Kim Caldwell taking Tennessee Lady Vols to Sweet 16 in first season should count as a successful debut.
To elevate further, Tennessee requires more star power. Kim Caldwell’s first recruiting class is a good sign.
Kim Caldwell won over team and fans in first season. Beating UConn helped.

These Tennessee Lady Vols had no business reaching the Elite Eight – so there’s no shame in losing Saturday in the Sweet 16 to No. 1 Texas.

The Lady Vols showed elite buy-in to first-year coach Kim Caldwell and her high-intensity, high-substitution system, but this did not resemble an elite roster.

Texas possesses an elite roster, and the Longhorns outlasted No. 5 Tennessee 67-59 in a game during which Texas’ premier defense showed its horns.

Texas moved within a win of its first Final Four appearance since 2003. The Lady Vols still haven’t made a Final Four since Pat Summitt retired, but they have a blossoming coach in Caldwell, 36, who showed enough potential this season to inspire belief that she can end the drought. Tennessee’s last Final Four came in 2008.

The Lady Vols are not back, because reaching the Sweet 16 does not constitute being back for a program that’s never missed the NCAA Tournament. Reaching the Sweet 16 is not hard at Tennessee. The first two coaches to succeed Summitt, Holly Warlick and Kellie Harper, combined to take Tennessee to the Sweet 16 six times in 11 tournament appearances.

Even so, Caldwell reaching this round counts as an achievement considering the incomplete roster she inherited when Tennessee hired her in April to replace Harper.

Now comes the hard part: Elevating Tennessee from Sweet 16 to the sport’s elite stratosphere, where fellow SEC programs South Carolina, LSU and now Texas reside.

Sweet 16 good start for Kim Caldwell at Tennessee

Harper made coaching at Tennessee look harder than it is. The bluest of blood pumps through this program’s veins.

Harper never missed an NCAA Tournament in her five seasons. She never failed to reach at least the second round, other than in 2020, when COVID canceled March Madness. She also never advanced to the Elite Eight. That amounted to a fireable offense, and the coaching change reaffirmed the program’s standards.

Caldwell made reaching the Sweet 16 look easier than it should have been, though. She inherited a roster in need of repair. Harper signed only one high school recruit in her final two seasons. Rickea Jackson, the best player from Harper’s final team, headed to the WNBA.

Caldwell, after one season coaching Marshall, established with her first remarks at Tennessee that she wouldn’t let the job’s demands overwhelm her. She vowed her high-octane style that includes line-change substitutions, resembling a hockey substitution system, would work at Tennessee.

‘I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t think we could do it here,’ Caldwell said confidently last April.

Caldwell’s moxie helped win over her roster, and also a fan base that possessed initial doubts about a coach who had only one season of Division I coaching experience, before Tennessee surprised even Caldwell by targeting her in its coaching search.

Caldwell gave birth to a son, her first child, in January. She returned to coaching one week after childbirth and missed only one game throughout the process. Seventeen days after childbirth, Caldwell’s Lady Vols beat rival UConn to snap the program’s four-game losing streak against the Huskies, and Rocky Top swooned over its new coach.

Caldwell made a single promise before her first season: ‘We want to be the hardest-playing team in the country.’

Hard to argue that Tennessee failed to achieve that goal. The Lady Vols played harder and smarter in Caldwell’s first season than in Harper’s last, but they lacked the star power to reach the Final Four.

Because, that’s what reaching a Final Four requires: elite players.

It’s not an accident that Paige Bueckers, Lauren Betts and Aneesah Morrow are still playing in the Elite Eight. Or, Madison Booker, the Texas standout who went for 17 points in the Sweet 16.

Amassing elite talent becomes Caldwell’s next task. Her initial season should impress donors, whose checkbooks influence recruiting in this NIL-driven landscape.

Lady Vols’ recruiting skyrockets behind Kim Caldwell

Insufficient recruiting contributed to Harper’s ouster. Caldwell began remedying that by signing the nation’s No. 2-ranked class, featuring five recruits ranked in the ESPN top 60.

And still, I wonder how Caldwell’s high-substitution system will work after the program’s talent upgrades. Tennessee had one player, Talaysia Cooper, earn first- or second-team all-SEC accolades this season. She averaged fewer than 24 minutes per game. No Tennessee player averaged 25 minutes.

High-volume substitution helped Tennessee this season and, apparently, Caldwell’s style is not dissuading recruits.

Texas coach Vic Schaefer, before the Sweet 16, said such a system wouldn’t fly with some of his players.

‘I’ve got some competitors on my team. If I was yanking them out of the game, they’d be (ticked) off at me,’ Schaefer said. ‘They like to play.’

To his point, Booker played 33 minutes against Tennessee. Point guard Rori Harmon played 37.

Stars like those two are why Texas remains alive in this tournament. Caldwell’s first squad didn’t include anyone like Booker or Harmon, so count this Sweet 16 as a sufficient start.

