Freshman star Cooper Flagg had 18 points, nine rebounds and six assists for the Blue Devils (33-3), the East Region headliners who faced little drama in two home-state wins to secure a spot in the Sweet 16.
Fifth-seeded Kansas State dodged four misses by No. 4 seed Kentucky in the closing seconds to beat the host Wildcats 80-79 in the second round of the women’s NCAA Tournament on Sunday.
The University of Texas fired basketball coach Rodney Terry on Sunday after a disappointing first season in the Southeastern Conference and another quick exit from the NCAA Tournament.
Florida (32-4), one of the favorites for this year’s title, survived a strong challenge from coach Dan Hurley’s Huskies (24-11), who came in with modest expectations as a No. 8 seed but led for most of the second half.
Bruce Pearl’s team was upset in the first round last year and he had not taken Auburn past the second round since it reached its only Final Four in 2019.
Amir Khan and his sponsored boombox went viral heading into the tournament as the unlikely hype man for the even more unlikely tournament darlings from Lake Charles, Louisiana.