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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
Sport
Bryan Armen Graham, Les Carpenter, DJ Gallo, Hunter Felt and Sean Keeler

NCAA tournament 2016: day one - as it happened

Yale v Baylor
Yale was a winner in the school’s first NCAA tournament game since 1962. Photograph: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

Normally I would have final thoughts here, but there’s really no reason for that because the Guardian’s March Madness liveblog isn’t over, it’s merely resting. We will be back tomorrow/later today (depending on where you are on this planet) and we hope that you will join us. Thanks to everyone who followed along with today’s college basketball action! Ciao!

Final: No. 11 Gonzaga 68, No. 6 Seton Hall 52

Gonzaga with the Upset That Doesn’t Feel Like An Upset. And that’s it! Day 1 of the Real Tournament is on the books.

Gonzaga 66-51 Seton Hall, 37, 2nd half

Whitehead has gone 0-for-10 from the three point line. “Tying a record,” the announcers say. He’s like having an Anti-Steph Curry game.

Gonzaga 62-51 Seton Hall, 2:10, 2nd half

Dislocated shoulder for Sanogo, he will not return. Not that there’s more than three minutes left in their season.

We are almost in Hour 14, people.

Gonzaga 62-48 Seton Hall, 3:26, 2nd half

Now Ismael Sanogo is out with an injury. Seton Hall now are down in numbers as well as on the scoreboard.

Gonzaga 59-48 Seton Hall, 4:22, 2nd half

Angel Delgado fouls out, a big loss for Seton Hall. Sabonis is on the line and makes one of two free throws. “We’ve got a long way to go before this one is over,” the announcer says, which I take as a personal threat.

Gonzaga 58-48 Seton Hall, 5:14, 2nd half

Sabonis makes a jumper. Josh Perkins gets to the line and knocks down two free throws. Seton Hall just can’t make a run and they’re running out of time. Gonzaga takes a time out.

Gonzaga 54-48 Seton Hall, 6:19, 2nd half

Technical foul on Seton Hall gives Gonzaga a free throw, but Seton Hall chips away. Whitehead makes one of two free throws. Khadeen Carrington gets a steal that he converts into a layup. It’s a six point game!

Gonzaga 53-45 Seton Hall, 7:48, 2nd half

I just now realized that if this score holds up we’re heading into an upset. Gonzaga’s the 11th seed here, but it doesn’t feel that way at all. Maybe we’re just so used to the Bulldogs being a big time player come tournament time. And as soon as I muse on that, Isaiah Whitehead cuts it down to single-digits with a layup.

Gonzaga 51-41 Seton Hall, 9:24, 2nd half

Foul on Seton Hall puts them over the limit. Things aren’t getting much brighter for them. Gordon makes a jumper, however, to at least put them within 10.

Gonzaga 51-39 Seton Hall, 11:10, 2nd half

Domantas Sabonis makes a jumper to increase the Bulldogs lead. Whitehead misses a three pointer, he’s now shooting 3-for-17 and if he continues to be that cold, the Pirates have no chance of advancing.

Updated

Gonzaga 49-39 Seton Hall, 11:59, 2nd half

Derrick Gordon makes a layup for Seton Hall. Kyle Dranginis, who has the most Game of Thrones name of anyone in the tournament, hits a three and… Gordon responds with a three-pointer of his own. 10 point game.

Our man Sean Keeler from Wells Fargo Arena:

All four bluebloods advanced (or are about to) at Wells Fargo Arena, so Saturday’s menu is Kansas-UConn in one second-round showdown; Indiana-Kentucky in the other. The latter is going to draw a bit more regional/national interest because a.) the Hoosiers and Wildcats are pretty well-represented in the crowd (although those two fan bases would find a way to get to the moons of Neptune if a committee put them there); and b.) the neighboring giants haven’t played one another since March 2012. In fact, their respective athletic departments can’t seem to find a sliver of common ground toward renewing a non-conference rivalry that was a college basketball staple for decades. The last regular-season meeting was December 2011 at IU’s Assembly Hall — won by the hosts, 73-72, on a 3-pointer at the buzzer. “Since IU beat them at Assembly Hall, they don’t want to go back there, apparently, because they were No. 1 when IU beat them with that shot,” an IU fan explained as the Wildcats were putting Stony Brook in a sleeper hold. “I think (the Hoosiers’) Tom Crean is a good coach,” a UK fan told me a few minutes later. “But I think he’s a jerk.” Oh, yeah. This is gonna be good.

Gonzaga 46-33 Seton Hall, 14:45, 2nd quarter

Isaiah Whitehead makes back-to-back layups to help get Seton Hall back in the game, but there’s still a hole to climb from.

Gonzaga 42-27 Seton Hall, 17:25, 2nd quarter

And there’s just one game left which is good because in hour 13 of this liveblog it’s starting to lag and stall like a dying jalopy. The Bulldogs have a sizable lead here early in the second half.

FINAL: No. 4 Kentucky 85, No. 14 Stony Brook 57

They should have taken my advice and just called this one.

FINAL: No. 11 Wichita State 65, No. 6 Arizona, 55

While that was all happening. they’re already calling it the “Divine Providence” game, Wichita State and Arizona went final. Well the good news is that the Wildcats did break the 50 point barrier.

FINAL: No 9 Providence 70, No 8 USC 69

USC keep giving Providence chance after chance after chance for a final play, missing three out of four free throws, and it bites them as Rodney Bullock makes a layup to win the game!

Providence 68-69 USC, :22, 2nd half

Bennie Boatwright makes one of two free throws to give USC a one point lead but Providence have the ball with 22 seconds left.

Updated

Providence 68-68 USC, 1:15, 2nd half

DUNN WITH A THREE FOR THE TIE!

Providence 65-68 USC, 3:20, 2nd half

Providence falls down by five, but Kris Dunn makes a steal and dishes to Ben Bentil for a dunk to cut it down to three points. Providence takes a timeout. Time is ticking down, could be an exciting finish here. (FINALLY one of those.)

Halftime: Gonzaga 35-25 Seton Hall

Haven’t watched a second of this, I won’t even lie.