‘This team has laid the foundation,’ Caldwell said.

Next stop, becoming elite, after building a roster that can achieve that feat.

Blake Toppmeyer is a columnist for the USA TODAY Network. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on X @btoppmeyer. Subscribe to read all of his columns.

After a week of speculation that often overshadowed his team’s run to the Sweet 16, Maryland men’s basketball coach Kevin Willard is leaving College Park to become the head coach at Villanova.

The school made Willard’s hiring official Sunday.

‘Coach Willard quickly stood out among an impressive pool of candidates during a comprehensive national search,’ Villanova University President Rev. Peter M. Donohue said in a news release.

Willard led the Terrapins to a 27-9 record this past season, including a pair of wins in the NCAA Tournament before they fell to top-seeded Florida on Thursday.

Along the way, Willard’s name popped up as a leading candidate for the Villanova job, though he kept insisting he hadn’t thought about the possibility.

‘I don’t know what I’m doing,’ he said after the 87-71 loss. ‘I haven’t talked to my agent. I haven’t talked to my wife. I made a promise to this team that I was gonna just focus on this team, and that’s all I’ve done. So, I haven’t talked to anybody.’

The fourth-seeded Terps provided one of the most exciting moments in this year’s tournament when freshman Derik Queen’s buzzer-beater lifted them over Colorado State.

But all along, there was speculation Williard would leave at season’s end. He blamed the media for the controversy, but some fans weren’t buying it, even booing Willard as he left the team hotel for Thursday’s game.

Williard conceded he would ‘have to take everything into consideration’ when making a decision about his future.

Over his three seasons at Maryland, Willard’s teams compiled a 65-39 record with two NCAA tournament appearances. He returns to the Big East after previously serving as Seton Hall’s coach for 12 seasons before taking the Maryland job.

LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Dodgers, after a week in Tokyo and three days of celebrations filled with pageantry, insist they now have closure on their World Series championship season.

Oh, they had a blast, with the World Series banner being hoisted one day, receiving their glorious championship rings filled with more than 300 diamonds the next, and the presentation of Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards on the third day. But now, it’s back to business.

They still have nearly an entire season to be played — well, 157 more regular-season games, to be exact. But they also now have visions of history dancing in their heads.

The Dodgers, despite Japanese sensation Roki Sasaki’s meltdown, won yet again Saturday night, 7-3 over the Detroit Tigers, giving them a 5-0 record for the first time since 1981.

Just like that, the record of 116 regular-season victories by the 1906 Chicago Cubs and 2001 Seattle Mariners could be in danger.

“I think this team deserves everything that is happening right now,’’ Dodgers shortstop Miguel Rojas said. “All of the hard work, all of the things the front office did, I mean, we got guys that are hungry. Our mentality right now is to win every single day, no matter who we’re playing, or where we’re playing.

“I’m not going to back off what I said before, we can do it. We’re good to go. Our main goal now is to be healthy when October comes.’’

Yes, it may be the first week of the season, but the Dodgers are showing the kind of resiliency that was their trademark last season, surviving a horrid start by Sasaki, who lasted just 1.2 innings before turning the game over to the vaunted bullpen. It was reminiscent of their playoff stretch last season in which they used four bullpen games, and, of course, it was only fitting that Freddie Freeman sent another home run into the right-field pavilion, just like he did in Game 1 of the 2024 World Series.

“It’s been a great weekend,’’ Freeman said. “You appreciate what we did last year, celebrated with our fans this whole weekend, and then went out there and played the game, and win the game. I thought today was a special job from our bullpen.’’

Deja vu?

“It’s like five months ago, we saw what they just did,’’ Freeman said, “especially early on in the season. That’s hard for them to do. For them to want the ball and go out there and execute. … Pretty amazing.

“Just smiles on our face, each and every day.’’

The only negative of the Dodgers’ glorious first week are the struggles of Sasaki, the 23-year-old sensation every team in baseball coveted. He had command problems in his major-league debut in Japan, walking five batters in just three innings, and then was worse in his Dodger Stadium debut. He recorded only five outs, walked four batters, and threw just 32 strikes in his 61 pitches.

He looked rattled, appeared to lose his composure at times, and was visibly frustrated when he left the game. He didn’t hand the ball over to Dodgers manager Dave Roberts when he came out. He headed straight to the dugout, down the tunnel to the clubhouse, before Roberts called him back.

“Dodger Stadium is intimidating,’’ Dodgers catcher Will Smith said. “There’s four decks here. It’s loud. It’s fun. It takes a lot to be able to perform here.’’

Sasaki denied that nerves were a problem, saying simply he didn’t have his command, but is confident it will come.

“Overall, I didn’t feel that I had a good feel for my pitches,” Sasaki said. “My slider felt pretty good. But my fastball-split – velo-wise, command-wise – wasn’t there. … I don’t expect myself to be able to fix everything in a short period of time. That being said, I am going to be pitching every week so I do expect as a major-league pitcher to be able to put up quality outings.’’

