NCAA BK PREVIEWS Thursday, Mar 17

[CNOTES]

Preview: Bulldogs (22-10) at Cavaliers (27-7)
Date: March 19, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) The Cavaliers want Virginia coach Tony Bennett to keep himself hydrated.


Butler wants to make him sweat.


The top-seeded Cavaliers (27-7) expect a challenge from ninth-seeded Bulldogs (22-10) on Saturday night in the second round of the Midwest Regional.


'You realize you're more aware that you've got to play at a high level,' Bennett said. 'I think our guys have a belief (that) if we play well, we'll have a chance to advance. They truly understand if we don't, we won't.'


For the Cavaliers, a win will send them to their ninth Sweet 16 and their second in three years.


It also will move the accomplished senior class - led by Atlantic Coast Conference player of the year Malcolm Brogdon and Anthony Gill - to the brink of becoming the most accomplished class in school history.


They made it look easy against No. 16 seed Hampton, rolling to an 81-45 victory in which the only drama came when Bennett collapsed on the court and later blamed it on dehydration, dizziness and feeling ill earlier in the week.


He left the court with a few seconds remaining in the first half, but was back for the final 20 minutes and says his mother was worried about him while he shared a laugh about it over the phone with his father, longtime coach Dick Bennett.


'I've been his assistant and I've seen him jump up quick and have to put his hand on the floor and almost pass out,' he said. 'We were kind of chuckling about that.'


His team is bracing for a battle with Butler.


After beating Texas Tech in the first round, the Bulldogs have won at least one game in nine of their last 10 NCAA Tournaments. And they've taken down No. 1 seeds twice since 2010, when they made the first of two straight national championship game appearances that put the program on the map.


'I wouldn't say that created expectations, but it kind of helps us out because everybody knows who Butler is now,' Roosevelt Jones said. 'Before, when Butler was in the tournament, everybody would be like, `Who's Butler?''


Both teams have shown their shooting touch from 3-point range. Virginia ranks ninth in Division I by making 40.9 percent of their long-range attempts while Butler is 16th at 39.1 percent.


The Cavaliers hit 12 3s in the Hampton win - their most since they made 13 against Long Beach State in November - while the Bulldogs were 5 of 7 from 3-point range in the second half of the Texas Tech win, with Kelan Martin knocking down a pair of critical 3s.


'We know they're an excellent 3-point shooting team but at the same time we're an excellent defensive team,' Brogdon said. 'So the challenge is going to be making all their 3s contested. ... We don't want the 3-ball to be able to carry them throughout the game.'


And what happens when those shots don't fall might be even more important: Virginia - with its deliberate, slow-paced style - ranks 61st nationally in rebounding margin at plus-3.6. Butler is two spots behind at plus-3.5.


'It's going to come down to the little things,' Butler guard Kellen Dunham said. 'Most importantly, I think just getting them off the glass, getting back on defense and making everything just hard, making them shoot over us is going to be the main key.'


---


Some things to know about the Butler-Virginia matchup:


ANALYTICS: Virginia enters as the nation's No. 1 team in Ken Pomeroy's advanced stat rankings while Butler is 37th. The biggest difference is in defensive efficiency, where the Cavaliers rank fourth in the nation while the Bulldogs are just 117th.


LEWIS VS. VIRGINIA: Butler guard Tyler Lewis faced Virginia three times in 2013 and '14 when he was at North Carolina State. He played at least 15 minutes in each game but never scored more than four points against them.


COMMON OPPONENTS: Both Butler and Virginia played Miami and Villanova. The Cavaliers went 2-1 against the Hurricanes and beat the Wildcats. Butler went 0-3 against those two teams, losing twice to Villanova and once to Miami.


AT HOME IN RALEIGH: Gill has been tough to stop in NCAA Tournament games at PNC Arena. The native of High Point - about a 90-minute drive west of Raleigh - averages 16.3 points in three career postseason games here and scored 19 in the Hampton win.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Huskies (25-10) at Jayhawks (31-4)
Date: March 19, 2016 7:45 PM EDT

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) Perry Ellis has a sage look about him, with calm eyes, a trim beard and a receding hairline that actually suggest he's in his 30s like the internet jokesters contend.


No, he didn't play at Kansas with Wilt Chamberlain or Danny Manning, just Joel Embiid and Andrew Wiggins.


Yes, these fine four years for Ellis are finally nearing an end. He's naturally been playing like he doesn't want this seemingly infinite college career to end.


'Definitely, it's a drive in my game,' said Ellis, who has put up 20 or more points in five of the last six games. 'Just knowing this is my last go-round, I'm willing to do whatever it takes to try to win.'


The Jayhawks (31-4) have only reached the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament once with Ellis, a trip to the regional semifinals his freshman season. They were sent home in the round of 32 each of the last two years, but Ellis has been peaking at the right time for a team that brought into the field a bounty of talent as well as the pressure of the No. 1 overall seed.


Kansas coach Bill Self called Ellis as consistent of a player he's had in 13 seasons there.


'He's a rock. He's a guy that we look to score when we're struggling,' Self said. 'He certainly plays a much bigger role than what I think a lot of people give him credit for nationally.'


The Jayhawks will play No. 9 seed Connecticut in a second-round South Region game on Saturday. As much as the trio of Devonte' Graham, Frank Mason III and Wayne Selden Jr. hog the highlights and get this team going, Ellis will be a significant part of the scouting report for the Huskies (25-10).


'Every three levels he can score at,' UConn coach Kevin Ollie said.