Providence 61-64 USC, 3:20, 2nd half

USC retakes the lead on a McLaughlin jumper and add to it with a long two from the delightfully alliteratively named Bennie Boatwright.

Providence 61-60 USC, 5:55, 2nd half

Kris Dunn picks up a fourth foul, which is a blow for Providence. A bigger blow for USC? Drew Edwards makes a jumper, Rodney Bullock makes a three pointer and their lead vanishes.

Updated

Providence 56-60 USC, 7:05, 2nd half

Make that a four point USC lead.

Providence 53-56 USC, 8:37, 2nd half

What did I say about offenses going cold? After a barrage of three pointers and dunks on both sides, it’s now only a three point USC lead.

Providence 46-51 USC, 9:53, 2nd half

The Friars have gone cold. Katin “Django” Reinhardt makes a layup to give USC their biggest lead and we head to an official TV timeout. That means more Lil’ Wayne commercials, presumably.

Gonzaga 25-21 Seton Hall, 6:41, 1st half

There’ll be plenty of time to focus on this game when it’s literally the only game in town.

Wichita State 53-35 Arizona, 9:33, 2nd half

Big drama in this game: does Arizona crack the 50 point barrier before the final buzzer?

Providence 46-49 USC, 11:42, 2nd half

McLaughlin dishes an assist to Nikola Jovanovic and USC now has a gargantuan (for this game) three point lead. A desperate Providence takes a time out.

Providence 46-47 USC, 12:34, 2nd half

USC’s Jordan McLaughlin misses a free throw, preventing him from completing a three point play. This game will never not be a one-point game, it seems.

Stony Brook 23-42 Kentucky, 17:03, 2nd half

Yeah. John Calipari’s team has got this one. Just call it.

Providence 44-43 USC, 14:42, 2nd half

And this is not quite the defensive battle. Elijah Stewart makes a three pointer for the USC Trojans and Kris Dunn responds with one for the Providence Friars. It feels like they’re playing in an entirely different gear than the Shockers and Wildcats.

Providence 39-38 USC, 18:01, 2nd half

This is looking like it’s the game to watch. These 8/9 match-ups rarely disappoint.

Wichita State 43-27 Arizona, 13:50, 2nd half

Okay I might have been wrong about this one being the most exciting game of the night.

Gonzaga 13-12 Seton Hall, 14:17, 1st half

Oh and the Final Game Of The Day has kicked off.

Wichita State 37-23 Arizona, 14:59, 2nd half

Another important update: the Wildcats have actually scored a bucket.

Important update: Sean Miller has changed shirts.

Wichita State 37-21 Arizona, 17:06, 2nd half

And we’re back over here on TNT, where Arizona still hasn’t figured out how to score on Wichita State.

Then again, I’m cool with staying here a bit late if it means witnessing history.

Oh my stars, there’s actually another game that hasn’t even tipped off yet? 11th seeded Gonzaga are going to face 6th seeded Seton Hall in a few minutes.

Halftime: Stony Brook 19-33 Kentucky

Well, Stony Brook are making something of a game of it over here on CBS. There’s now a slight chance that we may have to head back to that one for an extended period of time. But it’s very slight. (Prove me wrong Stony Brook.)

Halftime: Providence 35-36 USC, 1st half

Rodney Bullock gets fouled and puts up two free throws to briefly give Providence the lead. Katin Reinhardt makes a three pointer to regain the lead. Providence call a timeout to make sure they hold for the final shot, which they do not get. USC hold on to a one point lead heading into the half.

Providence 33-33 USC, 1:16, 1st half

Out of a TV timeout, Mark Marquetti hits a jumper to tie the game for USC.

Providence 33-29 USC, 2:25, 1st half

This is looking like it’s a slightly more compelling game however.

Kentucky 26-13 Stony Brook, 3:56, 1st half

Kentucky are doing what Kentucky tends to do. Here’s our Sean Keeler from Des Moines:

My enemy’s enemy is my ... friend? Or something like that. Every time Kentucky makes a bucket, a third of blue in Wells Fargo Arena yelps with joy. But then when Stony Brook’s Cinderella Seawolves return the favor, the other two thirds — in red and blue — make almost the same amount of racket. “I was like, ‘What’s going on, why are all these people in blue standing up and cheering whenever Stony Brook does something?’” a fella working security on the floor mused. “And then I realized: They were all Kansas fans.” Ain’t no grudge like a hubris grudge, kids.

Halftime: Wichita St 31-19 Arizona

A Markis McDuffie layup increases the Wichita State lead, what a defensive showing by the Shockers.

Wichita St 29-19 Arizona, :39, 1st half

Arizona gets a basket, but Wichita State gets a free throw, Fred Van Vleet converts a steal into a layup and they have a double digit lead.

Wichita St 26-17 Arizona, 1:52, 1st half

Ron Baker hits a three-point to extend the Shockers’ lead.

Um I think Arizona’s head coach is melting.

Wichita St 23-15 Arizona, 3:11, 1st half

Well, the good news is that while we were waiting for that game to end, these two teams have been holding off on scoring.

Final: No. 3 Utah 80, No. 14 Fresno State 69

Finally it’s final.

Fresno State 69-78 Utah, 0:18 seconds left

Nope, that was just a tease. Utah snuff out a rally, there’s a barrage of free throws and finally the game mercifully ends. Utah will move on, but they’re gonna have to do better with their turnovers if they want to make the Sweet 16.

Fresno State 59-67 Utah, 1:59, 2nd half

I was just about to head over to the Wichita State game when Fresno State cut it down to 8 points with two minutes left.

Fresno State 53-67 Utah, 3:07, 2nd half

Yeah, this is not going to be the first upset I have the honor of liveblogging this weekend.

Providence 9-13 USC, 14:45, 1st half

9th seeded Providence tipping off against 8th seeded USC.

Stony Brook 4-6 Kentucky, 14:56, 1st half

Oh man, everything is happening all at once now! 13th seeded Stony Brook is playing 4th seeded Kentucky! That game tipped off about the same time as...

Fresno State 50-64 Utah, 4:47, 2nd half

Two Brandon Taylor free throws gives Utah a 12 point lead and it looks like Fresno State… Oh and then he makes a steal and a layup and yeah this one might be close to on ice.

