Category: NBA

Luka Dončić is the NBA’s leading scorer, so him putting up points for the Lakers isn’t typically a tale worth telling.

But he really outdid himself on Thursday night against the Heat. He was originally listed as questionable to play in the contest due to right hip soreness.

Considering that the game against the Heat was the second leg of a back-to-back, no one would’ve blinked an eye if Luka took the game off to get his body right.

However, Luka pushed through and didn’t just suit up for the Lakers, he was the star of the show.

Dončić scored a whopping 60 points, extending LA’s win streak to eight and scoring more on the Miami Heat than any player ever has.

After the game, Lakers head coach JJ Redick praised his superstar’s efforts.

“It was a superhero performance,” Redick said. “I thought him really keeping us afloat early was really important. And then all the groups there in the second quarter really did a nice job. The group that started, obviously, the second half that got us the lead was great. But he just made big shots, he made tough shots, made a lot of right reads. When he gets it going like that, some of it is you just kind of let him go.

“His teammates felt that. They saw that. We look for some advantages in some places. The Horns Chin Clear that we ran for the off-ball three was just a big time screen from [Ayton], a big time pass from LeBron and a big time shot from Luka. I thought that was one of the bigger buckets he had. But then had the crazy stepback three in front of their bench. I mean, you just go down the list. The shotmaking was unreal tonight.”

The way Luka got his 60 was incredible. Only 15 of his points came from the free throw line and many of his shots were difficult.

According to the NBA’s tracking data, most of his shot attempts came after multiple dribbles. He took 10 shots with 3-6 dribbles and converted 70% of them. And he went 5-10 on the shots where he took seven or more dribbles.

This is MVP-caliber basketball we are witnessing! 🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/2Va2EOw0k4

— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) March 20, 2026

And the player Luka scored the most against? That would be Heat All-NBA defender Bam Adebayo. Dončić scored 22 points over him, going 7-9 from the field.

At this point in his relatively young career, nothing Luka does should shock anyone.

But he raised his level to another stratosphere in this game. He is the first Laker to score 60 since Kobe Bryant did it in the last game of his career. Luka is leading the league in 40-plus games at 13 and, due to him hitting nine threes against Miami, he is now the franchise leader in 3-pointers made in a season at 232, surpassing the record set by D’Angelo Russell.

He may have been a superhero on Thursday, but the Wonder Boy always has the ability to make an ordinary game into an extraordinary one.

It’s what makes him a generational talent and why the future in LA looks brighter by the day.

You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.

UCLA started the Men's NCAA Tournament shorthanded.

Forward Tyler Bilodeau was ruled out just before the Bruins’ first-round matchup against the No. 10 seed UCF Knights. He was listed as questionable on the NCAA injury report prior to East region contest on Saturday, March 20.

Bilodeau sprained his right knee during UCLA's win over Michigan State in the Big Ten Tournament earlier this month.

Bilodeau absence is a blow to the No. 7 seed Bruins. The senior forward is UCLA’s leading scorer, averaging 17.6 points per game. He was selected third-team All-Big Ten this year.

Without Bilodeau, the Bruins will rely on guards Donovan Dent, Trent Perry, Skyy Clark and Eric Dailey Jr. to carry most of the scoring load. All four guards average more than 10 points per game this season.

Bilodeau, a 6-foot-9 senior, played his first two collegiate seasons at Oregon State before transferring to UCLA in 2024.

UCLA is hoping for a deeper run in this year’s NCAA Tournament. The Bruins won their first-round matchup last season against Utah State but were bounced out in the second round by Tennessee.  

UCLA is 23-11 this season and finished sixth in the Big Ten.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tyler Bilodeau out for UCLA vs UCF in March Madness first round

For a few grueling seconds, Mark Pope’s soul left his body, with the Kentucky men’s basketball coach’s sullen facial expression saying it all.

Then, with a flick of the wrist, his star player banked it right back into place.

