SUN VALLEY, Idaho — If Bryce Bennett misses the downhill at the World Cup finals, there’ll be a good reason.

Bennett’s wife Kelley is expecting the couple’s first child, and her due date is Saturday. Which just so happens to be the same day as the downhill final.

‘Going to the hill this morning, I’m like, `What the (heck) am I doing?’ But it’s all good,’ Bennett said after Friday’s training run. ‘When you’re skiing, doing the inspection, it’s fine. You don’t think about it. It’s when you go back to the hotel in the afternoon and you’re sitting around and you’re like, `What the hell am I doing?”

The downhill is the only race Bennett qualified for in the finals, and he’s planning on leaving as soon as it’s over. A friend in the ski community has offered the use of a private jet so he can get back to the Lake Tahoe area, where he’s from, as soon as possible.

But if his wife goes into labor before the race, Bennett said he won’t think twice about leaving.

‘It’s only a ski race,’ he said. ‘I’m out. So fast.’

Bennett said he and his wife, who got married in September 2022, didn’t want to put off having a family until the two-time World Cup winner is finished ski racing. But the World Cup season runs from October until March. Then there are the ski camps and preseason training.

Having a baby now made the most sense, he said.

‘It’s honestly ideal’ timing, Bennett said.

So long as the baby doesn’t come on time, that is. But if it does, Bennett and his wife will have a good story to tell him or her.

South Carolina Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley always brings the heat for March Madness.

The most wonderful time of the year brings the women’s NCAA tournament and Staley in an array of fire outfits. It’s hard to miss her in Louis Vuitton, Gucci, or any other luxury brand. (My bank account could never.) Staley always comes color-coordinated and dressed for the occasion, often putting other coaches to shame.

A BOOK HELPED TENNESSEE TECH: How women’s basketball coach prepped for March Madness, South Carolina

The No. 1. Gamecocks’ matchup against No. 16 Tennessee Tech on Friday was no exception. Staley rolled into Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, South Carolina, wearing a matching cream-colored Louis Vuitton outfit that was simply divine. Here’s her outfit in its full glory:

Rapper Plies gifts South Carolina’s Dawn Staley iced-out chain

When you thought Staley’s wardrobe couldn’t get any better, she received an icy gold chain from rapper and Gamecocks superfan Plies. The jewelry, which is fittingly shaped like a national championship trophy, lists each year that Staley won a championship along with the words ‘national champion,’ her name and a Bible verse.

RALEIGH, N.C. — What truly defined the past two NCAA men’s basketball tournaments isn’t that UConn won them. It’s that UConn winning them was so clearly inevitable; a team surrounded by an aura of dominance across a dozen win-or-go-home games that defied the chaotic nature of this event.

There was no hint, even for a moment, that UConn was going to lose.

But as the Huskies arrived here to prepare for their round of 64 game in the West Regional, the notion of a three-peat has not escaped anyone’s lips. Finally for coach Dan Hurley, gravity has proven to be a law of nature – and college basketball.

“I think we’re, like, excited to be in the tournament,” he said Thursday. “I feel like, maybe in a weird way, there’s a little pressure off of us. We can just go out and let it rip right now. We don’t have this huge pressure of expectations. A lot of people don’t think we’re going to win the first game.”

UConn is here, playing Oklahoma in the typically coin-flippish 8-9 game rather than thinking about a third straight title because that is what its season deserved – much to the surprise of Hurley, who was dismayed in the preseason when the Huskies weren’t ranked No. 1.

Instead they were No. 3. And that was far, far too generous.

“We just had so many moments that we’re not accustomed to, (given) where the team’s been the last couple years, that were very jarring,” Hurley said.

Jarring like going 0-3 in Maui, including losses to teams such as Colorado and Dayton that never sniffed the NCAA Tournament.

Jarring like a loss at 7-25 Seton Hall in which UConn did just about everything wrong down the stretch and a loss to Villanova in which an 85 percent foul shooter missed two go-ahead free throws with three seconds left.

Jarring like giving up the Big East title to St. John’s and falling out of the top 25.

“You look at our season (early on) and it was like, ‘Are we going to be .500?’ ” Hurley said. “It was scary.”

It’s a little less scary now. It may even be liberating. Now, it comes down to a simple question: How good is UConn really? And it’s been a long time since anyone struggled to come up with an answer in March.

