March Insanity brings again essentially the most thrilling time of the yr. First-round upsets continued Friday, highlighted by No. 13 Yale’s dramatic win over No. 4 Auburn. Moreover, No. 12 James Madison dealt with No. 5 Wisconsin to advance to the Spherical of 32 for the primary time since 1983. Grand Canyon, one other No. 12 seed, upset No. 5 Saint Mary’s to report this system’s first NCAA Match win.
There was additionally a good battle between No. 10 Colorado and No. 7 Florida that the Buffaloes gained on a last-second jumper, and an time beyond regulation victory by No. 9 Northwestern over No. 8 FAU earlier within the day.
Powerhouses like UConn, Duke, Baylor, Purdue and Houston prevented upsets with ease.
Beneath is the complete recap of Friday’s action-packed schedule of the 2024 males’s NCAA Match.
Yale upsets Auburn in East Area
Auburn is the most recent crew to go right down to an upset within the NCAA Match because it dropped a 78-76 resolution to Yale within the first spherical Friday.
The Bulldogs, seeded thirteenth within the East Area, had been led by John Poulakidas, who completed with 28 factors.
The SEC is 1-5 within the first spherical on the NCAA Match, with all of the losses to decrease seeds. — Daniel Shirley
GO DEEPER
No. 13 Yale upsets No. 4 Auburn in dramatic last moments
JMU retains dancing
BROOKLYN — It was an upset that hardly felt like an upset by the point it was carried out however James Madison beat Wisconsin, 72-61, within the first spherical of the NCAA Match.
The No. 12 seeded Dukes had management from the beginning and didn’t let up towards the No. 5 seeded Badgers, main by as a lot as 17 factors within the first half. It was James Madison’s first look within the NCAA Match since 2013 and the crew’s first win since 1983.
The JMU victory is the fifth of eight South video games gained by the decrease seed, which is essentially the most of any area. Terrence Edwards Jr. led the Dukes with 14 factors. An enormous a part of the Badgers’ woes was their 19 turnovers, which JMU scored 27 factors off of.
James Madison will play No. 4 seed Duke on Sunday.
Grand Canyon data first NCAA Match win
The Grand Canyon Antelopes made program historical past Saturday night time in Spokane. The 12-seed upset No. 5 Saint Mary’s 75-66, advancing to the Spherical of 32 for the primary time in a Division I NCAA Match.
The Antelopes should not your typical WAC crew, as they’re loaded with high-major expertise, together with star Tyon Grant-Foster, a former four-star recruit who went to Kansas. Grant-Foster led all scorers with 22 factors to go together with eight rebounds in his crew’s first-round win towards the Gaels. He has scored a minimum of 20 factors in six of Grand Canyon’s final eight video games. — Jayna Bardahl
Colorado advances previous Florida with thrilling conclusion
INDIANAPOLIS — No. 10 seed Colorado hangs on in a monitor meet towards No. 7 seed Florida, taking down the Gators 102-100 on KJ Simpson’s jumper from the appropriate baseline with 1.7 seconds remaining in regulation. Florida guard Walter Clayton Jr.’s half-court heave on the buzzer smacked off the backboard.
It was one heck of an entertaining efficiency from each groups. Colorado has now superior from the First 4 to a second-round NCAA Match matchup towards second-seeded Marquette. The Buffaloes did so after blowing a 13-point lead with 4:49 remaining. Colorado’s Cody Williams made one in every of two free throws to offer the Buffaloes a 100-97 lead with 14.7 seconds remaining earlier than Clayton buried a pull-up 3 with 9.5 seconds left to tie the rating. — Jesse Temple
GO DEEPER
No. 10 Colorado advances previous No. 7 Florida on last-second jumper
Purdue’s Zach Edey goes off
Purdue’s Zach Edey goes for 30 factors and 21 rebounds because the Boilermakers defeat Grambling State 78-50. That was Edey’s third profession 30-20 sport and second this season. The others: Jan. 13 vs. Penn State (30 factors, 20 rebounds) and Dec. 4, 2022 vs. Minnesota (31 factors, 22 rebounds).