In one of the more eventful and chaotic four-second sequences in NCAA tournament history, Pope’s Wildcats team gave up a go-ahead 3-pointer to Santa Clara with 2.4 seconds remaining only to immediately respond with a 3 of its own, with Otega Oweh firing it off the glass from just past midcourt as time expired to send the game into overtime and ultimately deliver Kentucky an 89-84 victory in a first-round matchup on Friday, March 20 in St. Louis.

REQUIRED READING: Otega Oweh saved Kentucky's season Friday. He might have done more than that

While Oweh played the role of hero on a day in which he scored a career-high 35 points, it was Pope’s range of emotions to the waning seconds of regulation that stood as some of the enduring images from the Wildcats’ thrilling triumph.

After Allen Graves buried a 3 for Santa Clara to break a 70-70 tie in the 7-versus-10 matchup, Pope looked out at the court stoically after intently providing defensive instructions to his players only seconds earlier. He remained that way as Oweh’s shot went up and raised his arms in joy after it passed through the net and calmly said “Let’s go” to his players as they passed by him.

Mark Pope's reaction to Otega Oweh's sensational game-tying shot 🤯 @KentuckyMBBpic.twitter.com/hn3Kh9L97c

— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) March 20, 2026

Kentucky went on to outscore Santa Clara 16-11 in the extra period to move on to face No. 2 seed Iowa State in the second round of the tournament on Sunday.

Any fear and disappointment Pope might have felt after Graves’ shot would have been understandable. 

Though Pope, a team captain on Kentucky’s 1996 national championship team, was greeted with excitement when he was hired by his alma mater in 2024, his second squad at the school fell well short of the massive expectations that greeted it. The Wildcats went 21-13 in the regular season and finished ninth in the SEC, despite having a roster worth a reported $22 million. That roster, though, was built in part around a big man coming off a significant injury from the previous season who only appeared in only four games this season (Jayden Quaintance) and a point guard whose poor shooting made him a curious fit for Pope’s 3-heavy offense (Jaland Lowe, who, for good measure, was also severely limited by injuries this season).

Pope guided the Wildcats to a Sweet 16 in his first season in 2024-25 and improved to 46-25 at Kentucky with the win Friday.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mark Pope feels every emotion of March Madness after Otega Oweh game-tying shot

March Madness has just about everything, from future NBA stars to unlikely heroes. But sometimes, it can also uncover heartfelt moments, even in the midst of a blowout.

That's what happened during No. 16 seed LIU's 92-58 loss to No. 1 Arizona in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday, March 20. The game was virtually over by halftime, but it still provided the Sharks with lifelong memories – especially one player in particular.

REQUIRED READING: March Madness scores: See the big shots, moments, highlights in today's first round

Sophomore guard Eddie Munyak, a 6-foot-1 walk-on guard, entered for LIU in the final moments of its loss to one of the national championship favorites and had his one shining moment. He waved for the ball multiple times while the Sharks were down 80-53, and when he finally received the pass, he fired from 3-point range and banked the shot off the backboard through the net for his first career points.

It was only Munyak's second appearance in a game this season, last seeing the floor for two minutes against Le Moyne on Jan. 29. He was expectedly hype after sinking the shot, putting his arms out as he ran back on defense in jubilation.

"HE'LL REMEMBER THAT FOR A LIFETIME."

LIU Sophomore Eddie Munyak is playing in his 2nd game this season for the Sharks.

He just scored in a NCAA Tournament game. pic.twitter.com/HSuIiNCXhb

— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) March 20, 2026

"He'll remember that for a lifetime," play-by-play commentator Kevin Harlan said on the broadcast. "This is the beauty of this tournament."

Despite Munyak's 3-pointer having no impact on the game's conclusion, his LIU teammates erupted on the bench after he hit his first-career shot. Sometimes it means more than just wins and losses, especially as the Sharks have never won an NCAA Tournament game.