Wichita State 12-7 Arizona, 10:56, 1st half

Meanwhile, the Shockers have an early lead over the Wildcats. Upset possibility? Does it even count as an upset when it’s Wichita State?

Fresno State 50-57 Utah, 6:42, 2nd half

Utah answers a 2 pointer with a 3 pointer, which is how you maintain a lead.

Fresno State 48-54 Utah, 8:26, 2nd half

Jordan Loveridge hits a three pointer to cap off a 7-0 t run for Utah and the Fresno State Bulldogs take a timeout.

Fresno State 48-51 Utah, 9:21, 2nd half

Fresno State briefly… briefly take the lead but two straight Utah baskets cuts down the momentum.

Fresno State 45-47 Utah, 10:38, 2nd half

Fresno scores, Utah throws the ball away and Julie Lewis converts it and cuts the lead down to 2.

Fresno State 41-47 Utah, 11:36, 2nd half

…But the opening minutes of tournament games are usually kinda dink, so we’ll stick with this game. A flagrant foul has been called on Utah, so Fresno State gets a free throw and possession of the ball.

Wichita State 2-2 Arizona, 19:07, 1st half

And over on TNT, the always dangerous 11th seeded Wichita State Shockers are facing the Arizona Wildcats. This might end up being the best game of the ones we have left once it gets cooking.

Fresno State 35-44 Utah, 13:01, 2nd half

Harris keeps making buckets for Fresno State but the Utes are able to get their lead back into double digits.

Fresno State 31-37 Utah, 15:20, 2nd half

Old fashioned three point play by Fresno State’s Marvelle Harris, a layup and a made free throw, and it’s a 6 point game.

Fresno State 28-37 Utah, 15:58, 2nd half

And onward to Tru TV! Oh it’s been awhile Tru TV. Pretty much almost exactly a year, in fact. Hey it looks like Fresno State is making a run here, cutting the lead down to single digits.

Final. No. 1 North Carolina 83, No. 16 Florida Gulf Coast University 67

And North Carolina takes care of business. Brice Johnson holds at 8 blocks, but Roy Williams gets his 66th career tournament victory.

Final: No. 5 Indiana 99, No. 12 Chattanooga 74

Indiana advances!

FGCU 62-78 North Carolina, 3:16, 2nd half

8 blocks on the night for North Carolina’s Brice Johnson, which is just… absolutely ridiculous. He still has time to get 10, might be the only drama left here.

FGCU 60-78 North Carolina, 4:15, 2nd half

I suppose I should take this moment of relative calmness to mention that you can tweet me at @HunterFelt or email me at Hunter.Felt@theguardian.com. If I know this tournament, there won’t be another one.

Chattanooga 67-91 Indiana, 3:30, 2nd half

And this is even uglier somehow.

FGCU 56-75 North Carolina, 6:00, 2nd half

And, okay, the two games we’ve got going now are not looking like they’re going to be barn-burners. 16th seeded FGCU will not be making history here.

Halftime: Fresno State 22-33 Utah

Elsewhere, third seeded Utah is holding on to a lead in a 11 point lead over 14th seeded Fresno State in a low-scoring affair.

Final: Miami 79-72 Buffalo, 24.6 seconds, 2nd half

Hey everyone, this is Hunter Felt and I’ll be your host for the remainder of the evening. It looks like Buffalo is holding on to the slimmest of here. And nope.... they can only get it down to 5 points with less than 30 seconds left and Miami holds on.

Okay, my shift in the liveblog is over.

Hunter Felt will take you through the rest of the night. Maybe it will include a dramatic FGCU comeback.

Miami 72-68 Buffalo, 1:15 left in the 2nd half

Buffalo’s Lamonte Bearden just got it to four with a nice play in the lane. We are now at the (totally not intentional!) fouling portion of the game.

North Carolina 63-46 Florida Gulf Coast, 12:01 left in the 2nd half

Well ... a 16-seed is not going to beat a 1-seed tonight, at least. It was fun while there was still hope. But now this game is nothing but emptiness and tears.

Utah 22-11 Fresno State, 5:43 left in the 1st half

Utah’s Poeltl has 10 rebounds already. He could probably teach Baylor how to out-rebound Yale.

Miami 71-66 Buffalo, 3:04 left in the 2nd half

With UNC pulling away from their 16-seed nemesis, this is probably where you want to be watching for the next few minutes. Buffalo has stuck around long enough to make the conclusion very interesting.

Even star NFL quarterbacks who are married to actresses stink at filling out NCAA brackets.

Indiana 60-43 Chattanooga, 15:34 left in the 2nd half

We’re almost five minutes into the second half and Indiana hasn’t missed a shot yet. So, yeah, they’ve extended their lead a bit.

North Carolina 54-43 FGCU, 17:10 left in the 2nd half

The giant has awoken and it’s draining threes on the little 16-seed.

North Carolina 50-43 Florida Gulf Coast, 17:49 left in the 2nd half

Uh-oh. UNC is flying out of the locker room. Brice Johnson just grabbed an offensive rebound and bulled his way through everyone to get a bucket and an and-1. This could quickly become a blowout.

Indiana 53-Chattanooga 41, 18:22 left in the 2nd half

Indiana and Chattanooga are also underway again, and I suppose this counts as a big upset in the works right now because it’s a 5-seed beating a 12?

North Carolina 44-40 FGCU, 19:30 left in the 2nd half

Marcus Paige opens the second half by hitting a three. If you’re rooting for the No. 16 seed -- and who isn’t?-- this is not a good start.

Miami 53-46 Buffalo, 9:37 left in the 2nd half

Buffalo is hanging around with No. 3 Miami despite continuing to shoot in the low 30s from the field. Hurricanes guard Angel Rodriguez is on the bench getting a breather now, so this would be a good time for Buffalo to make a run.

Utah 8-3 Fresno State, 15:40 left in the 2nd half

Utah and Fresno State are underway in Denver. Utah is led by 7-foot Austrian sophomore Jakob Poeltl, who averaged 17 points and 9 board this season. He’s playing one of his final college games, because he’ll be an NBA lottery pick this summer.