Besides his lack of command, Sasaki, who averaged 98 mph on his fastball and hit 102 in Japan, has yet to show the same velocity. He averaged 96.1 mph on his fastballs, topping off at 96.9 mph, and generated only two swings-and-misses.

The Dodgers say there’s no reason to panic. It’s only two games. Give him time, Roberts says, and he’ll show everyone why the entire world wanted him.

“He wants to perform,’’ Roberts said. “All he’s known is success. And, so, I think that he’s certainly upset, disappointed. But you’ve got to be a pro and get back to work. It’s not the first time that a starting pitcher has had two bad outings.

“This is all a learning curve. We’ve still got a good ballclub. We’re going to need him.’’

Besides, when you’re winning like the Dodgers, and can overcome virtually any adversity with $400 million worth of talent, why worry?

“It kind of feels,’’ Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy says, “like we’re just picking up where we left off last year.’’

Follow Nightengale on X: @BNightengale

NEW YORK – Right off the bat, the Yankees’ “torpedo’’ bats are legal.

“They made sure before they even brought it to us, with MLB, that it was all within regulation,’’ said Cody Bellinger, a day after the Yanks’ historic home run barrage.

During Saturday’s franchise record nine-home run game, some of the Yankees’ outsized barrel bats set the Internet ablaze with commentary.

“It’s all within major league standards,’’ said manager Aaron Boone, though the Yankees’ 20-9 thumping of the Milwaukee Brewers brought the new bats into a new light.

“I think that was always going to happen,’’ said Anthony Volpe. “Part of our clubhouse and our team wanted to keep it a secret, but you know it was bound to happen.’’

Yankees’ torpedo bat home run barrage

Bellinger estimates that “four or five’’ Yankees are using the newer torpedo bats.

That group includes Bellinger, Volpe, Paul Goldschmidt, Austin Wells and Jazz Chisholm Jr., with Goldschmidt and Bellinger connecting in Saturday’s first inning.

Ex-Yankee Nestor Cortes surrendered homers on his first three pitches (Wells later homered in the first inning), with Judge being the only torpedo bat “holdout.’’

“Why try to change something if you’ve got something working?’’ asked Judge, the reigning AL MVP who belted 58 homers in 2024.

But his teammates were more compelled to switch bats, a process that began well before Opening Day.

“I tried four or five different models this spring, including my own,’’ said Bellinger, who first tried the torpedo bat during one BP session last summer with the Chicago Cubs.

Cody Bellinger’s switch to the ‘torpedo’ bat

Bellinger recalled the Cubs thinking, “Hmm, what is this thing? It was so unique,’’ but he never considered it for an MLB game since his brand didn’t yet make a torpedo model.

That changed over the winter, when Louisville Slugger sent him some sample bats.

These torpedo bats were made of birch wood, an ounce lighter than Bellinger’s usual maple bat and he eventually found one that felt comfortable.

“The weight is closer to my hands… that was the biggest benefit,’’ said Bellinger. And with the larger barrel, “the bigger the sweet spot, the greater margin for error.’’

“It makes sense,’’ said Volpe, who “kind of bought into it this year’’ during spring training.

“We were just talking and saying if it can help you foul off one pitch a season, buys you one more pitch, you might as well try it,’’ said Volpe, whose opposite-field power was more notable in camp.

Yankees’ trial and error with the torpedo bat

Former Yankees’ MLB analytics supervisor Aaron Leanhardt, an MIT physicist now with the Miami Marlins, is credited for innovating the “torpedo’’ trend in 2024.

But it’s consistent with MLB rules about barrels being no more than 2.61 inches around, so the Yanks feel it’s just another advance in sports equipment – maybe like golf drivers with bigger surfaces.

“We’re trying to win on the margins, and that shows up in so many different ways,’’ said Boone. “We have a big organization that’s interested in a lot of different things.’’

Volpe’s first “torpedo’’ sample bat felt “horrible’’ in his hands, but he eventually received one with the right weight distribution.

“It’s exciting,’’ said Volpe. And whether it’s truly beneficial or not, “I think any .001 percent mentally can give you a confidence boost.’’

For now, put Judge in the “no torpedo’’ category.

The Yankees captain won’t even take a BP swing with it, but he’s not opposed to trying it down the road.

“There’s a lot of new things in the game, like the adding the little hockey puck on the (knob) that some guys have,’’ as a counter weight to the barrel.

“Hopefully, as my career goes on, I can try adding some of those if I start losing something,’’ said Judge. “But I’m good where I’m at.’’

The San Francisco 49ers already traded one of their top receivers, Deebo Samuel, during the 2025 NFL offseason. It doesn’t look like Brandon Aiyuk will meet the same fate.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports the 49ers ‘are not expected to trade’ Aiyuk before Tuesday, when he is due a $22.85 million roster bonus. Once that bonus is paid, it is expected the 49ers will prefer to keep the 27-year-old receiver for the 2025 season.