“I don’t think there’s any pressure whatsoever,” said forward Alex Karaban, one of the few remaining contributors from the back-to-back title teams. “Having done what we’ve done the last two years, there’s no pressure. This is a completely different team. We’ve been on a completely different journey, and we just want to wear the jersey with honor and pride. If we do that, anything can happen when you play at UConn.”

He’s not wrong. It was a mere 11 years ago that UConn started as an afterthought No. 7 seed and wound up winning it all. Also, a team seeded No. 9 or worse has made five of the past eight Final Fours.

When you look at what this UConn team has done all season – or not done, to be more precise – it seems unlikely. But when you account for the pedigree, the coaching and the freedom of being a big underdog against No. 1 seed Florida should it advance to the round of 32, far crazier things have happened in March.

“With this group and that sense of relief and sense of excitement about playing in this tournament, now that we’re in it I think we’re dangerous,” Hurley said. “I think we’re a dangerous team right now. We’ve got three guys on the perimeter that could go and get us 20-plus. We’ve got two centers that if we can get them playing well together on the same night and we get some big bench production, we’re a very dangerous team in this tournament. I think everyone feels that, and I know it’s exciting.”

Maybe that’s just Hurley talking himself into having belief in a team that hasn’t really had much of an ‘it’ factor, but it does kind of feel like a win over Oklahoma – a team that had to win some clutch SEC games down the stretch to get into the tournament – would maybe start to bring a little of that March mystique back.

And if not? That’s OK, too.

After pulling off back-to-back titles, UConn – well, mostly Hurley ‒ has been a lightning rod this year. From his viral sideline meltdowns at officials, including one where he told a ref, “Don’t turn your back on me, I’m the best coach in the (expletive) sport,” a break from the spotlight might be healthy.

“We’ve been in the news a bunch,” Hurley said, wryly. “We get talked about a lot.”

So far, they are under the radar here. But if the Huskies can beat Oklahoma, that can change very quickly.

Follow Dan Wolken on social media @danwolken.bsky.social

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Everything was breaking right for Notre Dame women’s basketball until a scary moment in the fourth quarter.

With the No. 3 seeded Fighting Irish leading Stephen F. Austin 82-43 with 8:44 remaining in the final quarter of the first-round matchup of the 2025 women’s NCAA Tournament, guard Olivia Miles went down with an apparent ankle injury.

Miles rolled her ankle on a Lumberjack player with 8:44 remaining in the fourth quarter. Luckily for Irish fans, she was able to walk off under her own power, but her status will be a question mark for Notre Dame with the second-round game to be played on Sunday against Michigan.

She did not return to the game with the Fighting Irish holding a substantial lead. Here’s the latest on her injury:

Olivia Miles injury update

After rolling her ankle on the SFA driver’s foot, Miles was on the floor and in evident pain as trainers, coach Niele Ivey and star Hannah Hidalgo were checking on her on the court. After a couple of minutes, Miles could get up and walk off the court on her own power. After heading to the bench, Miles headed straight to the locker room.

Despite the Fighting Irish holding a significant lead for most of the game, Miles had just two points in 24 minutes. She finished 0 for 6 from the field and 0 for 4 from 3-point range. According to the ESPN broadcast, it was the first time in Miles’ career she did not score a field goal in a game.

However, she added eight assists and just one turnover. Notre Dame was +31 when Miles was on the court.

According to Ivey, Miles injured her leg by stepping on someone’s foot, according to ESPN’s Courtney Cronin. Ivey said she is unsure at the moment if Miles will be able to play in Notre Dame’s next game against Michigan Sunday, but Miles has said she is ready to take the floor again.

On the season, Miles averaged 16.2 points, 5.9 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game on 49.8% shooting entering play on Friday.

Julio Urías, the former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher who waylaid his career with a pair of domestic-violence incidents, has been suspended through the 2025 All-Star break, Major League Baseball announced Friday.

Urías, 28, last pitched in the major leagues on Sept. 1, 2023. Two days later, he attacked his wife in the parking lot of a professional soccer game in Los Angeles and charged with five misdemeanors the following April.

He eventually pleaded no contest to the charges in May 2024 and was placed on three years’ probation and agreed to complete 30 days of community labor and a one-year domestic violence course, according to the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office. Urías was also ordered not to possess any weapons or use force and violence, pay restitution to the victim and abide by a protective order.