Warren Buffett wins again.

Not a lot of touch on this shot.

Updated

Halftime: Indiana 46, Chattanooga 37

Chattanooga shot 50% from the field and Indiana hit 60% of their shots. Apparently everyone is Steph Curry now.

Halftime: North Carolina 41-40 Florida Gulf Coast

So a 16-seed is trailing a 1-seed by 1 point at halftime. Thank you, basketball.

FGCU is 15-for-25 from the field, and they likely can’t keep that up. But we can dream.

Miami 35-33 Buffalo, 19:00 left in the 2nd half

Miami and Buffalo are underway again as Buffalo tries to pull the upset. Hurricanes head coach Jim Larranaga used to root for that kind of thing.

Purdue head coach Matt Painter is on Twitter. His mentions aren’t the best right now.

UNC 37-32 Florida Gulf Coast, 3:36 left in the 1st half

It’s good to have the Eagles back in the Tournament. They should get a spot every year with Butler, Gonzaga and VCU for career underdog achievements.

Some Twitter analysis of Little Rock-Purdue here by Dick Vitale:

Indiana 29-26 Chattanooga, 7:12 left in the first half

Duke Etheridge is leading Chattanooga with six points. He was not recruited by Duke.

Indiana 21-17 Chattanooga, 9:26 left in the 1st half

A four-point lead over a 12-seed probably isn’t big enough to start breaking out the 360s.

Halftime: Miami 35-33 Buffalo

Miami heads into the locker room with the lead after Buffalo hit a lay-up that would have tied it a split-second after the clock hit 00:00.

Buffalo is only trailing a 3-seed by two points despite shooting 30% from the floor in the first half.

With Little Rock’s upset over Purdue in the books, we have three games in action:

Miami 29-27 Buffalo, 2:41 left in the 1st half

UNC 17-11 FGCU, 14:03 left in the 1st half

Indiana 17-9 Chattanooga, 13:38 left in the 1st half

No upsets in the works. Yet. (Remember: Little Rock looked dead with five minutes left.)

1st Round exit aside, Baylor’s Taurean Prince should be named Tournament MVP for this answer:

Final: No. 12 Little Rock 85-83 No. 5 Purdue

Our second No. 12 over No. 5 game in just a few hours. These matchups are going to start to get a reputation.

Yale managed to outrebound Baylor by a 36-32 margin in today’s upset win. When a member of the press corps asked Bears forward Taurean Prince how that happened, the senior offered a glib response.

Baylor’s Taurean Prince on getting outrebounded by Yale.

Little Rock 84-83 Purdue, 1.3 seconds left in 2nd OT

Purdue had a chance to win after Little Rock missed a free throw, but Johnny Hill drove to the basket and just ... kind of ... fell down. Purdue did not end regulation or 2nd OT like people who had played organized basketball before.

Little Rock 84-83 Purdue, 12.0 seconds left in 2nd OT

After Little Rock hit just one free throw to extend the lead to three, Purdue’s Vince Edwards decided to take a jumper in the lane instead of putting up a three and a tie. The fouling of Little Rock will now continue ...

Little Rock 83-81 Purdue, 19.8 seconds left in 2nd OT

Purdue is now fouling Little Rock in hopes of extending the game. Little Rock is shooting 63% from the line in this game.

Little Rock 80-75 Purdue, 2:49 left in 2nd OT

Kemy Osse hits a three to give Little Rock its biggest lead. Hey, at least Purdue didn’t let Hagins score that time!

Little Rock 77-75 Purdue, 4:08 left in 2nd OT

Josh Hagins scores. Again. Purdue has no answer for him. He’s got 27 points now.

End of 1st Overtime: Little Rock 75-75 Purdue

So maybe Purdue didn’t do much better when Painter set up a play. Vince Edwards tried to drive to the basket, got stopped and threw up some junk that didn’t hit the rim.

We’re going to a second overtime.

Purdue 75-75 Little Rock, 11 seconds left

Little Rock followed a Purdue free throw with a bucket to tie the score. Matt Painter decided to call a timeout (this time) to set up a potentially game-winning shot.

Purdue 74-73 Little Rock, 45 seconds left in OT

Purdue’s Vince Edwards made a layup and now Little Rock has called a timeout. I say they should have Josh Hagins hit one of his 30-footers again. That has worked nicely.

Updated

Buffalo 12-6 Miami, 13:29 left in the 1st half

Long way to go, obviously, but anytime a 14-seed has a lead more than 15 seconds into the game, that’s news and that’s fun.

Little Rock 73-72 Purdue, 1:44 left in OT

More than three minutes into overtime and only five points have been scored combined. This is off Little Rock’s pace from the final minutes of regulation and right in line with what Purdue was doing.

Who wants to see how a Purdue blogger handled the final minutes of regulation? Okay!

Buffalo 6-2 Miami, 17:26 left in the first half

As Little Rock and Purdue open overtime, Buffalo and Miami are underway. Some nice AFC East action in the NCAA Tournament.

Tied at the end of regulation: Little Rock 70-70-Arkansas

After Purdue hit two free throws to go up two points, Josh Hagins nailed another NBA three to tie it up. Then Purdue inbounded and ... just ... stood there for a few seconds. Apparently the Boilermakers were waiting for Matt Painter to call a timeout. He didn’t, so they chucked up a prayer from midcourt that missed.

Overtime on the way!

Updated

Purdue 68-67-Little Rock, 20.9 seconds left

Trying to keep up here ... Little Rock got it to 65-63, then Purdue immediately responded with a corner three -- their first field goal in 3+ minutes -- and then Little Rock’s Lis Shoshi hit a corner three of his own. Okay, deep breath.

This is good.

Purdue 65-62 Little Rock, 1:07 left in the 2nd half

Yeah, so the timeout didn’t work. Purdue turned the ball over in five seconds. A video replay confirms it was Purdue who knocked it out.

Purdue 65-62 Little Rock, 1:12 left in the 2nd half

Josh Hagins hits an NBA three and it’s now a one possession game. Purdue head coach Matt Painter has called timeout because his team is getting swarmed on the offensive end. He should tell them to stop panicking. Or maybe not. That could just make them more aware of their panicking.