Ellis, the once-heralded recruit from Wichita who stayed in his home state, probably needed the full stay to better develop into an NBA prospect unlike the steady stream of one-and-done star players who pop in and out of college basketball these days. The 6-foot-8 Ellis has a forward's skill set that could be caught between the '3' and the '4' positions in the pros.


'We get a false sense of when we're making shots, we forget about Perry,' Graham said, praising his teammate and friend's steadiness and efficiency. 'So we've always got to play through `P,' on any given day.'


Here are some key angles to know about the game:


UNBEATEN OLLIE: The Huskies are 7-0 in the NCAA Tournament with Ollie as the head coach, a remarkable record buoyed by their 2014 national title, but the 43-year-old has downplayed his work on the bench in March.


'I'm just trying to make substitution patterns and read the game. I do my best coaching in practice,' said Ollie, emphasizing the relationship-building he's done with his players to earn their respect.


SVI HIGH: Kansas sophomore Svi Mykhailiuk has predictably come along slowly, considering the transition from his native Ukraine and the fact that he's still only 18, but he gave the Jayhawks a welcomed jolt with a career-high 23 points in the first-round victory over Austin Peay. The long-range shooting specialist hit four of five attempts from 3-point range.


'All indications are that he's very, very happy,' Self said. 'I think frustration does set in when you don't play as much as you want to or play as well as you know you can when you get opportunities. ... At times, he can look a certain way and look great, but he's been a little inconsistent. I think that's pretty apparent, but I think a lot of that's just youth.'


FREE-THROW SECRET: The Huskies lead the country in foul shooting, with six of their top seven scorers making 80 percent or more. Ollie's practice strategy is to randomly blow his whistle amid the intensity of the workout and force a focus on free throws when they're tired. The losers in the contest must sprint some more. If the players make 11 in a row, though, the coaches have to run.


'It spurs them on,' Ollie said.


WAYNE'S WORLD: Selden, who had 14 points the blowout of Austin Peay, grew up in Boston and was heavily recruited by UConn.


'Early that was like a dream school. A lot of guys from Boston went there. It almost seemed like there was a pipeline,' Selden said. 'When I visited Kansas, it fit me right.'


EARLY-ROUND SUCCESS: UConn is 32-5 on the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament in the last 20 appearances since 1990, under coach Jim Calhoun and now Ollie. The Huskies have 10 trips to the final eight in that span.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Bulldogs (27-7) at Utes (27-8)
Date: March 19, 2016 8:40 PM EDT

DENVER (AP) The big man has not played himself completely out of college basketball.


Not out of this year's NCAA Tournament, either.


When Gonzaga and Utah meet Saturday, with a trip to the Sweet 16 on the line, the game will feature two of the best big men in America - 7-foot Jakob Poeltl of the Utes vs. 6-11 Domantas Sabonis of the Bulldogs.


And while it won't resemble Kareem Abdul-Jabbar leaning on Robert Parrish, this one could feel like something of a throwback - a game that could very well be won and lost in the post.


'It's certainly a story line that's going to have a lot to do with the outcome - how they guard (Poeltl), how we guard Sabonis, collectively, how it all plays out,' said Larry Krystkowiak, who coaches the third-seeded Utes.


The advent of the 3-point line nearly three decades ago put an increased value on guards who can shoot and big men who can flash to the wing. That took an emphasis off post play, which, in turn, makes something like Saturday's game a once-in-a-blue-moon event.


Of the two, Poeltl, whose mom played for the Austrian women's volleyball team, is more of the pure post player, while Sabonis, son of former NBA star Arvydas Sabonis, plays inside-out more.


Sabonis averages a double-double, while Poeltl is one rebound short. Their stats in the wins Thursday were eerily similar. Poeltl: 16 points and 18 rebounds. Sabonis: 21 points and 16 rebounds.


'I think we can all agree that he's a very talented player,' Poeltl said. 'I'm definitely looking forward to taking on the challenge.'


Stopping Sabonis seemingly gets tougher by the day. Already an NBA prospect, Sabonis has improved quickly this year, with Gonzaga leaning on him more because of the season-ending injury to their other big man, Przemek Karnowski, in December.


Mark Few, coach of the 11th-seeded Zags, said Sabonis 'likes being coached, kind of craves it, soaks it all up, seeks it out,' and that sends a strong message to the rest of the team.


Krystkowiak, who spent a decade banging around in the post in the NBA in the `80s and `90s, said 'I'm curious as you,' to see how this matchup plays out.


'Typically the guards are the ones shining,' he said. 'We need some of that to happen as well. But this is unique, having a couple true, throwback 5-men that are the heads of their respective snakes.'


Other notables about the Gonzaga-Utah game Saturday:


TURNOVERS: The teams are similar in so many ways, including one that neither coach is proud of. Both committed 20 turnovers in their victories Thursday. Part of it was because the opponents they faced played high-risk, high-reward defense. But still. Twenty turnovers? 'I don't think that sits well with either of us,' Few said. 'It doesn't sit well with me.'

OH, THAT GUY: Sabonis isn't the only big man, or the only guy who can score, for the Bulldogs. Their leading scorer this year is 6-10 Kyle Wiltjer, who averages 20.5 points a game. He only had 13 against Seton Hall, and struggled from the floor, going 5 for 14. He's not to be ignored, of course, and Krystkowiak certainly won't. 'It's not going to be on any one person,' the coach said. 'We've to have a multitude of guys locked in and focused on trying to stop him.'