Purdue avenges final yr’s loss to No. 16 Fairleigh Dickinson to advance to the Spherical of 32. — Mark Cooper
MEMPHIS — With 9 minutes remaining within the second half, Houston head coach Kelvin Sampson took a seat on the bench and, for the primary time all sport, lastly cracked a smile.
It didn’t final lengthy.
“That’s 4 missed free throws in a row,” he groaned to his assistant coaches after an off-target try by redshirt freshman heart Cedric Lath. His expression returned to his customary head shake, arms folded throughout his chest in disgust.
Regardless of Sampson’s (hilarious) disappointment, there can be no 16-seed dragon slayer this yr. Houston waxed Longwood 86-46 on Friday night time, simply advancing to the Spherical of 32.
The Lancers had been no match for 1-seed Cougars, who turned in one other dominant defensive efficiency, holding Longwood to 34 % from the sector and three for 13 on 3-pointers (23 %), forcing 18 turnovers within the course of. Longwood, the Massive South event champions underneath head coach Griff Aldrich, returned to the NCAA Match for the second time in three seasons after ending fifth within the convention standings at 6-10 in league play.
L.J. Cryer had 17 factors, together with 3-7 from 3-point vary, tied for main scorer with Damian Dunn, who chipped in 17 off the bench. All-American level guard Jamal Shead added 11 factors and 9 assists. Emmanuel Sharp had 13. A lot of the starters bought prolonged relaxation within the second half, together with ahead J’Wan Roberts, who completed with 7 factors and 5 rebounds. Roberts was hampered by a shin damage within the Massive 12 event which he appeared to reaggravate within the second half, however his sitting the ultimate 17 minutes of the sport appeared extra precautionary than regarding with the rating effectively out of hand.
The win, whereas anticipated, needed to be cathartic for the Cougars following a 28-point loss to Iowa State within the Massive 12 championship sport with the roster banged up and operating on fumes. Roberts’ well being can be essential to the crew’s potential to make a deep run over the approaching weeks, although it did obtain a elevate from Ramon Walker Jr., who returned from a knee damage for the primary time since Feb. 19 and had one level and two boards in 14 minutes. 9 gamers scored for the Coogs.
The victory units up a second-round showdown on Sunday with 9-seed Texas A&M, who put up 98 factors and banged house 13 triples in a win over Nebraska earlier within the night. Houston has superior to a minimum of the Candy 16 in every of the previous three seasons. — Justin Williams
SPOKANE, Wash. — Right here is your abstract of the primary sport of the day at Spokane Area, wherein everybody within the constructing was on their ft and on pins and needles within the final minute: One crew had Jaedon LeDee. The opposite crew was Alabama-Birmingham.
There actually is not any deep, thought of evaluation of fifth-seeded San Diego State’s 69-65 survival of an upset bid from the No. 12 seed Blazers. That is all there may be: LeDee and nothing else. The senior ahead had 32 factors, two in need of his career-high. He made each essential play within the essential moments, together with grabbing an offensive board off a horrible look with a minute left and the Aztecs clinging to a one-point lead.
LeDee hit two free throws at that interval, then two extra with 20.1 seconds left to create one other three-point benefit, then snagged the defensive board when UAB’s game-tying 3-point try from the highest of the important thing didn’t fall. He shot 11 of 18 from the ground and 9 of 10 from the road; the remainder of his crew, in whole, contributed 13 buckets and 7 free throws. He fouled out two of UAB’s key bigs. The 4 turnovers weren’t nice, however between LeDee was a plus-19.9 on factors produced versus factors allowed, per the StatBroadcast feed. The subsequent-highest Aztecs quantity? Lamont Butler’s plus-6.1.
