JUSTIN MOORE

The last three times the Jayhawks and Wildcats have met in the tournament, the winner has gone on to win it all. Playing without injured guard Justin Moore, Villanova (31-7) watched as Kansas scored the game’s first 10 points and eventually built a 19-point cushion. The Jayhawks’ lead soon stretched to 15 midway through the first half before Jay Wright finally called timeout. “This is legit revenge for 2018,” tweeted the Mavericks’ Jalen Brunson, who had a big role for Villanova that night. McCormack finally made them pay for going small with a rim-rattling dunk that gave Kansas control again with 10:25 to play.

Villanova needed Justin Moore on offense, to add another scoring threat and spread the floor.

David McCormack muscled his way to 25 points, Ochai Agbaji added 21 and hot-shooting Kansas withstood every Villanova run for a 81-65 victory Saturday night that sent the Jayhawks back to the national title game.

The Jayhawks and the Tar Heels advance to the final of the men's NCAA basketball tournament. Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski had announced he would retire at the end of the season.

Odds are now out for both of Saturday’s matchups - Villanova vs. Kansas and UNC vs. Duke - so let’s dive into them. New players can click here to sign up with this FanDuel Sportsbook promo code and lock in this $150 instant bonus. Aside from the rivalry, the narrative of Coach K’s potential final game unthinkably being a loss to Duke’s archrivals will push some bettors toward the Blue Devils’ side. Caesars Sportsbook promo code MLIVEMAR2 unlocks a can’t-miss Bet $20, Win $200 Final Four bonus, where just one point from your team earns you $200. A promo code also exists for those who would prefer their sign-up bonus to be a $1,100 risk-free first bet.

Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski's final chapter will have a distinctly blue tint.

Villanova guard and second-leading scorer Justin Moore will undergo surgery this week for a torn Achilles tendon.

Jermaine Samuels scored 22 points and Villanova controlled Michigan in a 63-55 Sweet 16 victory in the NCAA Tournament.

Pickswise provides exclusive sports betting content to MLive.com, including picks, analysis, tools, games and sportsbook offers to help bettors get in on the action. Villanova -5.5 (-110) over Ohio StateOhio State will try to upset Villanova here, and we’re not optimistic about their chances. Villanova has one of the most efficient offenses in the nation, and they just dropped 80 points in the Round of 64. Miami’s offense looked stagnant for much of their Round of 64 matchup, and senior leader Kameron McGusty shot just 5-for-18. MORE STORIES:Check your standings in the Bracket ChallengeMichigan State vs. Duke: Best bets for the NCAA Tournament second-round matchup on SundayIs Saint Peter’s is the greatest Cinderella in NCAA Tournament history?

Justin Moore scored 21 points and second-seeded Villanova had little trouble with 15th-seeded Delaware, winning 80-60 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Collin Gillespie nailed consecutive 3-pointers late in the game that put No. 8 Villanova ahead for good, and the Wildcats beat Creighton 54-48 to win the Big East Tournament championship at Madison Square Garden.

Collin Gillespie had five 3-pointers and a career-high 33 points, including a key 3 with 23 seconds left, and 10th-ranked Villanova held on to beat eighth-ranked Providence 89-84.

Justin Lewis buried a 3 from the top of the arc with 11.5 seconds left to send Marquette to a 57-54 win over No. 11 Villanova.

Collin Gillespie hit five 3-pointers and scored 17 points, and Justin Moore scored 15 points to lead No. 14 Villanova to an 82-42 win over Butler.

Ryan Hawkins scored 19 points to lead four players in double figures and Creighton closed with a flurry in a 79-59 victory over No. 9 Villanova in the Big East opener for both teams.

James Akinjo had 16 points with seven rebounds and second-ranked Baylor defensively dominated No. 6 Villanova 57-36.

Zach Edey scored 21 points and No. 6 Purdue overcame an 11-point second-half deficit to beat No. 5 Villanova 80-74 and win the Hall of Fame Tip-Off Tournament.

Johnny Juzang scored 25 points and No. 2 UCLA overcame a 10-point, second-half deficit before taking control in overtime to beat fourth-ranked Villanova 86-77.

Carmine’s Italian Restaurant has released a new surveillance video showing the moments that led up to the assault of an Asian American hostess in its Upper West Side location last week. Why it matters: The video adds to the evidence surrounding the now-viral incident in New York City, which triggered a Black Lives Matter protest outside the restaurant on Monday. In their defense, Kaeita Nkeenge Rankin, 44, Tyonnie Keshay Rankin, 21, and Sally Rechelle Lewis, 49, claimed that the hostess accused them of presenting fake COVID-19 vaccine cards.

