Cnotes53 College Basketball Best Bets/Trends/ News Thru The Madness !

[Cnotes53]

Teams to Watch - Sweet 16
March 20, 2018

March Madness Odds ? Sweet 16 Preview

This has already been an NCAA Tournament full of surprises. We had our first No. 16 team to ever knock off a No. 1, and two No. 1 seeds have already crashed out of the tournament.

Two brackets have been busted wide open. Both the West Region and the South Region are completely up for grabs at this point, due to some of the upsets we saw last week.

In the East Region and the Midwest Region, the chalk mostly prevailed. That will ensure some tough matchups between top teams in the Sweet 16 and the Elite Eight for those regions.

All Sweet 16 games will take place on either CBS or TBS on Thursday and Friday night.

Odds to Win 2018 NCAA Tournament

Villanova +347
Duke +361
Kentucky +749
Kansas +835
Gonzaga +842
Michigan +869
Purdue +1387
West Virginia +1530
Texas A&M +1971
Texas Tech +2513
Clemson +3986
Kansas State +4128
Florida State +5300
Nevada +6700
Syracuse +8000
Loyola Chicago +9500

The Favorites

Villanova was considered the favorite coming into the NCAA Tournament, and the Wildcats are still the favorite at this point. Nova has left no doubt who the better team was in its previous two games, comfortably knocking off Radford and Alabama. This is the best jump shooting team in the country and Nova plays great defense too.

Duke is slightly behind Nova in terms of the odds. The Blue Devils probably have the most talent of any of the teams in the NCAA Tournament, but that talent hasn?t always melded well together. Marvin Bagley III has been incredible, and Grayson Allen has done Grayson Allen things. However, Duke has had some major defensive lapses this season.

The Contenders

John Calipari may have been upset about Kentucky?s draw before the NCAA Tournament got underway, but there?s no doubt he was celebrating it after all the upsets unfolded over the first weekend. Kentucky is now in a bracket with Nevada, Kansas State, and Loyola-Chicago, and the Wildcats are the odds-on favorite to win the South. This team is still very young, and there are major question marks around them, but they may not get a real test until the Final Four.

Gonzaga is another team celebrating the chaos of March Madness. Although the Bulldogs haven?t been extremely convincing in wins over UNC Greensboro and Ohio State, they are the favorite in their region after North Carolina and Xavier lost. Gonzaga has no weaknesses in its starting lineup and has a very good player on its bench too. That makes Gonzaga a team to watch.

Purdue is known as an engineering school and its brightest minds are hard at work coming up with something that will make center Isaac Haas able to play for the rest of the tournament. Haas fractured his elbow in the first game and was thought to be lost for the rest of the year, but the injury was not as bad as feared and he may be able to play this weekend. If he can, his size makes Purdue a tough match-up for opponents.

The Longshots

Texas Tech is one of the first longshots to take a look at. The Red Raiders have been a good team all year long and earned a No. 3 seed for a reason. The Big 12 has been very tough this season, and the fact that Texas Tech survived it makes this team dangerous.

Syracuse should not be this big of an underdog either. The Orange just became the first team ever to make it from the First Four to the Sweet 16, winning three games in five days. They have a tough opponent in Duke, but Jim Boeheim does not have a bad record against Coach K, giving Cuse value at 80-1. Do you believe in miracles? After beating Miami and Tennessee on last-second shots, Loyola-Chicago may be worth a play at 95-1. The Ramblers aren?t your typical Cinderella. They beat Florida in the regular season and are 30-5. With Sister Jean cheering them on, this team has a chance.

Free College Basketball ATS Picks

Keep an eye on Purdue as there is a lot of value in the Boilermakers if Haas is healthy. This team has all the other pieces in place, but they need their dominant big man.

Syracuse is worth a bet at these long odds too. The Orange have been incredible on defense and are turning games into a slugfest. At 80-1, you could do much worse.

 

[Cnotes53]

Thursday's Sweet 16 Action
March 21, 2018

Grading the Sweet Sixteen Thursday Games

After a flurry and fantastic opening weekend of March Madness betting, we?ve arrived at the Sweet Sixteen with a whole host of improbable programs breaking through. Let?s break down these games from a bird?s eye perspective and get things started with the Thursday matchups.

All games listed are for Thursday, March 22nd

#11 Loyola-Chicago Ramblers +1.5 over #7 Nevada Wolfpack (7:07pm ET)

It?s easy ? almost too easy ? to dismiss Loyola-Chicago, but don?t be fooled by the lack of name recognition. What they represent in this matchup is a bit of a nightmare for Nevada, who has seen themselves buried in deep deficits that they?d have to redline to escape. Most bettors don?t see that as a winning tactic, and if the Wolfpack allow the Ramblers to get ramblin?, it?s going to get ugly.

Loyoyla-Chicago has a terrific defense, which allows just 41.6 percent against from the field and was one of the top rated sides in the country when it came to getting stops. This line, along with the allure of Nevada as more of a known commodity, is meant to trap you with the favorite. But the better bet from all sides is Loyola-Chicago. They?re playing like they belong in the tournament, and that kind of attitude is powerful stuff given the defensive foundation this team is built upon.

#7 Texas A&M +2.5 over #3 Michigan Wolverines (7:37pm ET)

The three-seeded Wolverines have obvious appeal, but anyone who stayed glued to the television set last weekend saw glaring weaknesses. There?s no bones about it to be honest. Michigan was flat out lucky to get out of the first two rounds.

You can?t say that about Texas A&M, which has found some sort of defensive pathway which is on the verge of taking over this tournament. At their peak, Michigan is one of the best teams in the tournament, but the Aggies are not as far behind as you?d think. Dropping 86 points on the defending champions is one thing, but holding them to just 0.86 points per possession speaks volumes about the attitude adjustment Kennedy?s troops have undertaken.

Overall, the Aggies simply have more weapons to overcome struggle. The narrative for the Wolverines centers around the idea that they?re galvanized, but I just don?t see it. It?s simply too hard to shake the idea of Michigan limping in to the Sweet Sixteen like a dead man walking. The Aggies will finish the job.

#5 Kentucky Wildcats -5.5 over #9 Kansas State Wildcats (9:37pm ET)

Legitimate fear hung in the air that if the Kentucky Wildcats could figure out how to play together, they could seize the tournament. And it happened. While the team still rallies around the uber talented Shai Gilgeou-Alexander, more players are getting involved thanks to better ball movement. They are not invincible, but they also know that so it?s important to remember that a young team comprised of freshman is sometimes going to take a while to get going. This is not the ultra loaded Kentucky team we?re used to betting on in the Sweet Sixteen. However, that might be even better news given that they?ll have to rely on each other instead of their own individual selves. Kansas State does not have the scoring to keep up if and when Kentucky turns this in to a track meet.

#9 Florida State Seminoles +5.5 over #4 Gonzaga Bulldogs (10:07pm ET)

Many of the games on Thursday are pretty much spoken for, but this is the one where you have to get frisky and that?s exactly what I?m doing. FSU?s depth was on display as the team made up for the absence of their leading scorer, Brandon Allen (groin), by producing 65 points off the bench through two games. Allen should be back at full steam this Thursday, and the fact that they have so many go-to weapons to turn to in a number of situations gives them the versatility to run wild for forty minutes.

Gonzaga should be the no-brainer pick in this matchup, but that Ohio State game worried me. So did the near upset produced by UNC Greensboro, which saw the Zags score the fewest points in a while. The Bulldogs rely on poise and experience, but FSU has that as well so it?s not as much of an advantage. Where the Gonzaga excels is in scoring, and Florida State?s unreal athleticism and energy can disrupt even the best of teams. By no means are the Seminoles a lock to give Gonzaga a game, but this tournament has been anything but predictable. If the starters can?t get going, FSU has a reserve side that can seriously turn the tide and that makes them a dangerous team to bet against.

 

[Cnotes53]

Thursday's S16 Best Bets
March 20, 2018


Thursday Sweet 16 Best Bets

As we all get a few days to recover from all the craziness/upsets the first weekend of the NCAA tournament brought, it's time to get back behind the wheel with the Sweet 16 approaching. Thursday's four games bring us action where the best seed remaining is #3 Michigan, with five of the eight teams being seeded #7 or higher in their respective regions.

That should make for a pretty interesting evening of action overall (no favorite is laying more then -5.5) so which, if any of these surprising ?underdogs? can keep their Cinderella run going to the Elite Eight?

Best Bet #1: Michigan -2.5

The Michigan Wolverines were one of the luckiest teams to reach this round in terms of getting through the Round of 32, as a buzzer-beating 3-pointer got them by Houston in the last round. The Wolverines did not play anywhere near their best in that win, shooting 35.6% from the floor, but Jordan Poole's buzzer-beater helped them accomplish the name of the game during this time of year: survive and advance.

Now Michigan goes up against a Texas A&M team that just dismantled #2 UNC last weekend. Based on the last outings by both teams lone it's no surprise to see the Aggies getting some early support with this line having opened up at -3, but Texas A&M's dominant performance against a top seed actually puts them in a very negative spot in my eyes. Teams that look so good in dismantling a top squad tend to come back down to earth quite a bit the next time around and I doubt the Aggies shoot 51% from the floor vs Michigan and hold the Wolverines to 33.3% shooting like they did UNC. In fact, throw in Michigan's abysmal offensive performance against Houston and the strong likelihood that they turn that around based on sheer regression to the mean and we could get a Michigan blowout by the end of this game.

