Category: NBA

PORTLAND, OR – Everyone knows the sacrifices the spouse of a coach goes through, but what if both people in a marriage are coaches?

Even crazier, what if they’re both in the NCAA Tournament at the same time?

It’s made for a March Madness family affair unlike any other at High Point. Men’s basketball coach Flynn Clayman and women’s basketball assistant coach Katie Clayman each have their teams in the Big Dance, achieving new heights with their respective programs.

What makes it even more fun? They’re getting to experience the run together.

"It's just been perfect. I love the game of basketball. Then to find a woman that I love more than the game of basketball, I thought that was impossible, but it happened," Flynn said.

The couple have been with each other nearly every step of the way in their careers. They met while they were both assistants at Southern Utah, connecting simply because they were in the same athletic department. They spent multiple seasons at Southern Utah before they tied the knot.

In fact, Flynn and Katie got married in May 2023, and not long after saying "I do," they were packing up a U-Haul and on their way to begin their new roles at High Point. In April, Flynn was promoted to his first head coaching role.

Both men’s and women’s programs had successful seasons, each sweeping the Big South regular season and conference tournaments to punch their tickets to March Madness. When the men’s and women’s brackets were announced, it made for an interesting draw.

No. 12 seed High Point men played Thursday, March 19 against Wisconsin in Portland. No. 15 seed High Point women play Saturday, March 21 against Vanderbilt in Nashville.

Could Katie go see her husband’s first NCAA Tournament game before her team played? Absolutely, as she said head coach Chelsea Banbury insisted she’d make the trip.

“My boss was great. It wasn't even an ask,” Katie told USA TODAY Sports. “She's a mom and a wife, and she's like, ‘No, you have to be there.’”

So, Katie flew with her husband to Portland, along with their 19-month old son, Quinn. While she did as much scouting and prep as she could while being nearly 2,000 miles away from her team, she enjoyed being “a wife and a mom” during a memorable time for the family.

It was a trip of a lifetime.

The Panthers kicked off March Madness with a bang, knocking down Wisconsin thanks to a last-second shot. It was the first tournament win in High Point men’s history. 

Whether it was the heroics of March’s newest sensation Chase Johnston or the fiery postgame comments from Flynn, High Point propelled itself to the national spotlight, arguably the biggest moment in the program’s nearly 100-year history.

It was even sweeter Katie and Quinn were able to soak it all in with Flynn.

“I'm so proud of him. I mean, the team did phenomenal, what a game it was. It was a surreal moment, and I'm really glad that Quinn and I were here,” Katie said. “Everybody was watching the game, and I was watching the game, but I was watching Flynn. He was just having so much fun, so I know what that feels like. I was just so happy for him in that moment. He's so deserving.”

This is what you call a power coaching couple ❤️

Coach Flynn Clayman's wife, Katie, is in attendance for today's @HPUMBB game. She is an assistant coach for @HPUWBB, who made the Women's NCAA Tournament.

She will join her team in Nashville on Saturday. pic.twitter.com/wC9paV8S6p

— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) March 19, 2026

There was enough time for them to celebrate, too. After the victory, the Clayman family sat courtside in the Moda Center during the Arkansas vs. Hawai’i contest, all smiles as they went through their buzzing phones. They were able to spend the rest of the day together before Katie and Quinn left for Nashville the morning of March 20.

Now comes the hard part of being able to continue supporting one another. Both Claymans will be coaching roughly at the same time. The women play Vanderbilt at 7 p.m. ET, and the men play Arkansas at 9:45 p.m. ET.

They’ll try to watch each other’s game. Flynn said he'll watch a little bit before his game begins, and then Katie likely can catch the second half of her husband's team. They're used to doing this, and now they hope Cinderella runs continue so they can keep playing. Yet, the Claymans know they wouldn’t be in their current position without each other. 

“I wouldn't be sitting here without my wife and her sacrifices. When we first met, she had opportunities to be D-I head coach, to be high-major associate head coach, all those things. She made a decision to support me and to follow where I was going,” Flynn said. “I just love her to death. I'm just so happy that she got to this game and got to watch it.”

To Katie, it’s no big deal. They understand how the coaching lifestyle is unlike any other. It takes a true team effort, and one they built their marriage on.

“We’re each other's best supporters, best teammates,” Katie said. “When we said our vows, it was that we're gonna be our best teammate. So we're just living the best life right now."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: High Point married coaches living 'best life' in March Madness

Follow all of Saturday's NCAA Tournament second round games with USA TODAY Sports' live updates.

This year's edition of March Madness has some of the top scorers in the country, highlighted by a star-studded freshman class that includes names that will dominate the 2026 NBA Draft.

Duke's Cameron Boozer, Kansas' Darryn Peterson, and BYU's AJ Dybantsa figure to go in the top 3 of the draft, but other freshmen like Arizona's Koa Peat and Brayden Burries, Arkansas' Darius Acuff Jr. and Houston's Kingston Flemings also figure to be highly south after.

But this tournament isn't just about freshmen.

So, who is the leading scorer of this year's Men's NCAA Tournament through the first round?

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

Here's what to know:

Who is the top leading scorer in March Madness 2026?

Kentucky's Otega Oweh and BYU's AJ Dybantsa are tied as the leading scorers of the Men's NCAA Tournament through the first round at 35 points.

Oweh scored 35 points in the Wildcats' overtime win over 10-seed Santa Clara, which included a game-tying 3-pointer to force overtime and two free throws to seal the win. Dybantsa scored his 35 points, his eighth game of at least 30 points on the season, in the Cougars' first-round loss to 11-seed Texas.

