The Latest: Boeheim vs Huggins, a pair of 900-game winners
Just before player introductions, Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim and counterpart Bob Huggins greeted each other by bumping forearms just two days after the West Virginia coach became the sixth and latest entry into the exclusive club of 900-game Division I winners.
After two misses against Oklahoma State, Huggins finally reached No. 900 with Friday night’s 84-67 victory over No. 14 Morehead State. Sunday’s second-round game winner earns a berth in the round of 16, so the pleasantries lasted only briefly before turning to business.
Huggins entered the court at Bankers Life Fieldhouse and made himself comfortable on a stool just outside the coach’s box before getting up and greeting his fellow coaching legend — who entered with 981 wins.
Syracuse is 34-16 against WVU in a series dating back to 1917. Huggins seeks only his second win against the Orange in seven tries as the Mountaineers’ coach.
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4:50 p.m.
Matthew Mayer had 17 points and Davion Mitchell added 16 points and eight assists as Baylor took care of business, defeating Wisconsin 76-63 for a spot in the Sweet 16.
The victory for the Bears, the top seed in the South, came a couple of hours after Illinois became the first top seed in the tournament to lose, a victim to Loyola Chicago.
The ninth-seeded Badgers were attempting to topple a No. 1 seed in the second round for a third time, joining the 2000 team against Arizona and the 2017 squad against Villanova.
The Badgers hit eight 3-pointers, but so did the Bears, and Wisconsin had 13 turnovers to only four for Baylor and failed to register a steal. Micah Potter had 10 points and 10 boards for Wisconsin.
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4:15 p.m.
The underdogs from Oregon State got into the spirit of playing at Hinkle Fieldhouse.
Hours before their second-round game against Oklahoma State on Sunday, the Beavers posted a video on Twitter of 7-foot-1 center Roman Silva carrying 6-3 guard Gianni Hunt over to the basket to measure the rim’s height. Coach Wayne Tinkle helps with the measuring as well.
It was a recreation of a similar scene in the movie “Hoosiers” that was filmed at Hinkle.
The 12th-seeded Beavers beat Tennessee in the first round to set up the matchup with No. 4 Oklahoma State in the Midwest.
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2:20 p.m.
The first No. 1 seed is out of the NCAA Tournament. Eighth-seeded Loyola Chicago stunned Illinois, the top seed in the Midwest, 71-58 on Sunday.
Center Cameron Krutwig had 19 points and 12 rebounds and Lucas Williamson chipped in 14 points as the Ramblers led throughout, much of it by double digits.
Illinois’ inside-out duo of center Kofi Cockburn and guard Ayo Dosunmu combined for 30 points, three assists and 11 rebounds, not enough to overcome the pesky Ramblers, who snared 12 steals.
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1:45 p.m.
Baylor is the No. 1 seed in the South Region, but Wisconsin’s recent NCAA Tournament history gives the Bears reason for concern heading into their second-round matchup Sunday.
Wisconsin has won three of the past four times it has faced a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Those three wins include a 64-63 overtime triumph in a 2014 regional final, a 71-64 victory over previously unbeaten Kentucky in a 2015 NCAA semifinal and a 65-62 decision over Villanova in a 2017 second-round game.
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12:50 p.m.
Sister Jean Delores Schmidt gave an inspirational pregame prayer to her Loyola Chicago team before the eighth-seeded Ramblers met top-seeded Illinois in Sunday’s second round.
Sister Jean, the 101-year-old chaplain to the team, said, “As we play the Fighting Illini, we ask for special help to overcome this team and get a great win. We hope to score early and make our opponents nervous. We have a great opportunity to convert rebounds as this team makes about 50% of layups and 30% of its 3 points. Our defense can take care of that.”
The Ramblers responded well. Loyola was up 33-24 at halftime of the Midwest Region game.
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12:15 p.m.
The NCAA Tournament’s round of 32 is underway with nine double-digit seeds still alive.
According to NCAA spokesman David Worlock, that matches the second-highest total of double-digit seeds ever to reach the round of 32.
Ten double-digit seeds advanced that far in 2016. There also were nine double-digit seeds in the round of 32 in 2001 and 2012.
The double-digit seeds still around include Maryland (No. 10 East), Rutgers (No. 10, Midwest), Syracuse (No. 11, Midwest), UCLA (No. 11, East), Oregon State (No. 12, Midwest), North Texas (No. 13, South), Ohio (No. 13, West), Abilene Christian (No. 14, East) and Oral Roberts (No. 15 South).
UCLA and Abilene Christian face off Monday, assuring that at least one double-digit seed will reach the Sweet 16.
This is the first time four teams seeded 13th or worse made it to the second round.
Ohio State officials have reached out to police about threatening and insulting social media messages sophomore E.J. Liddell received following the Buckeyes’ NCAA Tournament loss on Friday.
Ohio State associate athletic director for communications Dan Wallenberg told The Associated Press he contacted police on Saturday morning about the threats Liddell received after the second-seeded Buckeyes were upset by No. 15 seed Oral Roberts 75-72 in overtime.
Liddell, who had 23 points and 14 rebounds in the game, revealed on his Twitter feed he received threatening messages. He posted images of the messages, including one that said “I hope you die I really do.” Other messages included racist insults.
“Honestly, what did I do to deserve this?” Liddell posted on Twitter. “I’m human.”
Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith said the language used against Liddell “is appalling and will not be tolerated.”
“To the few of you who have chosen to inappropriately rail against our players on social media, stop,” Smith said. “Hate and derision have no place in Buckeye Nation or in civil society. If you cross the line and threaten our players, you will be hearing from the authorities. That I promise you.
“I have nothing but love and respect for E.J. He epitomizes all that we hope for in our student-athletes.”
Ohio State coach Chris Holtmann also defended Liddell.
“Recent social media comments to E.J. Liddell, while not from or representative of Ohio State fans, are vile, dangerous and reflect the worst of humanity,” Holtmann posted on Twitter. “E.J. is an outstanding young man who had a tremendous sophomore season and he was instrumental in our team’s success. We will take all the necessary actions to address this immediately.”
Liddell said by revealing the threats and insults he was not “saying anything negative about Ohio State fans.”
“I love you all dearly and I’ve felt nothing but appreciated since the first day I stepped on campus,” he said.
Liddell said he was confused to be targeted by the messages.
“Comments don’t get to me but I just wanna know why,” he said. “I’ve never done anything to anyone in my life to be approached like this.”