The teams that make deep NCAA Tournament runs in 2026 will be riddled with future professional players. Munyak won't be one of them, but he certainly made a memory that'll last a lifetime against Arizona.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: LIU walk-on scores first career points in March Madness, goes crazy

There's a new assist king in college basketball.

Purdue guard Braden Smith is the all-time leader in assists, breaking Bobby Hurley's record in the first round of the NCAA Tournament against Queens on Friday, March 20. The senior from Indiana got the record on a dish to Trey Kaufman-Renn in the first half.

Smith now has 1,077 assists in his four year career with the Boilermakers. Purdue fans at the game gave Smith a standing ovation for the achievement.

CONGRATS TO BRADEN SMITH 👏#MarchMadnesshttps://t.co/QOD4ei9qTYpic.twitter.com/mX8sx2kIPC

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 20, 2026

One of the most prolific passers in the sport, Smith entered his senior year within striking distance of reaching Hurley's record from his time at Duke from 1990-93, and has continue to find buckets for teammates. He entered the day averaging nine assists per game, second-most in the country.

Hurley previously told USA TODAY Sports he has "always admired" how Smith plays. He was surprised his record stood for more than 30 years, and while he said he couldn't dictate who was worthy of breaking it, Hurley believed Smith was the right player to become the new leader.

"To have someone that would take it down, (Smith) would be the type of person that I would really respect having the record," Hurley said.

Smith collected the record after a sensational run in the Big Ten tournament that was capped off with the conference title.

He entered conference championship week with 1,029 assists, in fourth place of the leaderboard and 47 assists away from Hurley's record. There was uncertainty if he would be able to beat the record by the time his career was over, but he was dishing it out at an incredible rate in Chicago to set himself up to break the record in the first round of March Madness.

The guard went into March Madness needing just two assists to set the new record.

It was nearly foretold by Purdue coach Matt Painter, who told USA TODAY Sports in January the record would "come because you get to the championship game of the Big Ten tournament, you get to the Final Four." Turns out, he didn't need March Madness to do it.

Smith told USA TODAY Sports ahead of the tournament he was "ready to just get it over with" so he could put all of the attention toward winning Purdue's first national championship. Now with that in hand, the decorated guard can go for the two goals he had for his senior season.

"That's one of the reasons I came back, was to win and to get the record," he said. "Obviously, wanted to do it at a place that I've been for the three years prior. For me, just to be around a great bunch of guys and obviously great coaching staff, and do it with them, I think it makes it more special."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Purdue's Braden Smith breaks NCAA assists record set by Bobby Hurley

The Golden State Warriors are in desperate need of a win tonight, when they visit the Detroit Pistons in the fourth stop on their six-game road trip. It certainly won’t be easy, as the Pistons boast an Eastern Conference-best 50-19 record. It is made easier by the fact that Detroit will be without their superstar point guard … but then again, so will the Warriors.

Here’s the full injury report for both teams for the 4:30 p.m. PT game.

Warriors

Out — Steph Curry (right patellofemoral pain syndrome)

The Warriors keep expressing optimism that we’ll see Curry before the season ends, but we’re running out of time. This is his 20th consecutive absence, and there are only 12 regular season games on the schedule after leaving the motor city.

Out — Jimmy Butler III (right ACL surgery)

Butler, on the other hand, has no chance of returning this year, but we all knew that. Hopefully his rehab and recovery are going well following January’s ACL tear.

Out — Moses Moody (right wrist sprain)

Moody’s injury initially didn’t appear serious, but it has really lingered. This will be his ninth straight game on the sidelines, which is a big bummer given how well he was playing before sustaining the injury.

Out — Al Horford (right soleus strain)

This isn’t the usual case of Horford resting because the Warriors have a back-to-back (they visit Jonathan Kuminga and the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday night). No, Horford is straight up injured, and his status for the rest of the season is in doubt.

Out — Quinten Post (right foot injury management)

Thank goodness that Kristaps Porziņģis is healthy, since the Dubs are without their other two centers. Given that this is just an injury management day for Post, I would assume that he’ll be on the court on Saturday.