Story of the season, actually, and it practically made them the second shock 2023 Ultimate 4 participant to take a first-round loss on Friday. Although the Blazers roared again from a 12-point deficit to take a lead with 10 minutes to go — their first of the day — their grand whole of zero subject objectives within the last two and a half minutes was decisive. Although San Diego State scuffled equally — zero buckets within the final 4:12 — they nonetheless had a go-to star to, effectively, go to. — Brian Hamilton
Marquette overcomes tough first half to advance
INDIANAPOLIS — The excellent news: Marquette gained its first-round sport towards Western Kentucky. The dangerous information: the Golden Eagles are going to be exhausted. The ultimate rating, 87-69, gained’t mirror this one. The Hilltoppers’ frenetic tempo and feisty protection pushed Marquette and ignited a boisterous crowd.
Loads of Marquette followers made the four-hour journey, however what the Western crowed lacked in numbers they made up for, in shall we embrace, eagerness. Hooting on the refs and screaming for his or her gamers, the Hilltopper devoted added gasoline to an offense that didn’t want a complete lot of assist.
The savior for Marquette not surprisingly, was Tyler Kolek. In his first sport again struggling an indirect pressure on Feb. 28, Kolek performed 38 minutes. He additionally clearly was effective, producing a double-double with 18 factors and 10 assists, including a pair of steals and 6 rebounds for good measure. The Golden Eagles’ wanted his maestro efficiency, unable to shake the Hilltoppers and their nation’s main quickest paced offense.
However the identical blistering capturing that carried Western Kentucky within the first half disappeared within the second, the Golden Eagles stretching its protection and limiting the identical crew that drained six treys within the first half to only 2-of-11 from the arc within the second. That’s just about the recipe for catastrophe for any crew making an attempt to drag an epic upset within the NCAA Match, and it wound up doing within the Hilltoppers, too. — Dana O’Neil
No. 6 Clemson upsets No. 11 New Mexico
MEMPHIS — Effectively, we’ve an upset. Technically. No. 6 Clemson defeated No. 11 New Mexico 77-56. The Tigers entered the sport as 2.5-point underdogs regardless of having the higher seed.
Clemson’s dimension and slower tempo had been an efficient antidote to New Mexico’s frenetic tempo. The Tigers had been environment friendly within the halfcourt, scoring 38 factors within the paint and turning the ball over 9 occasions. The Lobos couldn’t reply, hitting simply 3-of-23 from past the arc and giving it away 13 occasions, which Clemson changed into 19 factors.
The NCAA choice committee will take some satisfaction on this one, after describing New Mexico as a bid stealer following its run to the Mountain West Convention event title. Many assumed the Lobos, with a NET of twenty-two, had been safely within the subject, and the betting strains favored them over a Clemson aspect that limped into March Insanity, having misplaced three of its final 4, together with an early exit from the ACC event.
Chase Hunter led all scorers, with 15 of his 21 factors coming within the second half. Ahead Ian Schieffelin had a double-double with 16 factors and 12 rebounds, and P.J. Corridor added 14 factors. Nelly Junior Joseph led New Mexico with 14 factors and 12 rebounds. Guard Jaelen Home, the son of former NBA participant Eddie Home, had 12 factors on simply 4 of 14 from the sector, and battled foul bother for a lot of the second half, sitting on the tip of the bench with a towel wrapped round his head.
Rick Pitino, the pinnacle coach of St. John’s, who missed out on an at-large bid, was seated throughout from the New Mexico bench to cheer on his son, Richard, coach of the Lobos. The 2 shared a realizing wave because the youthful Pitino exited the court docket after the loss.
