Final Four set, a question left: Can anybody beat Gonzaga?
(AP Photo/Darron Cummings)Itโs not easy to bury a team as good as USC, let alone in a half, no matter how easy Gonzaga made it look. He asked Few the day before their game against the high-flying Trojans whether his defense was getting lost in the shuffle. โObviously, I think heโs the best defender in the country,โ Baylor coach Scott Drew said. Then Baylorโs bout with the virus came late in the season, requiring a pause of three weeks plus. After everything else fans weathered throughout this wacky season, a few more days might finally deliver a national championship game worth the wait.
Juzang sends No. 11 seed UCLA past Michigan to Final Four
(AP Photo/Michael Conroy)INDIANAPOLIS โ UCLA has made more trips to the Final Four than any program but North Carolina. AdThey were clinging to a 50-49 lead when Michigan called a timeout with 19 seconds to go, intending to set up the game's final shot. The buzzer sounded and UCLA began to celebrate, only for the officials to put a half-second back on the clock. They were 3 of 11 beyond the arc, shot 39% overall and couldn't make one at the end. UCLA won a regional semifinal in 2006 and the Bulldogs returned the favor in the 2015 regional semifinals.
Gonzaga's bid for a perfect season moves on to Final Four
Gonzaga (30-0) has been an offensive juggernaut rarely seen in college basketball. AdโEveryone wants us to keep moving forward, but thatโs not how we roll,โ Gonzaga coach Mark Few said. That doesnโt lessen our desire to win this game, the next game or win two more games.โThe next one won't be easy. The Bears were embroiled in one of the darkest scandals in college basketball history, when Patrick Dennehy was murdered by teammate Carlton Dotson in 2003. They played in the Final Four.โ___More AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/College-basketball and http://www.twitter.com/AP_Top25
Quite a show: Zags stay undefeated with 85-66 win over USC
On Saturday in the national semifinals, the Zags will face 11th-seeded UCLA, which beat Michigan 51-49 in a later Elite Eight game. All-American Corey Kispert had 18 points and eight boards on an โoffโ night โ only 6 for 19 from the floor. โWe just tried to stay moving,โ Suggs said about attacking the USC zone, which had been shutting down teams all month in Indy. โIt was a little surprising," USC coach Andy Enfield said, โbecause we'd been playing great basketball.โThe Zags have a way about doing that to people. ALL-WEST TEAMThe All-region team included both Mobley brothers, Suggs, Kispert and Timme, who was named the West's most outstanding player.
Baylor beats Arkansas 81-72 for first Final Four in 71 years
(AP Photo/Michael Conroy)INDIANAPOLIS โ Baylor reached the Final Four for the first time in 71 years, getting 22 points from MaCio Teague and a dominating defensive performance from Davion Mitchell to beat Arkansas 81-72 on Monday night. The South Region final was a reunion of former Southwest Conference programs aiming to join another (Houston) in the Final Four. The Bears ran away from there, right into next weekend's Final Four against the Cougars. Mitchell led the stiff-arm charge as Arkansas missed 12 straight shots and Teague hit a pair of 3-pointers to put it out of reach. AdThe expected fast-twitch South Region final was going to be a drought-ender, just a matter of how long.
Houston tops Oregon State, reaches 1st Final Four since '84
Yes, Houston is going back to the Final Four for the first time since the famed โPhi Slama Jamaโ 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 โ the American Athletic Conference's defensive player of the year who led the effort that stymied Oregon State star Ethan Thompson โ who was named the most outstanding player of the Midwest Region. โIt was right there within our grasp with the effort we showed in the second half,โ Oregon State coach Wayne Tinkle said. They held the Beavers to 35% shooting in the first half before Oregon State found some openings.
What To Watch: Michigan seeks to keep Big Ten alive in NCAAs
4 seed Florida State (18-6) vs. No. 1 seed Michigan (22-4), East Region semifinal, Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis. Michigan has withstood an injury to second-leading scorer Isaiah Livers to become the last team remaining from the Big Tenโs nine NCAA Tournament selections. Florida State has allowed its first two NCAA Tournament foes to shoot just 33.6% and average 53.5 points. Michigan is averaging 84 points in the NCAA Tournament.
Shaka Smart leaves Texas to take over Marquette's program
(AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)MILWAUKEE โ Shaka Smart is leaving Texas to coach Marquette. Texas went 19-8 this season and won the Big 12 Tournament before its early NCAA exit. Texas hired him to replace Rick Barnes, who was fired after making the NCAA Tournament 16 times in 17 seasons. 4 in the Associated Press Top 25 and were ninth heading into the NCAA Tournament. AdThis season, Texas had two players, Greg Brown and Kai Jones, who project as likely first-round picks.