MLB announced then that it was still investigating the incident, which was captured on video. Urías was placed on administrative leave in September 2023 and became a free agent after the season. By the time his suspension is served, most major league teams will have played up to 98 games this season.

This is Urías’s second suspension under MLB’s Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy, the first player to be disciplined on multiple occasions under the policy. He served a 20-game ban in 2019 after he was arrested on suspension of domestic battery after an incident in a mall parking structure. He was not prosecuted by the city attorney on the condition he complete a 52-week domestic violence counseling program.

‘Having reviewed all of the available evidence, I have concluded that Mr. Urías violated our Policy and that discipline is appropriate,’ commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement Friday.

Urías signed with the Dodgers as a 16-year-old out of Mexico and made his major league debut at 19 in 2016. He recorded the final seven outs of their World Series championship in 2020, and won 21 games in 2021 and 17 more in 2022.

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The juiciest coaching matchup of the men’s 2025 NCAA Tournament has occurred 29 times before, over 23 college games and six NBA games.

But that didn’t stop the hype from building almost as soon as the March Madness bracket was released and there was the possibility a 30th meeting between John Calipari and Rick Pitino could occur this weekend in Providence, Rhode Island.

Pitino and Calipari have been compared for decades, from the time Calipari arrived on the college basketball scene at UMass while Pitino was returning Kentucky to national prominence. The two were briefly coaches in the NBA together before each came back to college basketball and wound up on opposite sides of the Kentucky-Louisville rivalry, with Calipari at the school where Pitino once coached.

They haven’t faced each other since Pitino’s time at Louisville ended unceremoniously. But Pitino’s resurgence, first at Iona and then the past two years at St. John’s, and Calipari’s revival at Arkansas this year has set up a whale of a round of 32 matchup. No. 2 seed St. John’s faces No. 10 seed Arkansas Saturday and everybody can’t help but savor what might be the last edition of Pitino vs. Calipari.

Everyone except the two men involved, of course.

“I don’t go against coaches, we go against teams,” Pitino told reporters after St. John’s beat Omaha in Thursday’s first-round game. “He doesn’t have to worry about me. My jump shot is long gone. He’s got to prepare for our team. We’ve got to prepare for his players. He’s preparing for our players. John and I don’t play one on one anymore.”

They are, however, two of the biggest faces in college basketball over the past 40 years. This will be the fifth time their teams have met in the NCAA Tournament, including two Final Four matchups and two Sweet 16 games. Here’s a breakdown of how Pitino and Calipari have fared against each other ahead of St. John’s vs. Arkansas, beginning with their first game in 1991.

Rick Pitino vs. John Calipari history: All-time series results

Calipari leads the all-times series over Pitino 16-13 overall, including 13-10 in the college ranks. Calipari has wins over Pitino as the coach at UMass and Kentucky, as well as with the NBA’s New Jersey Nets.

College games

Dec. 4, 1991: Kentucky 90, UMass 69 — Pitino wins
March 26, 1992: Kentucky 87, UMass 77 — Pitino wins*
Feb. 6, 1994: Kentucky 67, UMass 64 — Pitino wins
Nov. 28, 1995: UMass 92, Kentucky 82 — Calipari wins
March 30 1996: Kentucky 81, UMass 74 — Pitino wins**
Jan. 30, 2002: Memphis 80, Louisville 70 — Calipari wins
Feb. 19, 2003: Memphis 80, Louisville 73 — Calipari wins
March 14, 2003: Louisville 78, Memphis 75 — Pitino wins#
Feb. 4, 2004: Memphis 62, Louisville 58 — Calipari wins
Feb. 28, 2004: Louisville 66, Memphis 60 — Pitino wins
Feb. 9, 2005: Memphis 68, Louisville 65 — Calipari wins
Feb. 26, 2005: Louisville 53, Memphis 44 — Pitino wins
March 12, 2005: Louisville 75, Memphis 74 — Pitino wins^
Jan 2, 2010: Kentucky 71, Louisville 62 — Calipari wins
Dec. 31, 2010: Kentucky 78, Louisville 63 — Calipari wins
Dec. 31, 2011: Kentucky 69, Louisville 62 — Calipari wins
Dec. 29, 2012: Louisville 80, Kentucky 77 — Pitino wins
March 31, 2012: Kentucky 69, Louisville 61 — Calipari wins**
Dec. 28, 2013: Kentucky 73, Louisville 68 — Calipari wins
March 28, 2014: Kentucky 74, Louisville 69 — Calipari wins*
Dec. 27, 2014: Kentucky 58, Louisville 50 — Calipari wins
Dec. 26, 2015: Kentucky 75, Louisville 73 — Calipari wins
Dec. 21, 2016: Louisville 73, Kentucky 70 — Pitino wins