Updated

Purdue 65-59 Little Rock, 1:57 left in the 2nd half

Little Rock’s pressure defense helped produced six consecutive points and the lead is cut in half in 90 seconds.

Purdue 65-52 Little Rock, 3:33 left in the 2nd half

Two free throws by A.J. Hammons puts Purdue up by 13 with just over three minutes left. Little Rock is going to have to start hitting some threes. Unfortunately, they’re shooting 27% from three so far tonight.

Purdue 60-49 Little Rock, 5:18 left in the 2nd half

Little Rock continues to hang around, but they need to make a move now because time is short.

And let’s hope they make that move because this is the only game on right now. WE MUST BE ENTERTAINED!

Final No. 1 Kansas 105, No. 16 Austin Peay 79

That wasn’t a contest from start to finish. It felt like an old 1 vs. 16 game, back when all the good 19-21 year-olds weren’t in the NBA and small schools couldn’t compete.

Kansas now moves on to play UConn. Lots of pedigree for a 2nd Round game.

Kansas 103-77 Austin Peay, 2:00 left in the 2nd half

The Jayhawks are clearing the bench. Tyler Self is even in the game now. Yes, it’s Bill Self’s son.

The bench is now selfless. (Sorry.)

In case you missed any of the highlights of the Yale Bulldogs upset of the Baylor Bears ...

Purdue 50-42 Little Rock, 9:40 left in the 2nd

Little Rock nails two free throws and gets the ball after a flagrant foul call on Haas. His elbow got a little high, which is not surprising because he’s 7-2 and his elbows are very high.

Fun fact the announcers just shared: Purdue is undefeated this year on weekdays. #analytics

Purdue 50-40 Little Rock, 10:09 left in the 2nd half

Purdue gets their lead to double digits on a corner three. If Little Rock loses, it would continue Derek Fisher’s year of losing basketball.

Kansas 88-62 Austin Peay, 7:30 left in the 2nd half

Perry Ellis extends the Kansas lead with a floater. At this point in the game, why is Ellis still in there? Bill Self should be resting someone of his advanced age.

(You have just witnessed today’s 5,000th joke about Perry Ellis looking old.)

Purdue 42-34 Little Rock, 13:15 left in the 2nd

The 7-foot-2, 282-pound Isaac Haas hits two free throws. Despite his size, a Hack-a-Haas approach probably won’t work.

Thanks, Les! I’ll takeover from not until 9:00 p.m. ET.

There are two games going right now: Kansas-Austin Peay and Purdue-Little Rock. The former is a blowout, which is good for the Big 12 after that Baylor loss.

If Little Rock can knock off Purdue, it would be quite a day of basketball for these two:

UALR 30-Purdue 38; 17:03 2nd half

As I prepare to hand this blog to DJ Gallo, it is interesting to note that Purdue stormed into the second half on a 7-2 run. It’s been an entertaining afternoon, though one with only one big upset -- Yale’s win over Baylor. A big day for the state of Connecticut, which had two state men’s teams win in the NCAA Tournament on the same day for the first time in maybe forever. We’re not even halfway done. More big games to come tonight.

Austin Peay 44-63 Kansas; 13:59 2nd half

This has been a rout right from the start. The Jayhawks have forced Austin Peay into 17 turnovers so far and is shooting over 50 percent. If you were hoping to finally see a 16 beat a 1, it’s best to start over tomorrow.

UALR 28-31 Purdue: halftime

I’ve been so lost in the Yale-Baylor game that I have neglected another potential upset in the making. Arkansas-Little Rock is making life miserable for Purdue. Through a half, the Boilermakers have not shot well, hitting on 10-of-26 shots and have turned the ball over seven times. So far, UALR has protected the ball well and have not let the bigger Purdue players dominate on the boards too much.

Final No. 12 Yale 79, No. 5 Baylor 75

In their first appearance in the NCAA Tournament since 1962 Yale pulled off a huge upset beating Baylor in Providence for the school’s first NCAA Tournament victory ever. Makai Mason had the best game of his college career with 31 points with two 3-pointers and going 11-for-11 on the free throw line. “He’s the toughest nut you will ever meet” Yale coach James Jones said right after the game.

After a month of turmoil that saw their team captain kicked out of school, Yale played a fantastic game against a very talented team. Now Yale will play Duke, the fourth seed, who is not deep and did not look particularly dominating in their victory earlier on Thursday.

Updated

Yale 77-75 Baylor :2 2nd half

Baylor’s Lester Medford was driving for a layup with 2 seconds left in a two point game and loses his dribble.

Yale 76-75 Baylor :6 2nd half

Figures Yale would pull a sneaky play on the inbounds with a long pass upcourt to Nick Victor who dribbled around for a moment before getting fouled. He has two free throws.

Yale 76-75 :9 2nd half

After two Mason three throws Prince hits a 3-point shot to pull Baylor to within a point. Yale calls time out. Baylor will have to foul here.

Yale 74-72; :28 2nd half

Makai Mason hits two free throws and then Yale draws Taurean Prince into a charge. Justin Sears misses two free throws for Yale and Baylor scores on a quick layup to cut this to a one basket game.

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Yale 72-70 Baylor, :59 2nd half

Taurean Prince hits a 3-pointer to cut the lead to three ad then Ishmael Wainwright steals a pass and sets up a Baylor layup by Jake Lindsey.

Yale 72-65 Baylor 1:36 2nd half

Makai Mason with a bad open court foul puts Baylor’s Jake Lindsey on the foul line. Lindsey misses one of two, however. Then Lindsey commits a dumb foul on Mason who calmly hits his free throws.

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Yale 70- 64 Baylor; 1:58 2nd half

A big defensive stand by Yale, which was staring to unravel a bit. Baylor had cut the lead to four before Justin Sears hit a layup and then Sears secured the ball off a blocked shot on the opposite end.

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Final: No. 16 Hampton 46, No. 1 Virginia 81

After Hampton’s brief early run things slowed down fast for the Pirates. Virginia’s stiff defense shut them down. They hit just 30 percent of their shots. Cavs coach Tony Bennett came back after passing out just before halftime to watch his team roll to an easy win.