Aiyuk has been the subject of trade rumors since his holdout from 49ers camp during the 2024 NFL offseason. He was seeking a long-term contract after a 2023 season during which he made 75 catches for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns while earning an All-Pro second team nod.

Aiyuk missed the entire preseason while away from the team, and it appeared the 2020 first-round pick might legitimately consider sitting out regular-season games. However, the two parties avoided that reality by agreeing to a four-year, $120 million season on Aug. 29, just 11 days before San Francisco’s Week 1 game.

Aiyuk was able to start Week 1 but played a career-low seven games for the 49ers in 2024. He made 25 catches for 374 yards and no touchdowns before suffering a season-ending ACL and MCL tears in the team’s Week 7 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

It isn’t clear exactly when Aiyuk will be ready to play in 2025, but it might not be in Week 1. Schefter reported on his podcast that he ‘would think (Aiyuk is) ready to play by midseason.’

The road to the Final Four for the 2025 women’s NCAA Tournament has reached its conclusion.

Eight teams will compete in the Elite Eight on Sunday and Monday for four spots in the Final Four next weekend. Defending champion and No. 1 seed South Carolina takes on No. 2 Duke at 1 p.m. ET to tip off the action, while No. 1 overall seed UCLA plays No. 3 seed LSU to round out Sunday’s games.

The action continues on Monday, when No. 1 seed Texas plays No. 2 seed TCU at 7 p.m. The last Final Four spot will go to the winner of No. 1 seed USC and No. 2 UConn, whose game is scheduled to tip off at 9 p.m. ET on Monday.

The four winners on Sunday and Monday will advance to the Final Four at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida. The Final Four games will be played on Friday, April 4, with the championship game scheduled for Sunday, April 6.

Here’s the full list of teams to make the Final Four in 2025, which will be updated as games conclude:

Who is in the Final Four?

This section will be updated.

No. 1 South Carolina (Birmingham 2 Regional)

Final Four schedule

This section will be updated. All times Eastern.

Friday, April 4

Final Four game 1: 7 p.m. on ESPN | Fubo (free trial)
Final Four game 2: 9:30 p.m. on ESPN | Fubo (free trial)

Sunday, April 6

Championship game: 3 p.m. on ABC | Fubo (free trial)

Watch women’s Final Four with Fubo (free trial)

Women’s March Madness bracket

All times Eastern.

Spokane 1 Regional

First round

No. 1 UCLA 84, Southern 64
No. 8 Richmond 74, No. 9 Georgia Tech 49
No. 5 Ole Miss 83, No. 12 Ball State 65
No. 4 Baylor 73, No. 13 Grand Canyon 60
No. 6 Florida State 94, No. 11 George Mason 59
No. 3 LSU 103, No. 14 San Diego State 48
No. 7 Michigan State 64, No. 10 Harvard 50
No. 2 NC State 75, No. 15 Vermont 55

Second round

No. 1 UCLA 84, No. 8 Richmond 67
No. 5 Ole Miss 69, No. 4 Baylor 63
No. 3 LSU 101, No. 6 Florida State 71
No. 2 NC State 83, No. 7 Michigan State 49

Sweet 16

No. 3 LSU 80, No. 2 NC State 73
No. 1 UCLA 76, No. 5 Ole Miss 62

Elite Eight

No. 1 UCLA vs. No. 3 LSU

Birmingham 2 Regional

First round

No. 1 South Carolina 108, No. 16 Tennessee Tech 48
No. 9 Indiana 76, No. 8 Utah 68
No. 5 Alabama 81, No. 12 Green Bay 67
No. 4 Maryland 82, No. 13 Norfolk State 69
No. 3 North Carolina 70, No. 14 Oregon State 49
No. 10 Oregon 77, No. 7 Vanderbilt 73 (OT)
No. 2 Duke 86, No. 15 Lehigh 25

Second round

No. 1 South Carolina 64, No. 9 Indiana 53
No. 4 Maryland 111, No. 5 Alabama 108 (2OT)
No. 3 North Carolina 58, No. 6 West Virginia 47
No. Duke 59, No. 10 Oregon 53

Sweet 16

No. 2 Duke 47, vs. No. 3 North Carolina 38
No. 1 South Carolina 71, No. 4 Maryland 67

Elite Eight

No. 1 South Carolina 54, No. 2 Duke 50

Final Four

No. 1 South Carolina vs. TBD

Birmingham 3 Regional

First round

No. 1 Texas 105, No. 16 William & Mary 61
No. 8 Illinois 66, No. 9 Creighton 57
No. 5 Tennessee 101, No. 12 South Florida 66
No. 4 Ohio State 71, No. 13 Montana State 51
No. 6 Michigan 80, No. 11 Iowa State 74
No. 3 Notre Dame 106, No. 14 Stephen F. Austin 54
No. 7 Louisville 63, No. 10 Nebraska 58
No. 2 TCU 73, No. 15 Fairleigh Dickinson 51