SOUND FAMILIAR?: The only other time the Bulldogs have entered the tournament as a No. 11 seed, this happened: They traveled to Denver, beat a team from the Big East, then faced a powerhouse out of Utah. That was in 2011, when the Zags beat St. John's to start, but got knocked out by 'The Jimmer' - Jimmer Fredette of Brigham Young.


REBUILDING: Krystkowiak's first year at Utah coincided with the program's first season in the Pac-12. It wasn't pretty. Half the roster left or got kicked off. The Utes went 6-25. Some might see this as a quick turnaround. 'When you do the math on it, it's about 1800 days,' the coach said. 'Didn't seem real fast to me.' The key to rebuilding, in Krystkowiak's words: 'First thing is, we're never going to cheat because I don't want to be held hostage by any situation that's out of our control. Second thing is, we're not going to recruit any turds. We've stayed pretty true to that.'

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Friars (24-10) at Tar Heels (29-6)
Date: March 19, 2016 9:40 PM EDT

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) Kris Dunn and Ben Bentil have been the high-scoring 1-2 punch powering Providence's offense all year, guiding the Friars to another 20-win season and their first NCAA Tournament win in nearly two decades.


The challenge now is to put up enough big numbers for the ninth-seeded Friars to have a shot at upsetting No. 1 seed North Carolina in the Tar Heels' home state in Saturday's second round of the East Region.


'We've had it all year like that,' Providence coach Ed Cooley said Friday. 'We're not going to change. We are who we are. They are who they are.'


That dynamic certainly creates an interesting conflict. Providence (24-10) centers its attack largely on two big scorers while North Carolina (29-6) boasts a deep roster with a wealth of potential double-figure scorers on any night.


The 6-foot-9 Bentil is averaging 21.1 points and the 6-4 Dunn - the Big East player of the year - is averaging 16 points. The two account for nearly half of Providence's points and made shots as well as 57 percent of their made free throws this year.


They had 35 of Providence's 70 points in the first-round win against Southern California on a last-second basket from Rodney Bullock.


'I tell them if they don't do it, we're not going to win,' the fifth-year coach said their scoring load all year. 'I don't ask them. The one thing you don't do is ask 18- to 22-year-olds (anything).'


The Tar Heels were feeling good about their defensive play after a three-game run to the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament title last week. But some familiar issues that have plagued them over much of the past two years - namely a lack of a defensive edge - resurfaced in the first half of Thursday's opener against 16-seed Florida Gulf Coast.


The Eagles shot 60 percent in the first half and trailed just 41-40 at the break before the Tar Heels roared out of halftime to turn it into a rout.


Bentil and Dunn are capable of taking advantage if UNC repeats that flat defensive start.


'Those are two pros,' said UNC sophomore Theo Pinson, one of the team's top perimeter defenders. 'You just have to go out there and try to contain them as much as you can. We've been doing that all year basically with it going through the ACC. We've been playing a lot of pros. Those guys are right up there with them.'


---


Some things to know about Saturday's Providence-North Carolina matchup:


HOMECOURT EDGE: The Tar Heels are 32-1 in home-state NCAA games with the only loss coming in 1979. And they're playing roughly 30 minutes from their Chapel Hill campus, so expect another blue-clad crowd. 'That's kind of what you expect pretty much at home, I guess,' Providence sophomore Kyron Cartwright said.


CONFIDENCE BOOST: Providence hadn't won an NCAA game since 1997 before the USC win. Cooley is hoping the momentum carries over. 'It's one going down in history for us,' Dunn said of the win.


JUMPSTARTING MEEKS: UNC junior forward Kennedy Meeks struggled in the Florida Gulf Coast game, looking slow to get off the ground and having shots blocked by smaller players while scoring four points on 2-for-9 shooting. Meeks sounded ready to move on, noting that his performance 'looks bad' on film but adding: Saturday 'will be better though. Trust me.'


3-POINT SHOOTING: Neither team is a great outside-shooting club. Providence is shooting 32.3 percent from 3-point range, while UNC is shooting 31.5 percent. But they combined to make 16 and shoot 36 percent in their opening-round games. Of note, UNC's senior Marcus Paige - who has struggled with his shot for much of the year - has had some big scoring games in this arena against rival North Carolina State.


FAMILIAR FACES: The Tar Heels and Friars are meeting on the tournament's first weekend for the second time in three years. UNC won that matchup as a No. 6 seed, edging the 11th-seeded Friars 79-77 in the 2014.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Hawkeyes (22-10) at Wildcats (30-5)
Date: March 20, 2016 12:10 PM EDT

NEW YORK (AP) It's not the only thing being talked about around the Villanova basketball team but it sure takes up a lot of the discussion.


The Wildcats have another chance to advance to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. They haven't been there since their run to the Final Four in 2009. This senior class will go down as the winningest in school history but it hasn't gotten past the second round.


The final chance for those seniors is Sunday when the second-seeded Wildcats face seventh-seeded Iowa in the South Regional at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.


'Everyone has the right to think what they want, say what they want. We played in those games. We haven't come through in the second round of the tournament,' senior guard Ryan Arcidiacono said. 'I can't really tell people how they should look at our senior class or myself in particular.'


His classmate, Daniel Ochefu, said the talk has been going on for a while.


'Everybody's been talking about this game for the whole year, even in the summertime before the season started,' the center said. 'So the fact that the game is here and we can finally just get it done. Hopefully, we'll get the win, and people will stop talking about it.'


Junior Josh Hart said everyone will judge Villanova on this game.


