AJ Dybantsa had 33 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists to lead No. 10 BYU to a 109-81 victory over Eastern Washington.

Bear Bachmeier threw for 289 yards and a touchdown to help No. 11 BYU beat UCF 41-21.

Ja'Kobi Gillespie scored 22 points, including six free throws in the final 35 seconds, to lead No. 17 Tennessee to a 76-73 victory over No. 3 Houston in the Players Era Championship.

The state of Utah is having a banner college football season.

The Players Era has quickly become a top early season college basketball tournament.

Silas Demary Jr. scored 21 points and made a crucial steal to help third-ranked UConn hold off a late rally by No. 7 BYU for an 86-84 victory.

Stone Harrington kicked a school-record five field goals and Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez had two takeaways as the No. 9 Red Red Raiders beat eighth-ranked BYU 29-7.

The Big 12 has two teams in the top 10 of the Associated Press Top 25 college football poll for the first time in two years.

The latest AP Top 25 rankings have two Big 12 college football teams in the top 10 for the first time in two years.

Trinidad Chambliss threw for two touchdowns and ran for another score to lead No. 4 Mississippi over Washington State 24-21.

Bear Bachmeier threw for a career-high 351 yards and a touchdown to lead No. 23 BYU to a 38-24 victory over West Virginia on Friday night.

Houston coach Willie Fritz has seen it all in college football.

BYU quarterback Jake Retzlaff is transferring after a tumultuous few months that included being named in a civil sexual assault suit that was later dismissed.

The end of national championship game was gritty and ugly, just the way Houston usually likes it.

Florida and Walter Clayton Jr. somehow overcame Houston’s spirit-crushing defense Monday night to will out a 65-63 victory in an NCAA title-game thriller not decided until Clayton’s own D stopped the Cougars from taking a game-winning shot at the buzzer.

J’Wan Roberts has been at Houston for six seasons and played in 149 wins for the Cougars.

Florida has gone from being picked to finish sixth in the rugged Southeastern Conference to playing for national championship.

Duke's push for its sixth national championship ended abruptly and in unlikely fashion with the Blue Devils squandering a double-digit second-half lead.

Houston’s suffocating defense wiped away a 14-point deficit over the final eight minutes and erased Cooper Flagg and Duke’s title hopes Saturday in a 70-67 stunner over the Blue Devils at the Final Four.

Houston’s relentless defense confused and harassed Tennessee and carried the Cougars into their seventh Final Four and first since 2021, with L.

Houston coach Kelvin Sampson knows his team can always rely on defense to win games.

LJ Cryer matched a career high with 30 points, including two free throws with 14.2 seconds left, and No. 1 seed Houston held on to beat eighth-seeded Gonzaga 81-76 on Saturday night to reach the Sweet 16 for the sixth straight NCAA Tournament.

The hopes of No. 1 seed Houston of cutting down the NCAA Tournament nets might rest on J’Wan Roberts’ ailing right ankle.

And then there were 1s.

Duke has ended Auburn’s eight-week stay at No. 1 in the AP Top 25 men’s college basketball poll.

L.

L.

Kansas has reached a low point with its uncharacteristic struggles in Big 12 play.

No. 7 Houston’s game against Utah scheduled for Tuesday night has been pushed back to Wednesday because of severe weather forecast for the Houston area.

Cougars are known to be solitary and secretive animals, rarely seen in the wild. They’re known for their strength, agility, and ability to jump. Cougar attacks on humans are extremely rare.

Everett Hayes kicked a 55-yard field goal with 20 seconds left and Oregon State snapped a five-game losing streak with a 41-38 victory over No. 25 Washington State in what was essentially this season’s Pac-12 championship.

Cam Skattebo ran for 147 yards and three touchdowns, Sam Leavitt threw for 247 yards and a score, and No. 21 Arizona State beat No. 14 BYU 28-23.

Oregon remains the unanimous No. 1 team in The Associated Press Top 25 college football poll after its close call at Wisconsin.

Jalon Daniels threw for 169 yards, Dylan Neal ran for two touchdowns and Kansas upset No. 7 BYU 17-13 on Saturday night to hand the Cougars their first loss of the season.

Utah athletic director Mark Harlan blasted the Big 12 officiating crew following BYU’s 22-21 win over the Utes for controversial calls on the Cougars’ winning drive.

Coach Deion Sanders and 21st-ranked Colorado play their first November game tied for second place in the Big 12 conference.

Jake Retzlaff threw a 35-yard touchdown pass to Darius Lassiter with 10 seconds left and No. 13 BYU remained undefeated, outlasting Oklahoma State 38-35 on Friday night.

Longtime Associated Press Top 25 voter Kirk Bohls of the Houston Chronicle said this week's ballot was the most difficult he's had to fill out.