Clemson’s win units up a spherical of 32 matchup towards third-seeded Baylor on Sunday after the Bears gained huge over Colgate earlier on Friday. The sport will pit Baylor’s top-five offense towards Clemson’s top-25 offense, in accordance with KenPom. The Tigers advance past the primary spherical of the event for the primary time since 2018, when Brad Brownell’s crew reached the Candy 16. — Justin Williams
UConn advances and not using a sweat
BROOKLYN – There was little doubt that UConn was the defending champion in Friday’s opening spherical of the NCAA Match. UConn opened with an early lead towards No. 16 Stetson and by no means relinquished, advancing to the second spherical with a 91-52 victory. These opening minutes had been the closest the Hatters would get to the Huskies as UConn commanded the whole sport.
The one time it felt like they misplaced management was a short scoreless three-minute stretch within the second half the place the Hatters went on a 9-0 run.
It was an all-around effort with 5 Huskies in double figures, with Donovan Clingan main the cost with 19 factors and eight rebounds. Stephan Swensen led the Hatters with 19 factors.
UConn will face Northwestern on Sunday within the second spherical. — Charlotte Carroll
Northwestern advances by way of time beyond regulation
BROOKLYN, N.Y. — This time of yr requires each endurance and a way of urgency, as Northwestern guard Brooks Barnhizer is aware of higher than most.
With the clock ticking down and a two-point deficit within the ninth-seeded Wildcats’ NCAA Match opening-round sport towards No. 8 Florida Atlantic, Barnhizer dribbled, dribbled and dribbled some extra earlier than passing out to Nick Martinelli who bought it proper again to Barnhizer with 11 seconds left. He drove to the basket for a game-tying layup that electrified each his teammates and the Barclays Middle crowd. A head-scratching last possession by FAU guard Johnell Davis — who didn’t appear to acknowledge how little time he had earlier than the buzzer sounded — ensured the sport would head to time beyond regulation.
And time beyond regulation belonged to the ‘Cats, who had been led by Ryan Langborg’s 12 factors within the further interval that helped them draw back for a 77-65 win within the first sport of Friday’s motion. Langborg, who performed on this event a yr in the past for Princeton, completed with a game-high 27 factors. Star guard Boo Buie chipped in one other 22 factors, because the pair dazzled in time beyond regulation specifically.
Northwestern will presumably play No. 1 total seed Connecticut on Sunday.
In the meantime, The Dusty Might Sweepstakes can formally start, because the FAU coach can be a sizzling commodity on this yr’s teaching carousel. His title has been linked most to the open Louisville job. — Nicole Auerbach
Baylor handles Colgate with ease
MEMPHIS — Baylor has been right here loads of occasions earlier than. It’s the one program that’s been a No. 3 seed or greater within the final 4 NCAA Tournaments, and within the backdrop of No. 3 seed Kentucky falling to Oakland on Thursday night time, the Bears rapidly squashed any ideas of an upset. Baylor accomplished a wire-to-wire win over No. 14 seed Colgate by a 92-67 margin early Friday afternoon. Scott Drew’s crew put forth a masterclass offensively with 58/53/71 capturing splits and 5 gamers in double figures, led by 23 factors from senior Jalen Bridges, on the opposite finish of the spectrum, Massive 12 Freshman of the 12 months Ja’Kobe Walter added 19 factors.
The matchup of the sport was Baylor’s 3-point capturing (39.6 % on the season, sixth finest nationally) towards Colgate’s 3-point protection (29.9 %, tenth nationally) and the Bears gained that sport inside the sport convincingly with 16 made 3-pointers in comparison with simply 5 from Colgate. With heart Yves Missi restricted as a consequence of an upper-body damage early within the first half, Baylor relied closely on a zone protection and size from their guards and wings to disrupt a Colgate offense that discovered success contained in the paint. The outcome was a 14-2 run within the first half’s last minutes, creating an insurmountable 20-point benefit going into halftime.
