Category: NCAA Basketball

Half of the NCAA men's tournament Elite Eight will be determined Thursday night in East and West Region action. A breakdown of the Sweet 16 matchups.

The matchup between Alabama and Brigham Young in the Sweet 16 of the East Region could be one of the high-scoring games of the NCAA men's tournament.

Here's how to follow all the action in the Sweet 16.

The Wildcats' record in SEC games is 11-9. Kentucky is sixth in college basketball scoring 85.0 points per game while shooting 48.2%. Tennessee makes 45.5% of its shots from the field this season, which is 2.0 percentage points higher than Kentucky has allowed to its opponents (43.5%).

Villanova ranks sixth in the Big East with 14.1 assists per game led by Jasmine Bascoe averaging 4.1. Portland leads the WCC with 17.3 assists. McKelle Meek leads the Pilots with 4.2.

Maryland Terrapins (25-7, 13-6 Big Ten) vs. South Carolina Gamecocks (32-3, 18-1 SEC) Birmingham, Alabama; Friday, 5 p.m. EDT BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Gamecocks -17.5; over/under is 150.5 BOTTOM LINE: No. South Carolina and No.

North Texas Eagles (25-8, 16-4 AAC) at Troy Trojans (21-13, 14-6 Sun Belt) Troy, Alabama; Thursday, 7 p.m. EDT BOTTOM LINE: Troy faces North Texas in the National Invitation Tournament. The Trojans have gone 14-6 against Sun Belt teams, with a 7-7 record in non-conference play.

North Carolina Tar Heels (29-7, 15-6 ACC) vs. Duke Blue Devils (28-7, 17-4 ACC) Birmingham, Alabama; Friday, 2:30 p.m. EDT BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Blue Devils -5.5; over/under is 124.5 BOTTOM LINE: No. Duke and No.

Colorado State hired Niko Medved's top assistant to replace him as basketball coach following a quick 24-hour search. Ali Farokhmanesh, 36, was promoted Wednesday evening after Medved left Fort Collins earlier this week to coach at his alma mater, Minnesota. The hire provides some continuity for a program that was 143-85 under Medved and posted three 25-win seasons in the last four years.

Fifteen years after taking the shot, Ali Farokhmanesh is going to be calling the shots at Colorado State.

After an unusual trajectory to the start of his college career, UCLA's Dylan Andrews is moving elsewhere to finish it as he enters the transfer portal.

Shawn Respert started it on Senior Day in 1995, at the end of a record-setting career, and Mateen Cleaves brought it back into the spotlight during the NCAA championship season of 2000. On March 9, though, Michigan's Phat Phat Brooks and L.J. Cason stood on the logo in the final minute of Michigan State's 79-62 win, trying to ruin the moment. Holloman and Jaden Akins asked them to move, and when they refused, Holloman moved them himself.

Video of Arkansas' John Calipari, players previewing the Sweet 16 matchup against the Texas Tech Red Raiders.

The Rams announced the hiring Wednesday, coming less than a week after Ryan Odom left to take over at Virginia. VCU reached the NCAA Tournament but lost in the first round to BYU last week.

The 44-year-old Hodge replaces Darian DeVries, who left after one season for Indiana. Hodge agreed to a five-year deal to become West Virginia’s fourth coach in four seasons. Terms of the contract weren’t immediately disclosed.