Out — Seth Curry (left adductor strain)

Still just four games played this year for the younger Curry brother. What a bummer of a year for him.

Available — LJ Cryer (left hamstring injury management)

After being sidelined for two games, Cryer returns. He’ll certainly see action tonight, given the number of names that aren’t available.

Pistons

Out — Cade Cunningham (left lung pneumothorax)

Cunningham was putting together quite an MVP campaign before suffering a collapsed lung. Thankfully that’s not quite as scary or serious as it sounds, and it’s still expected that the young superstar point guard will be ready to rejoin the Pistons before the playoffs.

Out — Isaiah Stewart (left calf strain)

Beef Stew is having a typical solid year, averaging 10.0 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks per game. He’s a menace in the paint, so his absence is a blessing for a Warriors team that is missing Horford and Post.

Out — Marcus Sasser (right hip soreness)

Sasser has struggled with injuries this season, including missing Detroit’s first 23 games. Now he’s back on the sideline after playing nine consecutive games.

Out — Bobi Klintman (G League assignment)

A second-round pick a year ago, Klintman remains very raw. He’s appeared in just 19 games over his two NBA seasons.

Questionable Available — Jalen Duren (right ankle soreness)

The first-time All-Star this year was listed as questionable, but was just announced as good to go. That’s bad news for the Warriors, and means the Dubs are going to need some serious defense and rebounding from Porziņģis and Draymond Green.

Questionable Out — Kevin Huerter (right shoulder contusion)

Similarly, Huerter was listed as questionable, but was ruled out shortly before tip.

Enjoy the game, Dub Nation!

For the better part of the past month, the most hyper-analyzed and breathlessly discussed team in men’s college basketball wasn’t in Lexington, Kentucky or Lawrence, Kansas or on North Carolina’s famed Tobacco Road.

It was a mid-sized state school in southwest Ohio that wasn’t even picked in the preseason to win its own (typically) one-bid conference and had gone nearly 20 years without an NCAA Tournament appearance.

When the 2025-26 season tipped off back in early November, few people outside of Oxford, Ohio could have imagined Miami (Ohio) would become one of the defining teams and storylines nationally by the time March Madness rolled around, yet there the RedHawks were, winning game after game and doing what only some of the most iconic squads in the sport’s modern history had been able to pull off.

March Madness scores: See the big shots, moments, highlights in today's first round

That inspired run ended Friday, March 20, with Miami suffering just its second loss of the season, a 78-56 blowout at the hands of Tennessee in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Philadelphia.

What happened across an ill-fated 40 minutes, though, did nothing to diminish the five months that preceded it.

The RedHawks became just the fifth Division I team since 1980 to start a season 30-0, joining the star-studded likes of 1990-91 UNLV and 2014-15 Kentucky. The fact those historical peers had significantly more next-level talent only added to Miami’s charm. A roster made up largely of once-overlooked recruits came together to play one of the more beautiful forms of basketball of any team in the country, an offensively explosive outfit that played at a frenetic pace, spread opponents out and knocked down shots at a dizzying rate.

In an age when mid- and low-major programs largely exist as feeder systems for college basketball’s biggest and richest schools, the RedHawks were a heat-warming anachronism, a group of players who came into the program, developed, improved and, perhaps most impressively, stayed. Of the 15 players who logged at least one minute for Miami this season, 12 began their careers at the school. Five of the top six scorers from a 25-win team the previous season came back, almost certainly spurning more lucrative opportunities elsewhere. And it was all coming under the direction of a coach in Travis Steele who, after stumbling as a head coach at the power-conference level, has made the most of a second chance.

At some point, an inspiring story became something decidedly more polarizing.