Second round

No. 1 Texas 65, No. 8 Illinois 48
No. 5 Tennessee 85, No. 4 Ohio State 67
No. 3 Notre Dame 76, No. 6 Michigan 55
No. 2 TCU 85, No. 7 Louisville 70

Sweet 16

No. 1 Texas 67, No. 5 Tennessee 59
No. 2 TCU 71, No. 3 Notre Dame 62

Elite Eight

No. 1 Texas vs. No. 2 TCU

Spokane 4 Regional

First round

No. 1 USC 72, No. 16 UNC-Greensboro 25
No. 9 Mississippi State 59, No. 8 Cal 46
No. 5 Kansas State 85, No. 12 Fairfield 41
No. 4 Kentucky 79, No. 13 Liberty 78
No. 6 Iowa 92, No. 11 Murray State 57
No. 3 Oklahoma 81, No. 14 Florida Gulf Coast 58
No. 10 South Dakota State 74, No. 7 Oklahoma State 68
No. 2 UConn 103, No. 15 Arkansas State 34

Second round

No. 1 USC 96, No. 9 Mississippi State 59
No. 5 Kansas State 80, No. 4 Kentucky 79 (OT)
No. 3 Oklahoma 96, No. 6 Iowa 62
No. 2 UConn 91, No. 10 South Dakota State 57

Sweet 16

No. 2 UConn 82, No. 3 Oklahoma | 59
No. 1 USC 67, No. 5 Kansas State 61

Elite Eight

No. 1 USC vs. No. 2 UConn

The top-seeded Auburn Tigers will meet the No. 2 seeded Michigan State Spartans in an Elite Eight matchup on Sunday.

The winner will represent the South Region of the men’s NCAA Tournament bracket and compete in the Final Four against the No. 1 seeded Florida Gators, who took down Texas Tech 84-79 on Saturday.

The Tigers are coming off a 78-65 victory over No. 5 seed Michigan on Friday. SEC Player of the Year Johni Broome had 22 points and 16 rebounds in the matchup to lead Auburn.

Michigan State is coming off a 73-70 victory over Ole Miss on Friday. Jase Richardson had 20 points and six rebounds to lead the Spartans.

Follow along live for bracket updates, scores, highlights and how to watch Sunday’s action:

What time is Auburn vs. Michigan State basketball today?

March Madness continues Sunday with an Elite Eight matchup between the No. 1-seeded Auburn Tigers and the No. 2-seeded Michigan State Spartans. The action tips off at 5:05 p.m. ET

Where to watch Auburn vs. Michigan State: TV, streaming coverage 

TV channel: CBS
Live stream: Paramount+ and Fubo (Fubo offers a free trial subscription)

Watch March Madness with Fubo

What channel is March Madness on?

Men’s NCAA Tournament games on Sunday will be broadcast on CBS. You can also watch Elite 8 action via these streaming options: Paramount+ and Fubo. Fubo offers a free trial subscription to new users.

Auburn vs. Michigan State odds and betting line

The Auburn Tigers are favorites to beat the Michigan State Spartans, according to BetMGM odds as of Sunday, March 30.

Spread: Auburn (-5.5)
Moneyline: Auburn (-220); Michigan State (+180)
O/U: 147.5

Auburn vs. Michigan State predictions and picks

Detroit Free Press: Michigan State 68, Auburn 66

Chris Solari writes, ‘Don’t be fooled by the offensive capabilities of these two teams. Both Tom Izzo and Bruce Pearl know the key will be defending each other at an elite level. For the Spartans, that means alternating their big men on Johni Broome and their guards on Tahaad Pettiford to keep them confused and forcing the rest of the Tigers’ eight-man rotation to play above their averages. Auburn can get sloppy, but MSU also must continue to play through mistakes and keep it close into the second half, where Izzo’s adjustments and his players’ sheer will to win send the Spartans back to his ninth Final Four and first since 2019.’

Lansing State Journal: Auburn 78, Michigan State 70

Graham Couch writes, ‘In terms of pound-for-pound talent, this will be MSU’s biggest challenge of the season thus far. I’ve learned time after time not to doubt this MSU team. But here we are again.’

Auburn vs. Michigan State all-time head-to-head record, history

The Auburn Tigers and Michigan State Spartans have played one another just once in their history. The Spartans defeated the Tigers 92-79 on Nov. 23, 1989.

Have the Auburn Tigers ever won a national championship?

The Auburn Tigers have never won a national championship. They have reached as far as the Final Four in 2019. The program also claims two Elite Eight appearances (1986, 2019) and six Sweet 16 appearances.

Michigan State national championship, NCAA tournament history

The Michigan State Spartans have won the national championship twice (2000, 1979). The Spartans also went to the finals in 2009, losing to North Carolina, 89-72.

