NCAA BK PREVIEWS Thursday, Mar 17

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good luck all and hope this helps your capping......

Friday's games will be up later..........

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NCAA BK PREVIEWS
Friday, Mar 18

Preview: Bulldogs (22-11) at Wildcats (29-5)
Date: March 18, 2016 12:40 PM EDT

NEW YORK (AP) Everything Villanova has accomplished this season, all the victories and the No. 1 ranking, and all the success coach Jay Wright's program has had in recent years, it all comes with a `Yeah, but ...'

The Wildcats haven't reached the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament since 2009, when they went to the Final Four. Those early departures include three times Villanova lost its second NCAA game as either a one or two seed.

So now the Wildcats (29-5) are back, a No. 2 seed in the South Region facing 15th-seeded UNC Asheville on Friday. Regardless of whether it is fair, the next few days at Barclays Center in Brooklyn will define their season and their program - at least to those outside of the program.

'As soon as we lost to N.C. State last year, it became a big issue, even in the offseason,' Wright said Thursday. 'And when we started this season, it was the first thing everybody talked about. So we had to talk to the team about it and just say, `OK, this is just something we're going to have to deal with.''

Wright's message to his players has been to own those postseason failures but do not consider yourselves failures.

'So we spent a lot of time trying to teach our guys that this season does matter to you,' Wright said. 'And I'm really proud of how our guys handled it, to win a Big East regular season championship, win 29 games, with everyone still saying this doesn't matter.'

Villanova was No. 1 in the country for three weeks this season.

Ryan Arcidiacono has been through all the many ups and few downs, helping the Wildcats win 91 games over the last three seasons. The senior said there is no reason to treat this NCAA Tournament different from the previous ones.

'Just try to do the same thing we've been doing all year and try to just play harder than the other team, play more together, and try to outrebound them,' he said.

The Big South champion UNC Asheville (22-11) is in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2012. The Bulldogs don't have a starter over 6-foot-5, but the Wildcats aren't particularly tall either.

'I think every team here is beatable, but we also know they're a great team,' Bulldogs guard Dwayne Sutton, one of two freshmen starters.

Seven No. 15 seeds have won first-round games since the tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985.

'If we didn't have a good season, we wouldn't even be in the NCAA Tournament,' Wright said. 'So we wouldn't have a chance to get past the first weekend. So now we're finally at the point where we can do something about it. '

DEFENDING THE 3: Statistically, the Bulldogs defend the 3-point shot better than any team in the country. Opponents are shooting 28.4 percent from 3 against UNC Asheville and defending the arc was key in victories against Georgetown and Tennessee.

FEELING GOOD: A sprained right ankle kept 6-foot-11 center Daniel Ochefu out of the starting lineup for Villanova's last two games in the Big East tournament and he did not play more than 19 minutes in any of the Wildcats' three games. Wright gave him three days off and said Ochefu was 100 percent when the team practiced Thursday.

Ochefu averages 9.7 points and 7.6 rebounds per game.

EXPERIENCE: While none of UNC Asheville's players have been to the NCAA Tournament, coach Nick McDevitt was the associate coach four years ago when the Bulldogs led top-seeded Syracuse with six minutes remaining before falling 72-65.

'We talked about this week that one of the reasons we felt like we were in that game was because of the preparation leading up to the game,' McDevitt said. 'Our team wasn't ... just happy to be here. They wanted to win and felt like they could win.'

NEXT: The winner faces either No. 7 Iowa or No. 10 Temple.

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Preview: Orange (19-13) at Flyers (25-7)
Date: March 18, 2016 12:15 PM EDT

ST. LOUIS (AP) Jim Boeheim is back where he feels most comfortable this time of year, glad-handing a countless stream of well-wishers as Syracuse prepared to play Dayton in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

It's a whole lot more comfortable than the recliner he was in last year.

The Orange had to sit out March Madness after a lengthy investigation by the NCAA found a history of improper benefits and academic misconduct stretching back years. For the first time since 1993, Boeheim and his team were forced to watch postseason tournaments unfold on television.

'I'm sure it was really tough for him,' Syracuse guard Trevor Cooney said Thursday. 'I mean, he's been coaching for a long time. And he's been in the tournament almost all those years. And I think for him not to be a part of it was really tough for him.'

The sanctions, which included the loss of eight scholarships, also kept Boeheim on the shelf for nine games earlier this season. The Orange (19-13) won just four times during that stretch.

Syracuse found its stride when Boeheim returned, winning eight of nine in January and February. That proved to be enough to earn an at-large bid, even after a loss to Pittsburgh in the first round of the ACC Tournament, and make Boeheim the 'happiest I've ever been on Selection Sunday.'

'It's obviously been a difficult year,' he said, 'to go through everything that's happened.

Things won't get a whole any easier for the No. 10-seed Orange on Friday.

Seventh-seeded Dayton (25-7) captured a share of the Atlantic-10 regular-season title, became a Top 25 mainstay and now has the experience of having been to three consecutive NCAA Tournaments.

That includes knocking the Orange out of the field two years ago.

'I would say as much as anything, a win like that against Syracuse - advancing to the Sweet 16 - may have as much reason for us being here for the third year in a row as anything,' Flyers coach Archie Miller said. 'When you're able to make a run like we made a couple of years ago, I think it carries over to your players' experience level, big-game mentality in the last couple of regular seasons.'

As the Orange and Flyers prepare to meet at the Scottrade Center, here are some key story lines:

WINNING FORMULA: Dayton beat the Orange two years ago in Buffalo by relying on its defense, holding Syracuse without a 3-pointer for the first time in 665 games. The result was a 55-53 victory. 'The most memorable thing about it was how tough we played,' the Flyers' Dyshawn Pierre said. 'There was a lot of ups and downs and we stuck together, and that's the biggest thing we need to bring to this game.'

HOME COOKE-ING: Boeheim wasn't the only one sitting out last year: Charles Cooke, the Flyers' leading scorer, had to redshirt after transferring from James Madison. 'I did everything I could do in the offseason, in the summertime, been trying to make these guys better in practices,' said Cooke, who led the Dukes to the NCAA Tournament the previous year. 'It just really feels good to be here.'

