NCAA BK PREVIEWS Thursday, Mar 17

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Preview: Rainbow Warriors (28-5) at Terrapins (26-8)[/B]
Date: March 20, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) The celebration was short for Hawaii after its first-ever NCAA Tournament win. Next up for the No. 13 seed Rainbow Warriors is a tough Maryland team on Sunday.

'Celebrate? Not too much,' guard Roderick Bobbitt said Saturday. 'We know we had to get that game behind us. Everybody on the islands celebrated for us.'

Hawaii (28-5) upset embattled California 77-66 Friday in the first round for its first victory against four losses.

'We have a 24-hour rule,' Mike Thomas said. 'Get rid of it by 11 a.m. today and get ready for tomorrow.'

Hawaii coach Eran Ganot is concerned about No. 5 seed Maryland's balanced scoring and size. He said he thought the Cal team was big.

'These guys are bigger,' he said. 'We'll have our hands full there.'

Maryland's inside-outside attack and guard play are also daunting, Ganot said.

'They are one of the most efficient teams in the country,' he said.

It has been an unexpected season of success for Hawaii under the coach in his first season. In December, the NCAA slapped his program with sanctions for infractions committed under former coach Gib Arnold. The penalties included a 2016-17 postseason ban, scholarship reductions and players being allowed to transfer without having to sit out a year

Instead of crumbling, the Warriors gelled into champions of the Big West Conference. They have set a school record for victories in a season.

Against California, Hawaii's Quincy Smith scored a career-high with 19 points, Bobbitt had 17 and Stefan Jankovic 16.

Meanwhile, Maryland (26-8) hung on to beat South Dakota State 79-74, and will seek to avoid becoming the latest higher seed to fall in this topsy-turvy tournament

Maryland led South Dakota State by 18 points late in their game, but needed to force a key turnover in the closing seconds to beat the Jackrabbits.

'We knew they were going to make a run,' guard Mel Trimble said. 'We didn't respond very well, but we won.'

'Those are things we can fix going forward,' forward Jake Layman added.

The Terrapins got a career-high-tying 27 points from Layman. Trimble added 19 points and Jared Nickens 14 for Maryland, which made 51 percent of its shots, including nine 3-pointers. Layman has averaged more than 20 points per game in the postseason.

It's been an up-and-down season for the Terrapins, who at one point were ranked No. 2 in the nation before losing five of its final eight games before the tournament.

Trimble said the team will not get caught up in hype.

'Everybody said how good we were, and when we lost, people got down on us,' Trimble said.

Layman said Maryland's woes start when the team plays poor defense.

The Terrapins watched some of Hawaii's game against California.

'We saw how active on defense they were,' Trimble said.

'Hawaii was playing with nothing to lose, harder and with more intensity,' Layman said. 'We can't let them play harder than us.'

Maryland coach Mark Turgeon said his team must rely on its inside presence on both offense and defense.

'Hopefully we can score around the basket,' Turgeon said.

Things to watch when Hawaii plays Maryland on Sunday:

ROAD WARRIORS: Hawaii has been on the mainland since March 1 after playing its final two Big West regular season games on the road, followed by the conference tournament in Anaheim, California.

PICK YOUR POISON: All five Maryland starters average in double figures, between 14.4 and 11.1 points per game.

THE SERIES: Maryland is 2-0 versus Hawaii, with wins in 1984 and 1996.

MARYLAND SUCCESS: The Terps have won at least one game in 12 straight NCAA Tournament appearances dating to 1998.

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Preview: Panthers (23-12) at Aggies (27-8)
Date: March 20, 2016 7:40 PM EDT

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) Paul Jesperson had the expected barrage of text messages and voicemails waiting on him following his half-court miracle that beat Texas on Friday night.

But the senior quickly put his shining NCAA Tournament moment behind him - preferring instead to wake up Saturday morning with his full focus on Northern Iowa's second-round matchup with Texas A&M.

The decision about how to handle the postgame celebration following the victory over the Longhorns was left up to Jesperson and his teammates.