Texas A&M relies on their size in the paint to get things done and while that's worked for them so far, it's nothing new for Michigan. The Wolverines deal with big teams like Michigan State and Purdue every year in Big 10 play and they were 2-0 SU against Michigan State and 1-2 SU (with both losses coming by 1 and 4 points respectively) against Purdue. That familiarity actually makes this a very favorable matchup for John Beilein's Michigan squad and we should see the Wolverines move on to the Elite Eight rather comfortably.

Michigan is on a 8-2 ATS run off a SU win, 12-3-1 ATS against teams that have won 60% of their games or more, 15-5-1 ATS on a neutral floor, and 7-2 ATS off an ATS defeat. They know how lucky they were to get back Houston and get to this point and it's that ?second chance? at life in this tournament that won't be wasted. Texas A&M looked phenomenal against UNC, but the last two years we've seen teams to beat the defending national champion lose outright in their next game and the Aggies won't be any different here.

Best Bet #2: Kansas State/Kentucky Under 138.5

The way these two teams have played their tournament games so far, it looks like we've got the classic case of offense vs defense in this one. And while the 'offense' should end up advancing, it won't be easy and without a statement made by the 'defense.'

Kentucky and their freshman-laden roster have dominated offensively so far in their two games, scoring 78 and 95 points respectively in their two victories. That makes it four straight 'overs' (and 9 of 10) for Kentucky as this team really has peaked at the right time of year. But scoring on teams that love to play fast like Davidson and Buffalo is much easier then it will be for Kentucky in this matchup as K-State prides themselves on their defense and will need it to be performing at a high level if they want to pull off the upset.

Kansas State has seen their two games finished with combined scores of 128 and 93 as they've yet to allow an opponent to score 60 or more against them. The Wildcats did get a bit lucky by facing #16 UMBC rather than Virginia last round to get here, but what was really impressive was holding a high-scoring Big East team like Creighton to just 59 points in the opening round. K-State is going to need a similar performance against Kentucky here to stand a chance as this might end up being a game where the first (and only) team to reach 65 points moves on to the Elite Eight.

While I do think Kentucky's scoring prowess will be too much for Kansas State in the end (although I'm not comfortable laying the -5.5 points) the freshman Kentucky has will be stifled by K-State's defense for long stretches at times making the 'under' the better play in my eyes. These two programs met in March back in 2014 and that game was a 56-49 Kentucky win, suggesting the 'under' really is the way to go. The players have changed since then, but the coach's haven't and we should see a similar style of game here.

 

[Cnotes53]

2018 NIT, CBI, CIT Results
March 22, 2018

National Invitation Tournament (NIT)

UPPER LEFT BRACKET
Date Matchup Score ATS Result
Mar. 13 Notre Dame (-19.5) vs. Hampton 84-63 Favorite-Under (151.5)
Mar. 13 Oregon (-11) vs. Rider 99-86 Favorite-Over (159)
Mar. 14 Marquette (-12) vs. Harvard 67-60 Underdog-Over (146.5)
Mar. 14 Penn State (-9.5) vs. Temple 63-57 Underdog-Under (144.5)
Mar. 17 Notre Dame vs. Penn State (+5.5, ML +210) 73-63 Undedog-Under (154.5)
Mar. 18 Oregon vs. Marquette (-5) 101-92 Favorite-Over (150.5)
Mar. 20 Penn State (+3, ML +140) vs. Marquette 85-80 Underdog-Over (151)

LOWER LEFT BRACKET
Date Matchup Score ATS Result
Mar. 13 Baylor (-13) vs. Wagner 80-59 Favorite-Over (138)
Mar. 13 Louisville (-7.5) vs. Northern Kentucky 66-58 Favorite-Under (147.5)
Mar. 13 Middle Tennessee (-6) vs. Vermont 91-64 Favorite-Over (137)
Mar. 14 Mississippi State (-4.5) vs. Nebraska 66-59 Favorite-Under (142.5)
Mar. 18 Baylor vs. Mississippi State (+5.5, ML +200) 78-77 Underdog-Over (133.5)
Mar. 18 Louisville (-4.5) vs. Middle Tennessee 84-68 Favorite-Over (142)
Mar. 20 Mississippi State (+6, ML +230) vs. Louisville 79-56 Underdog-Under (144)

UPPER RIGHT BRACKET
Date Matchup Score ATS Result
Mar. 13 USC (-14) vs. UNC Asheville 103-98 Underdog-Over (151.5)
Mar. 13 Western Kentucky (-4) vs. Boston College 79-62 Favorite-Under (159)
Mar. 13 Oklahoma State (-11) vs. Florida Gulf Coast 80-68 Favorite-Under (160)
Mar. 14 Stanford (-3) vs. BYU 86-83 Push-Over (149)
Mar. 19 USC vs. Western Kentucky (+4.5, ML +190) 79-75 Underdog-Over (152)
Mar. 19 Oklahoma State (-8) vs. Stanford 71-65 Underdog-Under (154.5)
Mar. 21 Western Kentucky (+6, +240) vs. Oklahoma State 92-84 Underdog-Over (150.5)

LOWER RIGHT BRACKET
Date Matchup Score ATS Result
Mar. 13 St. Mary's (-14.5) vs. SE Louisiana 89-45 Favorite-Under (139.5)
Mar. 14 LSU (-3.5) vs. Louisiana-Lafayette 84-76 Favorite-Push (160)
Mar. 14 Utah (-12.5) vs. UC Davis 69-59 Underdog-Under (139)
Mar. 14 Boise State vs. Washington (+2, +120 ML) 77-74 Underdog-Over (147.5)
Mar. 19 LSU vs. Utah (-5) 95-71 Favorite-Over (148.5)
Mar. 19 St. Mary's (-11) vs. Washington 85-81 Underdog-Over (142.5)
Mar. 21 Utah (+6, +250) vs. St. Mary's 67-58 Underdog-Under (140.5)

SEMIFINALS & FINALS
Date Matchup Score ATS Result
Mar. 27 Penn State vs. Mississippi State - -
Mar. 27 Western Kentucky vs. Utah - -
Mar. 29 TBD vs. TBD - -

College Basketball Invitational (CBI)
FIRST ROUND
Date Matchup Score ATS Result
Mar. 13 Eastern Washington at Utah Valley (-6.5) 87-65 Favorite-Over (148)
Mar. 14 Miami-OH at Campbell (-3.5) 97-87 Favorite-Over (144)
Mar. 14 Jacksonville State (+4.5, +170 ML) at Canisius 80-78 (OT) Underdog-Over (144)
Mar. 14 North Texas (+11.5, +550 ML) at South Dakota 90-77 Underdog-Over (148.5)
Mar. 14 UT Rio Grand Valley at New Orleans (-3) 77-74 Push-Under (154)
Mar. 14 Colgate at San Francisco (-7) 72-68 Underdog-Push (140)
Mar. 14 Mercer (+6, +240 ML) at Grand Canyon 78-73 Underdog-Over (142)
Mar. 14 Central Arkansas (+6.5, +250 ML) at Seattle 92-90 (OT) Underdog-Over (159.5)

QUARTERFINALS AND SEMIFINALS
Date Matchup Score ATS Result
Mar. 19 Jacksonville State (-2.5) at Central Arkansas 80-59 Favorite-Under (150.5)
Mar. 19 Utah Valley at San Francisco (-2) 78-73 Favorite-Over (143)
Mar. 19 New Orleans at Campbell (-7) 71-69 Underdog-Under (147)
Mar. 19 Mercer at North Texas (+2.5, ML +125) 96-67 Underdog-Over (143.5)
Mar. 21 Jacksonville State at North Texas (-1) 90-68 Favorite-Over (140.5)
Mar. 22 Campbell at San Francisco - -

FINALS (BEST-OF-THREE)
Date Matchup Score ATS Result
Mar. 26 North Texas vs. TBD - -
Mar. 28 TBD vs. TBD - -
Mar. 30 TBD vs. TBD - -

CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT)

FIRST ROUND
Date Matchup Score ATS Result
Mar. 12 Central Michigan (+5.5, ML +205) at Fort Wayne 94-89 Underdog-Over (164)
Mar. 12 Abilene Christian at Drake (-8.5) 80-73 (OT) Underdog-Over (151)
Mar. 12 North Carolina A&T at Liberty (-12) 65-52 Favorite-Under (139.5)
Mar. 12 Hartford at San Diego (-10) 88-72 Favorite-Over (138)
Mar. 14 St. Francis-PA at Illinois-Chicago (-5) 84-61 Favorite-Under (156.5)
Mar. 14 Niagara at Eastern Michigan (-8.5) 83-65 Favorite-Under (153.5)
Mar. 14 Lamar at Texas-San Antonio (-3) 76-69 Favorite-Under (150.5)
Mar. 15 Louisiana-Monroe at Austin Peay (-5) 80-66 Favorite-Over (144.5)

SECOND ROUND AND QUARTERFINALS
Date Matchup Score ATS Result
Mar. 16 Central Michigan (+5.5, ML +180) at Wofford 98-94 Underdog-Over (149)
Mar. 17 Portland State at San Diego (-6.5) 67-64 Underdog-Under (156.5)
Mar. 18 Drake at Northern Colorado (-7) 81-72 Favorite-Under (154)
Mar. 19 Eastern Michigan at San Houston State (+1.5, ML +105) 69-62 Underdog-Under (135.5)
Mar. 21 Illinois-Chicago (+4.5, +170) at Austin Peay 83-81 Under-Over (154.5)
Mar. 21 Northern Colorado (+4.5, +170) at San Diego 86-75 Underdog-Over (147.5)
Mar. 22 San Houston State at Texas-San Antonio - -
Mar. 24 Central Michigan at Liberty - -
Mar. 22-25 TBD at TBD - -

SEMIFINALS & FINALS
Date Matchup Score ATS Result
Mar. 28 TBD at TBD - -
Mar. 28 TBD at TBD - -
Mar. 30 TBD at TBD - -

 

[Cnotes53]

West Region without top 2 seeds in NCAAs
March 21, 2018

LOS ANGELES (AP) Gonzaga, Michigan and Texas A&M are no strangers to the Sweet 16.