Top leading scorers in March Madness 2026

Last updated: 1 a.m. ET on Saturday, March 21

Here's a breakdown of the top 10 leading scorers of the Men's NCAA Tournament:

• T1. Otega Oweh (Kentucky): 35 points vs. Santa Clara in First Round
• T1. AJ Dybantsa (BYU): 35 points vs. Texas in First Round
• 3. Terrence Hill Jr. (VCU): 34 points vs. North Carolina in First Round
• 4. Tarris Reed Jr. (UConn): 31 points vs. Furman in First Round
• 5. Jeremiah Wilkerson (Georgia): 30 points vs. Saint Louis in First Round
• T6. Ja'Kobi Gillespie (Tennessee): 29 points vs. Miami (Ohio) in First Round
• T6. Labaron Philon Jr. (Alabama): 29 points vs. Hofstra in First Round
• T6. David Mirković (Illinois): 29 points vs. Penn in First Round
• T9. Nick Boyd (Wisconsin): 27 points vs. High Point in First Round
• T9. Joseph Pinion (South Florida): 27 points vs. Louisville in First Round

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who is leading scorer in 2026 NCAA Tournament? Most points scored

It's on to the second round of the 2026 Men's NCAA Tournament. Who is headed to the Sweet 16?

Will VCU and High Point go from bracket busters to legit Cinderellas? Illinois and Arkansas certainly hope not. Top-seeded Duke overcame a scare against No. 16 seed Siena. How will they handle a TCU team that got March Madness started with a bang?

Opinion: Miami (Ohio)'s March Madness run is over, but it won't be forgotten

Here's a look at Saturday's full slate of games and TV listings:

March Madness games today: 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 Eight
• April 4: Final Four
• April 6: National Championship

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: March Madness bracket, schedule: NCAA Tournament second round today

Karl-Anthony Towns didn’t expect to make it to Barclays Center on Friday night. But he followed the wishes of his father, Karl Sr., who is recovering from a medical procedure, and dropped 26 points with 15 rebounds in a 93-92 win over the Nets.

“I wasn’t going to play. My pops was adamant he wanted me to play,” said Towns, who was listed as questionable for personal reasons before tipoff. “So I said I would. So I showed up just for the game to play. I’m going to head right back out and go be with him again for the road to recovery.”

Karl Sr., a former star at Monmouth University, is a mainstay at his son’s games, frequently flying commercial to follow the Knicks on road trips.

Towns lost his mother, Jacqueline Cruz, to COVID-19 in 2020.

Sources said Karl Sr.’s medical issue is not life-threatening.

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The Nets still haven’t officially ruled Michael Porter Jr. out for the rest of the season, but they might as well have.

Brooklyn shut Porter down with a left hamstring strain and said he’d be evaluated in two to three weeks.

Asked if Porter could return this season, Nets coach Jordi Fernández said: “So, two to three weeks, and then obviously there’s a ramp-up to go back to competition level, so we cannot predict. But it will be close. So we’re going to go through these two, three weeks and then put the work in and so forth; and then we’ll see where we’re at.”

With three weeks being the penultimate game April 10 in Milwaukee and the finale two nights later in Toronto, any ramp-up strains credulity.

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Noah Clowney missed Friday’s game with a sprained right wrist and sounds unlikely to play Sundayat Sacramento.

“Yeah, I mean obviously I had to take him out because he was really sore,” Fernández said.

“And Noah, right away when I saw that he was in pain, I was like, ‘Do you need a sub?’ And I’m like asking the guys to take a foul to be able to sub out, and I ended up calling a timeout. So he was pretty sore. He has a sprained wrist. He’ll be out [Friday], most likely he’ll be out next game, and then we’ll go from there.”

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Terance Mann (illness), Egor Dëmin (plantar fasciitis), Day’Ron Sharpe (thumb) were out for Brooklyn.

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Jalen Brunson, who sat out Tuesday’s win over Indiana, returned to the lineup for his 65th game, qualifying for postseason awards.

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• CHECK OUT THE LATEST NBA STANDINGS AND KNICKS STATS

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The Knicks guard is expected to land an All-NBA selection and is the reigning Clutch Player of the Year.

Josh Hart was out with runner’s knee.

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Brooklyn’s Josh Minott had 22 points and hit 6-for-9 from deep.

The six 3-pointers were a career best and the scoring was two points off his career high.

He added five boards, two blocks and a steal in 25:47 off the bench.

March brings the most unpredictable period of basketball of the year. Usually, that uncertainty is reserved for the college game, but on Saturday, it may carry over to the NBA in San Antonio, not because of the product on the court, but who may even play in the game. The Indiana Pacers’ injury report is chock-full of questionable statuses, making it nearly impossible to know who will suit up.

At the end of the day, it may not matter who suits up for Indiana. The San Antonio Spurs are on a four-game winning streak and have won 20 of their last 22. Meanwhile, the Pacers have not won a game since the All-Star break, losing 15 straight games. The Spurs are chasing the 60-win mark, while Indiana is playing for lottery odds.

San Antonio has also been short-handed for the last few games. Stephon Castle missed their last game against the Phoenix Suns. He is listed as questionable on Saturday. Even if he does suit up against the Pacers, the Spurs should have a chance to go deep in their rotation and pull out a win against an Indiana team incentivized to lose.