Bridges’ 18 second-half factors made positive that Baylor’s giant lead wouldn’t be challenged an excessive amount of within the second half, and because the outcome appeared inevitable, Drew cleared the bench which paved the best way for a flurry of threes by the Baylor reserves which had been met with roars by the touring crowd. General, it was an anticipated end result for a program of Baylor’s cache, however as we noticed on the primary day these outcomes should not assured. Missi’s availability can be a query mark forward of Sunday’s second-round sport however there’s hardly something to nitpick from the Bears’ opening effort. The No. 3 seed will await the winner of Clemson versus New Mexico. — Kennington Smith III
Texas A&M data first NCAA Match win of Buzz Williams period
MEMPHIS — Texas A&M formally has its first NCAA Match win of the Buzz Williams period. The No. 9 seeded Aggies turned in one of the vital spectacular offensive performances of the primary spherical in a dominant 98-83 win over No. 8 seed Nebraska. The 98-point whole is the third highest-scoring output of the NCAA Match so far (Colorado 102, Florida 100) and a season-high for the Aggies. This marks the primary NCAA Match win for Texas A&M’s program since 2018 and on the opposite aspect the Cornhuskers are nonetheless looking for their first-ever Match win. Essentially the most stunning component of Texas A&M’s win was the crew’s brilliance from the 3-point line. Coming into Friday, the Aggies had been capturing simply 28.4 % from lengthy vary, however shot 57 % from 3-point vary towards the Cornhuskers (13-23) led by senior guard Wade Taylor’s 25 factors whereas fellow guard Manny Obaseki added 22 factors. General 5 completely different Texas A&M gamers completed in double figures because the groups shot 49 % from the sector.
The sport was a lot nearer within the first half than the ultimate rating indicated. Each groups traded baskets by way of the primary 12 minutes of play as Texas A&M clung to a 36-33 lead. Nevertheless, the tide of the sport rapidly turned within the Aggies’ favor as a consequence of a concerted effort to cease Nebraska’s perimeter shooters. In consequence, Texas A&M closed the ultimate eight minutes on a 22-11 run to hold a 14-point lead into halftime. From the 6:56 mark within the first half on, when the rating was 36-33, Texas A&M outscored Nebraska by a 62-50 margin. Now the Aggies will await the winner of No. 1 Houston vs No. 16 Longwood, a second-round sport that can be performed on Sunday.
For Nebraska, Friday night time’s loss is a bitter technique to finish a season that noticed this system attain its first NCAA Match in a decade. The FedEx Area crowd was over 80 % Nebraska followers, and the fan base got here out en masse to assist its program. It wasn’t the outcome that coach Fred Hoiberg was in search of however this season was validation when it comes to the route of Nebraska basketball.
On the winner’s aspect, Texas A&M’s win is important not just for this system however the SEC, a convention that’s skilled 5 losses within the first spherical together with 4 losses to double-digit seeds. It’s been a gradual construct in School Station underneath Williams, from two, early tough seasons to NIT runner-ups, a first-round NCAA Match loss final season to breaking by way of with a win on Friday night time. There’s nonetheless extra basketball to play, presumably towards the No. 1 total seed subsequent, however Friday’s win ought to carry a heightened sense of confidence– significantly on the offensive finish. — Kennington Smith III
Duke cruises to second spherical
BROOKLYN — Duke will advance to the second spherical of the NCAA Match after keeping off Vermont, 64-47.
After dropping the lead early within the first half, the Catamounts made it shut a number of occasions all through the sport, however couldn’t shut the hole. It was a bodily, at occasions messy contest, which didn’t assist the Catamounts. Vermont’s Sam Alamutu fouled out whereas Vermont completed with 12 turnovers.
Jared McCain and Mark Mitchell carried the Blue Devils with 15 factors apiece whereas huge man Kyle Filipowski added eight boards.
A horrible second occurred when, with underneath two minutes remaining, Vermont’s T.J. Lengthy suffered what gave the impression to be a proper decrease leg damage. He needed to be helped off the court docket.
Duke will face the winner of Wisconsin-JMU on Sunday within the second spherical. — Charlotte Carroll
Required studying
(Picture: Kirby Lee / USA Right this moment)