Yale 68-60 Baylor, 3:52 2nd half

Baylor has started to come back, cutting the lead to eight. For a moment Yale thought it had lost Justin Sears with his fifth foul but the call went against Baylor. Still, Yale is playing with a little less poise, throwing away a pass just before a time out. Makai Mason continues to carry them, with a career-high 25 points.

Bryan Graham and Amber Jamieson have an update on expelled Yale captain Jack Montague who is at the game.

UALR 12-16 Purdue 11:09 1st half

Purdue is on a 9-0 run after a very slow start against Little Rock. Little Rock hit a few early shots but has missed six straight and only has hit on one 3-pointer. Purdue has a significant size advantage in this one. Little Rock is going to have to hit some shots or Purdue is eventually going to pull away.

Yale 62-50 Baylor, 7:35 2nd half

Baylor looks flustered. As Yale continues to methodically move down the court, hitting open shots, the Bears have fallen apart. They have thrown up a lot of 3-pointers that have not fallen and are getting beaten on the boards by the Yale players who continually get better position. In the stands, the Duke fans have taken up to cheering for Yale. Providence’s arena is a small, loud place, it’s easy for Baylor to feel that everything is crumbling around them.

Austin Peay 14-26 Kansas, 7:55 first half

Those “Let’s Go Peay” chants aren’t holding much water against Kansas who have torn out to a big lead. Austin Peay has yet to hit a 3-pointer and hasn’t much else inside either. So far they are shooting 31 percent. That is not how you pull the upset.

Here’s a look at Gathers-Prince...

Yale 51-45 Baylor; 13:21 2nd half

This the game of the day in so many ways. As if Baylor didn’t have enough trouble with Yale, they are now fighting themselves. Rico Gathers and Taurean Prince shoved each other on the Baylor sideline during a time out. It’s not clear what prompted the skirmish and both players were quickly pulled away. The fight hasn’t helped the Bears who aren’t patient enough to handle Yale’s deliberate pace and haven’t picked up the open shooters.

Our man in Des Moines with the best chant in basketball...

Yale 45-40 Baylor 15:39 2nd half

Baylor has slowed Makai Mason at the start of the second half but appears to have forgotten about Justin Sears who has picked up where Mason left off with two quick baskets. Baylor still can’t shake the Elis.

Warning: This may hurt your eyes...

Virginia coach Tony Bennett told TruTV that he was dehydrated. He is back on the sideline for the start of the second half.

Halftime should be ending soon in two games, for now please enjoy Baylor’s Rico Gathers (a potential NFL tight end) with a blocked shot here...

Final No. 13 Iona 78, No. 4 Iowa State 94

Iona hasn’t won an NCAA Tournament game since the Jim Valvano-Jeff Ruland days. Today, it never really was in this one. Iowa State just did what Iowa State does: hit lots of 3’s. Three Cyclones scored more than 19 points. This was but one game but Iowa State looked awfully good and good be on the verge of a Sweet 16 run.

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Hampton 21-40 Virginia; Halftime

Virginia coach Tony Bennett collapsed just before halftime. He was standing on the edge of the court, in front of his bench, and slowly fell to the floor. He did not lose consciousness but he had to be helped back up and was led to the locker room. He looked woozy and confused. No report yet on his health.

Yale 39-34 Baylor Halftime

Who thought Yale-Butler would be the most exciting game of the tournament? A lot has been happening here. Yale’s Makai Mason has been on fire with 17 points. But it’s not all him, Justin Sears has 11 points himself. Baylor has been playing very well themselves, hitting on 44 percent of 3-pointers.

Something to watch: Yale is shooting 64 percent. That will not last. Baylor is also hitting 51 percent of their shots against a Yale team that does not give up points. Take away Mason and Yale is not playing their game.

Iona 74-83 Iowa State, 4:30 2nd half

I’ve been so transfixed by Yale-Baylor and UConn-Colorado, I have neglected the 3-point shooting clinic Iowa State is putting on. So far the Cyclones have hit on 10-of 22 of their 3’s and seem in control of this one.

Final: No. 9 UConn 74, No. 8 Colorado 67

Kevin Ollie still has not lost an NCAA Tournament game. The former UConn point guard is 7-0 as a coach in the tournament as the team that went into the AAC tournament as a certain NIT team will instead move into the Sweet 16. Colorado made this close but Sterling Gibbs the senior transfer from Seton Hall settled UConn with several key free throws. With the experience of Gibbs, mixed with the Ollie’s balanced intensity and the play of Rodney Purvis, who had 19 points today, UConn is a dangerous team. Next up is probably Kansas. Connecticut might be exactly the kind of team the Jayhawks would prefer not to face.

Updated

Yale 26 Baylor 23, 8:58 first half

The story going into this one has been the player who is not in Providence -- former Yale captain Jack Montague -- who was expelled after an accusation of nonconsensual sex with a female student. But the Elis came into this tournament on a 7-1 run without Montague and today’s story is Makai Mason who is unstoppable. He just drained a 3-pointer to give him 13 points to go with his two assists and what appears to be a black eye.

Hampton 10, Virginia 11, 11:49 first half

The battle of the Commonwealth wasn’t supposed to be much of a battle. No 16th seed has knocked off a No.1. But Hampton isn’t your typical 16th seed. They are experienced and play fearless. Hampton’s Quinton Chievous -- son of the the great Missouri star Derrick Chievous, an All American who always wore a Band Aid in every game -- is leading Hampton with six points. The longer Virginia lets Hampton believe... the more exciting this afternoon will be. Stay tuned.

The Bulldogs are without captain Jack Montague for today’s game. Our Amber Jamieson has been on the story.

Yale’s former basketball captain, expelled last month after a university panel found he had nonconsensual sex with a female student, planned to watch today’s Baylor-Yale game from the stands.

Jack Montague, a second-semester senior, withdrew from Yale on 10 February. Details of the sexual assault allegations that resulted in his expulsion only surfaced publicly this week, after Montague announced he would be suing Yale for its decision.

The basketball team’s public support of Montague – including wearing t-shirts with his nickname “Gucci” and his number “4” on them during the nationally-televised Yale-Harvard game – resulted in campus-wide uproar.