San Antonio Spurs (52-18) vs. Indiana Pacers (15-55)

March 21st, 2026 | 7 PM CT

Watch: FanDuel | Listen: WOAI (1200 AM)

Spurs Injuries: Stephon Castle – Questionable (hip), Harrison Ingram – Out (G League), David Jones Garcia – Out (G League), Emanuel Miller – Out (G League)

Pacers Injuries: Johnny Furphy – Out (knee), Tyress Haliburton – Out (achilles), Quenton Jackson – Questionable (calf), T.J. McConnell – Questionable (hamstring), Andrew Nembhard – Questionable (calf), Aaron Nesmith – Questionable (ankle), Peter Taelon – Questionable (G League), Micah Potter – Questionable (tricep), Ben Sheppard – Questionable (ankle), Jalen Slawson – Questionable (G League), Ethan Thompson – Out (G League), Obi Toppin – Quesitonable (foot), Ivica Zubac – Out (rib)

What to watch for:

Rookie impact

Dylan Harper and Carter Bryant struggled against the Suns on Thursday. Saturday’s game gives them a great opportunity to bounce back. Mitch Johnson has given the rookies more playing time and opportunities against tanking teams near the end of the season. Harper and Bryant should have plenty of chances to build some confidence and warm up heading into the playoffs.

Protecting the paint

Saturday will be a matchup between two of the best shot blockers in the NBA. Victor Wembanyama’s skills need no explanation, but Jay Huff has been great at protecting the rim for the Pacers. He’s averaging 1.9 blocks per game. Both teams will have to maneuver around shot blockers to get good looks in the paint. That’s particularly important for the Spurs, whose offense thrives on downhill attacking guards and paint scoring from Wembanyama.

Ball movement

Both of these teams are at their best when they are swinging the ball, setting screens, and finding the open man. The Pacers are 13th in the league in assists, the Spurs are 11th. Saturday should be a fun game for fans of ball movement and team basketball. San Antonio, in particular, benefits from its guards getting into the paint, either kicking it out to shooters or lobbing it to Wembanyama and Luke Kornet to finish over traffic.

Don’t think for a second the Nets didn’t care about breaking their skid against the Knicks, and that they don’t care about pushing back on the outside world making fun of them.

Undersized and undermanned, yes. But watch Josh Minott and Brooklyn’s bench lead a near comeback in their 93-92 heartbreaker Friday night at Barclays Center. And listen to Minott in the painful aftermath, and it would be clear just how much it meant.

“I wanted that s–t so f–king bad,” said a visibly galled Minott, who had 22 points on a career-best 6-for-9 from deep. “Ever since we’ve been here, it’s like every game is an away game. [Friday] was just the night to really just stick it to everybody, man. As an organization, as a team, to show people that we got s–t here, yo.

“Man, just a sea of blue, a sea of orange. Every game we play, it’s a sea of the other team. And I saw it here when I was on the Celtics. But being here, it’s like, I’ve got nothing but respect for the real fans, the real Brooklyn fans. Shoutout to them, because I know it’s tough being outnumbered every single game. But I really feel like what we have here isn’t bulls–t. We have pieces here. I’ve seen it. That’s what this ‘rivalry’ meant to me.”

Yes, Minott really used “air quotes” with his hands.

The Nets (17-53) have dropped 14 straight in this series and haven’t beaten the Knicks since Jan. 28, 2023. That includes getting routed 120-66 at the Garden on Jan. 21 and drilled 134-98 at home Nov. 9.

But at least Friday they showed some pride. And some grit.

Karl-Anthony Towns had 26 points and 15 rebounds and had more free-throw attempts (13) than the Nets did as a team (10).

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• CHECK OUT THE LATEST NBA STANDINGS AND KNICKS STATS

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But Brooklyn swarmed and swiped and shoved and was physical with Towns in a first half that saw them lead 50-44.

“I played with KAT for 2 ½ years, man. I know him like this. He don’t like physicality,” Minott said. “I love KAT, but he don’t like physicality. That’s my boy, too, but he don’t like physicality. I hope this angers him, too. But yeah, we were real connected on bringing that physicality to him.”

The Nets led by as much as 45-32 with 3:55 left in the half on a 3-pointer by Ziaire Williams (17 points).

They still led 59-55 before they gave up a 20-6 run to fall behind by 10.

Down 84-70 on a Towns bucket with 9:34 to play, a bench unit of Minott and four rookies sparked a 17-0 run.

They held the Knicks scoreless for 6:21, with Chaney Johnson, Ochai Agbaji and Malachi Smith — two two-way players and a 10-day contract player — playing feisty defense.

But after rookie Nolan Traore (11 points, seven assists) put the Nets up 87-84 with 3:33 left, they gave up eight unanswered. Jalen Brunson put the Knicks up with consecutive buckets, and Brooklyn couldn’t respond.

The Nets (17-53) are third in the lottery odds, pulling within two games of Indiana and a half-game of Washington.

PHILADELPHIA, PA — Connecticut forward Tarris Reed Jr. did something no other Division I men's basketball player has done in a March Madness game in nearly 60 years.

The 6-foot-11 forward became the first player since Houston's Elvin Hayes in 1968 to finish with at least 30 points and 25 rebounds in an NCAA Tournament game, as he finished with a career-high, video-game-like 31 points and 27 rebounds.

REQUIRED READING: Braden Smith sets NCAA all-time assists record, breaks Bobby Hurley's mark

"That's as good as you are ever going to see it," UConn coach Dan Hurley said of Reed's performance after his team's 82-71 win over Furman to a group of reporters outside the Huskies locker room.