'They're not going to judge us on being Big East champions, Big Five champions or anything that we did in the regular season. Our whole year the questions have been about this game. Obviously we didn't know the opponent but it's about this game, this round,' Hart said. 'So we know we're going in focused, ready for a dogfight and playing a great team. I'm not sure how they got a draw to be a seven seed. They're a heck of a team.'


The Wildcats (30-5) advanced with an 86-56 victory over UNC-Asheville, while Iowa (22-10) beat Temple 72-70 on a tip-in at the overtime buzzer.


The Hawkeyes haven't been past the second round of the NCAA Tournament since 1999 but they haven't had to hear about it as much as the Wildcats.


'We don't listen to outside noise very much,' Iowa guard Mike Gesell said. 'Everyone has opinions, and obviously we haven't made the Sweet 16 in a while, and that's a difficult task. Once you get into March Madness, every single team is a good team. It's tough just to make it into this tournament. So you really have to value every single game.'


Things to know about the Wildcats and Hawkeyes meeting in the second round:


---


PAST TIME: The schools have met once before in the NCAA Tournament, a 55-54 Villanova victory in the second round in 1983.


GOOD D: The Wildcats are 25-1 this season when holding opponents under 70 points. Iowa averages 77.9 points per game.


TAKING CARE OF THE BALL: Iowa had just three turnovers in the overtime win over Temple, one off the NCAA Tournament record set by North Carolina in 1997. The Hawkeyes average 10.2 turnovers per game while Villanova averages 11.1.


SHOOTING 3s: Villanova's Kris Jenkins is shooting 42.7 percent from 3-point range over the past 19 games (56 for 131). Iowa's Jarrod Uthoff and Peter Jok both set an Iowa NCAA Tournament record with 10 3-point attempts against Temple and they have combined for 142 3s this season with Jok going 78 for 192 (40.6 percent) from beyond the arc.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Lumberjacks (28-5) at Fighting Irish (22-11)
Date: March 20, 2016 2:40 PM EDT

NEW YORK (AP) Notre Dame forward Bonzie Colson was in the locker room, still digesting a first-round victory against Michigan when he got the inevitable question: What do you know about your next opponent?


For Colson and the Fighting Irish, that meant No. 14 seed Stephen F. Austin, which beat three seed West Virginia on Friday night in the NCAA Tournament. The Lumberjacks take a 21-game winning streak, longest in the nation, into their East Region matchup Sunday with sixth-seeded Notre Dame at Barclays Center.


Colson had caught a few minutes of the Southland Conference champions and, of course, one guy stood out.


'Their point guard, Walkup, I don't know what his name is. He can score,' Colson said.


Right guy, wrong position, but a totally understandable mistake.


The 6-foot-4 Walkup, a two-time conference player of the year, does everything for the Lumberjacks.


Walkup was a matchup nightmare for West Virginia, scoring 25 of his 33 points in the second half by beating the big men off the dribble and overpowering smaller players. Coach Brad Underwood says Stephen F. Austin plays 'position-less basketball' and Walkup is the focal point.


'He's one of the most resourceful, efficient players I've ever coached,' Underwood said. 'Certain nights, he has 10 points, 15 rebounds. He's our school's all-time leading rebounder. He led us in assists. He led us in steals. His best position is the point because he's such a good passer. His versatility is a big part of our success.'


Notre Dame coach Mike Brey said in three years playing in the Atlantic Coast Conference, the Irish have not faced a player with a better basketball IQ than Walkup.


'His stuff is the kind you see with a crafty NBA veteran who's been in the league 10 or 12 years, who just takes advantage of young guys,' Brey said.


At Deer Park High School in Pasadena, Texas, near Houston, Walkup had one setback after another. He tore the ACL in his left knee as a freshman and then tore it again.


He started to take off as a junior. He played point guard in high school, but for an AAU team that had Cameron Ridley, now at Texas, Ryan Manuel, who played for SMU, and SFA teammate Trey Pinkney, he played power forward.


Walkup was having a big senior year when he broke his right foot halfway through the season. The injury took so long to heal he redshirted as a freshman at SFA.


Ask Thomas' father, Raymond, about his son's recruitment and Dad lets out a little laugh.


'I'm sure scouts looked at him and said, `Well, he's a 6-4 white guy and he can't shoot and he plays the plays the four. And we don't need that,' said Raymond Walkup, who took a few minutes to do a phone interview while visiting the Freedom Tower with his wife, Lisa, on Saturday.


Thomas Walkup would have ended up at Houston Baptist if not for his former AAU coach, Jim Thrasher, giving previous Stephen F. Austin coach Danny Kaspar the hard sell.


Walkup is the third of four brothers, including former Texas A&M player Nathan. Thomas Walkup said even with all the injuries, playing in the NCAA Tournament like his brother was always the goal.


'It was difficult there for a little bit of time, but I knew this is all I ever wanted to do,' Thomas said.


Now he's become the bearded face of a first weekend of the NCAA Tournament that has been highlighted by upsets. The Lumberjacks are one of a record 10 double-digits seeds to win first round games.


Raymond Walkup said he's OK with Thomas' beard, which has not been shaved since Nov. 1.


'Mom cares more about the haircut and the beard than I do,' Dad said.


Some things to watch when Stephen F. Austin and Notre Dame play for a spot in the Sweet 16 in Philadelphia.


IRISH VERSATILITY


Brey said the Irish like to play a similar style to SFA in that they have versatile players. It helped them beat Michigan 70-63 on Friday night.


'We have the ability to switch a lot of stuff. We switched a lot of things last night in the second half that helped us really be good defensively to win the game,' Brey said. 'I think you have to do that against this group.'