Big Ten comeback: Michigan topples LSU 86-78
(AP Photo/Darron Cummings)INDIANAPOLIS โ What the Big Ten needed was someone, anyone, to start playing like it came from the Big Ten. Seven of nine teams from the conference had departed before coach Juwan Howard brought Michigan (22-4) to the court for its second-round game in the East region. But during the 14-1 stretch that opened things up, Michigan did what typical Big Ten teams are supposed to do. Most-telling stat of the night was points off the bench: Michigan 26, LSU 2. His 27 points kept LSU in range in the second half, but Wagner rejected him underneath at the end of that stretch.
No. 1 Michigan basketball knocks off No. 8 LSU to advance to Sweet 16
Chaundee Brown #15 of the Michigan Wolverines reacts to beating the LSU Tigers in the second round game of the 2021 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium on March 22, 2021 in Indianapolis, Indiana. 1 seed Michigan basketball knocked off No. 8 seed LSU on Monday to clinch a spot in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. Wagner ended up with 15 points, seven rebounds and two assists. 11 seed Michigan State have all been eliminated.
Grimes helps No. 2 seed Houston rally past Rutgers, 63-60
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.
Texas upset again as Smart fails to recapture March glory
(AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)INDIANAPOLIS โ Shaka Smart pulled off one of the most memorable Cinderella runs in NCAA Tournament history, taking VCU from the First Four to the Final Four in 2011. But as Texas coach, Smart is 1-3 in three tournament appearances during his six seasons. Texas was bounced from the NCAA Tournament as a No. He seemed like a slam dunk hire in 2015 after he had turned VCU into an NCAA Tournament regular. โReally feel for our guys right now because up until tonight we had a phenomenal season,โ Smart said.
No. 5 Creighton beats 12th-seeded UCSB 63-62 with clutch FTs
โIt felt really good to step up to the line and hit those two big free throws,โ Bishop said. He received a one-game suspension and returned for the Big East Tournament last week. AdThe Bluejays' season will continue Monday in the West Region against 13th-seeded Ohio thanks to some unlikely clutch foul shooting. Creighton grabbed the lead back with 3:08 remaining when Bishop finished a pick-and-roll with a reverse two-handed dunk to make it 59-58. BIG PICTUREUC Santa Barbara: The Gauchos started fast, making nine of their first 12 shots and taking a 23-15 lead.
North Texas comes up big with 78-69 upset over Purdue
For an underdog named Javion Hamlet and his group of scrapping North Texas teammates, that was an easy question. โIโve been waiting for this opportunity my whole life, just to show the world who Javion Hamlet is,โ he said. North Texasโ pesky defense held them to 36% from the field. โYou never know what happens when you get out there and scrap,โ North Texas coach Grant McCasland said. North Texas moves on to play Friday nightโs winner between Winthrop and Villanova.
Big Ten moves men's tournament from Chicago to Indianapolis
FILE - Big Ten signage is shown outside The Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, in this March 12, 2020, file photo. Big Ten officials have decided to move next month's men's basketball tournament from Chicago to Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy, File)INDIANAPOLIS โ The Big Ten Conference announced Tuesday that its men's basketball tournament will move from Chicago to Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, the site of this year's Final Four. Big Ten officials see the advantages of Indianapolis as a tournament site, especially amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Local leaders have spent two months scrambling to accommodate the NCAA, which announced last month that all 67 men's tourney games will be played in Indianapolis and its surrounding communities.
The Latest: Howard U cancels remainder of men's hoops season
Top prospect Makur Maker was limited to 23 points in 48 minutes over just two games during his freshman season. ___The NFL reports it had no positive tests for players and one positive among other personnel during Super Bowl week. Itโs the 34th game postponed so far this season, which is roughly a quarter of the way through. ___Ryder Cup captain Padraig Harrington has tested positive for the coronavirus and has withdrawn from the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Three staff members and one management official have also tested positive at the club.
One-city March Madness leads to more straightforward bracket
There could still be exceptions, mainly to avoid repetitive matchups of conference teams who played each other during the regular season. But in general, the committee will put the top four overall seeds in separate sections of the bracket, with the No. 1 overall seed in the same section with the No. 8 overall seed, the top No. 7 overall seed and the same approach for 3 vs. 6 and 4 vs. 5.
Northwestern football vs. UNLV: Time, TV schedule, game preview, score
Head coach Pat Fitzgerald of the Northwestern Wildcats reacts after blocked field goal against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the fourth quarter at Lucas Oil Stadium on December 01, 2018 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)EVANSTON, Ill. - Northwestern looks to bounce back from a humbling Week 1 loss when it hosts UNLV on Saturday. LINE: Northwestern -20"The sky's not falling and I don't want to be disrespectful but we're in a one-score game with a first-time starter on the road against a top 25 team," Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald told reporters. "It's an unacceptable deal because we're a better football team than that," UNLV coach Tony Sanchez told reporters. PREDICTION: Northwestern 31, UNLV 13More college football scoresCopyright 2019 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit - All rights reserved.