The 2-seeded Huskies needed every single point and every single rebound from Reed to avoid a potential first-round upset to the 15-seeded Paladins, as UConn nearly lost its 11-point second-half lead late in the second half.

A MONSTER game for Tarris Reed Jr... 30 points, 27 rebounds and counting 🤯🤯 @UConnMBBpic.twitter.com/yXuy4A5IpY

— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) March 21, 2026

The night the Huskies got from Reed saved Hurley's program from being added to the wrong end of March Madness history at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Entering the night, 15-seeds pulled off an upset in two of the last three times that the Men's NCAA Tournament came to Philadelphia. The first came in 2013 when 15-seed Florida Gulf Coast University upset 2-seed Georgetown in the first round, while the other came in 2022 from that year's Cinderella story in 15-seed St. Peter's, which knocked off 3-seed Purdue in the Sweet 16.

It didn't take long for Reed to showcase his dominance in front of a packed Xfinity Mobile Arena on Friday, as at times the crowd was rooting for an upset. He matched his season-high of 16 rebounds by halftime to go with 19 points on a perfect 8-of-8 shooting from the field.

"Grizzly like," is how Hurley described Reed's night.

Reed told USA TODAY Sports in the Huskies locker room that it was at halftime that he realized the night he ended up having could be a possibility.

"Mindset coming into the game was really just be dominant, knowing that it's my last March Madness (and) my days are numbered in college basketball," Reed said of his mentality on the night. "We're just going out and giving it all I got."

He added 12 points and 11 rebounds in the second half, three of which came consecutively down the stretch and proved to be big as they helped the Huskies kill time and led to an Alex Karaban 3-pointer to push the lead to 11 with 2:06 remaining.

The bear inside UConn's defense, which is the Huskies' path to a hopeful third national title in the last four years, helped the Huskies finish with a 46-26 advantage in the paint. His 27 rebounds were four more than Furman had on the night as a whole, at 23.

Tarris Reed tonight vs. Furman:

31 PTS
27 REB
12-15 FG

A HISTORIC night for the @UConnMBB big man 💪 #MarchMadnesspic.twitter.com/Ue6PnpIN0P

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 21, 2026

REQUIRED READNG: How UConn basketball's defense returned Huskies to national contender status

His night was also continuous of a season-long theme where he's been looking much more comfortable and effective in Hurley's system this year than he did last season, when he transferred from Michigan and the Big Ten.

"This really isn't a surprise to anybody," Karaban said of his fellow teammate's big night.

He added: "He opens everything everything else up (for us). Having a dominant player download that just draws so much attention and just doubles and helps us shooters get open. He makes our life so much easier. ... He's really a game change for us."

With UConn point guard Silas Demary Jr. still working his way back from an ankle injury he sustained in the Big East tournament championship and his status still in the air for Sunday's second round game against 7-seed UCLA, the Huskies will need Reed to be at his best like Friday night once again.

"He's probably got to get off social media now and focus on his matchup and not swim around in dopamine," Hurley said of Reed going into Sunday's second-round game. "And get ready for a much more formidable front court that's going to be tougher sledding versus UCLA and a Big Ten team."

Reed will be ready for whatever's asked.

"Keeping that momentum, same energy that I did in the first half and second half," Reed said.

Tarris Reed Jr. stats today vs Furman in NCAA Tournament

Here's a full breakdown of Reed's stats in UConn's win over Furman on Friday:

• Points: 31
• Shooting: 12-of-15
• 3-point shooting: N/A
• Rebounds: 27
• Assists: Three
• Turnovers: Two
• Minutes: 35

Who does UConn play next in March Madness?

The Huskies will take on 7-seed UCLA in the second round of the Men's NCAA Tournament at 8:45 p.m. ET on Sunday at Xfinity Mobile Arena. The winner will advance to the Sweet 16 of the East Region and face the winner of 3-seed Michigan State vs. 6-seed Louisville.

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tarris Reed Jr. stats otherworldly as UConn avoids March Madness upset

ST. LOUIS — Friday felt, Jai Lucas said, tinged with the same “anxious excitement” he felt the first time he played in the NCAA Tournament.

The butterflies, the nervous energy. Miami’s first-year coach felt it all again, just through a different lens.

“Same type of feeling,” he said. “It was a neutral (site) but it really was a road game, so it made it even more exciting.

“It’s something that we’ve thrived in all year.”

Thrived. An appropriate word. It’s what Miami’s been doing since Lucas took over as head coach last spring and — after affecting what was essentially a total program rebuild — began the most dramatic turnaround in college basketball this season.

Friday’s nightcap 80-66 win against No. 10-seeded Missouri moved the Hurricanes to 26-8, tying a Division I record for the largest single-season swing in win-loss differential. Miami now has won 19 more games than it did a season ago, and the credit, its players say proudly, starts with their head coach.

“We’ve got,” leading scorer Malik Reneau said, “the utmost trust for coach.”

Centered on the Sunshine State

It was not lost on Ernest Udeh, the 6-foot-11 TCU transfer from Orlando, that as Lucas pulled together his first roster in Coral Gables, he started with Florida players.

A Texas native, Lucas came to Miami from Jon Scheyer’s staff at Duke. He started his own roster build with in-state players who spoke and walked with pride at the idea of representing their home state.

“It’s no secret that most of us (are) from Florida,” Udeh said of the veteran core underpinning the Hurricanes’ success this season. “Everybody else that came in, we kind of built a culture around just letting other guys feel welcome, understanding that they are welcome.

“They play for Miami. This is their home now.”