NOT SO SWEET


In 16 seasons under Brey, the Fighting Irish have played in the NCAA Tournament 10 times, but gotten as far as the round of 16 only twice.


LITTLE BIG MAN


Walkup gets the accolades but 5-9 point guard Pinkney is equally as important to the Lumberjacks for his pesky pressure defense and ball-handling. In 35 minutes against West Virginia's press, he had zero turnovers.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Rams (25-10) at Sooners (26-7)
Date: March 20, 2016 5:15 PM EDT

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) Oklahoma coach Lon Kruger said his team sees Virginia Commonwealth simply as a good team heading into their second-round NCAA Tournament matchup on Sunday.


The Rams aren't in a Power Five conference - they play in the Atlantic 10. And VCU was one of a record 10 double-digit seeds that won in the opening round - the 10th-seeded Rams knocked off seventh-seeded Oregon State to advance in the West Region.


But No. 2 seed Oklahoma (26-7) also is aware that VCU is not a typical double-digit seed. The Rams (25-10) went to the Final Four in 2011 and are in the NCAA Tournament for the sixth straight year. The Sooners will try to avoid the upset and reach the Sweet 16 for the second straight year.


'The tape we've seen so far on them, that our guys have seen - it gets their attention pretty easily,' Kruger said. 'They know we have a tough challenge, and we'll have to play well to have a chance to win tomorrow.'


Still, Kruger made sure his team was aware of how the first round went for the big boys.


'Anytime you can be here today is a good start,' Kruger said. 'Tournament games are hard to win, as evidenced by the last couple days. A lot of good teams aren't playing today, and I told our guys that - to appreciate the opportunity and not take anything for granted and enjoy it.'


First-year VCU coach Will Wade said his team doesn't view itself as an underdog, but the Rams will play loose.


'This is when we've done good work in the past, and we need to show up and put our best foot forward,' Wade said.


Here are some things to look for in Sunday's matchup:


---


HANDLING HIELD: Oklahoma's Buddy Hield, the nation's No. 2 scorer, was held in check for much of Friday's game against Cal State Bakersfield, but he scored 16 of his 27 points in the final 14 minutes.


'He is a gifted scorer,' VCU guard Korey Billbury said. 'He can score at all three levels. If you can run him off the three point line, he pulls up. If you take away his pull-up, he can get to the bucket.'


NOT JUST MJ: VCU features Melvin Johnson, a 6-foot-4 senior guard who averages 17.2 points per game and has made 105 3-pointers this season. Johnson scored 12 points against Oregon State on 5-for-15 shooting, but his teammates shot better than 50 percent. JeQuan Lewis scored 21 points and Mo Alie-Cox added 20 against the Beavers.


COACHING EXPERIENCE: Oklahoma coach Lon Kruger is 63 and got his first head coaching job in 1982. Wade, 33, was born in 1982 and recently was thought to be younger by a bus driver.


'The bus driver thought I was one of the players when I got on the bus,' Wade said. 'I said, `No, sir, I'm the head coach.' He said, `Really, you're making the decisions here?''


Kruger said he respects Wade and is impressed with how he runs the team.


'You don't think about him being a young coach, you think about him being a very good coach when you watch his teams play,' Kruger said.


PRESSURE DEFENSE: VCU likes to press and trap, which could create problems for an Oklahoma squad that can be turnover prone. The Sooners average 12.9 turnovers per contest, while VCU forces 15.2.


HOMECOURT ADVANTAGE: The game will be played at Chesapeake Energy Arena, about a 30-minute drive north of Oklahoma's campus.


'It would be ideal if we could take away the crowd, but I doubt that will happen,' VCU guard Melvin Johnson said. 'But most importantly, we want to even out the start. I feel like if they get off to a great start with the kind of atmosphere they're going to have tomorrow, it could be a long night.'

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Blue Raiders (25-9) at Orange (20-13)
Date: March 20, 2016 6:10 PM EDT

ST. LOUIS (AP) Middle Tennessee State made mush of millions of brackets when the plucky Blue Raiders sprung an upset of national title contender Michigan State, but there was at least one youngster happy with the outcome in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.


'I got an email, we got a second-grader, I guess everybody in their class probably got a team picked,' Middle Tennessee coach Kermit Davis said, 'and she emailed us and said that we've got Middle Tennessee.


'I'm sure they took it home to their mom and dad and they laughed,' Davis said.


Nobody is laughing now.


The No. 15 seed in the Midwest Region proved it belonged by staring down the Spartans in an outcome that was hardly a fluke - the Blue Raiders (25-9) never trailed in the game. Now, they have an opportunity to dethrone another member of college basketball royalty in No. 10 seed Syracuse on Sunday.


'There was no doubt in that particular game, the best team won,' said Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim, who caught the end of it after his own first-round game. 'From beginning to end, they played the best.'


The Orange (20-13) were a controversial at-large selection after a miserable finish to their regular season. Boeheim spent nine games on the shelf early on as penance for an NCAA investigation into academic misconduct and improper benefits, and a one-and-done loss to Pittsburgh in the ACC Tournament left many bewildered that the selection committee slid them into the field.


Syracuse made all of that stuff moot with a sound thrashing of seventh-seeded Dayton.


'It felt like new life once we got into the tournament,' Syracuse guard Trevor Cooney said. 'Everyone has the same record. We just have to relax and play. That's what we did the other day.'


Flawlessly executing their 2-3 zone, they started the second half on a 15-3 run that grounded the high-flying Flyers. Malachi Richardson provided the offense with 21 points, Tyler Roberson the defense with 18 rebounds, and the perennial March heavyweights made a bold statement to all their naysayers.