IN THE ZONE: Syracuse still runs Boeheim's famous 2-3 zone, while the Flyers prefer a pack-line defense that clogs the lane. Both are highly effective. 'They're really competitive,' the Orange's Tyler Roberson said, 'so we're going to have to match their intensity.'

FAMILIAR FOES: Dayton assistant Allen Griffin played for Boeheim at Syracuse before serving as an administrative assistant. Meanwhile, Dayton guard John Crosby and Syracuse forward Tyler Lydon were teammates at New Hampton School in New Hampshire, and Cooke and Orange guard Malachi Richardson were teammates at Trenton Catholic Academy in New Jersey. 'We've been like brothers since we were young,' Richardson said. 'He texted me before the bracket was released and said, `We're probably going to play y'all.''

UP NEXT: The winner gets second-seeded Michigan State or No. 15 seed Middle Tennessee State for a spot in the Midwest Regional semifinals. 'Syracuse has been really successful with the first games in the past,' Roberson said. 'We want to continue that and start off with a win.'

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Preview: Rams (24-10) at Beavers (19-12)
Date: March 18, 2016 1:30 PM EDT

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) The last time Oregon State made the NCAA Tournament, it was led by a senior guard named Gary Payton.

It took a generation for the Beavers to return to college basketball's preferred postseason destination - along with another senior guard named Payton.

Led by Gary Payton II, seventh-seeded Oregon State (19-12) will return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 26 years when it faces tournament regular Virginia Commonwealth on Friday.

The appearance caps a dramatic two-season turnaround under coach Wayne Tinkle by the Beavers, who were largely relegated to Pac-12 Conference irrelevance for much of the time since their last trip in 1990. That team featured the elder Payton, the conference's Player of the Year and future NBA Hall of Famer who will be in attendance in Oklahoma City on Friday to watch his son.

What he'll see is a team dismissive of its underdog status against the 10th-seeded Rams (24-10), one fueled by his son - the two-time Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year who excels at a little bit of everything just like his dad.

'We had a great group of guys that helped me do it,' Payton II said. 'And that was the goal, the main goal, to get back here and make Beaver basketball exciting again.'

Payton spent his first two collegiate seasons in junior college, but his impact at Oregon State was immediate last season as the Beavers won 17 games in Tinkle's first year.

This season, the 6-foot-3 senior has averaged 15.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and five assists per game. However, his offensive prowess is only a small part of the havoc Payton - who also averaged 2.5 steals per game - brings to the court for Oregon State.

And he's done so without feeling any of the pressure of living up to his father's considerable legacy with the Beavers.

'He's such a laid-back individual, I don't think he sees that pressure, doesn't feel it,' Tinkle said. 'He's very confident in himself.'

That confidence is likely to be needed on Friday against a VCU team that's established itself as a tournament regular since its remarkable Final Four run in 2011.

The Rams have reached the tournament in every year since, and they've done so this year despite a new coach in Will Wade and rocky beginning to the season that saw them 5-5 after three straight losses to Florida State, Georgia Tech and Cincinnati in December.

It was after the Georgia Tech loss that Wade, a former VCU assistant under Shaka Smart who spent the last two seasons at Chattanooga, felt the Rams' NCAA hopes fading and told the players focus only on the Atlantic 10 Conference schedule ahead.

The change in focus worked, with VCU winning its first nine league games and reaching the conference tournament championship game on their way to securing the school's ninth NCAA appearance since 2004.

'You had to give them hope,' Wade said. 'So we gave our guys some hope and they've responded. They responded well. We won the league, and here we are.'

Despite the regularity of their NCAA visits, senior guard Melvin Johnson said the Rams aren't any less excited this time.

'It's one of the experiences that you never get tired of,' Johnson said. 'If I had another four years to go to another four NCAA Tournaments, I would, and I'd be just as happy as I am now.'

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Preview: Rainbow Warriors (27-5) at Golden Bears (23-10)
Date: March 18, 2016 2:00 PM EDT

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) When California believed the off-court distractions were finished, an on-court problem with more immediate consequences arrived.

It hasn't been the easiest week for the fourth-seeded Golden Bears.

'It's been a rough week for the team and everything,' Cal's Jabari Bird said. 'But we have had up and downs throughout the whole entire year, so it's nothing new for us.'

After the Bears saw an assistant coach get dismissed amid sexual harassment allegations and then lost their leading scorer for the season because of an injury, California (23-10) tries to get back to basketball on Friday when it faces 13th-seeded Hawaii in their NCAA Tournament opener.

California's week started with the dismissal of assistant Yann Hufnagel, followed by questions about whether head coach Cuonzo Martin handled the allegations properly. Just when the Bears believed they could get back to basketball, senior standout Tyrone Wallace broke a bone in his right hand during Wednesday's practice and will miss the rest of the season.

Individually, they are issues that could derail any team. Collectively, and all happening within less than a week, they're the kind of distractions that could ruin what's been a special season for the Bears.

Even with Wallace out, this remains a California roster filled with NBA talent, led by Bird, Jaylen Brown and Ivan Rabb, that won 9 of 11 to close the season and was a matter of seconds from playing in the Pac-12 Tournament title game.

'I just think the difficulty is on the surface. But in our program it's (an) everyday lifestyle,' Martin said. 'And we'll be talking about with our players, things happen in life, whether it's basketball, in the classroom, family members. It's a part of - a bump in the road, you keep moving forward.'

Hawaii (27-5) understands being engulfed by uncertainty. Hawaii was sanctioned for infractions committed under former coach Gib Arnold. Its penalties include a 2016-17 postseason ban, scholarship reductions, and players being allowed to transfer without having to sit out a year.

Instead of crumbling under the sanctions that were handed down early in the season, the Warriors renewed their focus. A team that beat Northern Iowa and took Oklahoma down to the wire became determined to see if it could make a run knowing the Warriors would be stuck at home a year from now.

'I think we earned it,' Hawaii star Stefan Jankovic said. 'We have been through a lot as a team, obviously, and the core group of guys, especially, all the different coaches, all the adversity. So we're just excited.'