Florida State? It's been 25 years for the Seminoles, who are brimming with confidence after knocking off No. 1 seed Xavier last weekend.

''Nobody had us here,'' Seminoles guard Braian Angola said.

Texas A&M took care of defending national champion North Carolina in the second round, ensuring neither of the region's top two seeds would be in Los Angeles.

The Aggies are seeking to make the Elite Eight for the first time in school history.

''The first time you get in a situation like this you're celebrating and everything's about having fun,'' A&M coach Billy Kennedy said. ''You want your guys to experience it all. Sometimes you experience too much of the success.''

That wasn't the case with the start of SEC play in late December. After being ranked fifth early on, the Aggies lost their first five conference games and dropped off the radar.

They endured suspensions and injuries along the way.

''I believed that we could get it corrected, and I knew we had the pieces,'' Kennedy said.

Florida State has a lot of moving parts. The Seminoles use a 10- and 11-man rotation, which goes against what most teams do in reducing their bench as they go deeper into the postseason.

''Very, very impressive,'' Gonzaga coach Mark Few said.

Seminoles coach Leonard Hamilton suggested it's more about survival in the ACC against tradition-rich programs like North Carolina, Duke, Virginia, Louisville and Notre Dame.

''We feel that we can compete a lot better if we have more guys to share the load where we don't put all that responsibility on one or two particular players,'' he said.

His players appreciate his trust in them.

''It is great because everyone that comes into the game is fresh,'' reserve forward Mfiondu Kabengele said. ''Energy is always high on a team like ours and that always makes it fun to play.''

A look at the regional semifinal games:

TEXAS A&M vs. MICHIGAN:

The Wolverines (30-7) bring an 11-game winning streak - third-best in the nation - into their fourth Sweet 16 berth in six years.

They led the Big Ten in scoring defense at 63.1 points per game while averaging nine 3-pointers.

Defense is the hallmark of the Aggies (22-12). They held opponents to 32 percent shooting on 3-pointers and limited them to 40 percent from the field overall.

Their frontcourt trio of Tyler Davis, D.J. Hogg and Robert Williams - all 6-foot-9 or taller - makes it tough for opponents to shoot over them.

''If you want to stop Rob, you are going to have to double-team him because he is so dominant in the paint and just so big in general,'' teammate T.J. Starks said.

Michigan counters with 6-11 Moe Wagner, a junior from Berlin, Germany, whose minutes were limited by foul trouble in the first two tourney wins.

FLORIDA ST. vs. GONZAGA:

The Zags bring a 16-game winning streak - the nation's best - into Staples Center and are the only team in the country to be appearing in a fourth straight Sweet 16. During Mark Few's 19 years at the helm, the Zags are 21-5 as a higher seed, including a 15-1 mark since 2009.

Gonzaga (32-4) is dead calm at the free throw line, shooting 85 percent in the final three minutes of its last 14 games. During that span, the Zags have made 50 of 59 foul shots. The last player opponents want to foul is Josh Perkins, who has hit all 17 of his shots during that stretch.

As good as the Zags are at the line late, Zach Norvell Jr. is Mr. Clutch. He's scored a team-best 93 points in the last five minutes of games this season. When he's not scoring in the final five minutes, he has dished out 11 assists with one turnover and had eight steals.

Florida State (22-11) knocked off higher seeds in its first two tournament games: No. 8 Missouri and No. 1 Xavier.

The only other time the teams met was in the 2010 NCAA Tournament, with the Zags winning 67-60.

 

[Cnotes53]

Texas A&M's Williams stars in 2nd season
March 21, 2018

LOS ANGELES (AP) Robert Williams is a living, breathing, windmill-dunking advertisement for the upside of staying in school.

The Texas A&M big man with the 7-foot-5 wingspan clearly had all the physical tools to be a solid pro prospect last spring, and he could have followed dozens of major talents by spending what would have been their sophomore collegiate seasons on an NBA bench or in the G League.

But instead of taking a chance on being a first-round pick after a solid-if-not-spectacular freshman season on a .500 A&M team, Williams took a chance on himself and returned to College Station. After a productive sophomore season of maturation and growth, another payoff arrived dramatically last week when Williams' Aggies (22-12) advanced to the Sweet Sixteen with an upset of defending national champion North Carolina.

''I talked to my family, and I just wanted to help this team and be with my teammates again,'' Williams said in the Staples Center locker room on Wednesday. ''It's not just about me. It's about everybody around me.''

Williams and the Aggies are in Los Angeles preparing for third-seeded Michigan on Thursday night. Williams has a chance to play a part in school history for Texas A&M, which has never advanced to the Elite Eight.

By staying in school with a promising bunch of teammates, including fellow 6-foot-10 big man Tyler Davis, Williams has built a substantial college career and a legacy at Texas A&M, which is in just its sixth Sweet Sixteen ever. He also gained innumerable new fans and fame with the attention of the NCAA Tournament directed onto his abilities - most notably his two jaw-dropping windmill dunks during each of the Aggies' victories last week.

''And the rebounds he's getting, you jump and put your arms out, and he's already up there above you getting the rebound,'' Aggies junior DJ Hogg said. ''You don't even need to stretch anymore. He's got it.''

Williams' vertical leap, shot-blocking defensive acumen and spectacularly long arms beg for comparisons to DeAndre Jordan, the former Texas A&M big man now starring at Staples Center for the Los Angeles Clippers.

But Williams decided not to follow Jordan to become the second one-and-done player in Texas A&M history last spring, instead deciding to spend another season in College Station. The freshman was named the SEC's defensive player of the year while scoring 11.9 points per game as a part-time starter, but the Aggies went just 16-15.

Although Williams knew he had to consider leaving, he didn't feel ready. His family took out an insurance policy against catastrophic injury, and he stayed in school.

Williams doesn't think his decision was terribly surprising to people who knew him growing up in Oil City, Louisiana, a tiny town of about 1,000 people northwest of Shreveport. Williams wasn't a widely heralded recruit to A&M, even after playing AAU ball for a Houston-based team including the Sacramento Kings' DeAaron Fox.

''I didn't expect what happened (as a freshman),'' Williams said. ''When I was (in high school), I had people telling me I was good enough to play in college, but I was thinking, `What makes me so special?'''

Williams began to attract attention as a lottery-level prospect around Thanksgiving 2016 - oddly enough, just south of Los Angeles, where Williams starred in the Wooden Legacy tournament.

But Williams struggled with injuries that left him out of top shape when he returned. When healthy, he continued to impress the college hoops world - but because the Aggies weren't very good, Williams felt he had unfinished business, according to Texas A&M assistant coach Isaac Chew.

''Last year, a lot of things were a surprise for him because he surprised himself by how well he did,'' Chew said. ''This year, he knows the things he needs to do to be effective. ... I still think even he doesn't know how good he is. At times in this tournament, he's grabbing rebounds and his head is above the rim. He's making the most of his God-given talent.''

Williams played just 20 minutes against defending national champion North Carolina last weekend, but he grabbed 13 rebounds, blocked two shots and made all three of his own shots, establishing a formidable presence.

''Nobody jumps any higher and blocks more shots,'' North Carolina coach Roy Williams said.

The sophomore's young teammates concur with the championship-winning coach. Hogg laughingly recalled his first practice against Williams, when the freshman blocked his 3-point attempt ''when he was at the free throw line.

''He could dunk like we'd never seen,'' Hogg added. ''He's from such a small town that we didn't know that much about him. But with his defending and his energy on the court, he uses that to uplift us all. He rises to the occasion.''

 

[Cnotes53]

Escape artists Michigan, Texas A&M clash
March 21, 2018

LOS ANGELES (AP) No. 3 seed Michigan (30-7) vs. No. 7 seed Texas A&M (22-12)

Sweet 16, West Region; Los Angeles; 7:37 p.m. ET on Thursday.

BOTTOM LINE: The Wolverines escaped by one point against Houston in the second round, one of three one-point victories this season. ''We've had a lot of good breaks this year,'' coach John Beilein said. ''I've been with teams that were really good teams that had a lot of bad breaks.'' The Aggies are coming down from the high of knocking off defending national champion North Carolina in their previous game on Jordan Poole's 3-pointer.

STREAKING: Michigan is riding an 11-game winning streak, with its last loss coming Feb. 6 at Northwestern.

FROM D-III to D-I: Michigan's Duncan Robinson is believed to be the first Division III player to transfer to a Division I school and receive a major scholarship. He helped Williams College finish as D-III national runner-up in 2013. The fifth-year senior is a captain for the Wolverines who started their first 18 games before going to the bench and earning Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year honors.

LAST TIME: The Aggies last played in a Sweet Sixteen two years ago in Anaheim, California, where they lost to Oklahoma 77-63. They have never reached the Elite Eight in school history.