*Sweet 16**Final Four#Conference USA tournament semifinals^Conference USA tournament championship game

NBA games

Calipari and Pitino split six regular-season meetings when they overlapped as NBA coaches with the New Jersey Nets and Boston Celtics, respectively, over two seasons.

Nov. 19, 1997: Nets 108, Celtics 100 — Calipari wins
Nov. 21, 1997: Celtics 101, Nets 93 — Pitino wins
March 27, 1998: Celtics 82, Nets 76 — Pitino wins
April 8, 1998: Nets 117, Celtics 104 — Calipari wins
Feb. 27, 1999: Celtics 101, Nets 92 — Pitino wins
March 1, 1999: Nets 99, Celtics 97 — Calipari wins

How to watch St. John’s vs. Arkansas: TV channel, streaming for March Madness 2025

Date: Saturday, March 22, 2025
Time: 2:40 p.m. ET
Location: Amica Mutual Pavilion (Providence, Rhode Island)
TV: CBS
Streaming: Paramount+, Fubo

Watch St. John’s vs. Arkansas with Fubo

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March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb – except in college basketball.

The madness is in full swing, as 68 teams began the 2025 NCAA Tournament with high hopes of cutting down the nets when it’s all over. With plenty of games in the books, some are still hanging onto that dream, and others will hang onto the memories.

Underdogs will hope Cinderella’s slipper fits long enough to become champions, while the favorites anxiously wait for the clock to strike midnight.

Bottom line, chaos can reign supreme in the March Madness bracket. If you listen close enough, you can hear the maniacal laugh of the person pulling the proverbial strings.

So buckle up for what promises to be a wild ride. Here’s a look at the updated men’s March Madness bracket by region, including scores and schedules.

Stream men’s March Madness games on Sling TV

Current March Madness bracket

East Region

First Round

No. 1 seed Duke vs. No. 16 seed Mount St. Mary’s
No. 9 seed Baylor 75, No. 8 seed Mississippi State 72
No. 5 seed Oregon vs. No. 12 seed Liberty | 10:10 p.m. ET | truTV
No. 4 seed Arizona vs. No. 13 seed Akron | 7:35 p.m. ET | truTV
No. 6 seed BYU 80, No. 11 seed VCU
No. 3 seed Wisconsin 85, No. 14 seed Montana
No. 7 seed Saint Mary’s vs. No. 10 seed Vanderbilt | 3:30 p.m. ET | truTV
No. 2 seed Alabama 90, No. 15 seed Robert Morris

Round of 32

No. 9 Baylor vs. No. 1 Duke/No. 16 Mount St. Mary’s
No. 5 Oregon/No. 12 Liberty vs. No. 4 Arizona/No. 13 Akron
No. 3 Wisconsin vs. No. 6 BYU | Saturday, March 22 | 7:45 p.m. ET | CBS
No. 2 Alabama vs. No. 7 Saint Mary’s/No. 10 Vanderbilt

Midwest Region

First Round

No. 1 seed Houston 78, No. 16 seed SIU-Edwardsville 40
No. 8 seed Gonzaga 89, No. 9 seed Georgia 68
No. 12 seed McNeese State 69, No. 5 seed Clemson 67
No. 4 seed Purdue 75, No. 13 seed High Point 63
No. 6 seed Illinois vs. No. 11 seed Xavier | 9:45 p.m. ET | CBS
No. 3 Kentucky vs. No. 14 seed Troy | 7:10 p.m. ET | CBS
No. 7 seed UCLA 72, No. 10 seed Utah State 47
No. 2 seed Tennessee 77, No. 15 seed Wofford 62

Round of 32

No. 1 Houston vs. No. 8 Gonzaga | Saturday, March | 8:40 p.m. ET | TNT
No. 4 Purdue vs. No. 12 McNeese | Saturday, March | 12:10 p.m. ET | CBS
No. 6 Illinois/No. 11 Xavier vs. No. 3 Kentucky/No. 14 Troy
No. 2 Tennessee vs. No. 7 UCLA | Saturday, March | 9:40 p.m. ET | TBS/truTV