As the RedHawks inched closer to an unblemished regular season, debates began over their NCAA Tournament hopes. Their poorly rated nonconference schedule and subpar predictive metrics were nitpicked. Their series of tight wins drew skepticism. If they lost even just once and didn’t earn the Mid-American Conference’s automatic bid to the Big Dance, did they deserve a spot in the 68-team bracket? To some extraordinarily outspoken individuals, the answer was a firm “no.”

Despite Bruce Pearl’s best and most nakedly shameless efforts, and even after a loss to UMass in the MAC quarterfinals, Miami heard its name called on Selection Sunday, earning one of the final at-large spots and a trip to the First Four in Dayton that may as well have been a challenge from the NCAA tournament selection committee — if you really belong in this event, you’ll have the chance to prove it.

And, surely enough, they did.

Steele’s men of steel drained 16 3-pointers and knocked down 39% of their shots from beyond the arc to beat a high-scoring SMU team by double digits and pick up the program’s first NCAA tournament win since a Wally Szczerbiak-led run to the Sweet 16 in 1999.

“I think we do belong here,” Peter Suder, the team’s leading scorer, said Thursday heading into the first-round game. “I think we showed that last night especially, but just don't count us out.”

Two days later, they ran into a wall, taking on a bigger, more physical and more talented Tennessee squad that was as bad of a matchup on the court as it was on paper, outrebounding Miami by a 42-25 margin, limiting its effectiveness from 3 and holding it to a season-low 56 points.

For all but one team, the college basketball season ends in disappointment, but for some, success isn’t wholly defined by national championship or Final Four banners. For months, as Miami’s resume was relentlessly dissected, the RedHawks (and results of Freedom of Information Act requests) insisted that teams from the sport’s major conferences were unwilling to schedule them. They weren’t alone in that struggle. High Point, as coach Flynn Clayman made sure to note after his team upset No. 5 seed Wisconsin on Thursday, faced similar issues.

All that schools like them asked for was a chance in a sport that increasingly seems like it’s stacked against them and designed to kill stories like theirs before they even get the chance to begin. But in the NCAA Tournament, when there’s no hiding behind a cautious scheduling philosophy, those chasms between the haves and have-nots have a beautiful way of disappearing.

While Miami came up well short against Tennessee, it showed that it earned the right to be there. And, as its coach sees it, its hard-earned place in the sport has staying power.

"My goal is to get this thing to the second weekend of the NCAA tournament," Steele said after Friday's loss. "We will be back. I'm very very confident on that"

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Miami Ohio basketball's season is over, but it won't be forgotten

PALM HARBOR, Fla. (AP) — Sungjae Im held onto the lead on a breezy Friday afternoon in the Valspar Championship, rallying on the back nine to edge ahead of David Lipsky in firm and fast conditions on the Copperhead course at Innisbrook.

After missing two straight cuts in his return from a wrist injury, Im shot a 2-under 69 to get to 9-under 133 — a stroke ahead of Lipsky. On Thursday morning, Im had two eagles in a 64 for a one-shot advantage over Brandt Snedeker.

“The important thing, well, the most important thing is that I can get my drives into the fairways,” the 27-year-old South Korean player said through a translator. “If I do that, then I will be able to give myself good chances. There’s just a lot of danger out there on the course.”

On Friday, Im had three bogeys and two birdies in a front-nine 37, then birdied the par-5 11th and par-4 12th. He broke a tie for the lead with a 7-foot birdie putt on the par-3 17th.

“I want to really focus and be patient because I have a chance this weekend.” Im said. “This weekend, I think the winds are going to blow and the greens are going to get more firm.”

He has two PGA Tour victories, the 2020 Honda Classic and 2021 Shriners Children’s Open.

Lipsky had a 65, playing in the first group of the day off the first tee. Winless on PGA Tour, he birdied the first two holes and four of the the first six, added two more on 10 and 11 and parred the final seven.

“It was excellent. I did everything well,” Lipsky said. “Missed it in the right spots, holed the putts early on to get some momentum going. That finishing stretch is obviously tough, so able to save a couple pars down on 16 and 18 and really kept the round going.”