BYU basketball coach Mark Pope is negotiating with Kentucky to succeed John Calipari, according to multiple reports.

Houston coach Kelvin Sampson is the Associated Press coach of the year for men's college basketball.

Washington State has hired David Riley as its basketball coach, nabbing the two-time Big Sky Conference coach of the year at a time of uncertainty for the Cougars.

Houston point guard Jamal Shead exited the Cougars' Sweet 16 loss to Duke with 6 1/2 minutes left in the first half after his right foot turned awkwardly on a move to the basket.

Dae Dae Grant scored 19 points to help No. 11 seed Duquesne keep retiring coach Keith Dambrot working a little bit longer with a 71-67 victory against sixth-seeded BYU in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

BYU forward Aly Khalifa will play against Duquesne on Thursday without having any food or drink after sunrise as he observes Ramadan during the NCAA Tournament.

Bill Self feels pretty good about Hunter Dickinson’s availability for the NCAA Tournament.

Houston claimed a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament for the second straight year, but will have to navigate the likes of Duke, Kentucky and Marquette in the South Region if the Cougars are able to make their first Final Four since 2021.

Milan Momcilovic had 18 points and Keshon Gilbert scored 16 as No. 7 Iowa State used a big second-half to rout No. 1 Houston 69-41 in the Big 12 Tournament final.

L.

Houston remains atop the AP Top 25 men’s college basketball poll for the third consecutive week.

Jamal Shead had 13 points, six rebounds and eight assists, Damian Dunn added 12 points and No. 1 Houston claimed the Big 12 regular-season title in its first season in the conference, dominating No. 14 Kansas 76-46 on Saturday.

Jamal Shead hit a short follow shot with 0.4 seconds left and No. 1 Houston beat Oklahoma 87-85 on Saturday night, giving coach Kelvin Sampson a victory over one of his former schools.

Dallin Hall and Jaxson Robinson scored 18 points apiece as BYU rallied from a 12-point deficit to beat seventh-ranked Kansas 76-68, ending the Jayhawks’ 19-game home winning streak in their first matchup as Big 12 foes.

Now it’s Houston’s turn at the top of The Associated Press men’s college basketball poll.

Aly Khalifa had 14 points, seven assists, and seven rebounds to lead No. 25 BYU to a 78-71 victory over No. 11 Baylor on Tuesday night.

Bella Murekatete scored 20 points, Eleonora Villa added 18 and Washington State held on for a 85-82 victory over No. 2 UCLA despite All-Pac-12 guard Charlisse Leger-Walker suffering a knee injury during the second half.

Emanuel Miller’s layup with six seconds left gave TCU a 68-67 victory over No. 2 Houston on Saturday, the Cougars’ second straight loss.

Isaac Jones had 24 points and 13 rebounds and Washington State upset No. 8 Arizona 73-70 on Saturday.

Purdue is still atop the AP Top 25 but Houston has jumped Kansas into second place as the last unbeaten team in Division I men’s college basketball.

Ollie Gordon II ran for his fifth touchdown of the game in the second overtime, and No. 21 Oklahoma State rallied from an 18-point deficit to beat BYU 40-34, securing a spot in the Big 12 Championship game.

Noah Fifita threw for 342 yards, Jonah Coleman had 168 yards and three rushing touchdowns and Arizona forced three turnovers in a 44-6 victory over No. 19 Washington State on Saturday night.

Josh Kelly had three touchdown receptions, Cameron Ward passed for 404 yards and accounted for five scores, and No. 21 Washington State withstood a late rally to upend No. 14 Oregon State 38-35 in the Pac-12 Conference opener for both teams.

Cougars are known to be solitary and secretive animals, rarely seen in the wild. They’re known for their strength, agility, and ability to jump. Cougar attacks on humans are extremely rare.

Houston was the lone No. 1 seed left in the tournament for about 30 minutes on Friday night, until its own run ended with an 89-75 loss to Miami in the Sweet 16.

Underdogs have blown up every bracket in the country in what may be the maddest March ever.

The Washington State Cougars have adopted Shania Twain's “Man, I Feel Like A Woman” song as their official anthem on the way to March Madness.

Alabama rolls in as the top overall seed in an NCAA Tournament that feels both familiar and foreign this season.

Picking the NCAA Tournament bracket comes with plenty of potential pitfalls.

Kendric Davis scored 31 points and Memphis held on to beat No. 1 Houston 75-65 in the American Athletic Conference tournament championship game.

The NCAA Tournament has reached Sweet 16 weekend in the battle for the national championship in men’s basketball.

Houston returned to No. 1 in the AP men’s college basketball poll for the third time this season while Northwestern and Texas A&M barged into the rankings after each had a pair of impressive wins last week.

Purdue is back at No. 1 in the AP Top 25.