Posters plastered campus calling on the basketball team to “stop silencing women”. The basketball team later issued a formal apology for its public support of Montague.

After Yale beat Columbia, cinching the Ivy League championship and securing its first March Madness appearance in 54 years, teammate Justin Sears told media that Montague would “definitely” attend today’s game.

UConn 52-48, 9:14 left 2nd half

Les Carpenter here, stepping into a Connecticut run in the South Region’s 8-9 game that reminds me of many defensive stands that Huskies coach Kevin Ollie had as a UConn point guard in the 1990s. The early-90s UConn teams were some of the best ever at the fullcourt press. Today Connecticut is playing a stifling half-court defense and doing a tremendous job controlling Colorado’s big men in the last 13 minutes. So far in the second half, Connecticut is out-scouring Colorado 30-12.

Updated

Yale is moments away from their first NCAA tournament game since JFK was president. Not since an overtime loss to Wake Forest on 12 March 1962 – 10 days after Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point game – have the Bulldogs taken part in the Big Dance. And with that I’ll turn over the wheel to my esteemed colleague Les Carpenter, who will take you through the next few hours.

Our Sean Keeler reports from Des Moines, where Colorado leads 42-39 over UConn with 14.57 left in the second half.

Fun fact: Colorado came into today making only 43.7% of its two-pointers as a team, a clip that ranked 335 out of 351 Division I schools. UConn came in allowing opponents to make just 41.4% of their two-point attempts. Well, the Buffs are 11-for-20 inside the arc so far – thank you, Josh Scott – and led the Huskies by nine at the break. So either stats lie, or the 8-9 game at Wells Fargo Arena is about to get a lot more interesting.

Updated

Here’s something from the What Could Possibly Go Wrong There? file. The city of Providence has temporarily suspended its open-container law with the NCAA tournament in town, allowing people to walk on the street with alcohol.

Final: No9 Butler 71, No8 Texas Tech 61

After a lay-up by Texas Tech’s Zach Smith tied the score with 9.12 remaining, Butler rattled off eight unanswered points and were never really threatened the rest of the way. They advance to a second-round tilt against either top-seeded Virginia or No16 seed Hampton, who face off later today.

Final: No4 Duke 93, No13 UNC Wilmington 85

A valiant effort by the Seahawks but they come up just short in a foul-filled game. The Blue Devils, who are trying to become the first repeat champions since Florida in 2006 and 2007, advance to face the winner of today’s Baylor-Yale matchup. “That’s a really good basketball team,” Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “They wore us out they wore us down.”

Updated

UNC Wilmington 85-92 Duke 19.9, second half

Grayson Allen is whistled for traveling and UNC Wilmington takes over possession trailing by five with a minute to go. Massive possession here. Lock-down defense by Duke and Craig Ponder forces up a three-pointer that misses short. Offensive rebound by the Seahawks but CJ Bryce misses another long jumper and Allen wrangles the rebound. He puts down a pair for foul shots and it’s desperation time for UNC Wilmington.

UNC Wilmington 85-90 Duke 1.24, second half

With Plumlee fouled out, Duke’s Derryck Thornton drives the lane and puts down a circus shot while drawing a (phantom) foul. But he misses the free throw and Denzel Ingram responds with a long-range three-pointer off a CJ Bryce assist. Five-point game.

Half-time: UConn 27-36 Colorado

Colorado’s Josh Scott is leading the way with a game-high 13 points on 7-for-11 shooting. The 6ft 10in center keyed an 11-2 run that tilted a taut first half in favor of the Buffs.

UNC Wilmington 76-85 Duke 3.13, second half

One final spurt should see the Duke through here and it looks like the Blue Devils are making it. Moments after the Seahawks’ Dylan Sherwood rattles in a three-pointer to close it to 83-76, Duke clinically breaks the full-court press and Plumlee throws down a dunk off a lob from Derryck Thornton.

Iona 11-24 Iowa State 13.15, first half

The fourth-seeded Cyclones are doing it with defense early and have stormed to an early lead in Denver. Iowa State suffered the first stunner of last year’s tournament when they lost to No14 UAB as a No3 seed and are sincerely hoping that history doesn’t repeat itself.

UNC Wilmington 69-75 Duke 5.28, second half

The foul disparity has been the story here. UNC Wilmington has been whistled for 27 fouls, nearly twice Duke’s 14. The Blue Devils have made the Seahawks pay from the line, making 25-of-33 (75.7%) free throws compared to 10-of-14 (71.4%) for UNC Wilmington. But the underdogs continue to push: a Craig Ponder steal and lay-up closes the lead to six points with plenty of time left.

UNC Wilmington 62-70 Duke 7.55, second half

The Seahawks are still within single digits but CJ Gettys has just fouled out, finishing with one point and five rebounds. Marshall Plumlee continues to shine with 14 points and six boards. Four of his five field goals have been dunks.

Butler 36-37 Texas Tech 15.08, second half

The Red Raiders are back out in front as Keenan Evans cans a 17-foot jumper. Meanwhile, Colorado has weather a scoring drought of nearly five minutes and still leads 18-16 over Connecticut.

UNC Wilmington 54-61 Duke 12.17, second half

The Blue Devils rattled off 14 unanswered points to turn a 46-42 deficit into a 56-46 lead, but the reeling Seahawks haven’t tapped out just yet. A putback by UNC Wilmington’s CJ Bryce in transition keeps the underdogs within touching distance and prompts a Duke timeout.

Updated

Here’s an email from Simon McGrother in North Carolina, where basketball is king.

I am an ex-pat living in North Carolina and a Seahawks win (even against this weakest of Duke teams) would constitute a sporting earthquake in the state. College basketball if comfortably the most important sport and, love or hate them, Duke are always a contender. Even their Lehigh and Mercer embarrassments would pale in comparison to losing to an in-state mid-major. They’d never live it down.

Alas, Duke is pulling away here in the second half. Marshall Plumlee has awoken from his first-half slumber and is dominating on the inside as two of UNC Wilmington interior players have four fouls with more than 13 minutes to go.