That postseason ban last season? No longer even a memory.


'Just getting to the tournament is a great feeling,' Orange guard Michael Gbinije said. 'With us, going through the coach situation, having a lot of ups and downs, it's just a great feeling. I feel like we did enough to get in and now that we're here, we're just having fun with it.'


As the Blue Raiders and Orange meet on Sunday, here are some of the main story lines:


BRINGING ENERGY: It wasn't 3-point sharpshooter Giddy Potts or Reggie Upshaw, who scored 21 against the Spartans, who caught the attention of Syracuse. It was often-overlooked Perrin Buford whose hustle stood out on the game tapes. 'With all his energy, he's a guy that I think we can match up with pretty well,' Gbinije said. 'We have to match his intensity.'


SCOUTS HONOR: Orange assistant Gerry McNamara was given the monumental task of scouting Michigan State - which turned out to be a waste of time. Instead, fellow assistant Adrian Autry's advance work on the Blue Raiders has become the foundation for the Syracuse game plan. 'Both guys prepare like we're going to play that team, up until the game is over,' Boeheim said, 'and then we all focus on Middle Tennessee State.'


TRANSFER U: The Blue Raiders' roster includes six junior college players and two transfers from four-year schools in Jaqawn Raymond (North Carolina State) and Jacorey Williams (Arkansas). 'Transferring was a big step. I didn't know what to expect,' Raymond said. 'But this experience has been one of the top moments of my life. I wouldn't change anything.'


NO RESPECT: The Blue Raiders thought they were good enough to receive a No. 13 seed, so they had a chip on their shoulder after Selection Sunday. 'So there's no pressure,' Upshaw said. 'As you saw yesterday, we can compete with anybody in the nation.


2-15 UPSETS: Boeheim was experience on the other side of a 2-15 upset. His second-seeded Orange were the first to lose since seeding began in 1985 when Richmond beat them in 1991. 'You live with that loss for a long time,' he said. 'It's what you do when you lose in this tournament. I've lost more than a few games. But I finally realized that everybody loses in this tournament - every coach, every team somewhere along the line. It's not easy. But it's not easy when you lose and you're an underdog, either.'

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Rainbow Warriors (28-5) at Terrapins (26-8)[/B]
Date: March 20, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) The celebration was short for Hawaii after its first-ever NCAA Tournament win. Next up for the No. 13 seed Rainbow Warriors is a tough Maryland team on Sunday.


'Celebrate? Not too much,' guard Roderick Bobbitt said Saturday. 'We know we had to get that game behind us. Everybody on the islands celebrated for us.'


Hawaii (28-5) upset embattled California 77-66 Friday in the first round for its first victory against four losses.


'We have a 24-hour rule,' Mike Thomas said. 'Get rid of it by 11 a.m. today and get ready for tomorrow.'


Hawaii coach Eran Ganot is concerned about No. 5 seed Maryland's balanced scoring and size. He said he thought the Cal team was big.


'These guys are bigger,' he said. 'We'll have our hands full there.'


Maryland's inside-outside attack and guard play are also daunting, Ganot said.


'They are one of the most efficient teams in the country,' he said.


It has been an unexpected season of success for Hawaii under the coach in his first season. In December, the NCAA slapped his program with sanctions for infractions committed under former coach Gib Arnold. The penalties included a 2016-17 postseason ban, scholarship reductions and players being allowed to transfer without having to sit out a year


Instead of crumbling, the Warriors gelled into champions of the Big West Conference. They have set a school record for victories in a season.


Against California, Hawaii's Quincy Smith scored a career-high with 19 points, Bobbitt had 17 and Stefan Jankovic 16.


Meanwhile, Maryland (26-8) hung on to beat South Dakota State 79-74, and will seek to avoid becoming the latest higher seed to fall in this topsy-turvy tournament


Maryland led South Dakota State by 18 points late in their game, but needed to force a key turnover in the closing seconds to beat the Jackrabbits.


'We knew they were going to make a run,' guard Mel Trimble said. 'We didn't respond very well, but we won.'


'Those are things we can fix going forward,' forward Jake Layman added.


The Terrapins got a career-high-tying 27 points from Layman. Trimble added 19 points and Jared Nickens 14 for Maryland, which made 51 percent of its shots, including nine 3-pointers. Layman has averaged more than 20 points per game in the postseason.


It's been an up-and-down season for the Terrapins, who at one point were ranked No. 2 in the nation before losing five of its final eight games before the tournament.


Trimble said the team will not get caught up in hype.


'Everybody said how good we were, and when we lost, people got down on us,' Trimble said.


Layman said Maryland's woes start when the team plays poor defense.


The Terrapins watched some of Hawaii's game against California.


'We saw how active on defense they were,' Trimble said.


'Hawaii was playing with nothing to lose, harder and with more intensity,' Layman said. 'We can't let them play harder than us.'


Maryland coach Mark Turgeon said his team must rely on its inside presence on both offense and defense.


'Hopefully we can score around the basket,' Turgeon said.


Things to watch when Hawaii plays Maryland on Sunday:


ROAD WARRIORS: Hawaii has been on the mainland since March 1 after playing its final two Big West regular season games on the road, followed by the conference tournament in Anaheim, California.


PICK YOUR POISON: All five Maryland starters average in double figures, between 14.4 and 11.1 points per game.


THE SERIES: Maryland is 2-0 versus Hawaii, with wins in 1984 and 1996.