QUOTABLE: ''Life today for these kids is so much about highlights and not about substance. That's the biggest challenge with all of us right now ... is handling that type of hype that goes to the kids. It's the end of the world on any little thing. No, it's not. Just continue on. Keep being persistent and things will work out.'' - Beilein.

 

[Cnotes53]

Upset-minded FSU gets shot at Zags
March 21, 2018

LOS ANGELES (AP) No. 4 seed Gonzaga (32-4) vs. No. 9 seed Florida State (22-11)[/B]

Third round, West Region; Los Angeles; 10:07 p.m. EDT.

BOTTOM LINE: Surprising Florida State has crossed the country to take on its third higher-seeded opponent when the Seminoles face the Zags, who are off to a strong start in their attempt to return to the NCAA championship game. These two programs led by long-serving, respected coaches have met just once before, in the 2010 NCAA Tournament.

GOING DEEP: Florida State coach Leonard Hamilton uses 11 players extensively on a regular basis. Nine Seminoles are scoring at least 6.6 points per game while still playing the full-court defense described by Mike Krzyzewski as a ''containment press.'' That depth played a role in the Seminoles' strong start to the tournament, including their upset of top-seeded Xavier. Gonzaga coach Mark Few doesn't dig quite as deep into his bench, but he got 25 points from reserve Rui Hachimura in the Zags' second-round win over Ohio State.

AT THE RIM: This game could be won down low. Gonzaga is one of the NCAA's best defensive teams on two-point field goals, while Florida State strives to score in the paint. The Zags' man-to-man, switching defensive philosophy will be tested by the Seminoles' offensive patience and versatility.

QUOTABLE: ''Physically, (Florida State is) probably easily the most physically imposing and athletically gifted team we've faced maybe in the 20 years I've been head coach. Just the bodies, the size, the length and the athleticism is really impressive, and the amount of pressure they can bring, just the size and athleticism and the voracity (with which) they go to the offensive glass, and the way they drive downhill, it's impressive.'' - Gonzaga coach Mark Few.

 

[Cnotes53]

Kentucky takes another trip to 'Cat-lanta'
March 21, 2018

No. 5 seed Kentucky (26-10) vs. No. 9 seed Kansas State (24-11)

Semifinals, South Regional, Atlanta, Thursday, approximately 9:37 p.m.

BOTTOM LINE: Kentucky should feel right at home in Atlanta, also known in basketball circles as ''Cat-lanta.'' The city has been the site of some of the greatest moments in the school's storied history. Big Blue had a record of 26-6 at the Georgia Dome, which was a longtime home of the Southeastern Conference Tournament and also hosted the NCAA South Regional in 2012, when the Cats beat Indiana and Baylor on the way to their most recent national championship.

SO SWEET: Kansas State coach Bruce Weber is back in the Sweet 16 with his third school. He guided Southern Illinois to the regional semifinals in 2002, and made another appearance with Illinois in 2005 on the way to the national championship game, where the Illini lost to North Carolina.

YOUTHFUL CATS: Kentucky is following its usual one-and-done philosophy that has worked so well for coach John Calipari, sending out a lineup with five freshman starters who are merely stopping by Lexington on their way to the NBA. Kevin Knox is averaging 15.7 points per game, while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander chips in with 14.4 points and 5.1 assists.

QUOTABLE: ''My challenge is making sure these kids don't drink that poison, that poison being that we have an easy road. There are no easy roads in this tournament. If they drink that poison, we'll be done Thursday.'' - Calipari, on the perception that his team should cruise to the Final Four in a region where the top four seeds were eliminated on the first weekend.

 

[Cnotes53]

Loyola's run sheds light on '63 title team
March 21, 2018

CHICAGO (AP) Under the bright lights of the popping flashbulbs, Jerry Harkness grasped the magnitude of the moment.

There he was on that day in March 1963, a black player from Loyola of Chicago shaking hands with a white player from Mississippi State, Joe Dan Gold, at center court. They were about to tip off in a regional semifinal in East Lansing, Michigan, that would come to be known as the Game of Change .

''Boy, the flashbulbs. I couldn't believe,'' Harkness recalled this week. ''I just couldn't understand. ... I was shocked. I looked him in his eyes. He didn't smile; I tried to smile at him. I could tell he was there, he was happy to play us and he was happy to be there. He had on his game face. I was shocked with the bulbs and I went back to the huddle in kind of a daze, a little.

''I thought, boy, this is more than a game. This is history.''

Loyola is back in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1985 thanks to two last-second shots and two prayers answered for Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt, the 98-year-old team chaplain who has become a celebrity during this captivating run that continues with a game against Nevada on Thursday night in Atlanta.

It's also shining a light on the team that blasted through racial barriers 55 years ago. With four black starters, Loyola won what remains the only NCAA Division I championship by an Illinois school. And for the players who were there, the current run is bringing back all sorts of memories.

From the taunts in Houston to the death threats mailed to their dorm, from the biggest blowout in NCAA Tournament history to the Game of Change and beating Cincinnati in overtime to win it all, it was unforgettable. Three years later, Texas Western with five black starters beat Adolph Rupp's all-white Kentucky team for the championship. But the Ramblers ad started paving that glory road, whether they realized it at the time or not.

''Was it impactful? Yes, it was very impactful,'' said Ron Miller, a guard from the Bronx. ''My opinion was we did not realize what we were going through, nor did we fully appreciate it at the time. I think it came later. I know for me personally, it came later.''

They saw the obstacles in front of them, heard the insults thrown their way.

Miller remembers coming off the bench the previous season because coach George Ireland was following the unwritten rule that teams could play one black player on the road, two at home and three if they were way behind. A loss in the NIT and pressure to win switched his thinking.

''He'd have played four green guys if they would help the team,'' said John Egan, the point guard and lone white starter on the championship team. ''I believe that.''

The crowd in Houston late in the season was particularly brutal, hurling insults and throwing water and ice and even pennies at the players.

''That was the only time I was truly fearful of what might happen,'' said center Les Hunter, who was from Nashville.

The death threats, Harkness remembers, came after Loyola opened the NCAA tourney by beating Tennessee Tech by 69. The game played a few miles from campus at Northwestern remains the biggest rout in tournament history.

It put the Ramblers in the regional semis against Mississippi State and that led to some ugly letters from Ku Klux Klan members, calling them names and saying they had no right to play, arriving at the dorm on Sheridan Road. The fact that the writers knew where the team lived was unnerving to Harkness. He got two of those letters, some were sent to other teammates. Ireland wound up taking them, dismissing the threats as junk.

''I was all right about it after we got over that,'' Harkness said. ''I don't know why. In a couple days, we were on our way to Michigan so I felt all right at that time.''

While the Ramblers dealt with threats, their opponent had to figure out a way to get to the game.

Mississippi State's coach and school president wanted the team to play in the tournament despite an informal rule barring the state's schools from playing against racially integrated teams. The Maroons, as they were known at the time, came up with a plan to slip away and fly to the game in Michigan, avoiding an expected court order.

The game itself had no such off-court drama. Loyola won by 10 and beat Illinois and Duke before dethroning two-time champion Cincinnati. The final - featuring a combined seven black starters - saw the Ramblers rally from 15 down in the second half to win 60-58 in overtime on Vic Rouse's tip-in .

''So much went on back then,'' said Harkness, who later became friends with Gold.

About a month after the Game of Change, Martin Luther King Jr. penned his famed ''Letter from Birmingham Jail'' defending the strategy of non-violent resistance to racism. In 1965, Mississippi State admitted its first black student.

With Loyola in the Sweet 16, Harkness has been thinking about that time - and some more recent tensions, including the deadly white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, last August.

''You think, boy, a lot of progress has been made,'' he said. ''Then you have something like Charlottesville. ... You can't expect that things will stay that way. You'll have some ups and downs, you'll lose some progress. But that more than anything stuck in my mind because we played such a major role not only in the teams like Mississippi State and teams in the Deep South starting (to integrate), but what it did for the players there. They were accepted back. So many good things happened around the game.''

 

[Cnotes53]

Loyola gets Pack in bracket-busting South
March 21, 2018

No. 7 seed Nevada (29-7) vs. No. 11 Loyola of Chicago (30-5)

Semifinals, South Regional, Atlanta, Thursday, 7:07 p.m.

BOTTOM LINE: Loyola is on quite a roll in its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1985, adding to a storied basketball history that includes winning the national title in 1963 with an overtime victory over Cincinnati. That same season, the Ramblers beat Mississippi State in a regional semifinal that became known as the ''Game of Change'' - a racially charged contest played in defiance of Mississippi's informal law barring its schools from competing against racially integrated teams such as Loyola.

SEEING DOUBLE: Nevada sends out an interchangeable lineup with fluid positions and no player taller than 6-foot-7. That can make it hard to keep up with who has the ball - especially when two of the players are twins: Caleb and Cody Martin. Caleb is the team's leading scorer at 18.8 points a game, while Cody averages 14.0 points, 6.3 rebounds and 4.7 assists.

COACHING TREE: Nevada coach Eric Musselman is following in the footsteps of his father Bill, whose long coaching career included stops in high school, college, the NBA and several lesser professional leagues. Bill died in 2000 at the age of 59.

QUOTABLE: ''It just goes to show that maybe the difference between high-major basketball and mid-major basketball isn't as big of a difference anymore. I think that there's a lot of really, really good teams out there.'' - Loyola's Clayton Custer on the rash of upsets in the South Region, which lost its top four seeds on the first weekend of the tournament.