Here are things to watch when the Warriors and Bears meet:

BRING ON SINGER: Sam Singer stepped in already once this season when Wallace first went down with a broken hand. He played at least 30 minutes in six of the next eight games, but could not bring the scoring punch that Wallace provided. That will need to be shared among Brown, Bird and Rabb, but Singer must be some type of threat to try to make up for the loss of Wallace.

'He's a great facilitator. He's not the scorer that Tyrone is, but he does his job, plays defense, and we're all behind him,' Bird said.

PLAYER OF YEAR: Jankovic was the Big West player of the year, becoming just the second Hawaii player to win conference player of the year honors. While his scoring was important - the Warriors were 9-0 when Jankovic scored 20 or more points - Hawaii's ability to control the backboard was more crucial this season. The Warriors were 23-0 when out-rebounding their opponents. Jankovic was the leader at 6.6 rebounds per game.

SCOUTING REPORT: Hawaii was able to get some unique insight into California thanks to its coaching staff. Coach Eran Ganot was previously an assistant at Saint Mary's and talks regularly with Gaels coach Randy Bennett, who played Cal this season. And Hawaii assistant John Montgomery is a former Cal assistant and son of former California coach Mike Montgomery.

WAKE UP: While the 11 a.m. PT tip time for California is an early call, it's nothing compared to the body clock adjustments for the Warriors. Friday's game will tip at 8 a.m. back on the islands and comes after a Big West title game that tipped off at 8:30 p.m. PT. Ganot wasn't concerned since the Warriors have been on the West Coast for more than two weeks, closing out the Big West regular season on the road before the conference tournament.

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Preview: Blue Raiders (24-9) at Spartans (29-5)
Date: March 18, 2016 2:45 PM EDT

ST. LOUIS (AP) Michigan State is making its 19th consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance. That alone should strike fear into the Spartans' opening-round opponent.

Coach Tom Izzo knows the pedigree won't do much good in Friday's matchup against Middle Tennessee State. Players realize that this time of the year there can be no off games.

'We're in a baseball city,' Izzo said Thursday as his second-seeded Spartans prepared for the Blue Raiders. 'Pitchers don't pitch, hitters don't hit, you go home. That's kind of the way it is.'

Middle Tennessee State coaches and players will do their best to just play their game.

'Yeah, they have a lot of history,' said junior forward Reggie Upshaw, the team's leading rebounder and second-leading scorer. 'But I mean we've played against great competition all year.'

Not quite like this, though.

Michigan State (29-5) has won 13 of 14 and took the Big Ten tourney title despite poor shooting, winning its semifinal and the final by a combined seven points. The Spartans have perhaps the best player in the nation in Denzel Valentine, who is averaging 19.4 points, 7.6 points and 7.6 assists per game.

Valentine was named most outstanding player of the conference tournament, leading the team in scoring, rebounding and assists all three games.

He knows better than to count on an easy ride to the second round against either Dayton or Syracuse.

'They won their conference. I mean, they look pretty good on film,' Valentine said. 'So we're going to have to bring it from Day 1.'

Middle Tennessee (24-9) hasn't won an NCAA game since 1989, but has a bit of experience against higher-level competition. The Blue Raiders beat Auburn in overtime and have won six in a row entering the tourney. Like Michigan State, they won their conference tournament.

Coach Kermit Davis said he told players to imagine they were going to play a pickup game, and added 'Every college player thinks you're going to win the pickup game.'

'We understand who we're playing,' Davis said. 'I do think they have a quiet confidence, but they also understand the challenge.'

The winner plays either Dayton or Syracuse in the second round. Some things to watch for:

BACKING IT UP: This is the third time Michigan State has been a No. 2 seed and the first two times worked out really well, a title in 1979 and national runner-up finish in 2009. The Spartans have a strong history of performing in St. Louis, defeating Northern Iowa and Tennessee in 2010 to advance to the Final Four in 2010. They played in St. Louis' Final Four in 2005, losing to North Carolina in the semifinals, and advanced to the Final Four in 1999.

OUTSIDE LOOKS: Middle Tennessee sophomore Giddy Potts leads the nation making 50 percent of his 3-pointers and Michigan State senior Bryn Forbes is second at 48 percent. Forbes was cold in the Big Ten tourney, going 4 of 17 from long range. Valentine and Matt Costello, on the interview podium alongside Forbes, said there was no question Forbes is the best shooter in the country.

'He's not allowed to answer,' added Costello, the team's leading rebounder. 'He can't be too cocky.'

Michigan State has made a school-record 310 3-pointers, averaging 9.2 per game, and leads the nation with 43 percent accuracy.

SLOW IT DOWN: Middle Tennessee scored 99 points in the Conference USA semifinals and beat Old Dominion 55-53 in the tourney final. A deliberate pace limiting fast break points is the underdog's best bet as a No. 15 seed seeking an upset.

'As far as scoring 90, I'm pretty sure that won't be one of those kind of games,' said Upshaw, the CUSA tournament MVP.

UNFAMILIAR FOES: The schools have met just once, with Michigan State winning in 1977 behind Greg Kelser, who had 18 points and seven rounds, and freshman Magic Johnson, who had 12 point and five assists. There's one common opponent this season - Michigan State beat Florida Atlantic in its season opener and Middle Tennessee State swept the season series from FAU in C-USA play.

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Preview: Owls (21-11) at Hawkeyes (21-10)
Date: March 18, 2016 3:10 PM EDT

NEW YORK (AP) When people talk about picking a team to advance deep into the NCAA Tournament, one of the biggest things they look for is how a squad played at the end of the season.

If that's so, Iowa certainly doesn't fit the bill.

The seventh-seeded Hawkeyes (21-10) lost six of their final eight games, including a loss to Illinois in their first game in the Big Ten Tournament.

They will try and turn that around when they face 10th-seeded Temple (21-11) on Friday in the opening round of the South Regional at Barclays Center.

'Toward the end, I think the Big Ten season really started to wear on us,' Hawkeyes leading scorer Jarrod Uthoff said. 'Day in and day out, you're playing great teams. It's not like you're playing poor competition. Losing to those good teams, I think it's a good experience for us, and I think we'll bounce back in this tournament.'

Coach Fran McCaffery agreed with Uthoff to a point.