MARYLAND SUCCESS: The Terps have won at least one game in 12 straight NCAA Tournament appearances dating to 1998.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Panthers (23-12) at Aggies (27-8)
Date: March 20, 2016 7:40 PM EDT

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) Paul Jesperson had the expected barrage of text messages and voicemails waiting on him following his half-court miracle that beat Texas on Friday night.


But the senior quickly put his shining NCAA Tournament moment behind him - preferring instead to wake up Saturday morning with his full focus on Northern Iowa's second-round matchup with Texas A&M.


The decision about how to handle the postgame celebration following the victory over the Longhorns was left up to Jesperson and his teammates.


Rather than telling the 11th-seeded Panthers (23-12) to forget the unforgettable win and turn their full attention to the third-seeded Aggies (27-8), Northern Iowa coach Ben Jacobson embraced the moment - and the excitement of the school's fourth NCAA Tournament victory since 2010.


It was in 2010 that Northern Iowa shared a similar national spotlight as Friday night, defeating top-seeded Kansas to reach the Sweet 16 for the first time in school history. And it was during that run that Jacobson learned to fully trust his players, as well as preach enjoyment over stress come tournament time.


'I keep wanting to turn the page and get on to the next thing,' Jacobson said. 'But Jesperson keeps reminding me that I told them we're going to enjoy the stuff that's worth enjoying.'


Friday's dramatic victory was nothing new for the Panthers, who used a similar buzzer-beating approach two weeks ago to win the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament and earn their second straight NCAA Tournament appearance.


They have won 13 of their last 14 games after standing at 10-11 at one point in January, and they've done so thanks to multiple last-second shots - all of which have led them back to the second round for a second straight year.


And it's a position they plan on enjoying for as long as they can, all at the advice of their coach.


'(Jacobson) said, `You guys can enjoy it for 10 minutes, you can enjoy it tomorrow morning, however you want to handle it, handle it,'' Jesperson said.


'We did that same thing after the conference tournament, and it worked out perfect for us there.'


Some things to watch as Northern Iowa tries to regroup from Friday's buzzer beater:


INEXPERIENCED AGGIES: Texas A&M is in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2011. Its win against Green Bay in the first round was its first tournament victory since 2010 - the same year coach Billy Kennedy won his only tournament game while the coach at Murray State.


RIGHT AT HOME: Northern Iowa has reached the NCAA Tournament four times in Jacobson's 10 seasons as coach, including last season when it lost in the second round as a No. 5 seed to fourth-seeded Louisville. The school's lone Sweet 16 appearance came during the 2010 run that included the win over Kansas.


POSTED DAVIS: One of the areas the Aggies figure to have the biggest advantage on Sunday night is inside, where 6-foot-10 center Tyler Davis dominated at times with 12 points in the opening-round win over Green Bay. The freshman also tied for the team high with seven rebounds, leading Texas A&M to a 45-25 rebounding edge. 'He's bigger and stronger than most people he plays against,' Kennedy said.


SIXTEEN HOPES: The last time Texas A&M reached the Sweet 16 was in 2007, when it was also a No. 3 seed.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Badgers (21-12) at Musketeers (28-5)
Date: March 20, 2016 8:40 PM EDT

ST. LOUIS (AP) Wisconsin and Xavier might as well be playing their NCAA Tournament game in a boxing ring.


Or maybe call UFC boss Dana White and rent a cage.


Under newly minted coach Greg Gard, the seventh-seeded Badgers pounded their way past Pittsburgh in a 47-43 first-round game that lacked any pretense of prettiness, and second-seeded Xavier relied on bruising big men James Farr and Jalen Reynolds while stomping on Weber State on Friday night.


So break out the bandages. Pack the ice packs.


Things could get rough on Sunday.


'They're big, they're physical, they're deep and they can roll a lot of bodies in there,' Gard mused with a wry smile. 'I think it's very similar to what we've seen in our league in terms of Michigan State or Purdue or Maryland, teams that are big, physical and talented.'


Or the Badgers (21-12), who became the poster boys for a gritty, defense-first style under Dick Bennett and Bo Ryan. That hasn't changed since Ryan's abrupt retirement in December, or in the nearly two weeks since Gard was given the job on a permanent basis.


In their game against the Panthers, they struggled to reach double-digit scoring by halftime. They barely broke 30 percent shooting. Star forward Nigel Hayes was 3 for 17 from the field, and top sharpshooter Bronson Koenig failed to hit a 3-pointer for the first time in 44 games.


But thanks to their defense, they managed to overcome the Panthers down the stretch.


'Early in the season, I don't know if we'd have been able to pull out a win when we shot it that poorly,' the Badgers' Zak Showalter said. 'I think that says a lot about our progress this season.'


Style isn't the only similarity between the schools. Success is another. They represent two of the nine schools that have reached the Sweet 16 in five of the past eight seasons.


'Greg earning the job before the season was over says a lot about the job he's done,' Xavier coach Chris Mack said. 'I'm really happy for him. A big-time job. But he's proven so far he's more than able.'


Much like they have in years past, the Musketeers (28-5) are using the same script that Mack put in place when he took over for current Arizona coach Sean Miller: Pound away in the paint, get loose on the perimeter, and mix man-to-man defense with a 1-3-1 zone that can cause all kinds of confusion.


Just ask their first-round opponent, the No. 15 seed Wildcats.


Farr had 18 points and 15 rebounds. Reynolds added 12 more points. And the pair of 6-foot-10, 240ish-pound forwards probably could have had more with the ease they were able to get to the rim.