 

[Cnotes53]

Will the Sweet 16 produce more upsets?
March 22, 2018

Back to the madness of March and the Sweet 16, starring Loyola-Chicago, Kansas State, Syracuse and whatever other underdog you might want to throw in there - maybe Florida State or Texas A&M.

For drama, look no further than the South Region, where the top four seeds are home watching the NCAA Tournament on TV. That includes Virginia, the overall No. 1 seed, plus No. 2 Cincinnati, No. 3 Tennessee and No. 4 Arizona. All were eliminated on the opening weekend, a tourney first .

Gone, too, from the field of 68 are high-scoring Xavier, a No. 1 seed, defending national champion North Carolina, and Michigan State, making the path to next week's Final Four that much more wide open.

''You've got a chance,'' said Bruce Weber, coach of ninth-seeded Kansas State. ''Obviously, there's been so much chaos in this year's tournament and you say, hey, Kentucky is favored.

''Yeah, fine, so was Virginia, so was Michigan State, so was all the other teams, and they all are not playing and we're playing. I think we've got to have a good mindset.''

Play resumes Thursday night with tournament darling Loyola-Chicago (30-5), an 11th seed, facing No. 7 seed Nevada (29-7), and Kansas State (24-11) playing No. 5 seed Kentucky (26-10) in the South at Philips Arena in Atlanta. The other two matchups are in the West, where No. 7 Texas A&M (22-12) meets No. 3 Michigan (30-7), and No. 9 Florida State (22-11) takes on No. 4 Gonzaga (32-4) at Staples Center in Los Angeles.

On Friday night, No. 1 seed Kansas (29-7) plays No. 5 Clemson (25-9), and second-seeded Duke (28-7) takes on 11th-seeded Syracuse (23-13) in an Atlantic Coast Conference matchup in the Midwest Regional in Omaha, Nebraska. In the East Region at TD Garden in Boston, it will be top seed Villanova (32-4) against No. 5 West Virginia (26-10), and No. 2 Purdue (30-6) against No. 3 Texas Tech (26-9).

For Florida State coach Leonard Hamilton, whose Seminoles haven't reached the Sweet 16 in a quarter century, all the upsets are just a sign of the times. It's just more painful for the Blue Bloods because more is expected of them.

''You have kids playing good basketball all over the country,'' Hamilton said. ''But the schools that get the players with the most recognition have notoriety, and the expectations for those schools are at such a level that sometimes you get disappointed when the notoriety doesn't meet the success.''

RAMBLING ON AGAIN?: Loyola and UMBC were the talk of the first weekend, but the 16th-seeded Retrievers were ousted by Kansas State after toppling Virginia in the first round, while the 11th-seeded Ramblers moved on with a last-second triumph over Tennessee.

Loyola, which also defeated Miami with a buzzer beater, is out to match its 1963 national championship team and ruin the bracket of 98-year-old Sister Jean , the team chaplain and erstwhile scout whose picks don't have her team advancing.

''These guys have been preparing for it and the reason why we can do it is these guys are winners,'' coach Porter Moser said. ''It's been noted a lot that we have seven kids on our team that won state championships. They're winners and they're together. They're a connected team.

''We prepared for this every step, and they're locked in. They're going to embrace it.''

Nevada coach Eric Musselman, in his third season in Reno, is out to halt the Ramblers' run. One thing the Wolf Pack will hope to avoid is a halftime deficit.

''If we get behind with this team, it'll be hard to get back in front because they execute so well offensively,'' Nevada point guard Hallice Cooke said. ''They know how to control the pace of the game. It's very important for us to get off to a hot start, crash the offensive glass, take our time offensively and get great shots.''

CONFIDENCE GAME: Texas A&M landed a seventh seed after an up-and-down season , and the Aggies have never advanced to the Elite Eight. Big man Robert Williams is out to change that.

''We plan on dominating the areas that we specify, so just keep that mindset,'' said the 6-foot-10 Williams, who played just 20 minutes in a 21-point victory last weekend over defending national champion North Carolina, long enough to snare 13 rebounds, block two shots, and sink all three shots he attempted.

Like 11th-seeded Syracuse, the Aggies use a zone defense to wreak havoc, and so far it's worked like a charm.

''Exact same thing as Syracuse, it's big. It's really big,'' Michigan coach John Beilein said. ''I remember when I was at West Virginia. We got a guy wide open (against Syracuse) and Hakim Warrick blocked that shot into the 10th row, and that was the end of our night. I mean, our kids lost all confidence because of that length, and Texas A&M can do the exact same thing.''

TOO MANY MEN: Florida State upset Xavier last weekend , and the Seminoles 10- and 11-man rotation played a big part.

Just wear `em down, baby.

''I felt that that was the best way for me to compete with the rich tradition of programs that are always loaded with the top seven, eight players who are some of the top players in the country,'' Hamilton said. ''Let's try to get a team of guys that would allow themselves to win by committee. We feel that we can compete a lot better if we have more guys to share the load where we don't put all that responsibility on one or two particular players.''

CHALKBOARD FODDER: As the favorites have been bounced, the odds for the teams left standing change with each game, and the Wildcats of Kansas State haven't received much love. They've been relegated to the bottom of the heap an awful lot, and if the players haven't paid attention, Weber sure has.

''I don't know if they saw it, but we made sure they saw it, and we put it up on the board,'' Weber said. ''Obviously, the game (against UMBC) was ugly, but I don't think people appreciate what UMBC did to Virginia. You're talking the best team in the country for most of the year, and that team was tough to play.''

The Wildcats have won twice in the tournament despite playing without injured All-Big 12 forward Dean Wade, the team's leading scorer. But the 6-8 Wade is expected to return.

PAY NO ATTENTION: Fifth-seeded Kentucky is the favorite to win the South and advance to the Final Four, but don't bother telling Nevada's Musselman.

''I'm only worried about one game, one team, Thursday night at whatever time they tell us we're playing,'' Musselman said. ''I don't even know who else is here.''

 

[Cnotes53]

THURSDAY, MARCH 22
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

L-IL at NEV 07:07 PM
NEV -1.0
U 144.0

TAM at MICH 07:37 PM
TAM +2.5
U 137.0

SHSU at UTSA 08:00 PM
SHSU +4.5
O 148.5

KSU at UK 09:37 PM
UK -5.0
O 137.0

CAMP at SF 10:00 PM
SF -9.0
U 146.5

FSU at GONZ 10:07 PM
FSU +6.0
U 153.5

 

[Cnotes53]

Gritty K-State delivers another upset, 61-58 over Kentucky
March 23, 2018

ATLANTA (AP) Barry Brown Jr. darted into the lane, blowing by everybody in blue, and delivered a rare burst of offense just in the nick of time.

He wasn't done, either.

As Kansas State celebrated yet another upset in the bracket-busting South, knocking out Kentucky's' latest group of fabulous freshmen, Brown leaped over the press table like Superman and waded into the arms of the purple-clad fans.

Xavier Sneed scored 22 points and Brown came through with the shot of the game, banking one in with his left hand before he sprawled out on the court to give gritty K-State a 61-58 victory over Kentucky in the South Regional semifinals Thursday night.

''We knew they were going to try to block the shot with their length,'' Brown said. ''They were blocking shots all night. Once I got away from my guy, I just wanted to go to the basket.''

Demeaned by many pundits as the worst team still alive in the NCAA Tournament, ninth-seeded K-State got the last laugh against a program that holds eight national titles.

Next up: the regional final against No. 11 seed Loyola, which continued its stunning run in the tournament with a 69-68 victory over Nevada .

Yep, it's 9 vs. 11 in the Elite Eight for the first time in tournament history, with a trip to the Final Four on the line.

Just the way it should be in a regional that became the first in NCAA history to have the top four seeds knocked out the very first weekend , including No. 1-ranked Virginia.

Sneed wasn't around at the end - he was among three players from Kansas State (25-11) to foul out - but Brown seized the moment with 18 seconds remaining.

''He's the guy you've got to go through. He can make plays,'' K-State coach Bruce Weber said. ''He missed a couple of them there down the stretch, but he made a big one at the end.''

Brown's basket made it 60-58, but Kentucky still had a shot.

Two of them, in fact.

Quade Green put up an airball from beyond the arc and Kansas State rebounded, drawing a foul that sent Amaad Wainright to the line for two free throws. He made only one, giving Kentucky (26-11) one more chance to force overtime.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander got a decent look at the basket. His shot rimmed out as the horn sounded .

''I just see a lot of grit, a lot of guys that love each other,'' Brown said. ''We play defense the right way and just play for each other.''

John Calipari was denied a shot at his fifth Final Four in nine seasons as Kentucky's coach. Fears that his young players would ''drink the poison'' - the belief that they had an easy path to San Antonio thanks to all the upsets - turned out to be well founded.

''We didn't play particularly well for us but still had a chance to win,'' Calipari said. ''The game was physical. ... It kind of got us a little out of rhythm and it wears you down. I think Shai got a little worn down ''

P.J. Washington led Kentucky with 18 points. Gilgeous-Alexander was just 2-of-10 shooting, scoring most of his 15 points at the foul line.

With a predominantly blue-clad crowd cheering on Kentucky at Philips Arena - yep, it was definitely ''Cat-lanta'' - Kansas State raced out to a 13-1 lead before the game was 4 minutes old.

Kentucky finally woke up, closing the gap to 33-29 by halftime. But both teams struggled offensively, and every time it looked like the perennial powerhouse might be on the verge of taking control, K-State had a response.