'I think that's as a good explanation as any,' he said. 'But I'm a little more pragmatic. When I look at it, we pretty much lost to good teams. We lost to some teams that we were probably supposed to beat on paper. You lose on the road to Penn State, Malcolm Hill hit a big time step back jumper and you lose a two-point game against Illinois. Those are things that happen in the Big Ten.'

Then he added the caveat Iowa fans want to hear.

'We're not in Panic City by any means,' he said.

Panic has never been a word to describe Temple coach Fran Dunphy.

'I don't think too much about their struggle. They are really a good team, and I think this is a whole new world, the NCAA Tournament is a fresh start for everybody,' Dunphy said. 'The life that we lead, the fragile nature of the life that we lead is sometimes the games come down to a made shot or a missed shot, and a bad pass or a nonrebound or whatever, and that's just the way it is.'

Things to watch out for when the Hawkeyes meet the Owls:

OLD BUDS: McCaffrey and Dunphy are a couple of Philly guys who have known each for a long time. 'I can remember his dad being a Philly cop, and part of his chores at the end of his career were to take care of the Palestra,' Dunphy said. 'So I would see him all the time. His mom and his dad were very, very terrific basketball fans and great Philadelphians.'

FIRST TIME: McCaffrey's first NCAA Tournament game as a head coach was in 1988 when his Lehigh team faced top-ranked Temple. The Owls beat Lehigh 87-73.

TAKING CARE: Don't look for the ball to be flying all the over the place on Friday. These are two of the stingiest teams in the country as far as turning the ball over. The Hawkeyes average 10.4 turnovers a game and the Owls are even better at a Division I-leading 9.2 per game.

TOUGH RUN: Dunphy has a 3-15 mark in the NCAA Tournament at Penn and Temple, often as an underdog. 'We haven't been wearing white shirts too many of those years either, but that's the way life goes. So would I like to have more wins as a basketball coach in the NCAA? Sure. ... I'd like to reverse the number, but that's not what life has presented to me.'

MAKING 3s: Temple led the American Athletic Conference with 7.8 3-pointers per game. Iowa has averaged 8.2 3s per game.

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Preview: Roadrunners (24-8) at Sooners (25-7)
Date: March 18, 2016 4:00 PM EDT

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) Cal State Bakersfield doesn't expect to shut down Buddy Hield.

Oklahoma's senior guard, who ranks among the short list of favorites for National Player of the Year, averages 25 points per game and has scored at least 30 points 10 times this season. Whether Bakersfield can at least slow him down will largely determine if the 15th-seeded Roadrunners can beat No. 2 seed Oklahoma and become one of this year's surprise teams.

'He's an aggressive scorer,' Bakersfield forward Kevin Mays said. 'He definitely takes a lot of shots. But I think we have a pretty good game plan on how to contain him. I wouldn't say stop him, because a guy like that, you can't really stop him. But I definitely think we've got the right pieces to contain him.'

Hield, a likely lottery pick in the NBA draft later this year, scored 46 points at Kansas in a triple-overtime loss. He drained seven 3-pointers in the second half of a comeback win at LSU and got the best of a showdown with projected No. 1 overall NBA draft pick Ben Simmons. He hit a game-winning 3-pointer against Texas and scored 39 points against Iowa State in the Big 12 Tournament quarterfinals.

Bakersfield (24-8), the Western Athletic Conference tournament champion, prides itself on its defense. The Roadrunners have held opponents to 63.2 points per game and 39.1 percent shooting. Bakersfield looks forward to the challenge of dealing with Hield.

'The defense we play, I mean, I think it's going to be a good matchup because he can get off at any time, and it's going to be very exciting to see what's in front of us,' Bakersfield guard Dedrick Basile said.

Hield was held to six points on 1-for-8 shooting in his previous outing, a loss to West Virginia in the Big 12 Tournament semifinals. He had scored at least 12 points in every previous game this season. Bakersfield coach Rod Barnes said West Virginia set the precedent for how you should guard him.

'I think West Virginia did a great job of denying him the basketball, face guarding him a lot,' Barnes said. 'I think they gave him a lot of looks. I think as the attention -- there were five guys. They didn't go one-on-one or two-on-two. They didn't try to go and trap him. Everybody was focused in on him.'

Barnes is concerned about Oklahoma's other weapons, too. Ryan Spangler, Isaiah Cousins and Jordan Woodard each average at least 10 points per game. Oklahoma (25-7) averages 80.4 points and shoots 45.9 percent from the field, including 42.6 percent from 3-point range.

'Obviously we all know about Buddy,' Barnes said. 'I think they've got some other players. They're one of the best teams in the country, obviously having a No. 2 seed. So we have our work cut out for us. I think a very good offensive team which it's been obviously proven this year that they can shoot the three-pointer.'

Bakersfield's offense starts with center Aly Ahmed. The 6-foot-9, 250-pound senior center leads the team with 12.9 points per game, and he is second with 6.2 rebounds per contest.

'Big, tough guy,' Spangler said. 'He can rebound. He likes it in the post, but I think he can step out and shoot it too. So we just need to be physical with him and try to keep him away from the basket.'

Ahmed has help. Mays, Basile, Damiyne Durham and Jaylin Airington all average at least 10 points.

The Roadrunners have won 10 of 11 and avenged their only loss during that stretch by beating top seed New Mexico State in the Big West Tournament final on a last-second 3-pointer by Basile. They believe they can defeat Oklahoma, too.

'I think they're a good team, but they are not great,' Ahmed said. 'They are beatable. We play pretty good defense, and we proved a lot of things since last year, since this program has started building maybe four, five years ago. We keep just proving things every year. I think if we play pretty good defense tomorrow, we'll have a big chance.'

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Preview: Jackrabbits (26-7) at Terrapins (25-8)
Date: March 18, 2016 4:30 PM EDT

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) South Dakota State coach Scott Nagy has no illusions that his team will win a shootout with fifth-seeded Maryland in their NCAA Tournament opener on Friday.

Nagy said the Jackrabbits will have to rely on defense and rebounding if they want a chance to win the first NCAA game in program history.

The 12th-seeded Jackrabbits (26-7) will also have to shoot better than they did in the Summit League tournament, which they managed to win despite poor shooting, Nagy said.