The chaotic scene at the restaurant was captured on cellphone video. In the immediate aftermath, police charged the three women with assault.

A lawyer representing a woman who was part of a group of Black female tourists who allegedly physically attacked an Asian restaurant hostess in New York City has claimed the employee instigated the physical altercation by using a racial slur. The initial report: The scuffle broke out in the Upper West Side after the Asian hostess asked the three diners from Texas to show proof of vaccination before entering Carmine’s Italian restaurant in Upper West Side on Thursday, Sept. 16, NBC News New York reported. Carmine’s on the UWS says a hostess was assaulted after asking a group for proof of Covid vaccine to eat inside.

An attorney for a woman involved in a scuffle at a New York restaurant over a vaccine requirement says his client was racially discriminated against.

Three Texas tourists accused of attacking a hostess at an Upper West Side restaurant for questioning their COVID-19 vaccination cards claim they were racially profiled and demand the hostess — who they say was the aggressor — be fired. “This hostess clearly has some anger management issues and unfortunately her aggression and her violence led to something that three Black women are being ...

Davion Mitchell, a 46% shooter from 3 this season, went 0 for 3 from long range on a 14-point day. Jared Butler scored nine points on 1-for-9 shooting from 3, and MaCio Teague had five points without a 3. The guards did a great job of not settling and probing more.”Because of that, Baylor shot 53% in the second half, even though it made only one 3. Constantly harassing Villanova shooters who'd carved out space in the first half, Baylor held Villanova to 37.5% shooting in the second and 0 for 9 from 3. Forward Brandon Slater left the game about midway through the second half after landing awkwardly during a fight for a rebound.

The Hoyas are back in the Big East Tournament semifinals for the first time in six years, with the former Georgetown and Knicks star leading the way. Georgetown last reached the Big East semifinals in 2015. “We played against the Cadillac, the Bentley, whatever you want to call them, of the Big East — the class of the Big East. The quarterfinal day at the Garden is often the best of the Big East Tournament. They had not won even a single Big East Tournament game since 2016 before beating Marquette in the first round Wednesday.

(AP Photo/Stew Milne)David Duke made a tiebreaking tip-in with 2.8 seconds left on Saturday and Providence held on after blowing a 20-point lead to beat No. Duke and Nate Watson scored 20 points apiece, and Noah Horchler had 10 points and 13 rebounds for Providence (13-12, 9-10 Big East). PC led 38-18 in the first before Villanova scored the first 11 points of the second. He joined Gillespie on the bench for the second half, wearing a boot. SECOND HALF WOESProvidence took an 11-point lead into halftime in its last game, against St. John’s on Wednesday.

McDermott’s use of a phrase evoking slavery overshadowed what was expected to be fantastic showdown between the top two teams in the Big East. 10 Villanova capture the Big East title with a 72-60 win over 14th-ranked Creighton. “The pain I saw in their eyes was immense,” McDermott said after the game. The Big East title was a formality on the Main Line — Villanova is 114-26 with two national titles since the conference was reconfigured in 2013. BIG PICTURECreighton: McDermott isn’t off the hot seat yet.

The Bluejays pulled away early in the second half of the meeting of the Big East's top two teams. Early in the second half, Zegarowski made a move to get Gillespie to go the other way, then swished a one-handed floater in the lane. The Wildcats had shot 70% in the second half of that game and a season-best 63% overall. The Wildcats weren't nearly as good at CHI Health Center, shooting 33% in the second half and 37.5% for the game. Creighton: This was the performance the Bluejays had been looking for from Zegarowski, who had been up and down following offseason knee surgery.

3 Villanova went up by 16 points in the second half, Jay Wright never felt comfortable against Seton Hall. Jeremiah Robinson-Earl scored 23 points in a foul-plagued 21 minutes and Villanova rolled to ninth straight victory with an unexpectedly easy 80-72 decision over Seton Hall on Saturday. Seton Hall coach Kevin Willard was disappointed. That kills you against really good teams.”UP NEXTVillanova: at St. John's on Wednesday. Seton Hall: at Providence on Wednesday.

3 Villanova win its first game in 27 days, 76-74 over Seton Hall on Tuesday night. Mamukelashvili scored 23 points and Rhoden had 19. Myles Cale pulled Seton Hall to 72-70 with 2:33 left and Nova’s Justin Moore was whistled for an offensive foul. Mamukelashvili tied it and the Seton Hall bench started chanting “Defense! Gillespie missed a 3 and Shavar Reynolds grabbed the defensive board to set up a late look for Seton Hall.