''We got great stops,'' Weber said. ''It was such a gutsy performance. Persistence. Relentless. We are playing with all little guys, everyone fouled out, and we kept battling and found a way to win.

BIG PICTURE

Kansas State: A remarkable victory, indeed, considering K-State shot just 35 percent from the field, attempted 15 fewer free throws than Kentucky and was outrebounded 38-29. Brown, with 13 points, and Green were the only players in double figures, but defense carried the day again for Weber's team. ''We just kept grinding,'' the coach said. ''We said, `Keep grinding, keep fighting.' We've got a chance to go to the Final Four now.''

Kentucky: Couldn't overcome a tough shooting night. Calipari's team had that huge advantage at the foul line but made only 23 of 37 attempts to go along with a 16-of-42 performance from the field. Fifteen turnovers also hurt.

UP NEXT

Kansas State: Will face the NCAA's sentimental favorite for a trip to the Final Four. Loyola has become a national darling with its improbable run in the tournament, cheered on by 98-year-old team chaplain Sister Jean. The Ramblers certainly know how to win the closes ones; its three tournament victories are by a total of four points. K-State will be going for its first Final Four appearance since 1964.

Kentucky: With many of its players expected to move on to the NBA, Calipari will start the one-and-done process all over again.

 

[Cnotes53]

Noles roll: Florida St beats Gonzaga 75-60 in 3rd NCAA upset
March 22, 2018

LOS ANGELES (AP) Florida State's upset run in the NCAA Tournament has stretched all the way to the brink of the Final Four.

Terance Mann scored 18 points and the ninth-seeded Seminoles advanced to the Elite Eight for just the third time in school history with a 75-60 victory over fourth-seeded Gonzaga on Thursday night in the West Region semifinal.

C.J. Walker and Braian Angola added nine points for the Seminoles (23-11), who knocked out a third straight higher-seeded opponent in a surprising run out West for a team that went 9-9 in ACC play and lost its conference tournament opener.

Coolly maintaining a lead down the stretch at Staples Center, Florida State ended Gonzaga's 16-game winning streak and halted the pursuit of a second straight Final Four berth for last year's tournament finalist.

''It's not any time to start celebrating right now,'' Florida State coach Leonard Hamilton said. ''These guys are working hard. We've worked hard all year. Not very many people think we have a chance to be where we are.''

Hamilton's best postseason run in his 16 years at Florida State is extended to Saturday, when the Seminoles will face third-seeded Michigan for a trip to the Final Four in San Antonio. The Wolverines advanced with a 99-72 rout of Texas A&M.

Florida State followed up its stunning comeback against top-seeded Xavier last weekend with a steady, dominant second half against Gonzaga. The Seminoles jumped to a 13-point lead early in the second half and never let their margin dip below four, with Mann providing the biggest buckets along the way.

Rui Hachimura scored 16 points and Zach Norvell Jr. added 14 for the Zags (32-5), who hadn't lost since Jan. 18. Already playing without injured forward Killian Tillie, the Zags struggled when forwards Johnathan Williams and Hachimura got into early foul trouble.

After a season of running away from West Coast Conference opponents, Gonzaga played from behind for much of the night at Staples Center, even trailing at halftime for only the sixth time all season.

The Zags fell behind by 13 early in the second half while the Seminoles defended the perimeter well and moved the ball fluidly. Florida State was even more dominant than usual around the rim, and Mann led a parade of scorers from all spots on the court.

BIG PICTURE

Florida State: The Seminoles' 11-man rotation, defensive energy and balanced scoring have all been a nightmare for three straight opponents. On both ends of the court, this is a prime example of a team coming into its best form at the perfect time in March.

Gonzaga: Foul trouble, poor outside shooting and sub-par ball movement all doomed the Zags, who didn't rise to the March challenge as impressively as last season's team did. That impressive run would have been hard to top, and they didn't.

MISSING

Tillie apparently has an injured hip, although the Zags had kept it quiet. The 6-foot-10 French sophomore typically provides interior defense and creates mismatches for Gonzaga while contributing to its balanced offense.

UP NEXT

Florida State: The Seminoles will be underdogs for a fourth straight time against Michigan. For the fourth straight time, they won't mind.

Gonzaga: Another offseason adding talent to coach Mark Few's West Coast powerhouse.

 

[Cnotes53]

Gritty K-State delivers another upset, 61-58 over Kentucky
March 22, 2018

ATLANTA (AP) Kentucky's latest group of fabulous freshman is all done.

Gritty Kansas State made sure of that Thursday night.

Demeaned by many pundits as the worst team still alive in the NCAA Tournament, ninth-seeded K-State got 22 points from Xavier Sneed and gave the South Regional one more upset with a 61-58 semifinal victory over Kentucky.

Next up in the bracket-busting South: the regional final against No. 11 seed Loyola, which continued its stunning run in the tournament with a 69-68 victory over Nevada.

Yep, its 9 vs. 11 in the Elite Eight for the first time in tournament history with a trip to the Final Four on the line.

Just the way it should be in a regional that became the first in NCAA history to have the top four seeds knocked out on very first weekend, including No. 1-ranked Virginia.

Sneed wasn't around at the end - he was among three Kansas State players who fouled out - but Barry Brown Jr. came through with the shot of the game to seat it for the Big 12 school.

Brown darted into the lane with the shot clock running down, seemingly blowing by every Kentucky player to get to the basket, and banked one in with 18 seconds remaining to put K-State up 60-58.

Kentucky's Quade Green put up an airball from beyond the arc and Kansas State rebounded, drawing a foul that sent Amaad Wainright to the line for two free throws that could've sealed it. He made only one, giving Kentucky one more chance to force overtime.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander got a decent look at the basket, but his shot rimmed out as the horn sounded.

Brown wasn't done. In the raucous celebration, he leaped over the press table like Superman and sprinted into the arms of the purple-clad Kansas State fan section.

John Calipari was denied a shot at his fifth Final Four in nine seasons as Kentucky's coach. Fears that his young players would ''drink the poison'' - the belief that they had an easy path to San Antonio thanks to all the upsets - turned out to be well founded.

 

[Cnotes53]

Loyola beats Nevada 69-68, continues improbable NCAA run
March 22, 2018

ATLANTA (AP) With Loyola-Chicago's captivating NCAA Tournament run hanging in the balance, it was Marques Townes' turn to deliver another memorable finish.

Townes had scored only a combined 15 points in Loyola's first two NCAA Tournament games, but that didn't concern Ramblers coach Porter Moser. Townes had the ball in front of the Loyola bench in the final seconds Thursday night and the shot clock about to expire.

With Loyola clinging to a one-point lead and only 6.3 seconds remaining, Townes nailed the decisive 3-pointer to help clinch a 69-68 win over Nevada in the NCAA South Regional semifinal.

''He was a warrior,'' Moser said.

Townes, who had 18 points, charged down the court, pumping his fist, following the shot.

''I'll probably remember it for the rest of my life,'' Townes said. ''I mean, it doesn't really get any better than that.''

Following a timeout, Nevada's Caleb Martin answered with a 3, but this time the Wolf Pack couldn't extend their string of second-half comebacks in the tournament.

''Got to give so much credit to Nevada, they never quit,'' Moser said. ''Those guys keep coming at you, coming at you. ... I was blessed we made a couple of plays at the end, got a couple of stops.''

The win leaves the No. 11th-seeded Ramblers, the biggest surprise in a regional that has lost its top four seeds, one victory from a Final Four appearance. Loyola (31-5), which has won three tournament games by a combined four points, awaits the winner of the Kansas State-Kentucky game in Saturday's regional final.

Not bad for a program that hadn't been in the Sweet 16 in 33 years.

On a team that shares the spotlight, this was Townes' moment. He made each of his two 3s and led Loyola with five assists. He said he was fine after banging knees with Nevada's Jordan Caroline at the end of the game.

''I think Marques Townes is the best player on the court tonight,'' said Loyola guard Clayton Custer. ''I don't even think it was close, either. ... This is unbelievable. Feels like a dream.''

Martin led Nevada (29-8) with 21 points. Twin brother Cody Martin had 16. Jordan Carolina added 19.

''We get a stop on the 3 they shot at the buzzer and maybe we're sitting up here with a win,'' said Nevada coach Eric Musselman.

Caleb Martin bemoaned his missed defensive opportunity before Townes' big 3.

''I should have denied the catch,'' Martin said of Loyola's pass to Townes. ''I just got lost and it was costly.''

Loyola trailed by 12 points, at 20-8, midway through the first half but stormed back to lead 28-24 at halftime. Loyola closed the half with a 20-4 run as Nevada didn't score in the final 7:55 before the break.

Loyola pushed the ball in the paint on almost every possession. The Ramblers' first 10 points came on layups.

Loyola's relentless attack on the basket continued as it stretched its lead, one layup at a time, in the second half.

BIG PICTURE

Loyola: The Ramblers showed strong poise by sticking with their game plan to attack the basket, even when the Wolf Pack collected five blocks in the first half. Loyola took a 46-34 advantage in points in the paint.

Nevada: The Wolf Pack couldn't keep pace with Loyola's inside attack. They made only 8 of 27 3-pointers.

FAMOUS FANS

Four members of Loyola's famous 1963 NCAA championship team had front-row seats: Jerry Harkness, Les Hunter, John Egan and Rich Rochelle. In the final minutes of the game, Harkness could be heard saying, ''We need a stop. We just need a stop.''