March Madness championship odds

Odds to win the men’s NCAA national championship, according to BetMGM odds as of Saturday, March 29. Here’s a full look at the favorites to win the men’s tournament:

Duke (+190)
Florida (+290)
Houston (+525)
Auburn (+550)
Michigan State (+2800)

Auburn is far from an underdog to Michigan State

USA TODAY’s Dan Wolken looks at Bruce Pearl’s thoughts on his Auburn team playing underdog in its game against Michigan State.

Wolken begins, ‘Bruce Pearl had an interesting framing for overall No. 1 seed Auburn’s matchup with Michigan State on Sunday for a spot in the Final Four.

And by interesting, we mean utterly nonsensical.

‘We’re a team made up of only one five-star (recruit),’ Pearl said Saturday. ‘One of the things I reminded my guys of, there are several guys on the Michigan State roster that are McDonald’s All-Americans. I have one, and that’s Tahaad Pettiford. He’s pretty good.”

Men’s March Madness bracket: Dates, times, TV, results and scores

All times Eastern

Tuesday, March 18

First Four games

South region: No. 16 Alabama State def. No. 16 St. Francis, 70-68
South region: No. 11 North Carolina def. No. 11 San Diego State, 95-68

Wednesday, March 19

First Four games

East region: No. 16 Mount St. Mary’s def. No. 16 American, 83-72
Midwest region: No. 11 Xavier def. No. 11 Texas, 86-80

Thursday, March 20

Round of 64 games

South region: No. 9 Creighton def. No. 8 Louisville, 89-75
Midwest region: No. 4 Purdue def. No. 13 High Point, 75-63
East region: No. 3 Wisconsin def. No. 14 Montana, 86-66
Midwest region: No. 1 Houston def. No. 16 SIU-Edwardsville, 78-40
South region: No. 1 Auburn def. No. 16 Alabama State, 83-63
Midwest region: No. 12 McNeese State def. No. 5 Clemson, 69-67
East region: No. 6 BYU def. No. 11 VCU, 80-71
Midwest region: No. 8 Gonzaga def. No. 9 Georgia, 89-68
Midwest region: No. 2 Tennessee def. No. 15 Wofford, 77-62
West region: No. 10 Arkansas def. No. 7 Kansas, 79-72
South region: No. 4 Texas A&M def. No. 13 Yale, 80-71
West region: No. 11 Drake def. No. 6 Missouri, 67-57
Midwest region: No. 7 UCLA def. No. 10 Utah State, 72-47
West region: No. 2 St. John’s def. No. 15 Omaha, 83-53
South region: No. 5 Michigan def. No. 12 UC San Diego, 68-65
West region: No. 3 Texas Tech def. No. 14 UNC-Wilmington, 82-72

Friday March 21

Round of 64 games

East region: No. 9 Baylor def. No. 8 Mississippi State, 75-72
East region: No. 2 Alabama def. No. 15 Robert Morris, 90-81
South region: No. 3 Iowa State def. No. 14 Lipscomb, 82-55
West region: No. 12 Colorado State def. No. 5 Memphis, 78-70
East region: No. 1 Duke def. No. 16 Mount St. Mary’s, 93-49
East region: No. 7 Saint Mary’s def. No. 10 Vanderbilt, 59-56
South region: No. 6 Ole Miss def. No. 11 North Carolina, 71-64
West region: No. 4 Maryland def. No. 13 Grand Canyon, 81-49
West region: No. 1 Florida def. No. 16 Norfolk State, 95-69
Midwest region: No. 3 Kentucky def. No. 14 Troy, 76-57
South region: No. 10 New Mexico def. No. 7 Marquette, 75-66
East region: No. 4 Arizona def. No. 13 Akron, 93-65
West region: No. 8 UConn def. No. 9 Oklahoma, 67-59
Midwest region: No. 6 Illinois def. No. 11 Xavier, 86-73
South region: No. 2 Michigan State def. No. 15 Bryant, 87-62
East region: No. 5 Oregon def. No. 12 Liberty, 81-52

Saturday, March 22

No. 4 Purdue def. No. 12 McNeese, 76-62
No. 10 Arkansas def. No. 2 St. John’s, 75-66
No. 5 Michigan def. No 4 Texas A&M, 91-79
No. 3 Texas Tech def. No. 11 Drake, 77-64
No. 1 Auburn def. No. 9 Creighton, 82-70
No. 6 BYU def. No. 3 Wisconsin, 91-89
No. 1 Houston def. No. 8 Gonzaga, 81-76
No. 2 Tennessee def. No. 7 UCLA, 67-58

Sunday, March 23

No. 1 Florida def. No. 8 UConn, 77-75
No. 1 Duke def. No. 9 Baylor, 89-66
No. 3 Kentucky def. No. 6 Illinois, 84-75
No. 2 Alabama def. No. 7 Saint Mary’s, 80-66
No. 4 Maryland def. No. 12 Colorado State, 72-71
No. 6 Ole Miss def. No. 3 Iowa State, 91-78
No. 2 Michigan State def. No. 10 New Mexico, 71-63
No. 4 Arizona def. No. 5 Oregon, 87-83