But Nagy doesn't plan to play a slowdown game, figuring neither team wants that.

'I would say that physically we don't match up to them,' Nagy said. 'They're a much bigger team than us.'

Maryland (25-8) averages 76 points per game with balanced scoring.

The Terrapins are in no danger of looking past the Jackrabbits, Maryland coach Mark Turgeon said. Both teams played in an early season tournament in Cancun, and Turgeon watched the Jackrabbits play and was impressed. 'They have our attention,' Turgeon said.

The Jackrabbits played in the NCAA Tournament in 2012 and 2013, losing in the first round both times. Maryland, meanwhile, has a 39-24 record in the NCAAs and is making its 26th appearance. The Terps won the national title in 2002.

Maryland has had a roller coaster season. The Terrapins raced to a 22-3 start and were ranked No. 2 in the second week of February. They stumbled at the end, losing four of six, and lost to Michigan State in the semifinals of the Big Ten tournament.

'Down the stretch we were not the same team for a while,' Turgeon said. 'We did hit a valley four weeks ago.'

But he believes they have turned the page.

'Hopefully it all comes together for us,' Turgeon said. 'I do think we are playing better.'

'We're fresh, we're healthy and I do think we are excited,' Turgeon said. 'We are really locked in right now.'

For South Dakota State, freshman Mike Daum leads the team in scoring at 15.2 points per game. Guards George Marshall and Deondre Parks follow with a 14-point average each.

Daum said the Jackrabbits will not be intimidated by playing in the tournament or playing Maryland.

'The court stays the same size,' Daum said. 'The venues get bigger.'

Marshall, a transfer from Wisconsin, said the Maryland back court of Melo Trimble and Rasheed Sulaimon poses a huge challenge.

'They can do a little bit of everything,' Marshall said. 'They can shoot it from the outside. They can also drive, get in the paint and make plays for themselves.'

Sulaimon, a graduate transfer from Duke, is using his past NCAA experience to teach younger players.

'We can't overlook an opponent,' Sulaimon said. 'They call it March Madness for a reason. We are totally focused on South Dakota State.'

Other things to watch when South Dakota State faces Maryland:

TWELFTH SEEDS: History has been pretty good to No. 12 seeds against fifth-seeds in the NCAA Tournament. Since 1985, No. 5 seeds have an 80-44 record against No. 12 seeds. Last year was the first since 2007 without a No. 12 winner.

SEEING DOUBLE: All five Maryland starters score in double figures, averaging between 14.4 and 11.1 points per game. All were named to the All-Big Ten Conference lists.

JACKRABBITS RULE: Among power conference foes, South Dakota State posted wins over TCU and Minnesota this season, but lost to Texas Tech.

TERRAPINS RULE: This is the fifth time Maryland has won 24 regular-season games, including the past two seasons in a row.

NEUTRAL SITES: Maryland is 5-1 in neutral site games this season, losing only to Michigan State.

MARYLAND DEFENSE: Maryland allowed 66.9 points per game this season and led the Big Ten with 110 blocked shots.

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Preview: Panthers (21-11) at Badgers (20-12)
Date: March 18, 2016 6:50 PM EDT

ST. LOUIS (AP) Much has changed at Wisconsin since last year's fun-loving ride to the national title game.

Bo Ryan has retired, the ultra-successful coach replaced by longtime assistant Greg Gard. Player of the year Frank Kaminsky and Sam Dekker are playing in the NBA. And the expectations that accompanied the Badgers to their second straight Final Four have been ever-so-slightly tempered.

Their own world-beater attitude remains in place.

'I was telling the guys the difference was, last year we wanted to win the national championship. We believed we'd win and the only difference is you guys believed in us too,' said Nigel Hayes, who will lead the seventh-seeded Badgers against No. 10-seed Pittsburgh in the NCAA Tournament on Friday.

'This year, we want to win the national championship. We believe we can,' Hayes said, 'and then you guys don't think you can, which you - that's fine. Everyone has their opinions.'

There is every reason to believe the Badgers (20-12) can make another deep run.

They were 9-9 at one point this season before rattling off 11 wins in 12 games, beating Michigan State, Indiana and Maryland along the way. Hayes is joined by Bronson Koenig and Vitto Brown, players who were part of that runner-up finish a year ago, to form a veteran starting five. And freshman forward Ethan Happ has evolved into a Kaminsky clone, posting double-double performances with regularity.

Maybe things aren't so different after all.

'They had to kind of find their own way, so to speak,' said Gard, the interim coach until getting the permanent job a couple weeks ago. 'I'm happy for our guys because they did what a lot of people didn't think possible. And to get to this point they've forged their own identity, written their own story.'

The next chapter of which comes against the Panthers (21-11) in the first round.

Jamie Dixon's program was an NCAA Tournament mainstay before missing out last year, qualifying 10 of the previous 11 seasons. But the Panthers coach acknowledged Thursday there is a different feeling to this trip simply because of the complexion of his team.

So often built on a foundation of veterans, this team is led by a cast of newcomers.

'We have a lot of new guys, six really new players,' Dixon said. 'That really became the thing I emphasized at the end of the year, getting into the tournament. ... We really wanted to make it special. It's a team that's been here a lot but make it special for those guys.'

Here are a couple more things to know about the matchup:

SPEAKING OF HAYES: The Panthers recruited the Badgers' star, who grew up not far from Pittsburgh in Toledo, Ohio. 'You're going to have to have a lot of guys guarding him and that's our plan going into the game,' Dixon said. 'It's something we have to contain.'

EN GARD: The Badgers coach had the interim tag lifted from his title March 8, during the thick of Big Ten Tournament preparations. But after losing to Nebraska last Thursday, Gard finally had a few days to reflect on it. 'That's the best loss we've had all year,' he said, 'the loss of the interim tag.'

TURNING POINT: Koenig said things turned for the Badgers after a loss to Northwestern left them 1-4 in the league. 'We were all pretty embarrassed,' he said, 'just because of the culture of the program, and the start in the Big Ten wasn't exactly what we planned on. So we all kind of just called a team meeting in the locker room and got our emotions and feelings out, and that was good for us.'