Also attending the game was Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt, Loyola's 98-year-old team chaplain who has become a celebrity during the tournament. ''It was getting pretty bad. I thought I might have to resort to my nitro (nitroglycerin), but I didn't have to do that,'' she said after the win. She also had a word of caution for Loyola's next opponent: ''Here we come, next team, whoever you are.''

ANOTHER COMEBACK

Nevada's experience in second-half comebacks paid off. After Loyola's layup by Custer gave the Ramblers their last 10-point lead at 57-47, the Wolf Pack charged back. Cody Martin's basket started a 12-2 run, and his layup tied the game at 59-all with 4:06 remaining.

This time, however, Nevada couldn't regain the lead.

UP NEXT

Loyola: The Ramblers will face the winner of Thursday night's Kansas State-Kentucky regional semifinal in Saturday's regional final.

Nevada: Despite losing four seniors, the Wolf Pack again will be a team to watch in the Mountain West. Among the top returning players will be the Martin twins, who are juniors.

 

[Cnotes53]

Streaking Michigan routs Texas A&M 99-72 in West semifinals
March 22, 2018

LOS ANGELES (AP) Michigan took all the drama out of this NCAA Tournament victory, burying Texas A&M under a barrage of 3-point shots.

After reaching the round of 16 with an improbable buzzer-beater, the Wolverines shot 62 percent from the floor and routed the Aggies 99-72 in the West Region semifinals on Thursday night to advance to the Elite Eight for the third time in six years.

Next up the Wolverines will face No. 9 seed Florida State on Saturday at Staples Center for a trip to the Final Four.

The Wolverines (31-7) dominated from start to finish, hitting 14 3-pointers - 10 in the first half when they led by 29 points - and extending their winning streak to 12 games.

''Felt like we ran into a buzz saw,'' Aggies coach Billy Kennedy said. ''It seemed like everything they shot went in.''

Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman scored 24 points, Moe Wagner added 21 points and Charles Matthews had 18 points as third-seeded Michigan had five players in double figures.

''My shot went in early and it gives you the confidence to take the next one,'' Abdur-Rahkman said. ''I think everyone had that confidence today.''

Abdur-Rahkman made four 3-pointers and both of his free throws, and had five rebounds and seven assists.

''This senior right here played his tail off in every single way,'' Michigan coach John Beilein said.

The Wolverines were good in the first half and even better in the second. The rout was on by halftime with Michigan leading 52-28 after shooting 57 percent from the floor. In the second half, the Wolverines improved to 68 percent from the floor.

''It was kind of hard to see because I was just wondering when they were going to miss,'' Aggies guard Admon Gilder said.

Michigan won its second-round game to reach the Sweet 16 on freshman Jordan Poole's long 3 at the buzzer against Houston.

The Aggies (22-13) never made a run, going long stretches without a basket in the first half while Michigan was scoring on nearly every trip down the floor.

''We weren't focused,'' said freshman guard T.J. Starks, who had five turnovers. ''We didn't show up.''

Tyler Davis led the seventh-seeded Aggies with 24 points.

Having beaten defending national champion North Carolina by 21 points to get to Los Angeles, Texas A&M's stay was short.

''That's the nature of this game, the nature of this tournament,'' Kennedy said. ''You can be high one minute and low the next.''

The Aggies have yet to reach an Elite Eight, and Michigan made sure they never had a chance.

Poole hit the Wolverines' first 3-pointer two minutes into the game. During one stretch, they made 3s on three consecutive possessions that extended their lead to 25-10 and had the predominantly Michigan crowd chanting, ''Let's go Blue!''

''Everywhere we go we have a huge fan base and it feels like a home game,'' said Wagner, a junior from Germany.

Wagner connected on all three of his 3-point attempts, the first one coming on Abdur-Rahkman's kickout from the paint, one of 21 assists for the Wolverines.

''We've been playing within ourselves all year and not looking at the opponent too much,'' Wagner said. ''We've been believing all year we can beat anyone if we play our best basketball.''

Michigan led by 29 points after an 8-0 run near the end of the first half. The Wolverines averaged nine 3-pointers per game coming in and exceeded that by the break.

Michigan held the Aggies to 12-of-32 shooting from the floor by double-teaming A&M and getting hands in shooters' faces.

The Wolverines had 12 steals in the game, led by Zavier Simpson with a career-high six.

The Aggies committed 10 of their 14 turnovers in the first half.

They improved to 57 percent shooting in the second half, but it didn't make any difference when the Aggies couldn't come close to reducing their deficit.

BIG PICTURE

Michigan: The Wolverines' points were the second-most they scored this season and second-most of any team in the NCAA Tournament this year. Their 62 percent field-goal shooting was the best of any team in the tourney this year.

Texas A&M: The Aggies had relied on their defense all season, but it got shredded. They allowed season-highs in points and field-goal shooting percentage by an opponent.

DRINKING IT UP

The game aired in the wee hours of Friday morning in Berlin, where Wagner is from. His family had a watch party at home and Wagner's mother said a local bar was showing the game.

''A lot of people text me that I haven't heard from in years,'' he said. ''It's a really cool thing, and I'm very proud of that, for sure.''

HE SAID IT

''They were just making shots over us and with the glass. You just have to pray it's going to go out.'' - Aggies forward Tonny Trocha-Morelos

UP NEXT

Michigan will be looking for its eighth trip to the Final Four and first since 2013.

The Aggies head home with a 13-15 all-time record in the NCAA Tournament.

 

[Cnotes53]

NCAA Latest: Slate of Sweet 16 games includes low seeds
March 22, 2018

The Latest on the NCAA Tournament (all times Eastern):

12:45 a.m.

This Sweet 16 is picking up right where its zany lead-in left off. Two No. 9 seeds and an 11 are in the Elite Eight, and at least one of those underdogs will reach the Final Four.

Fitting for this NCAA Tournament that's cranked up the unpredictability of March Madness to never-before-seen levels.

Barry Brown's tiebreaking layup with 19 seconds remaining helped No. 9 seed Kansas State beat No. 5 seed Kentucky 61-58 in the South Region semifinal in Atlanta on Thursday night. No. 11 seed Loyola-Chicago toppled comeback artists Nevada with yet another player stepping up to snatch a win in the final moments.

And Terance Mann scored 18 points to help No. 9 seed Florida State upset fourth-seeded Gonzaga, 75-60, guaranteeing that the Final Four will have a completely different look from last year.

In the only game won by a favorite, third-seeded Michigan rolled past No. 7 seed Texas A&M 99-72.

NCAA officials say only two 9s had ever advanced to the regional finals before this tournament. And Kansas State goes in as a bracket favorite against Loyola in the topsy-turvy South, which again bounced its two highest remaining seeds.

In Las Vegas sports books, however, Kansas State and Loyola opened as a straight pick - no favorite, and neither being labeled the underdog anymore in a game for a Final Four berth.

---

12:25 a.m.

Florida State's upset run in the NCAA Tournament has stretched all the way to the brink of the Final Four.

Terance Mann scored 18 points and the ninth-seeded Seminoles advanced to the Elite Eight for just the third time in school history with a 75-60 victory over fourth-seeded Gonzaga on Thursday night in the West Region semifinal.

C.J. Walker and Braian Angola added 9 points for the Seminoles (23-11), who knocked their third straight higher-seeded opponent in a stunning run out West for a team that went 9-9 in ACC play and lost its conference tournament opener.

Coolly maintaining a lead down the stretch at Staples Center, Florida State ended Gonzaga's 16-game winning streak and halted the pursuit of a second straight Final Four berth for last year's tournament finalists.

Coach Leonard Hamilton's best postseason run in his 16 years at Florida State is extended to Saturday, when the Seminoles will face third-seeded Michigan for a trip to the Final Four in San Antonio. The Wolverines advanced with a 99-72 rout of Texas A&M.

---

12:15 a.m.

Kansas State's dream of its first Final Four since 1964 is alive.

Barry Brown's tiebreaking layup with 19 seconds remaining was the difference as Kansas State beat Kentucky 61-58 on Thursday night in the South Region semifinal.

Kansas State, a No. 9 seed, will play No. 11 seed Loyola-Chicago on Saturday in a regional final pairing no one could have predicted.

Kentucky's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander missed a potential tying 3-pointer at the final buzzer for Kentucky (26-11).

Kansas State (25-11) overcame the loss of top scorer Xavier Sneed, who had 22 points before fouling out with 1:14 remaining.

Sneed, who had nine points in the first half, was unstoppable in the second half. He scored 13 points in the first 11:30 of the second half before he was called for his fourth foul with 8:24 remaining.

When Sneed took a seat on the bench, Kansas State lost its momentum. It led 52-44 when Sneed collected his fourth foul and led only 56-55 when he returned with 2:13 remaining, with Kentucky fans chanting ''Go Big Blue'' to encourage the comeback.

---

11:10 p.m.

Florida State is looking for a third straight NCAA Tournament upset after jumping to a 41-32 halftime lead on Gonzaga at Staples Center in Los Angeles.

C.J. Walker and P.J. Savoy combined to hit three late 3-pointers, and Brandon Allen hit a baseline floater at the buzzer to send the ninth-seeded Seminoles to the locker room on an 11-1 run.

One round after knocking off top-seeded Xavier in the West Region, Florida State is trying to reach the Elite Eight for only the third time in school history.