Thursday, March 27

East and West region Sweet 16 games

No. 2 Alabama def. No. 6 BYU, 113-88
No. 1 Florida def. No. 4 Maryland, 87-71
No. Duke def. No. 4 Arizona, 100-93
No. 3 Texas Tech def. No. 10 Arkansas, 85-83

Friday, March 28

Midwest and South region Sweet 16 games

No. 2 Michigan State def. No. 6 Ole Miss, 73-70
No. 2 Tennessee def. No. 3 Kentucky, 78-65
No. 1 Auburn def. No. 5 Michigan, 78-65
No. 1 Houston def. No. 4 Purdue, 62-60

Saturday, March 29

No. 1 Florida def. No. 3 Texas Tech, 84-79
No. 1 Duke def. No. 2 Alabama, 85-65

Sunday, March 30

No. 1 Houston def. No. 2 Tennessee, 69-50 | 2:20 p.m. | CBS
No. 1 Auburn vs. No. 2 Michigan State | 5:05 p.m. | CBS

Saturday, April 5

Final Four

Semifinal 1: 6:09 p.m. | CBS
Semifinal 2: 8:49 p.m. | CBS

Monday, April 7

National championship game: 8:50 p.m. | CBS

When does the Final Four start?

The men’s Final Four is scheduled for Saturday, April 5. The NCAA championship game will take place two days later on Monday, April 7. All games will played at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.

For the women, the Final Four will be played on Friday, April 4 at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida. The championship game will be Sunday at 3 p.m. at the same venue.

If people were waiting for the women’s tournament to heat up, the elite matchups finally arrived during the Sweet 16 of March Madness.

The weekend opened with gritty games, including a popcorn-worthy head-to-head between No. 4 seed Maryland and No. 1 seed South Carolina, requiring a magical performance from the Gamecocks to escape. LSU and Aneesah Morrow catapulted their way into the Elite Eight with an emphatic upset win over No. 2 seed NC State. Then, several women’s basketball storylines added new chapters.

Hailey Van Lith and TCU made history with a sensational win over the No. 3 seed Notre Dame Fighting Irish, and Paige Bueckers wrote new pages ― pun intended ― in her women’s NCAA tournament book. Also, despite an at times dreadful offense, the USC Trojans rallied without superstar JuJu Watkins to skate into the next round. The Sweet 16 is finished. Let’s discuss which teams added to their case for a national championship and which programs have work to do.

Here are the winners and losers from the Sweet 16 during March Madness:

Winner: TCU and Hailey Van Lith

Van Lith’s best shot of the day was a timely 3-point basket in the middle of the floor with four minutes remaining in regulation, stretching the lead to 8 points. The Fighting Irish couldn’t overcome the deficit and fell 71-62. Van Lith had 26 points during the Sweet 16 matchup, including 18 in the second half. TCU’s win was a fitting chapter to Van Lith’s story, one of the best in women’s basketball.

Loser: USC’s offense without JuJu Watkins

The looming question for the USC Trojans has been: what will the team look like without its leading scorer, Juju Watkins? The answer is very underwhelming. Watkins understandably elevated everyone around her and kept the ball moving. There wasn’t much of that to start the matchup against No. 5 Kansas State and, predictably, the Trojans struggled. Forward Kiki Iriafen started Saturday evening a putrid 1-for-7 from the field, which forced the Trojans to get created with offensive production.

Freshman Kennedy Smith led the charge with 19 points, and Avery Howell and Rayah Marshall added 18 and 10 points, respectively. Smith also had a standout night defensively, with three steals, that helped spur some much-needed runs and get the rest of the team involved. The Trojans had 10 total steals and 18 points off turnovers as they squeaked by Kansas State with a 67-61 win to get to the Elite Eight. A matchup with Paige Bueckers and the UConn Huskies in consecutive years awaits.

Winner: UConn’s Paige Bueckers and her career night

What is the NCAA tournament without a vintage Paige Bueckers performance? Bueckers has had a phenomenal string of recent games, which continued against the No. 3 seed Oklahoma Sooners. The Sooners were on the wrong side of history as ‘Paige Buckets’ delivered an awe-inspiring performance.

After going scoreless in the second quarter, Bueckers hit another gear in the second half with a trip to the Elite Eight on the line. She scored 29 points, including five 3-point baskets, as the Huskies rolled. The senior guard rode off into the proverbial sunset with 40 points (a new career-high), six rebounds, two blocks and an 82-59 win.

Loser: Notre Dame Fighting Irish and their inconsistency

There were a lot of questions about Notre Dame before March Madness. From game to game ― sometimes quarter to quarter ― people wonder which version of Niele Ivey’s team will show up. The Fighting Irish lost three out of five games before the NCAA tournament and had seemingly turned it around until they played No. 2 TCU during the Sweet 16.