Shoulder to shoulder with Udeh are fellow Sunshine State natives Reneau (Miami) and Tre Donaldson (Tallahassee), veterans who wear Lucas’ call for toughness as team identity proudly.

They finished Friday night with their influence all over No. 7 Miami’s first-round win.

FIRST ROUND WINNERS AND LOSERS: Key wins for Nebraska and Kentucky, disaster for UNC

Veterans reinforce Miami's identity

Udeh and Reneau form one of the most versatile frontcourts in the country, one an elite rim protector finisher and the other more versatile offensively than at any other point in his career.

It showed up in the form of 10 rebounds from Udeh — on a night when Miami’s 19-2 advantage in second-chance points made a tremendous difference — and 19 second-half points from Reneau, the Indiana transfer delivering many of the game’s biggest buckets down the stretch in front of a rowdy pro-Missouri crowd.

“Just calming down,” Reneau said, when asked what turned his evening on. “Everybody telling me to be patient and letting the game come to you.”

The Tigers (20-13) rode their hot hand when they found out, Jayden Stone’s 21 points his most in a single game in roughly six weeks

And Miami had to make peace with Mark Mitchell’s 19.

Lucas helped recruit Mitchell at Duke and coached the Kansas City native there. He knew there was no shutting down Mitchell, just making life as difficult as possible.

“The way Stone started shooting the ball made it tougher,” Lucas said. “But we never wanted (Mitchell) to be able to take more than two dribbles and not see somebody.”

For all that individual success, no number told the story of Friday’s game like the nearly 34 minutes Miami led — even through a turgid offensive first half and some spotty free-throw shooting, the Hurricanes were always Friday’s likely winner.

They got there in the end, thanks to contributions from freshmen Shelton Henderson (15 points, six rebounds, four assists) and Dante Allen (nine points off the bench).

But it was fitting that those veterans around which Lucas fashioned his first roster at Miami finished the evening off.

Seniors send Missouri home

Donaldson scored 17 points to complement Reneau’s game-high 24. During the winning minutes inside the second half’s final media timeout, across a stretch that decided the game, that pair combined to score 16 of their team’s 18 points.

None bigger than Donaldson’s end-of-clock 3-pointer just inside 90 seconds to go, a back breaker that put Miami up 12. As he watched his last make fall, Donaldson turned in celebration, throwing three fingers synonymous with the kind of shot he’d just made.

And the bench that Lucas assembled and turned into an instant winner erupted one more time, while a mob of black and gold behind them began filing toward the exits. Missouri, fans realized, was about to become the latest victim of one of college basketball’s best stories this season.

All of it, starting with the 37-year-old Lucas, the team he built and the confidence he infused it with.

“Just how relatable he is,” Donaldson, asked about his coach’s strengths, said. “That gives us as a team the ability to be that close to our coach. It’s easy for us as a team and players to come together, and just understand why we’re all here.”

In the box score, yes, Friday manifested a lot of what Lucas has preached since Day 1.

Rebounding as an avatar for toughness. Veteran leadership as a cornerstone of a roster infused with pride in its place and its purpose.

Strength in the face of adversity. Poise in the face of doubt.

Missouri tested that mettle Friday, hanging around as Miami missed free throws and Stone made 3s. The Tigers even grabbed a single-possession advantage as late as the under-8 timeout in the second half, 54-52.

Miami responded with an 11-0 run, leaving no doubt on the scoreboard or on the floor just who would be tougher Friday night.

Udeh saw it form in summer workouts, from individual drills all the way to 5-on-5 work. Nights like Friday, and wins like these, are no surprise to him now.

“When you bring a group of guys together who know how to compete and just want to push to make each other better, that’s already a sign you’ve got a great group,” he said. “Us winning these games, these gritty games, where a team goes on a run, to the outside crowd, it may look like things are getting out of hand.

“But between us and our locker room, we understand what it is — just stay poised, stay together. Everything that we’ve worked on from the summer is just on display now.”

Hurricanes 'fight' for Lucas, as Sweet 16 approaches

It will need to be again Sunday afternoon, when Miami plays No. 2 seed Purdue for a place in the Sweet 16.

Miami, which won seven games last season, now stands just one away from the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament. There has been no more dramatic, more impressive reversal of fortunes in the sport this winter, and there should be no question as to where it started.

Or, more accurately, who started it.

“We’re just fighting for our lives,” Reneau said. “We go out there and we fight for coach, every time we step on the court.”

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Miami turnaround continues with NCAA Tournament first-round win

Portland Trail Blazers (35-36, eighth in the Western Conference) vs. Denver Nuggets (43-28, fifth in the Western Conference)

Denver; Sunday, 5 p.m. EDT

BOTTOM LINE: Denver will try to keep its three-game home win streak intact when the Nuggets play Portland.

The Nuggets have gone 25-16 against Western Conference opponents. Denver averages 120.7 points while outscoring opponents by 4.2 points per game.

The Trail Blazers are 25-19 in Western Conference play. Portland is ninth in the Western Conference scoring 115.1 points per game and is shooting 45.1%.

The Nuggets' 13.8 made 3-pointers per game this season are only 0.9 more made shots on average than the 12.9 per game the Trail Blazers give up. The Trail Blazers average 115.1 points per game, 1.4 fewer than the 116.5 the Nuggets give up.

The two teams play for the third time this season. The Nuggets defeated the Trail Blazers 157-103 in their last meeting on Feb. 21. Nikola Jokic led the Nuggets with 32 points, and Jrue Holiday led the Trail Blazers with 19 points.