UConn 4-8 Colorado 15.48, first half

Another 8-9 matchup is underway in Des Moines where Colorado and Connecticut have just tipped off. A strong start for the Buffs who have made four of their first five shots, but two silly fouls by Colorado guard Dom Collier means Thomas Akyazili will be at the ready. Collier still in the game for now.

Half-time: Butler 30-28 Texas Tech

Butler’s Kellen Dunham leads all scorers with 13 as the Bulldogs head to the locker room with a two-point lead. Kelan Martin, who averaged 16.3 points per game this year, has been held scoreless for the Bulldogs. Meanwhile in Providence, Duke has sprinted from the gate on a 10-3 run to take a 50-46 lead.

Half-time: UNC Wilmington 43-40 Duke

The Seahawks’ Chris Flemmings drains a long three-pointer with nine seconds left in the first half to stretch the lead to six. But Duke calls a timeout to draw up a play for a final shot and Brandon Ingram makes good, canning a three off an assist from Grayson Allen. A good game brewing here in Providence.

I guess we know who Tom Brady is picking. His Michigan Wolverines assured themselves a place in the round of 64 with last night’s win over Tulsa in the First Four. They’ll face No6 seed Notre Dame tomorrow.

Updated

Butler 9-16 Texas Tech 11.13, first half

Meanwhile in Raleigh, the 8-9 matchup between Texas Tech and Butler is underway. Aaron Ross has come off the bench to add five points for the Red Raiders, including a three-pointer just now that extends their lead to seven.

UNC Wilmington 31-28 Duke 3.58, first half

UNC Wilmington has made four previous NCAA tournament appearances. Three times they lost their opening game. But in 2002, they scored one of the signature upsets of the tournament with a 93-89 overtime win over USC. Then, like today, the Seahawks were a No13 seed. Can history repeat itself? So far so good, but there’s a long way to go.

UNC Wilmington toppled fourth-seeded USC in the 2002 NCAA tournament.

UNC Wilmington 22-19 Duke 8.48, first half

Duke’s Grayson Allen, whom you may remember from when he tripped opponents twice in three weeks this year, with three points so far. He also bears an uncanny resemblance to Republican presidential nominee Ted Cruz.

Duke dominating inside with a 16-2 advantage in points in the paint, but the CAA champions are hanging tough.

UNC Wilmington 14-14 Duke 11.55, first half

The transition-happy Seahawks are hanging with the Blue Devils early, but they’ve already been whistled for four fouls including several of the ticky-tack variety. Something to monitor as the game moves forward.

UNC Wilmington 7-8 Duke 15.22, first half

We’re underway in Providence and Duke’s Brandon Ingram scores the first points of the 2016 NCAA tournament on a mid-range jumper. These schools are only a two-hour drive from one another in North Carolina but it’s only the second time they’ve met in history. Fourth-seeded Duke, last year’s champion, has the best NCAA tournament winning percentage in the event’s history (.755) and ranks third all-time in NCAA tournament wins (105).

Here’s a look at President Obama’s bracket. Rather conservative for a liberal. Only three minutes until UNC Wilmington and Duke tip off.

Obama’s bracket
Obama has tabbed the top-seeded Jayhawks to go all the way. Photograph: ESPN

Updated

Today's schedule

The two most deliciously frenetic days on the sports calendar are upon us: the opening round of the NCAA tournament. Just a few more minutes to get those brackets in before the first ball is tipped. Here’s a look at today’s menu.

12.15pm, No13 NC Wilmington v No4 Duke, CBS
12.40pm, No9 Butler v No8 Texas Tech, truTV
1.30pm, No9 Connecticut v No8 Colorado, TNT
2pm, No13 Iona v No4 Iowa St., TBS
2.45pm, No12 Yale v No5 Baylor, CBS
3.10pm, No16 Hampton v No1 Virginia, truTV
4.pm, No16 Austin Peay v No1 Kansas, TNT
4.30pm, No12 AR Little Rock v No5 Purdue, TBS
6.50pm, No14 Buffalo v No3 Miami (FL), TNT
7.10pm, No12 Chattanooga v No5 Indiana, CBS
7.20pm, No16 Florida Gulf Coast v No1 North Carolina, TBS
7.27pm, No14 Fresno St. v No3 Utah, truTV
9.20pm, No11 Vandy/Wichita St v No6 Arizona, TNT
9.40pm, No13 Stony Brook v No4 Kentucky, CBS
9.50pm, No9 Providence v No8 USC, TBS
9.57pm, No11 Gonzaga v No6 Seton Hall, truTV

Updated

Bryan will be here shortly, in the meantime here are our writers’ picks for glory this year:

Les Carpenter: Michigan State. This might be one of the most-balanced NCAA Tournaments in recent history. You can pick any number of 15 teams and make a compelling case for their winning the title. But nobody is better-built for this tournament than Michigan State. The Spartans are an excellent defensive team who can also rebound and score at will. In Tom Izzo they have a coach who knows how to coach a team deep into the tournament and Denzel Valentine might be the best all-around guard in the country.

DJ Gallo: Michigan State. Kentucky are an eight-loss No4 seed and Ben Simmons isn’t even in the postseason. This is a season for upperclassmen, not freshman, and Michigan State are led by three seniors: Valentine, Bryn Forbes and Matt Costello. Izzo is skilled enough to coach a smelly bag of gym socks to a Final Four, but this year he has the talent to win it all.

Brandon Lilly: I picked North Carolina at the beginning of the year, and although a potential Sweet 16 matchup with Kentucky will be a doozy, I’m sticking to my guns. They have a higher ceiling than any other team in the country, and sometimes talent wins. The Heels will cut down the nets.

Sean Keeler: Michigan State. Izzo is a Sweet 16 machine, one of the few reliable things in a tournament that could go pear-shaped in any number of bizarre and unexpected ways. Fun fact: The four top seeds in the 2016 field bring a combined 23 losses to the party — the most, collectively, by four No1s since the 2000 Big Dance. The national champion 16 years ago? Izzo’s Spartans, led by guard Mateen Cleaves, running mate Morris Peterson, a unit that boasted swagger, confidence, and an iron determination to survive. Valentine has that same kind of look in his eyes. For that matter, so does Sparty.

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