South Region

First Round

No. 1 seed Auburn 83, No. 16 seed Alabama State 63
No. 9 seed Creighton 89, No. 8 seed Louisville 75
No. 5 seed Michigan 68, No. 12 seed UC San Diego 65
No. 4 seed Texas A&M 80, No. 13 seed Yale 71
No. 6 seed Ole Miss vs. No. 11 seed North Carolina | 4:05 p.m. ET | TNT
No. 3 seed Iowa State 82, No. 14 seed Lipscomb 55
No. 7 seed Marquette vs. No. 10 seed New Mexico | 7:25 p.m. ET | TBS
No. 2 seed Michigan State vs. No. 15 seed Bryant | 10 p.m. ET | TBS

Round of 32

No. 1 Auburn vs. No. 9 Creighton | Saturday, March 22 | 7:10 p.m. ET | TBS/truTV
No. 4 Texas A&M vs No. 5 Michigan | Saturday, March 22 | 5:15 p.m. ET | CBS
No. 3 Iowa State vs. No. 6 Ole Miss/No. 11 North Carolina
No. 7 Marquette/No. 10 New Mexico vs. No. 2 Michigan State/No. 15 Bryant

West Region

No. 1 seed Florida vs. No. 16 seed Norfolk State | 6:50 p.m. ET | TNT
No. 8 seed UConn vs. No. 9 seed Oklahoma | 9:25 p.m. ET | TNT
No. 12 seed Colorado State 78, No. 5 seed Memphis
No. 4 seed Maryland vs. No. 13 seed Grand Canyon | 4:35 p.m. ET | TBS
No. 11 seed Drake 67, No. 6 seed Missouri 57
No. 3 seed Texas Tech 82, No. 14 seed UNC-Wilmington 72
No. 10 seed Arkansas 79, No. 7 seed Kansas 72
No. 2 seed St. John’s 83, No. 15 seed Omaha 53

Round of 32

No. 1 Florida/No. 16 Norfolk State vs. No. 8 UConn/No. 9 Oklahoma
No. 12 Colorado State vs. No. 4 Maryland/No. 13 Grand Canyon
No. 3 Texas Tech vs. No. 11 Drake | Saturday, March 22 | 6:10 p.m. ET | TNT
No. 2 St. John’s vs. No. 10 Arkansas | Saturday, March 22 | 2:40 p.m. ET | CBS

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The NCAA men’s basketball tournament round of 64 wrap up Friday with another full slate of 16 games. The second full day of action will involve the remaining two top seeds, as well as a couple of Final Four participants from a year ago.

One of those, the two-time defending champion Connecticut Huskies, will begin their long-shot quest for a three-peat from well below their accustomed position in the bracket. Also in action will be a trio of teams playing their second game of the tournament, having survived the First Four in Dayton.

Let’s get to your viewer’s guide for the day, with a few words on each contest.

No. 8 Mississippi State vs. No. 9 Baylor

Time/TV: 12:15 p.m. ET, CBS

Once again the day’s action opens with an 8-9 pairing that essentially rates as a tossup. Neither team had much success against the upper echelons of their respective conferences, although Baylor did record early non-league victories against Arkansas and St. John’s that served the Bears well in the committee room. The Bulldogs hoist a lot of treys but hit only 31.4% of them, and the Bears have the edge at the free-throw line if they can get there more often.

No. 2 Alabama vs. No. 15 Robert Morris

Time/TV: 12:40 p.m. ET, TruTV

The Crimson Tide, the highest scoring team in the field putting up 91.1 points a game, begin their quest for a second consecutive trip to the season’s final weekend. Alabama can likely afford to be cautious with key forward Grant Nelson, whose absence due to a leg injury was keenly felt in the Tide’s SEC tournament loss to Florida. It is worth noting, however, that the Colonials represent the Horizon League, whose champion a season ago produced one of the tournament’s most notable upsets when Oakland toppled Kentucky.