But that's what makes Xavier so difficult to guard. Not only do the Big East standard-bearers have a physical presence inside, they have one of the best perimeter players in Trevon Bluiett, and athletes who are capable of turning up the tempo.


'I think pace does pay a role,' said the Musketeers' Myles Davis. 'Wisconsin likes to slow the ball down. We have a certain pace we go with. But honestly, it doesn't matter. It's about getting stops.'


SPEAKING OF PACE: As rugged as the Musketeers may be, they still average more than 80 points. 'It's not like we're trying to walk the ball up the court,' the Badgers' Ethan Happ countered. 'If we have something available in transition, we're definitely going to take that.'


GETTING DIRTY: Farr wasn't always a bruising post player for the Musketeers. 'When he first came to Xavier, he fancied himself a pick-and-pop 3-point shooter,' Mack said. 'I've just seen his confidence grow and grow. He's taken that jump shot and put it deep in his back pocket.'


REVENGE FACTOR: Xavier has won the last two meetings, including one against the Badgers in the second round of the 2009 tournament. That was the year before Mack took over the Musketeers.


HOME COOKING: Showalter's father is an assistant coach at nearby Lindenwood University, where his brother Jake Showalter also plays. 'It was good to see them,' Zak Showalter said. 'I call (my dad) pretty much after all our games. He calls me after his games to check in, critique me.'


STEERING CLEAR: Gard said that Ryan sent him a congratulatory text after the Badgers advanced, but that was it. 'He said back in December, `You know what you're doing. Go coach,'' Gard said. 'He sent a text message, `Keep it going. Good luck.' All the same things 300 other people sent me.'

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Hawks (28-7) at Ducks (29-6)
Date: March 20, 2016 9:40 PM EDT

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) For most anyone outside of Philadelphia, Saint Joseph's DeAndre' Bembry is an unknown star even though he was the Atlantic 10 player of the year.


For anyone not situated on the West Coast, how Oregon landed a No. 1 seed is a mystery even with the Ducks winning the Pac-12 regular season and tournament titles.


It seemed only appropriate these unknowns would find each other in the NCAA Tournament.


The top-seeded Ducks face No. 8 seed Saint Joseph's on Sunday night in a West Regional second-round game. It's a matchup of mirrored teams: Versatile players throughout their lineups, a couple of stars on both sides and a desire to play at a fast pace and score a lot of points.


The similarities are striking. Both rely heavily on players defined as 'wings' but can play any position on both ends of the court. Oregon's 6-foot-10 Chris Boucher is really the only outlier, but as Bembry pointed out, 'Even their center dribbles the ball and shoots 3s.'


That makes the matchup fascinating for fans, and troubling for the players and coaches. Whose versatility can stand out? What individual attribute is going to make the difference when the teams are mirrored?


'Versatility is a big thing that we talk about in recruiting. And we take players from where they feel most comfortable, and we always talk about playing to their strengths and working on their weaknesses,' Oregon coach Dana Altman said. 'Fortunately, we have had a group that's really bought into that.'


Bembry was described on the telecast of Friday's thrilling win over Cincinnati as the best player the country has never heard of, with the unique hairstyle that stands out as much as his game. That's a misnomer because inside the Atlantic 10, there arguably hasn't been a better player over the past three seasons. The junior averaged 17.5 points and 7.6 rebounds and fills whatever role is asked. In the win over Cincinnati, it was the job of facilitator, making the pass that led to Isaiah Miles' game-winning 3-pointer in the closing seconds.


'One word I would use to describe him as a player is selfless. Because he shares the ball,' SJU teammate Aaron Brown said. 'Usually you see a superstar and it's like, OK, they're going out to get theirs. It's like he really goes out of his way to get us going before he gets himself going sometimes. Those kinds of players are special.'


While Bembry got little fanfare outside of the A-10, the same could be said of the season Oregon put together even with being a No. 1 seed. Martelli acknowledged Saturday that he was unaware the Ducks finished No. 5 in the final Associated Press Top 25 poll. That wasn't meant to be a slight of the Ducks, but a reality of the difficulty following what's happening on the other side of the country.


'They're fabulous. They're as good; up close and personal, I know what Villanova looks like and I know Villanova could end up in Houston and I know Oregon could end up in Houston,' Martelli said. 'So to the fan in Philadelphia, or the East Coast, they have no idea.'


Here's what else to watch as the Hawks and Ducks meet for the second time ever the last coming in 1938:


---


MILES AND MILES: For as good as Bembry has played this season, Miles might be the biggest reason the Hawks are in the second-round of the NCAAs. Miles has scored in double figures in every game this season including 19 points and the winning 3 against Cincinnati, the first game-winning shot he could remember hitting.


'Just a bunch of mixed reactions, but all positive and all motivational,' Miles said.


TEXT ALERTS: Saint Joseph's thrilling win over Cincinnati resonated around college basketball. Martelli, who doesn't sleep after games, said he got text messages in the early hours of Saturday morning from Kentucky coach John Calipari and Connecticut coach Geno Auriemma.


'They were both looking for suggestions for their games today, to see if I could give them some ideas on a last-second play,' Martelli joked.


FEWER NERVES: Oregon acknowledged being a little nervous coming into its NCAA opener against No. 16 seed Holy Cross in part because a top-seed had never lost to a No. 16. While those nerves never materialized, the Ducks expect to be more at ease with one game out of the way.


'We just got a better feel for the court,' Oregon's Dwayne Benjamin said. 'That's maybe one of the reasons why. A better feel for the court, different atmosphere, more people. Every game means more.'