Chandler Blanchet and Doug Ghim were 7 under. Blanchet closed with a bogey for a 66. Ghim shot 67, making an eagle on the par-5 11th, then giving back the strokes with bogeys on 15 and 16.

“Obviously, I wish I would have finished a little bit better,” Ghim said. “Two bad holes doesn’t really necessarily kind of ruin a good day.”

Snedeker had a 72 to drop to 5 under. The 45-year-old U.S. Presidents Cup captain received a sponsor exemption.

“The good thing is it’s playing really tough and tricky this afternoon,” Snedeker said. “Try to take a positive from that. Hung in there when things weren’t going great.”

Jordan Smith (68) also was 5 under with Matt Fitzpatrick (69), Marco Penge (68) and Alex Smalley (69).

“I definitely hit it better yesterday and putted better today,” Spieth said. “So, just try to put them both together on the weekend.”

Fitzpatrick was second last week in The Players Championship.

Brooks Koepka was tied for 10th at 4 under after a 67 in his return to Innisbrook. He missed a 3-foot birdie putt on his final hole.

“Just keep doing what I’m doing,” Koepka said. “Playing well, like the way I’m striking it.”

Defending champion Viktor Hovland missed the cut with rounds of 70 and 75.

___

AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

The Atlanta Hawks (38-31) aim for a stunning twelve straight wins against the formidable Houston Rockets (41-27).

Starting lineup:

• G CJ McCollum
• G Nickeil Alexander-Walker
• F Dyson Daniels
• F Jalen Johnson
• C Onyeka Okongwu

Please join in the comments below as you follow along.

Where, When, and How to Watch and Listen

Location: Toyota Center, Houston, TX

Start Time: 8:00 PM EDT

TV: FanDuel Sports Network Southeast (FDSNSE)

Radio: Sports Radio 92.9 the Game (WZGC-FM)

Streaming: ESPN+, FanDuel Sports Network app, Fubo (out of market), NBA League Pass (out of market), Youtube TV (NBA League Pass out of market)

When they played in January, the Knicks (45*-25) held the Nets (17-52) to 66 points. Tonight in Brooklyn, New York aims to extend their win-streak over their neighbors to 14 straight and sweep the four-game season series.

Tip-off is 7:30 pm EST on MSG. This is your game thread. This is Nets Daily. Please don’t post large photos, GIFs, or links to illegal streams in the thread. Be good humans. And go Knicks!

* Should be one more, but NBA Cup wins are made of mesh.

VILLARREAL, Spain (AP) — Villarreal beat Real Sociedad 3-1 and completed its first La Liga double over the Basque side since 2016-17 on Friday.

All of Villarreal’s goals came in a busy first half.

Gerard Moreno got the opener with a header after seven minutes, and eight minutes later Georges Mikautadze tapped in a second following good work from midfield by Alberto Moleiro.

Nicolas Pépé made it 3-0 midway through the first half when he strode forward and his deflected shot crept past goalkeeper Alex Remiro.

Luka Sučić pulled a goal back for Sociedad in the first minute of the second half but the visitor could not mount a comeback. It remained in seventh place after missing a chance to go equal on points with the team above it, Celta Vigo.

Villarreal, meanwhile, moved into third, a point above Atletico Madrid. Atletico's game in hand is on Sunday at archrival Real Madrid.

The win was Villarreal's 12th in 15 games at Estadio de la Ceramica this season, with the only defeats coming at the hands of Real Madrid and Barcelona.

___

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Be sure to follow USA TODAY Sports' live updates keeping track of all of NCAA Tournament's Friday first round games.

The road to Indianapolis and the Final Four continues Saturday as the first eight teams will book their tickets to the Sweet 16.

Will High Point and VCU's magic continue? Top-seed Duke struggled against Siena, how will Blue Devils respond against No. 9 seed TCU? Saint Louis scores in bunches, can Michigan slow the Billikens down?