Florida State streaked to a 23-11 lead shortly before the midway point of the first half, but Gonzaga calmly replied with a 16-3 run to reclaim the lead. But when foul trouble sent Gonzaga forwards Johnathan Williams and Rui Hachimura to the bench in the final minutes, the Seminoles struck from outside.

Gonzaga struggled from the field during the first half, missing nine of its first 11 shots and its first seven 3-point attempts. Josh Perkins finally got the Zags' first triple with 6:29 left before halftime.

Gonzaga is attempting to move within one game of its second straight trip to the Final Four by winning its 17th straight game.

The winner gets Michigan on Saturday.

---

10:50 p.m.

Kansas State raced out to a quick lead and goes into halftime leading Kentucky 33-29 in the NCAA South Region semifinal.

Ninth-seeded Kansas State stunned fifth-seeded Kentucky right from the opening tip Thursday night, building a 13-1 lead before most of the blue-clad crowd at Philips Arena in Atlanta knew what hit them.

Kentucky shot just 26 percent in the first half but managed to close the gap before the break. Coach John Calipari's squad is the highest-seeded team remaining in a bracket that became the first in tournament history to have the four top seeds eliminated on the first weekend.

Xavier Sneed leads Kansas State with 9 points. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is pacing Kentucky with 13 points.

The winner will move on to face No. 11 seed Loyola on Saturday for a spot in the Final Four. The Ramblers knocked off Nevada 69-68.

---

9:40 p.m.

Michigan is back in the Elite Eight for the third time in six years.

The third-seeded Wolverines thoroughly dominated No. 7 seed Texas A&M in a 99-72 victory at the West Region on Thursday night, extending their winning streak to 12 games.

Michigan led the entire game and hit 14 3-pointers, including 10 in the first half. The Wolverines average nine in a game.

The rout was on by halftime with Michigan leading 52-28.

The Aggies never made a run against the hot-shooting Wolverines, who shot 62 percent from the field.

Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman led Michigan with 24 points.

Texas A&M was led by Tyler Davis with 24 points.

---

9:15 p.m.

In its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1985, Loyola is one win away from an improbable trip to the Final Four.

The 11th-seeded Ramblers kept up their amazing run with a 69-68 victory over seventh-seeded Nevada on Thursday night in the South Region in Atlanta.

With the shot clock running down and Loyola clinging to a 1-point lead, Marques Townes knocked down a 3-pointer with 6.3 seconds remaining. He finished with 18 points.

The Ramblers fell behind by 12 points in the early going, but got back in the game when Nevada's run-and-gun offense suddenly went cold. The Wolf Pack's final points of the first half came on Cody Martin's dunk with 7:57 remaining. Loyola closed the half on a 12-0 run and pushed out to a 12-point lead of its own early in the second half.

Nevada rallied and it came to the final seconds. Townes hit the big shot to clinch it.

Loyola improves to 31-5 and will face either No. 5 seed Kentucky or No. 9 seed Kansas State in the regional final Saturday at Philips Arena.

The Wolf Pack finishes the season at 29-8.

---

8:40 p.m.

Loyola is being cheered on in the regional semifinals by four members of its 1963 national championship team.

Jerry Harkness, Les Hunter, John Egan and Rich Rochelle are sitting together in front-row seats at Philips Arena. They're all smiles with the 11th-seeded Ramblers holding a 9-point lead over Nevada with just under 12 minutes remaining.

Harkness says his alma mater is ''playing well, hope they win.''

While Loyola is making its first NCAA Tournament appearances since 1985, the school has a storied hoops history. Not only does it have a championship on its resume, it played in one of the most socially significant games in college basketball history during its run to the title.

At the height of the Civil Rights Movement, the team had four black starters when they beat an all-white Mississippi State squad in what became known as the ''Game of Change.''

---

8:30 p.m.

The rout is on at the West Region in Los Angeles.

Michigan leads Texas A&M 52-28 at halftime in the first semifinal game Thursday night much to the delight of the big number of Wolverines fans at Staples Center.

The third-seeded Wolverines hit 10 3-pointers in the half; they came in averaging nine in a game.

Moe Wagner scored 14 points and Duncan Robinson added 10 for Michigan.

The Aggies were led by Tyler Davis with 8 points. They committed 10 turnovers, led by T.J. Starks with five.

Texas A&M was just 12-of-32 from the floor in the half, while the Wolverines shot 57 percent.

Michigan's largest lead was 29 points.

---

8:10 p.m.

Loyola-Chicago stormed back after trailing by 18 points midway through the first half to lead Nevada 28-24 at halftime of Thursday night's NCAA South Region semifinal.

After leading a combined 4 minutes, 24 seconds of its first two NCAA Tournament wins, the Wolf Pack didn't trail in the opening 18 minutes of the first half. Nevada appeared to be in control when it led 20-8, but it trailed at halftime for the sixth straight game.

Loyola closed the half with a 20-4 run. The Wolf Pack didn't score in the final 7:55 before the break.

Following a 4-4 tie, Nevada took the lead with an 8-0 run that included a layup and two free throws by Jordan Caroline.

Loyola pushed the ball in the paint on almost every possession. The Ramblers' first 10 points came on layups.

- Charles Odum reporting from Atlanta

---

6:50 p.m.

All four games in the NCAA Tournament to be played Thursday night involve at least one team seeded seventh or lower.

The night opens with No. 7 seed Nevada playing No. 11 seed Loyola Chicago in the South Region. In the West, No. 7 seed Texas A&M, fresh off a blowout of 2017 national champion North Carolina, faces No. 3 seed Michigan.

Later, No. 5 seed Kentucky faces No. 9 seed Kansas State in the South and No. 4 seed Gonzaga faces No. 9 seed Florida State in the West. Florida State advanced by topping No. 1 seed Xavier.

---

6 p.m.

It's back to the madness of March and the Sweet 16, starring Loyola-Chicago, Kansas State, Syracuse and whatever other underdog you might want to throw in there - maybe Florida State or Texas A&M.

There's plenty of drama in the South Region, where the top four seeds are done and watching the NCAA Tournament on TV. Play resumes Thursday night with tournament darling Loyola-Chicago (30-5), an 11th seed, facing No. 7 seed Nevada (29-7), and Kansas State (24-11) playing No. 5 seed Kentucky (26-10) in Atlanta,

The other two matchups are in the West, where No. 7 Texas A&M (22-12) meets No. 3 Michigan (30-7), and No. 9 Florida State (22-11) takes on No. 4 Gonzaga (32-4) in Los Angeles.

 

[Cnotes53]

Purdue's Haas hopes to return in NCAAs
March 22, 2018

BOSTON (AP) Purdue coach Matt Painter has all but ruled out Isaac Haas for the Sweet 16 after the star center fractured his right elbow in the Boilermaker's first-round NCAA Tournament win.

But the Boilermakers' 7-foot-2 senior is holding out hope that a new protective brace will give him a chance to play - even if just a few minutes - in second-seeded Purdue's East Region matchup with third-seeded Texas Tech on Friday night.

''If I did play, it would just be really short minutes, I'm sure,'' Haas said. ''But I'll play as many as I'm asked of.''

Painter said it's still a long shot at this point.

''He didn't practice the last two days, so I don't see him playing,'' he said.

One of Painter's markers for considering whether Haas would be able to play was if he could rebound using both hands and shoot with his right one.

Haas said Thursday he hadn't really tried to shoot and was focusing on letting the elbow rest. The 290-pound big man was injured during the second half of last week's win over Cal State Fullerton when he hit the floor hard going for a rebound. The Boilermakers said after the game that he needed surgery, meaning his season was likely over.

He was fitted the following day with a bulky brace. But the NCAA didn't allow it, citing safety concerns for other players.

Graduate students from Purdue's engineering department got wind of that and worked all night Monday to construct a suitable replacement.

Haas received it Tuesday and said he's ''95 percent sure'' the NCAA will approve this version because it doesn't have the rigid metal components in the banned brace. The NCAA will make a decision on Friday.

''I know the brace should be cleared, but it really just depends on Coach Painter,'' Haas said.

Using it in practice required some adjustments on Thursday.

Haas initially tried to slip on the new brace over a sleeve he wears on the injured elbow. But he wound up having to remove the sleeve and place the brace over athletic tape.

During practice, he was able to participate in a fast break drill and execute a right-handed layup. But he had very limited flexibility in the elbow, which he kept at a 90-degree angle. He could rebound with both hands but only throw passes with his left hand.

He never attempted a jump shot with his right hand during the 15-minute portion open to the media.

Haas has received lots of support on social media wishing him a fast recovery. He's also getting support from possible opponents.

''He's trying to play as much as he can. I saw him struggling to shoot a free throw,'' Villanova guard Phil Booth said. ''That's just part of the game. ... He wants to be out there so bad. I see him on the bench cheering his teammates on.''

While optimism still exists in Purdue's locker room, the Boilermakers have to prepare like Haas won't be back.

Forward Vincent Edwards said the longer turnaround since playing their first game without Haas has helped them prepare for a possible second.

''Any time you lose such an important piece of your offense like Isaac, it takes time to adjust,'' Edwards said. ''We had a quick turnaround playing Butler like we did, but getting in the gym, having a few more days of practice ... it definitely helped that timing.''

Haas knows that getting in Friday night's game might mean playing through more pain than he did when he initially suffered the injury.

He has spoken with Painter to try to ease any concerns his coach might have about him hurting his elbow more.

''He's a guy that goes off desire to win and desire in the game,'' Haas said. ''I told him multiple times even if it's one minute, it's worth it to me.''