Ben Burnham scored 15 points to lead No. 18 Charleston to its 20th win in a row, an 87-61 victory over Northeastern.

Houston and Kansas remain firmly atop The Associated Press men’s college basketball poll after a record weekend of Top 25 losses.

Houston and Texas remain firmly entrenched atop The Associated Press men’s college basketball poll.

There may be no reason to put second-ranked Alabama and No. 17 Baylor on upset alert even though both are playing Sun Belt Conference teams in Week 3.

Cougars are now listed as an endangered species in Michigan and have been spotted on 76 occasions since 2008.

Jermaine Samuels had 16 points and 10 rebounds as Villanova advanced to its third Final Four in the last six NCAA Tournaments with a 50-44 victory over Houston in the South Region final.

Dylan Hopkins broke the Independence Bowl record for completion percentage in wind and driving rain, connecting on 19 of 23 passes for 189 yards and three touchdowns in UAB’s 31-28 victory over No. 12 BYU on Saturday.

Clayton Tune threw for 264 yards and a touchdown and ran for another score as No. 17 Houston extended its winning streak to 10 games with a 31-13 victory over Memphis.

The Michigan DNR has confirmed 10 cougar sightings in 2021, all in the Upper Peninsula, continuing an upward trend in sightings over the last few years.

Abram Smith ran for 188 yards with three touchdowns and Baylor beat future Big 12 foe and 19th-ranked BYU 38-24.

Hank Bachmeier threw for 172 yards and Boise State forced four turnovers in a 26-17 upset victory over No. 10 BYU on Saturday.

Tyler Allgeier ran for a career-high 218 yards and three touchdowns to help No. 13 BYU beat Utah State 34-20 on Friday night.

A deal BYU has made available to its football players could test how much allowing athletes to be compensated by outside companies for name, image and likeness can be used as a competitive advantage.

Yes, Houston is going back to the Final Four for the first time since the famed “Phi Slama Jama” era after Monday night's 67-61 win against Oregon State. And Houston knocked down enough free throws late while holding Oregon State without a basket during a critical 3 1/2 minutes. Fittingly, it was DeJon Jarreau — the American Athletic Conference's defensive player of the year who led the effort that stymied Oregon State star Ethan Thompson — who was named the most outstanding player of the Midwest Region. “It was right there within our grasp with the effort we showed in the second half,” Oregon State coach Wayne Tinkle said. They held the Beavers to 35% shooting in the first half before Oregon State found some openings.

Now it's taken coach Kelvin Sampson's team somewhere new: the program's deepest NCAA Tournament run since the days of Olajuwon, Drexler and the famed “Phi Slama Jama." That sent the second-seeded Cougars through to their first regional final in 37 years, earning a matchup with No. Houston (27-3) came in holding opponents to a national-low 37.3% shooting, and then harassed Syracuse (18-10) into just 28% (14 for 50). “It’s the best defense that that we’ve seen this year and they deserved to win,” coach Jim Boeheim said. Syracuse had shot at least 52% each time while making 29 3-pointers — but there would be no repeat of that unexpected 2016 Final Four run thanks to Houston's defense.

The Cougars play No. By the time the first half ended, and the Scarlet Knights had forged a 30-27 lead, Rutgers and Houston each had two regulars mired in foul trouble. AdChaney took a seat with his fourth with 15:45 left and the Scarlet Knights went on the attack. And by the time there was 10 minutes to go, the Scarlet Knights had meticulously built a 50-40 lead. UP NEXTThe Cougars play the Orange next weekend for a spot in the Elite Eight.

UCLA basketball players celebrate their win over BYU after a first-round game in the NCAA college basketball tournament at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Saturday, March 20, 2021. 11 seed Bruins rally past Michigan State in the First Four, Juzang poured in 27 points against sixth-seeded BYU on Saturday night, carrying his team to a 73-62 victory and the second round of the East Region. This is the height of college basketball,” Juzang said, “and playing for the Bruins — I'm from Los Angeles. He's scouting Abilene Christian and he told me they would win,” UCLA coach Mick Cronin said. There's a number of things we can take from this game to get better,” BYU coach Mark Pope said.

7 Houston beat Cincinnati 91-54 on Sunday in the third consecutive American Athletic Conference tournament championship game between the two teams. AdThe Bearcats had won the previous two AAC title game matchups before last year’s tournaments were canceled because of COVID-19 after Houston had won its second consecutive AAC regular-season title. This was the most lopsided AAC tournament final game, surpassing SMU's 15-point win over Cincinnati in 2017. The Bearcats got to their fourth consecutive AAC tournament title game with a 60-59 win over the top-seeded Shockers in their semifinal game Saturday. AdHouston: The Cougars are going to their third consecutive NCAA Tournament.