Otega Oweh saved UK's season Friday: He might have done more than that

'Nobody would play us': High Point coach gives fiery interview after Wisconsin upset

It should be a great feast of March Madness. Below is Saturday's schedule and TV listings. Here is the rest of Friday night's slate of games.

March Madness games tomorrow: Second round game times, schedule for Saturday, March 21

All times Eastern

• 12:10 p.m.: No. 1 Michigan vs. No. 9 Saint Louis, CBS
• 2:45 p.m.: No. 3 Michigan State vs. No. 6 Louisville, CBS (prediction)
• 5:15 p.m.: No. 1 Duke vs. No. 9 TCU, CBS (prediction)
• 6:10 p.m.: No. 2 Houston vs. No. 10 Texas A&M, TNT (prediction)
• 7:10 p.m.: No. 3 Gonzaga vs. No. 11 Texas, TBS/truTV (prediction)
• 7:50 p.m.: No. 3 Illinois vs. No. 11 VCU, CBS (prediction)
• 8:45 p.m.: No. 4 Nebraska vs. No. 5 Vanderbilt, TNT (prediction)
• 9:45 p.m.: No. 4 Arkansas vs. No. 12 High Point, TBS/truTV (prediction)

2026 Men's March Madness remaining full schedule

• March 21-22: Second Round
• March 26-27: Sweet 16
• March 28-29: Elite 8
• April 4: Final Four
• April 6: National Championship

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: March Madness 2026 schedule: Who plays tomorrow, when in second round

Be sure to follow USA TODAY Sports' live updates keeping track of all of NCAA Tournament's Friday first round games.

PHILADELPHIA, PA — Virginia basketball coach Ryan Odom did not mention the elephant in the room with his team heading into Friday's Men's NCAA Tournament First-Round game against No. 14 seed Wright State.

"We never talked about it," Odom said following his team's 82-73 opening round win of the NCAA Tournament on Friday at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia. "We only talk about what this team wants to accomplish. We had no thought about the history other than being proud of the history of Virginia basketball."

There was no need to. To Odom's point, the 2025-26 Cavaliers roster features 12 newcomers from last season, and Odom, himself, is in his first year on the sidelines in Charlottesville.

REQUIRED READING: Thijs De Ridder filled out brackets overseas. Now he's leading Virginia's March Madness run

The 3-seeded Cavaliers' first NCAA Tournament win in 2,538 days didn't come easily, however. The Raiders had Odom's squad on upset watch for much of the game and forced them to fight until the end to break their three-game losing skid. Nonetheless, a win in March Madness can go a long way toward building a new team's confidence for a run in March.

"The first game is always the hardest, especially Wright State, credit to them. They did a great job executing. Their game plan was amazing," Virginia guard Malik Thomas said. "As a team, we were a little bit nervous. ... After we got our jitters out and we started to play our basketball and come together, we were able to string some shots together and hit some big shots."

Virginia struggled in the first half with Wright State's fast tempo. The Cavaliers turned the ball over seven times compared to Wright State's single turnover. Those seven turnovers led to four points for the Raiders in the first half, and a five-point halftime deficit.

"They played a little bit differently than we were expecting going into the game and how we prepared," Odom said. "...But our guys did a nice job throughout the game of adjusting, and just hanging in there. And that's what you've got to do in this tournament. It's not going to be perfect. It's not meant to be perfect."

The Cavaliers quickly erased the Raiders' halftime lead with a 7-2 run out of the locker room. They then pushed the lead to as many as four points at that point of the game when 23-year-old freshman Thijs De Ridder drained a 3-pointer in the corner.

Wright State would continue hanging in there with Virginia, which picked up its 30th win of the season, for the next few minutes before the Cavaliers shifted the momentum and the energy in the arena their way. Jacari White hit a few key shots down the stretch for Virginia to pull out the win with his six 3-pointers on the day.