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No. 3 Iowa State vs. No. 14 Lipscomb

Time/TV: 1:30 p.m. ET, TNT

The Cyclones’ quarterfinal loss to Brigham Young in a wild shootout in the Big 12 tournament might have been a blessing in disguise, providing a couple extra days to get key guard Tamin Lipsey with second-leading scorer Keshon Gilbert out for the tournament. But they might have a harder than expected time against the Bisons, who knock down nearly 10 three-pointers a game. (Yes, we know bison is the plural for bison – just go with it.)

No. 5 Memphis vs. No. 12 Colorado State

Time/TV: 2 p.m. ET, TBS

A lot of brackets might hinge on this one, as either of these conference champions is strong enough to advance further. The Rams are slight favorites despite their lower seed, riding a 10-game winning streak powered by high-scoring guard Nique Clifford. The Tigers have won eight in a row themselves and also have a prolific backcourt scorer in PJ Haggerty. What Colorado State lacks is a true rim protector, so well-traveled big man Dain Dainja could be a difference maker for Memphis.

No. 1 Duke vs. No. 16 Mount St. Mary’s

Time/TV: 2:50 p.m. ET, CBS

The First Four has historically been good to the Mountaineers, who now own three wins in Dayton. The run almost certainly ends here though, as about the only question for Duke is how much star Cooper Flagg will play on his bad ankle. The Blue Devils still claimed the ACC title without him and can probably manage this contest as well with him seeing limited minutes.

No. 7 Saint Mary’s vs. No. 10 Vanderbilt

Time/TV: 3:15 p.m. ET, TruTV

Here we have one of the more intriguing pairings of the entire round of 64. The Gaels have become tournament regulars but its 2010 edition was the only one to crack the Sweet 16 in the expansion era. Vandy brought coach Mark Byington in from James Madison hoping to make marching in March a more frequent occurrence. Saint Mary’s will be well-rested and ready to throw its stingy defense at the Commodores, who enter the dance on a three-game skid but have battled high-level competition all season.

No. 6 Mississippi vs. No. 11 North Carolina

Time/TV: 4:05 p.m. ET, TNT

The Tar Heels’ decisive statement against San Diego State in Dayton has only temporarily quieted their detractors. They’ll silence the noise a little more if they can get by the Rebels, who earned their share of quality results in the SEC meat grinder. Ole Miss can defend with the best of them, holding Alabama to a season-low 64 points and forcing 21 turnovers in a January road win. UNC will need to continue its hot shooting from distance to keep its lack of interior depth from becoming a factor.

No. 4 Maryland vs. No. 13 Grand Canyon

Time/TV: 4:35 p.m. ET, TBS

Terrapins’ fans were none too pleased with the committee on Selection Sunday as the team was sent all the way to Seattle to face an opponent that has already earned a reputation as a giant killer in its brief March Madness history. Maryland’s earlier trip to the Pacific northwest in Big Ten play didn’t go especially well either, but the young Terps have shown improvement since. The Antelopes, who took down Saint Mary’s for their first NCAA tournament win a season ago, got key guard Tyon Grant-Foster back from injury just in time for the WAC tournament.

No. 1 Florida vs. No. 16 Norfolk State

Time/TV: 6:50 p.m. ET, TNT

As long-time bracket heads well know, winning one’s major conference tournament is not always a good predictor of success in the Big Dance. But the Gators’ dominance en route to the SEC title is impossible to ignore. The Spartans claimed their third MEAC conference tournament title since 2021, though they had to survive a wild sequence against South Carolina State in the championship game to get here.

No. 3 Kentucky vs. No. 14 Troy

Time/TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, CBS

The Wildcats are under new management with Mark Pope at the helm, but their rabid fans are still hoping to avoid déjà vu as the team enters as a No. 3 seed once again. Hoping to pull off the upset this time will be the Sun Belt champion Trojans, who look to duplicate James Madison’s feat of picking up a win in the tournament a year ago. Kentucky should have Lamont Butler, who has battled a shoulder issue for much of the season, available to facilitate its high-octane offense. Troy’s Tayton Conerway, the Sun Belt player of the year, is an accomplished floor leader in his own right.

No. 7 Marquette vs. No. 10 New Mexico

Time/TV: 7:25 p.m. ET, TBS

This is a difficult game to predict in the sense that somebody has to win it. The Golden Eagles did not fare well against the Big East’s upper tier since the calendar turned to 2025, while the Lobos must overcome some – er – suboptimal recent history by Mountain West representatives in this event. On the plus side, the game will feature a high degree of back-court star power with the likes of Marquette’s Cam Jones and New Mexico’s Donovan Dent.