TOP PERFORMERS: Jokic is averaging 28.1 points, 12.6 rebounds, 10.5 assists and 1.5 steals for the Nuggets. Jamal Murray is averaging 24.2 points over the last 10 games.

Deni Avdija is scoring 24.2 points per game with 7.0 rebounds and 6.6 assists for the Trail Blazers. Jerami Grant is averaging 17.5 points and 3.5 rebounds while shooting 49.2% over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Nuggets: 6-4, averaging 123.0 points, 43.3 rebounds, 30.2 assists, 6.5 steals and 2.9 blocks per game while shooting 49.9% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 119.6 points per game.

Trail Blazers: 6-4, averaging 113.0 points, 47.4 rebounds, 27.1 assists, 8.5 steals and 7.2 blocks per game while shooting 45.3% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 111.0 points.

INJURIES: Nuggets: Aaron Gordon: day to day (rest), Peyton Watson: out (hamstring).

Trail Blazers: Shaedon Sharpe: out (calf), Vit Krejci: day to day (calf), Damian Lillard: out for season (achilles).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Miami Heat (38-32, eighth in the Eastern Conference) vs. Houston Rockets (42-27, fourth in the Western Conference)

Houston; Saturday, 8 p.m. EDT

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Rockets -2; over/under is 229.5

BOTTOM LINE: Miami heads into the matchup against Houston as losers of three straight games.

The Rockets have gone 24-10 in home games. Houston is fourth in the league giving up just 109.8 points per game while holding opponents to 46.0% shooting.

The Heat are 15-19 in road games. Miami is 18-25 against opponents with a winning record.

The Rockets score 113.9 points per game, 3.2 fewer points than the 117.1 the Heat give up. The Heat average 13.3 made 3-pointers per game this season, 1.0 more made shot on average than the 12.3 per game the Rockets allow.

The teams play for the second time this season. The Heat won the last matchup 115-105 on Feb. 28, with Bam Adebayo scoring 24 points in the win.

TOP PERFORMERS: Kevin Durant is averaging 25.7 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists for the Rockets. Amen Thompson is averaging 21 points, 8.6 rebounds and 5.3 assists over the last 10 games.

Kel'el Ware is averaging 11.3 points and 9.4 rebounds for the Heat. Adebayo is averaging 26.8 points and 8.2 rebounds while shooting 43.4% over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Rockets: 5-5, averaging 110.0 points, 47.0 rebounds, 24.6 assists, 8.8 steals and 4.8 blocks per game while shooting 47.9% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 112.9 points per game.

Heat: 7-3, averaging 122.5 points, 44.8 rebounds, 28.0 assists, 8.6 steals and 4.7 blocks per game while shooting 47.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 116.8 points.

INJURIES: Rockets: Jae'Sean Tate: out (knee), Fred VanVleet: out for season (acl), Steven Adams: out for season (ankle).

Heat: Jaime Jaquez Jr.: out (hip), Pelle Larsson: day to day (foot), Simone Fontecchio: day to day (back), Andrew Wiggins: out (toe).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Minnesota Timberwolves (43-28, sixth in the Western Conference) vs. Boston Celtics (47-23, second in the Eastern Conference)

Boston; Sunday, 8 p.m. EDT

BOTTOM LINE: Boston hosts Minnesota looking to continue its four-game home winning streak.

The Celtics are 24-10 on their home court. Boston ranks third in the NBA averaging 15.3 made 3-pointers per game while shooting 36.1% from deep. Derrick White leads the team averaging 2.9 makes while shooting 32.6% from 3-point range.

The Timberwolves are 19-15 in road games. Minnesota ranks fifth in the Western Conference with 15.9 fast break points per game led by Ayo Dosunmu averaging 3.6.

The Celtics are shooting 46.4% from the field this season, 0.3 percentage points higher than the 46.1% the Timberwolves allow to opponents. The Timberwolves average 13.8 made 3-pointers per game this season, 0.2 fewer makes per game than the Celtics allow.

The teams square off for the second time this season. The Timberwolves won the last matchup 119-115 on Nov. 29. Anthony Edwards scored 39 points to help lead the Timberwolves to the win.

TOP PERFORMERS: Jaylen Brown is averaging 28.5 points, seven rebounds and 5.2 assists for the Celtics. Sam Hauser is averaging 2.3 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

Julius Randle is averaging 21.2 points, 6.8 rebounds and 5.1 assists for the Timberwolves. Bones Hyland is averaging 2.2 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Celtics: 7-3, averaging 111.2 points, 48.6 rebounds, 25.1 assists, 6.1 steals and 3.7 blocks per game while shooting 44.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 104.9 points per game.

Timberwolves: 5-5, averaging 115.5 points, 43.0 rebounds, 24.5 assists, 8.2 steals and 4.9 blocks per game while shooting 48.8% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 116.5 points.

INJURIES: Celtics: Nikola Vucevic: out (finger).

Timberwolves: Anthony Edwards: out (knee), Naz Reid: day to day (ankle).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Brooklyn Nets (17-53, 13th in the Eastern Conference) vs. Sacramento Kings (18-53, 15th in the Western Conference)

Sacramento, California; Sunday, 6 p.m. EDT

BOTTOM LINE: Brooklyn looks to stop its six-game slide with a win against Sacramento.

The Kings are 12-25 on their home court. Sacramento is 6-35 in games decided by at least 10 points.

The Nets are 8-27 on the road. Brooklyn has a 2-3 record in games decided by less than 4 points.