Notre Dame was up 52-51 at the start of the fourth quarter, but a flurry of turnovers and missed shots doomed the team. When Ivey and the Fighting Irish turn the film on, they might feel sick. Notre Dame missed a mystifying 10 shots right under the basket and 12 total baskets in the paint. Also, stars Hannah Hildago and Olivia Miles were scoreless the entire quarter. The Horned Frogs, who beat Notre Dame in November, won again, sending them to the first Elite Eight in program history.

Winner: South Carolina’s show-stopping guard Milaysia Fulwiley

No. 1 seed South Carolina might have added a few extra grays to head coach Dawn Staley’s hair as they battled in Birmingham with No. 4 Maryland. The Gamecocks never quite found their footing during the first half, often rushing shots and playing sloppy and out of position defensively. Like their second-round matchup against Indiana, South Carolina trailed at halftime. (A potential blueprint for beating South Carolina could be making the rounds.) However, a second-half burst helped Staley’s team regain its identity.

Midway through the third, the Gamecocks turned up their defense, handling the Terrapins’ suffocating offense much better. That eventually freed up several players to score, like human highlight reel and sophomore sensation MiLaysia Fulwiley. Fulwiley scored 16 of her 23 points in the second half, including a layup with under three minutes remaining that spurred a spectacular 7-0 Gamecocks run. South Carolina shut the door on its 71-67 win as Marland coughed up the basketball a gut-wrenching five times within the closing minutes. The Gamecocks make their fifth straight Elite Eight appearance on Sunday.

Loser: LSU and Flau’jae Johnson’s eye injury

LSU guard Flau’jae Johnson already had shin inflammation ahead of the NCAA tournament, and now there’s an eye injury for Kim Mulkey to worry about. During the Tigers’ Sweet 16 matchup against No. 2 seed NC State, Johnson collided with guard Zoe Brooks during the fourth quarter, falling to the floor. She was down for several moments before popping back up and heading to the bench, where she was attended to by nearby medical staff.

ESPN’s Holly Rowe later shared that Johnson reportedly scraped her eye and asked, ‘Don’t you just have some tape? I can just tape my eye open’ so that she could return to action. However, once LSU sealed its 80-73 win against the Wolfpack with an immaculate defensive sequence, Johnson did not return to the matchup. Per Mulkey, Johnson was ‘seeing double,’ and team medics said no to going back in. It’s unclear if Johnson will play in Sunday’s Elite Eight matchup, though Mulkey anticipated she would be ‘good to go.’

Winner: LSU forward Aneesah Morrow and her WNBA draft stock

Before the LSU Tigers played NC State on Friday during the Sweet 16, Tigers forward Aneesah Morrow had already made her case to be a top-ten WNBA draft pick. Morrow is a force on the glass as the country’s top rebounder, but her unrelenting motor could also elevate her into the top five selections on April 14. Against the Wolfpack, Morrow put the team on her back after a rough scoring night for teammate Flau’jae Johnson. Johnson was shockingly scoreless in the first half and finished her evening a brutal 1-for-8. Morrow understood the assignment ― putting on a clinic ― and turned in an astounding 30 points and 19 rebounds performance, her best outing of the season, to propel LSU into the Elite Eight.

‘Morrow, she’s killing us,’ NC State coach Wes Moore told ESPN during a mid-game interview. Moore was right. The wolfpack had no answer for Morrow all night long. Ahead of the fourth quarter, the 6-foot-1 forward already had 24 points and 12 rebounds, including 11 points and five rebounds in the third. If Morrow continues on this trajectory, she could shake up the top five picks in the draft. WNBA general managers now have the impossible task of deciding which top post player to take first: French center Dominique Malonga, USC’s Kiki Iriafen or Morrow? (May the odds be in their favor.)

Loser: Anyone watching North Carolina and Duke’s horrid matchup

If people watching the No. 3 seed North Carolina Tarheels and No. 2 seed Duke Blue Devils were hoping for a matchup worthy of Sweet 16 drama, it didn’t happen. North Carolina shot an abysmal 28.3%, and Duke wasn’t much better. The Blue Devils were 31% from the field. Those are real numbers. There were 78 missed shots on Friday.

As ugly as the game was, there was a bright spot: Duke’s Oluchi Okananwa had a double-double off the bench. Duke rolled to the Elite Eight, a horrid 47-38 final score in tow. Thank goodness for the final buzzer.

Winner: Kim Mulkey’s swanky Sweet 16 denim outfit vs. NC State

Thankfully, LSU won, and now her Sweet 16 outfit will likely go into the Hall of Fame of top Mulkey ensembles during the NCAA tournament. (The bell bottom jeans and gold heels certainly deserve some acknowledgment, too.) Also, the internet did not disappoint with its glorious jokes, and now Mulkey’s Elite Eight outfit has to reach new heights, or the levels of disappointment will be immense.