No. 4 Arizona vs. No. 13 Akron

Time/TV: 7:35 p.m. ET, TruTV

This Arizona team has embodied the very definition of streaky, making the Wildcats a difficult bunch to project. There are numerous perimeter scoring options, but prolific bomber Caleb Love draws most of the attention for better or worse. The Zips, back-to-back champions in the Mid-American Conference, have several three-point options themselves who can take advantage if Arizona has a cold day.

No. 8 Connecticut vs. No. 9 Oklahoma

Time/TV: 9:25 p.m. ET, TNT

Appropriately, the two-time defending national champion Huskies headline the late-night window. They land smack in the middle of the bracket following an uneven campaign with some decent wins but some inexplicable losses. Their first challenger will be an Oklahoma team that was a somewhat controversial inclusion in the tournament’s main draw after posting a 6-12 conference mark in its first year in the SEC. UConn will need major contributions from its experienced hands like Alex Karaban to make another deep run, while the Sooners will need to take smart shots against the Huskies’ well-drilled defense.

No. 6 Illinois vs. No. 11 Xavier

Time/TV: 9:45 p.m. ET, CBS

As the second team to emerge from the at-large pool in Dayton, Xavier next takes on the Fighting Illini, another team whose picture might appear in the dictionary beside the word streaky. Illinois will launch with no fear. This is fine when the treys are falling, but when they aren’t the team struggles to find alternate ways to score. The Musketeers don’t shy away from the long ball either but having Zach Freemantle in the middle also helps.

No. 2 Michigan State vs. No. 15 Bryant

Time/TV: 10 p.m. ET, TBS

The Spartans are the last of the top eight seeds to take the court, and given the degree of difficulty of this region they’re more than happy for a few extra hours to gear up. Michigan State’s depth should serve the team well, and coach Tom Izzo would like to spread the minutes in this round. The lead dog for Bryant, one of six teams nicknamed Bulldogs in the field, is America East player of the year Earl Timberlake, though he gets plenty of support from backcourt mate Rafael Pinzon.

No. 5 Oregon vs. No. 12 Liberty

Time/TV: 10:10 p.m. ET, TruTV

One of the newest members of the Big Ten contingent wraps up the first round. A season ago, the Ducks reached the second round as part of a strong showing from the erstwhile Pac-12. This year’s Oregon squad is paced by the inside out tandem of Nate Bittle and Jackson Shelstad. The Flames are in the dance for the sixth time overall and first since joining Conference USA. They picked up wins against Kansas State and McNeese State in the Virgin Islands prior to league play, so the Ducks should not take them lightly.

The Edmonton Oilers will be without their top two players on Saturday and beyond as the defending Western Conference champions seek playoff positioning.

Coach Kris Knoblauch said center Connor McDavid is seeing a doctor Friday after he left Thursday’s game against the Winnipeg Jets with an injury. He said the three-time MVP could miss ‘maybe a week,’ depending on what tests show.

But Knoblauch said goalie Stuart Skinner is fine after being pulled by a concussion spotter Thursday after a collision in the crease.

Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl injury update

McDavid didn’t come out for the third period Thursday night after he appeared to catch a stick from Josh Morrissey as he skated around the Jets defenseman.

Knoblauch said doctors determined Draisaitl’s undisclosed injury was ‘more than they anticipated,’ so he sat out Thursday. Both Draisaitl and McDavid had played through injuries before.

‘We want to be healthy going into the playoffs,’ Knoblauch said. ‘We certainly don’t want to be pushing these guys, but we also know that if this were Game 5 or 6 (of the season), we’re still not pushing them and having them play.’

The coach said the team has 12 available forwards, and tight cap space would make it impossible to call up a replacement except on an emergency basis.

Connor McDavid stats

McDavid ranks fourth in the league with 90 points. He has 26 goals and 64 assists.

Leon Draisaitl stats

Draisaitl leads the league with 49 goals and is second with 101 points.

Edmonton Oilers upcoming schedule

The Oilers are second in the Pacific Division, three points behind the Vegas Golden Knights and two points ahead of the Los Angeles Kings, who have played two fewer games.

Edmonton plays the Seattle Kraken twice and the Dallas Stars once in the next week. They visit the Golden Knights on April 1, by which time both stars could be back.