The Kings score 110.8 points per game, 4.5 fewer points than the 115.3 the Nets give up. The Nets average 13.3 made 3-pointers per game this season, 0.2 fewer makes per game than the Kings give up.

TOP PERFORMERS: DeMar DeRozan is averaging 18.5 points and four assists for the Kings. Maxime Raynaud is averaging 18.9 points over the last 10 games.

Nic Claxton is scoring 11.8 points per game with 7.1 rebounds and 3.8 assists for the Nets. Ziaire Williams is averaging 10.3 points and 1.9 rebounds while shooting 48.4% over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Kings: 4-6, averaging 113.5 points, 45.6 rebounds, 27.8 assists, 6.6 steals and 4.7 blocks per game while shooting 48.5% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 120.2 points per game.

Nets: 2-8, averaging 101.4 points, 41.2 rebounds, 23.5 assists, 7.7 steals and 5.7 blocks per game while shooting 42.0% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 114.8 points.

INJURIES: Kings: Domantas Sabonis: out for season (back), Nique Clifford: day to day (hamstring), Devin Carter: day to day (calf), De'Andre Hunter: out for season (eye), Zach LaVine: out for season (finger), Drew Eubanks: out for season (thumb), Malik Monk: day to day (shoulder), Keegan Murray: out (ankle).

Nets: Noah Clowney: day to day (wrist), Egor Demin: out for season (foot), Day'Ron Sharpe: out for season (thumb), Michael Porter Jr.: out (hamstring), Terance Mann: day to day (illness).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

While No. 1 Duke, No. 1 Michigan and No. 2 Connecticut faced unexpected tests in the first round of the Men’s NCAA Tournament, the upsets on Thursday and Friday happened down the bracket, with teams from the ACC, Big Ten and Big 12 being upended by double-digit seeds.

In one of the most dramatic moments of the opening round, No. 12 High Point knocked off No. 5 Wisconsin, 83-82, on a last-second layup. In another upset, No. 11 VCU pulled off a furious comeback to beat No. 6 North Carolina, 82-78, in overtime.

Duke made history as the only No. 1 seed to ever trail a No. 16 seed by double digits at halftime before getting back on track for a 71-65 win against Siena.

Michigan led No. 16 Howard 50-46 at halftime before its potent offense took over, turning a nailbiter into a 100-81 win. Connecticut went cold from deep in the first half against No. 15 Furman but steadied things in the second half to win 82-71.

Overall, teams on the top four lines went 16-0 in the first round with an average margin of victory of 24.5 points. Of this group, 12 won by at least 20 points, led by No. 1 Florida’s 114-55 win against No. 16 Prairie View A&M.

Let’s break down what’s happened and get ready for the weekend by examining the biggest winners and losers from the first round:

WINNERS

Nebraska

The No. 4 Cornhuskers are one of the biggest winners after rolling over No. 13 Troy, 76-47, for the program’s first tournament win. Sharpshooter Pryce Sandfort led the way with 23 points for Nebraska, which next takes on No. 5 Vanderbilt in the South region. This has been a long time coming, period, and required the patience to give coach Fred Hoiberg enough time to establish the depth and playing style that have made this the most successful team in school history.  

Saint Louis

Late on Thursday night, No. 9 Saint Louis put on a show against No. 8 Georgia to paint the Billikens as a legitimate threat to derail the Wolverines in the second round of the Midwest region. With a frantic pace and aggressive, rim-attacking approach, SLU scored 66 points in the paint and led the Bulldogs by as much as 40 points in the second half of a 102-77 win. This was particularly meaningful for coach Josh Schertz and star center Robbie Avila, who were part of the 2024 Indiana State team that was infamously snubbed as an at-large contender.

No. 9 seeds

It was a good round to be a No. 9 seed. In addition to Saint Louis, TCU beat Ohio State, 66-64, on a late bucket, Utah State beat Villanova, 86-76, and Iowa beat Clemson, 67-61. The last time No. 9 seeds went 4-0 in the first round was in 2019, when Central Florida, Baylor, Oklahoma and Washington did the honors.

Kentucky

You shudder to think about the reaction nationally and inside its home state had No. 7 Kentucky lost to No. 10 Santa Clara – and the Wildcats seemed well on the way to doing just that until Otega Oweh’s buzzer-beating heave from just inside half court tied the game and forced overtime. From there, UK had just enough to score an 89-84 win that should temporarily quiet the frustration over an up-and-down regular season. There’s a lot of stress on the word temporarily: No. 2 Iowa State will eat the Wildcats’ lunch if they don’t step up their game before meeting on Sunday.

LOSERS

North Carolina

The disaster that was North Carolina’s loss to VCU threatens to change the direction of the program, given the recharged sense of unease about the state of affairs under coach Hubert Davis. While Davis did lead UNC to the national championship game in 2022 and an ACC regular-season crown in 2024, the Tar Heels’ latest first-round exit should leave Davis on a very hot seat heading into next season – or even lead to an immediate coaching change. Ahead by 19 points in the second half, UNC took its foot off the gas and allowed the Rams to chip away and force overtime before guard Terrence Hill Jr. nailed a step-back 3-pointer with 15 seconds left in the extra frame for the win.

ACC

UNC isn’t alone amid the ACC’s disappointing start. Duke had a historic struggle but survived. Clemson lost 67-61 to Iowa. In the play-in round, No. 11 North Carolina State lost 68-66 to Texas and No. 11 SMU lost 89-79 to Miami (Ohio). On the other hand, No. 7 Miami beat No. 10 Missouri, 80-66, No. 3 Virginia beat No. 14 Wright State, 82-73, for its first tournament win since 2019 and No. 6 Louisville beat No. 11 South Florida, 83-79. The 4-4 mark so far is well off the pace of the Big 12, Big Ten and SEC, which were a combined 21-6 in the first round.