Virginia separated itself from Wright State with an 11-0 run after a technical foul was called on Sam Lewis for bouncing the basketball off a Wright State player, going into a timeout.

White led the way for Virginia with 26 points, while Lewis added 12 and Thomas added 11. De Ridder also finished in double figures with 10 points and six rebounds in addition to two assists.

Odom mentioned that he's proud of how his team held together and played down the stretch to pull out the victory.

"We had to keep the pressure on defensively. We couldn't watch the guys shoot threes. A couple of times, we watched guys shoot and they made us pay. That's not something we have done all season," Odom said. "I think our guys did a nice job of showing the proper poise that was needed to be able to come out victorious."

Virginia will now look to punch its ticket to the second weekend for the first time since 2019 when it takes on the No. 6 Tennessee Vols.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Virginia holds off Wright State for first March Madness win since 2019

The Detroit Pistons lost Cade Cunningham to what was later diagnosed as a collapsed lung two games ago. He was out within five minutes of that first game, so effectively, two games minus their All-Star and most important player. They are 2-0. Or maybe they just played the Washington Wizards twice. The Golden State Warriors are no great shakes, and they are also missing their star in Steph Curry. But they are also not the Washington Wizards. As we move forward for the next couple of weeks, especially absent any kind of return timeline for Cunningham, every game becomes a test. Can this team pass the Warriors test if they only play as good as they did against the Wizards? I’m not so sure. But I also think they have a lot of room for improvement, even within their limited offensive skillset. There have been positives — Jalen Duren is a monster and Kevin Huerter is doing all the little things (big thing he’s still not doing — hitting 3s). Tobias Harris has stepped up as a rebounder, and it’s good to have Ausar Thompson back and healthy. Still, Daniss Jenkins is struggling, the lack of point guard play is hurting tertiary guys like Javonte Green and Ron Holland the most, and now the aforementioned Huerter and Duren are questionable with ankle and shoulder issues, respectively. The end of the season is going to be a roller coaster. Strap in.

Game Vitals

When: 7:30 p.m. ET
Where: Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, Michigan
Watch: Fan Duel Sports Network Detroit
Odds: Pistons -5.5

Projected Lineups

Detroit Pistons (50-19)

Daniss Jenkins, Duncan Robinson, Ausar Thompson, Tobias Harris, Jalen Duren

Golden State Warriors (34-38)

Brandin Podziemski, De’Anthony Melton, Gui Santos, Draymond Green, Kristaps Porzingis

NASHVILLE, TN. — Most coaches are focused on one March Madness bracket. High Point University assistant coach Katie Clayman is living in two.

Clayman’s husband, Flynn, is the head coach of the High Point men’s team. March 19, the Panthers pulled off a 12-over-5 upset against Wisconsin. Clayman brought her son, Quinn, to Portland, Oregon, from North Carolina to watch his dad coach in the men’s matchup.

As if caring for a 19-month-old wasn’t already a full-time job, Clayman is traveling between tournament sites to support her husband while also helping lead her team into a matchup against No. 2 seed Vanderbilt in the women’s tournament.

“One thing I honestly believe is family first,” High Point women’s head coach Chelsea Banbury said. “She should be there.”

Of the 136 teams across both NCAA tournaments, only 30 schools have both their men’s and women’s programs in the field. Clayman has a stake in both sides of one of them.

For her, one round is done and it’s on to the next. And as she travels to Nashville, she’ll be working on setting up the High Point women for a Round 1 repeat.

“It's obviously long travel days,” Banbury said. “There's not any direct flights, but she'll get here this evening. I've been in touch with her. She's watching film. I've given her a task of what I want to see when she gets here and what to have broken down by the time she is.”

Both sets of Panthers are looking to make deep tournament appearances. And, for Quinn, it’s a front-row seat to both of his parents chasing history.

Katie Fryburger is a student in the University of Georgia’s Carmical Sports Media Institute.

This article originally appeared on USATNetwork: Katie and Flynn Clayman look to lead High Point men and women to runs