DEPTH CHARGE: The Panthers have 10 players averaging at least 12 minutes, and that could bode well if the game turns into a physical, Big Ten-style measure of attrition. 'When we're at our best, we're a hard team to beat,' forward Jamel Artis said. 'We have to be the aggressor, try to speed Wisconsin up. They like to play at a slow pace, so we want to speed them up.'

ASSIST MARK: The Panthers have been at their best offensively when they have at least 20 assists, the ball moving quickly from player to player. 'That seems to be the number that stands out, our assist numbers,' Dixon said. 'We've had some games where we've been very good offensively and some we struggled.'

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Preview: Lumberjacks (27-5) at Mountainers (26-8)
Date: March 18, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

NEW YORK (AP) West Virginia and Stephen F. Austin meet in the first round of the NCAA Tournament's East Regional and it could get messy. There will be turnovers. Maybe lots of them.

'I hope there's not and I hope there is,' Stephen F. Austin coach Brad Underwood said.

Pressure defense is the calling card for both the third-seeded Mountaineers and (27-5) and No. 14 Lumberjacks, the top two teams in the country in terms of forcing turnovers.

The Mountaineers under coach Bob Huggins bill themselves as 'Press Virginia.' Few teams play defense with the intensity and end-to-end effort that West Virginia does.

'The style of defense we play, conditioning is a big part of it,' Mountaineers guard Jaysean Paige said Thursday at Barclays Center.

West Virginia is tops in the nation in steals at 9.9 per game and second in turnovers forced at 18.15 per game.

'We don't let people do what they want,' West Virginia's Teyvon Myers said.

The Lumberjacks' numbers are just as impressive. They lead the nation in turnovers forced at 18.63 per game and are seventh in steals at 9.1 per game, but they take a different approach when it comes to pressure.

'We mix up our defenses in the full court. But ours is more half-court oriented, taking passing lanes away, denial,' Underwood said. 'We have a young man in Trey Pinkney at the point who's as good on the ball defender as I've been around in my time as a coach. There's total pressure on the offense the entire time.'

West Virginia reached the Big 12 championship game and is in the NCAA tournament for the sixth time in nine seasons under coach Bob Huggins.

The Lumberjacks are making their third straight NCAA appearances as Southland Conference champions under Underwood, who worked for Huggins for one season at Kansas State. In 2014, Stephen F. Austin beat VCU in its first NCAA Tournament game, facing down the Rams' frenetic Havoc defense.

'So we're kind of going to take the same steps in this game because me and Thomas (Walkup) was a part of that team,' Pinkney said. 'So we prepare for it the same way, and we're going to handle the pressure to the best of our abilities.'

Things to know about West Virginia and Stephen F. Austin.

HUGGY BEAR: Huggins, who has reached the Final Four with West Virginia and Cincinnati, can be a little intimidating, sometimes gruff and often very dry with his humor.

Underwood knows a different side of Huggins and appreciates his ability to connect with players.

'There's two things that Hugs did that were unbelievably impressive to me, and one, as a head coach I've never been around or seen anyone who has spent as much time recruiting as he did as a head coach, a fabulous recruiter,' Underwood said. 'The other thing is he's the single best communicator with people and players that I've ever seen. Just has an unbelievable way of affecting young men in a positive way.

'His players love him to death and it's a great learning experience for me,' Underwood added.

RETURN TO BROOKLYN: There is a lot of Brooklyn on this West Virginia roster.

Myers and teammates Tarik Phillip both grew up not far from Barclays Center and have known and played against each other since they were kids.

'He won a couple of game, I won a couple of games,' Phillip said. 'He can score the ball so it's definitely good to have him on my side.'

Phillips, who played at Brooklyn College Academy, said what he misses most about home is the shopping.

'Clothes, sneakers. They got a whole bunch of stores you can get sneakers from around here,' Phillip said. 'In Morgantown there's probably one store where they got all the sneakers and they got one size in each. If you don't get it you pretty much miss out.'

If the Mountaineers get some free time this weekend, Phillip said he plans to take his teammates shopping.

Myers said one of the big reasons why he transferred to West Virginia from junior college was because of his relationship with Phillip.

'Great guy to have on my team,' Myers said. 'Tells me when I'm doing something wrong. Let's me know I need to be locked in at all times.'

NEXT: The winner plays either Notre Dame or Michigan on Sunday.

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Preview: Phoenix (23-12) at Aggies (26-8)
Date: March 18, 2016 7:20 PM EDT

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) Danuel House cringed as soon as heard the word 'overlooked' during a question about Texas A&M's season on Thursday.

It was inevitable after Kentucky coach John Calipari said earlier in the week he felt the fourth-seeded Wildcats should have been seeded higher in the NCAA Tournament than the Aggies after their Southeastern Conference Tournament championship victory.

And House, a senior guard, was ready with his response to how third-seeded Texas A&M (26-8) felt following Calipari's comments heading into its first-round game against Green Bay (23-12) on Friday.

'Not respected,' House said. 'Not respected at all is the right word.'

Whether House was more frustrated with Calipari or an overall lack of national attention for Texas A&M was unclear. What was certain was the Aggies, making their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2011, feel they belong among any mention of the country's best - and that they are every bit of a No. 3 seed.

It's a role of favorite the Aggies haven't played all that often since joining the SEC in 2012, though they've experienced a steady climb under fifth-year coach Billy Kennedy. And they would like nothing more than to cap that success with their first NCAA Tournament win since 2010, proving they belong as a No. 3 seed in the process.

However, that will be no easy task against a Phoenix team that is in the tournament for the first time in 20 years. Green Bay secured its berth by winning the Horizon League Tournament, and enters Friday having won eight of its last nine games - though its players were quick to embrace the underdog role.

'We really don't have much to lose right now,' Green Bay senior Jordan Fouse said. 'They're the ones feeling the pressure.'

Some things to watch in this matchup:

KENNEDY'S TRIO: Kennedy is in the NCAA Tournament for the third time as a head coach, and with his third school. Kennedy first took Southeastern Louisiana to the tournament in 2005 and then Murray State in 2010, and he is 1-2 in tournament games entering Friday.