West Coast Conference

On a mid-major level, no league flopped more than the West Coast. Regular-season and conference tournament champion No. 3 Gonzaga struggled in a defensive battle against No. 14 Kennesaw State but pulled out a 73-64 win. Santa Clara led Kentucky with two minutes to go, again with 1:30 to play and then made the go-ahead 3-pointer with 2.4 seconds left before Oweh delivered a miracle. And No. 7 Saint Mary’s was just pushed around and never comfortable in a 63-50 loss to No. 10 Texas A&M.

Brigham Young

This entire season was a bit of a flop given the hype around BYU and freshman star AJ Dybantsa, even if Dybantsa matched all expectations with a banner one-and-done year. The No. 6 Cougars’ year ended with a 79-71 loss to No. 11 Texas that pretty much sum that up: Dybantsa scored 35 points and had 10 rebounds, though he did turn the ball over five times and make just 1 of 7 attempts from deep.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Winners and losers of first round of Men's NCAA Tournament

The Dallas Mavericks (23-47) welcome the Los Angeles Clippers (34-36) to town, as both teams look to get back into the win column.

The Mavericks are coming off a 135-120 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday, and the Clippers are looking to get right after consecutive losses to the New Orleans Pelicans. Here are three notes as the Mavericks take on a familiar foe at the AAC.

Have the reinforcements arrived?

The tank is gaining steam at the right time for Dallas. With razor-thin margins in the standings, every game matters for the Mavericks, Pelicans, and Grizzlies, who are separated by 1.5 games, and three weeks left in the season. The Grizzlies took home a surprising win over the Nuggets on Wednesday, and the Pelicans have won six of eight games, including back-to-back wins against these Clippers.

Dallas may be losing, but it’s not for lack of effort. The Mavericks are still playing the best players available, and there have been some silver linings. Most notably, P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford have looked more like themselves lately. In the past five games, Washington has averaged 16.0 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 1.4 steals. Gafford has averaged 18.6 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks.

With Memphis and New Orleans finding ways to scratch out wins, Washington and Gafford won’t be enough to save Dallas as they did in 2024, but it’s good to see them returning to form.

Kawhi Leonard looks like an MVP

Leonard is a lot like a tree – quiet, tall, strong, has rings, and is a model of consistency. Bad joke?

All jokes aside, Leonard has quietly put together an MVP-caliber season. The 34-year-old is sixth in the NBA in scoring this season at 28.2 points per game on 50.4% shooting. He’s also averaging 6.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 2.0 steals. This is the most complete Kawhi Leonard we’ve seen since 2021, when he seemingly could not miss a shot and was still in his prime defensively. He’s also been largely available this season (at least by his standards), playing in 54 of 70 games so far.

If the Clippers didn’t take until Christmas to figure out the Thunder own their 2026 first-round pick, starting 6-21, Leonard’s name would be louder in MVP chatter, but the Clippers simply haven’t been good.

Even after reshaping the roster, letting go of Ivica Zubac and James Harden, and adding Darius Garland and Benedict Mathurin, the Clippers haven’t found a solid footing. They’re 10-9 since the trade deadline and stuck solid in the play-in. But Kawhi loves making life hard on the Mavs and wouldn’t be surprised to see him do it again on Saturday.

Can Flagg find his shooting stroke?

Cooper Flagg has been nothing short of spectacular this season. He was the heavy favorite to take home Rookie of the Year honors until a left foot sprain sidelined him for nearly a month. He missed eight games during that span and, since returning to the lineup on March 5, has only shot 41% from the floor. The other parts of his game haven’t missed a step, as he’s showcased his ability to be an all-around player, averaging 18.7 points per game, 6.9 rebounds, and 6.4 assists since returning to the hardwood. 

Defenses have started to adjust to Flagg’s strengths, giving him more space to shoot and less freedom to attack one-on-one. With this season being a wash, this is Flagg’s trial-and-error time to get more reps on his shots and see other ways he can create offense for himself. To be successful in today’s NBA, you have to be able to shoot. It’s one of Flagg’s only “weaknesses” (if we have to say he has one). One of his strengths is his ability to adapt, and he’ll figure this out, too. 

How to watch

The Mavs and Clippers tip off at 7:30 CT from the American Airlines Center. You can watch on KFAA Channel 29, Mavs TV, or NBA League Pass.

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Game times and TV assignments for Sunday's second round were announced late Friday night. Here is the schedule for the second day of the second round, as well as what network it will air on.

March Madness bracket update: Second round game times, full schedule

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)

Sunday, March 22

All times Eastern

• 12:10 p.m.: No. 2 Purdue vs No. 7 Florida, CBS
• 2:45 p.m.: No. 2 Iowa State vs No. 7 Kentucky, CBS
• 5:15 p.m.: No. 4 Kansas vs No. 5 St. John's, CBS
• 6:10 p.m.: No. 3 Virginia vs No. 6 Tennessee, TNT
• 7:10 p.m.: No. 1 Florida vs No. 9 Iowa, TBS
• 8:45 p.m.: No. 2 UConn vs No. 7 UCLA, TNT
• 9:45 p.m.: No. 4 Alabama vs No. 5 Texas Tech, TBS

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: March Madness game times: Second round TV schedule update