MARCH SUCCESS: First-year Green Bay coach Linc Darner will make his tournament debut, but he is no stranger to postseason success - having led Division II Florida Southern to a national championship last season. Including Green Bay's Horizon League championship run two weeks ago, Darner has won 13 straight games in March. 'We can just go out and play and relax and have fun,' Darner said.

LATE-SEASON RUN: Texas A&M's tournament hopes appeared in jeopardy last month after it lost four straight games and five of six overall. However, following a 76-71 loss at LSU on Feb. 13, the Aggies won eight straight games before losing in the SEC championship game to Kentucky. The winning streak included an overtime win over the Wildcats, giving the Aggies plenty of confidence entering the tournament.

QUICK SUCCESS: After playing with a slowed-down, defensive-first approach the last few seasons, the Phoenix embraced Darner's up-tempo 'RP 40' style this season. The motto stands for 'Relentless Pressure for 40 minutes,' and it applies to both ends of the court. One of the biggest benefactors of the new approach has been senior guard Carrington Love, who is averaging a career-high 17.7 points per game this season after averaging 10 a year ago.

NCAA EXPERIENCE: Texas A&M senior Anthony Collins is the only player in the game who has played in the NCAA Tournament. The guard, who transferred from South Florida, helped the Bulls reach the third round in 2012.

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Preview: Crusaders (15-19) at Ducks (28-6)
Date: March 18, 2016 7:27 PM EDT

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) When freshman Tyler Dorsey arrived at Oregon, his default was to keep silent.

As the season progressed, Dorsey became more vocal. And not surprisingly, as Dorsey made his voice heard for the Ducks, his game became a catalyst for Oregon's late season surge to a No. 1 seed.

'When Tyler first got on campus he was real quiet, he wouldn't talk as much. I think that's a big part of our success, now that he's talking a lot and he's vocal on the court,' Oregon's Elgin Cook said. 'And that's what we need from him. And he's been playing amazing as well.'

For as well as Dorsey played late in the season, he'll get his first taste of the NCAA Tournament on Friday when the top seed in the West Regional faces No. 16 seed Holy Cross. Oregon played loose and confident late in the season, rattling off eight straight wins heading into the NCAAs and claiming the first No. 1 seed in school history.

But it's the stigma that comes with being a No. 1 seed that worried coach Dana Altman on Thursday. He was concerned the Ducks might play tight.

'Our guys will be ready. We just got to relax and play,' Altman said. 'I think one thing that will help us, five guys played in last year's tournament and won a game.'

Dorsey was not one of those Ducks a year ago that beat Oklahoma State in the opener before falling to Wisconsin. But he brought a scoring mentality to the perimeter that, while it didn't completely replace Joseph Young, helped temper the loss of the 2015 Pac-12 player of the year.

During Oregon's eight-game winning streak, Dorsey is averaging 17.3 points and five rebounds per game.

'I just loved his confidence and his ability to score. He's done a good job of sharing the basketball and making plays for others. But he knows when he's got an opportunity, he can go get a basket,' Altman said.

Holy Cross (15-19) already has a tournament victory after holding off Southern 59-55 in the First Four. It was the Crusaders first NCAA win since 1953 despite nearly pulling major upsets twice since. After losing five straight and seven of eight, the Crusaders have now won five straight, their longest winning streak since midway through the 2013-14 season.

Making it six straight would be pulling off the biggest upset in tournament history.

'It's in the back of your mind that a 16 team has never beaten a 1 and how great it would be for not only our school, but for all the kind of small schools that get in here and get a chance to play a team like Oregon,' Holy Cross guard Robert Champion said. 'But I think when it comes down to it, we're just going to approach it just like another game. I think that's how we made this great run in March.'

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Here's what else to watch as the Ducks and Crusaders meet for the first time:

HERE BEFORE: Holy Cross coach Bill Carmody was part of one of the more famous 1 vs. 16 games in tournament history. Carmody was an assistant for Princeton in 1989 when the Tigers drew powerhouse Georgetown in the first round. Carmody remembered losing his appetite when the selections were announced and seeing Georgetown as the opponent, but the Tigers nearly pulled the upset before falling 50-49.

'The game itself, it just went back and forth,' Carmody said. 'We took care of the ball. I think we only had four or five turnovers for the game and we gave ourselves a shot to win.'

TIME TO COOK: Cook was the most outstanding player of the Pac-12 Tournament after averaging 17.3 points and 5.3 rebounds in Las Vegas and will become the first Oregon player in school history to play in three NCAA Tournaments during his career.

BUCKING THE TREND: Oregon's dominant performance winning the Pac-12 regular season and tournament titles put the Ducks in rare company. But those accomplishments have not equated NCAA success. The Pac-12 has been absent from the Final Four since 2008 when UCLA swept the regular season and conference tourney titles.

STREAK EXTENDED: Oregon did not play at Washington or Washington State this season due to Pac-12 scheduling but will extend its streak of playing at least one game in the Evergreen State to 100 years when it tips off on Friday. The last time Oregon did not play in Washington state: 1916, when the Ducks season was called off due to World War I and an influenza outbreak.

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Preview: Wildcats (26-8) at Musketeers (27-5)
Date: March 18, 2016 9:20 PM EDT

ST. LOUIS (AP) Xavier's No. 2 seed in the best in school history. The Musketeers won't be satisfied without a deep NCAA Tournament run to match.

The school made it to the round of 16 last March and is in the field for the 10th time in 11 years. Hopes are high entering Friday night's opener against 15th seed Weber State that this will be the start of a drive that produces the school's first Final Four appearance.

Still, first things first.

Weber State (26-8) has come a long way after going 13-17 last season, winning the Big Sky Conference. The Wildcats reached the NCAA Tournament for the second time in three seasons without any seniors on the roster.

They lean heavily on 6-foot-9 Joel Bolomboy and Big Sky tourney MVP Jeremy Senglen, an all-conference guard averaging a team-leading 18.2 points. Weber State has won 10 of 12.

'They have two main guys,' Xavier guard Myles Davis said. 'We've just got to be ready to try and make it a tough day for those two.'

Bolomboy is the Big Sky MVP and its defensive player of the year, ranking third in the nation with 12.7 rebounds per game to go with a 17.2-point scoring average.

'He's going to get a lot of NBA looks,' Xavier coach Chris Mack said. 'Big challenge for us.'

Xavier (27-5) finished second in the Big East and counters with a deep lineup that features seven players that led the team in scoring at least twice. The resume features six wins over ranked opponents, including then-No. 1 Villanova last month.

'I feel like last year we had a good team, but yeah, I feel like this year's team is a lot better,' guard Remy Abel said. 'We're a lot deeper, we're more experienced.'

Sophomore Trevon Bluiett, a first-team All-Big East pick, leads a balanced offense with a 15.3-point average and is also the top 3-point threat. Freshman Edmond Sumner (11.3), Davis (11.1) and James Farr (10.8) also score in double figures.

The 6-foot-10 Farr leads the team in rebounding and is shooting 62 percent the last six games, and Davis has three triple doubles. J.P. Macura is averaging 9.6 points off the bench and Jalen Reynolds averages 6.1 points.

Things to watch for in Weber State-Xavier:

MARCH SUCCESS: Xavier has made it to the round of 16 five times the last eight seasons and Reynolds has a good track record, averaging 10.3 points and 5.3 rebounds in four tourney games. Still, they vow not to overlook Weber State.

DEAD EYE: Davis made 85.1 percent of his free throws, second best in the Big East. He was sixth in 3-point percentage (38.7).

TOURNEY MOMENTUM: Weber State has won five of the last 10 Big Sky titles, going 15-3 this season. The Wildcats could benefit from getting tested last week, beating North Dakota in overtime in the semifinals and edging Montana 62-59 in the title game. The 15th seed is just 6-16 all-time in the tournament, though, and played just one tourney team in the regular season, splitting a pair with South Dakota State.

DIALED IN D: Xavier sagged a bit in recent games but used the time after the Big East tourney to get things ironed out. Farr said players let offensive woes bother them for a while.

'We've had some slip-ups this year and I think we're finally back to where we use to be,' Farr said. 'We saw the problem, we fixed it.'

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Preview: Wolverines (23-12) at Fighting Irish (21-11)
Date: March 18, 2016 9:40 PM EDT

NEW YORK (AP) Michigan-Notre Dame. A crisp fall afternoon in South Bend, Indiana. A cloudy, snowy day in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Forget football in the Midwest. These two schools are playing basketball in Brooklyn.

Sixth-seeded Notre Dame and 11th-seeded Michigan, which beat Tulsa in a First Four game on Wednesday night, meet Friday in a first round game in the East Regional at Barclays Center.

The teams' press conferences featured some talk about football, the sport that defines the rivalry.

'I think it's exciting for both fan bases. There's no question the Notre Dame-Michigan thing runs deep,' Notre Dame coach Mike Brey said. 'I think it's got both fan bases - and our players feel that. I think it gives a little added energy to it.'

Notre Dame put its rivalry with Michigan on indefinite hold after the 2014 season - and the Wolverines were not pleased about. The Fighting Irish needed to reconfigure their schedule after joining the Atlantic Coast Conference. Even though Notre Dame is not a football member of the ACC, its agreement with the conference requires the Irish to play five ACC teams per season.

Notre Dame pulled out of the rivalry with three games remaining on the contract and no games are planned for the future. The Fighting Irish won the last football game between the teams 31-0 in South Bend in 2014.

'I think our guys, we have a lot of respect. I know I have a lot of respect for Notre Dame and the institution itself and the athletic teams that they have,' Michigan coach John Beilein said. 'So football's been a great rivalry for years. Maybe it will be again.'

Enough about football.

Michigan didn't arrive in Brooklyn until 4 a.m. Thursday.

'We had the latest wakeup call ever, noon,' Beilein said.

While Michigan may be tired, Notre Dame had the problem of not knowing who they would be playing until late Wednesday night.

'We started watching it at Dave and Buster's. So we were at Dave and Buster's playing some games, having fun, watching the game,' Notre Dame's Demetrius Jackson said. 'And then we kind of finished it in our hotel room. But, yeah, we watched the game, kind of digested it, saw a great game, saw two great teams going at it.'

The teams have very similar numbers this season and both take very good care of the ball. Michigan averages 9.7 turnovers per game, the same as Notre Dame.

'For most of the season, we led the league - led the nation in least amount of turnovers,' Brey said, 'and then (at the ACC Tournament) we hit every cheerleader in the building.'

Things you should know about Friday's game between the Fighting Irish and the Wolverines.

MISSING STAR: Caris LeVert is still Michigan's leading scorer despite having played in one game since Dec. 30. A lower left leg injury kept him of every game except against Purdue on Feb. 13. He announced on March 1 that he would not be returning this season.

SOME SHOOTER: Notre Dame's Zach Auguste has a career 68.9 field-goal percentage in the NCAA Tournament (31 for 45). Auguste is averaging 15.7 points and 11.9 rebounds over the Fighting Irish's last 12 games.

REAL FOCUS: Most coaches would complain that they had to face the winner of a First Four game in the opening round. Not Brey.

'It was different in that you don't know who you're playing until late last night. But you know what, it may have been a blessing because you concentrated more on your own team than Tulsa or Michigan. Certainly, there's still some things that we can do better, especially taking care of the basketball,' he said. 'So it probably was a blessing in that I wasn't distracted watching too much Tulsa or Michigan film. I think I watched a half of each on Tuesday, and then that was it, and kind of coached our own team.'

STILL HURTING: Notre Dame came so close last season to ending Kentucky's quest for a perfect season - losing to the Wildcats by two points in a regional final.

'I think it's made this group hungry to be back in this tournament. This nucleus was a big part of that run in the NCAA Tournament. And certainly was right there to be so close to a Final Four berth,' Brey said. 'I think they come into this thing ready to attack, and I certainly don't want to over coach them, and I don't want them playing looking over their shoulders. We need to play downhill.'

CLOSING STRONG: Michigan guard Muhammad-Ali Abdur Rahkman has become a key player down the stretch for the Wolverines. With the exception of the game at Wisconsin, the sophomore has scored in double digits in seven of the last eight games. During that run, he has not had more than two turnovers in any game.