Rather than telling the 11th-seeded Panthers (23-12) to forget the unforgettable win and turn their full attention to the third-seeded Aggies (27-8), Northern Iowa coach Ben Jacobson embraced the moment - and the excitement of the school's fourth NCAA Tournament victory since 2010.

It was in 2010 that Northern Iowa shared a similar national spotlight as Friday night, defeating top-seeded Kansas to reach the Sweet 16 for the first time in school history. And it was during that run that Jacobson learned to fully trust his players, as well as preach enjoyment over stress come tournament time.

'I keep wanting to turn the page and get on to the next thing,' Jacobson said. 'But Jesperson keeps reminding me that I told them we're going to enjoy the stuff that's worth enjoying.'

Friday's dramatic victory was nothing new for the Panthers, who used a similar buzzer-beating approach two weeks ago to win the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament and earn their second straight NCAA Tournament appearance.

They have won 13 of their last 14 games after standing at 10-11 at one point in January, and they've done so thanks to multiple last-second shots - all of which have led them back to the second round for a second straight year.

And it's a position they plan on enjoying for as long as they can, all at the advice of their coach.

'(Jacobson) said, `You guys can enjoy it for 10 minutes, you can enjoy it tomorrow morning, however you want to handle it, handle it,'' Jesperson said.

'We did that same thing after the conference tournament, and it worked out perfect for us there.'

Some things to watch as Northern Iowa tries to regroup from Friday's buzzer beater:

INEXPERIENCED AGGIES: Texas A&M is in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2011. Its win against Green Bay in the first round was its first tournament victory since 2010 - the same year coach Billy Kennedy won his only tournament game while the coach at Murray State.

RIGHT AT HOME: Northern Iowa has reached the NCAA Tournament four times in Jacobson's 10 seasons as coach, including last season when it lost in the second round as a No. 5 seed to fourth-seeded Louisville. The school's lone Sweet 16 appearance came during the 2010 run that included the win over Kansas.

POSTED DAVIS: One of the areas the Aggies figure to have the biggest advantage on Sunday night is inside, where 6-foot-10 center Tyler Davis dominated at times with 12 points in the opening-round win over Green Bay. The freshman also tied for the team high with seven rebounds, leading Texas A&M to a 45-25 rebounding edge. 'He's bigger and stronger than most people he plays against,' Kennedy said.

SIXTEEN HOPES: The last time Texas A&M reached the Sweet 16 was in 2007, when it was also a No. 3 seed.

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Preview: Badgers (21-12) at Musketeers (28-5)
Date: March 20, 2016 8:40 PM EDT

ST. LOUIS (AP) Wisconsin and Xavier might as well be playing their NCAA Tournament game in a boxing ring.

Or maybe call UFC boss Dana White and rent a cage.

Under newly minted coach Greg Gard, the seventh-seeded Badgers pounded their way past Pittsburgh in a 47-43 first-round game that lacked any pretense of prettiness, and second-seeded Xavier relied on bruising big men James Farr and Jalen Reynolds while stomping on Weber State on Friday night.

So break out the bandages. Pack the ice packs.

Things could get rough on Sunday.

'They're big, they're physical, they're deep and they can roll a lot of bodies in there,' Gard mused with a wry smile. 'I think it's very similar to what we've seen in our league in terms of Michigan State or Purdue or Maryland, teams that are big, physical and talented.'

Or the Badgers (21-12), who became the poster boys for a gritty, defense-first style under Dick Bennett and Bo Ryan. That hasn't changed since Ryan's abrupt retirement in December, or in the nearly two weeks since Gard was given the job on a permanent basis.

In their game against the Panthers, they struggled to reach double-digit scoring by halftime. They barely broke 30 percent shooting. Star forward Nigel Hayes was 3 for 17 from the field, and top sharpshooter Bronson Koenig failed to hit a 3-pointer for the first time in 44 games.

But thanks to their defense, they managed to overcome the Panthers down the stretch.

'Early in the season, I don't know if we'd have been able to pull out a win when we shot it that poorly,' the Badgers' Zak Showalter said. 'I think that says a lot about our progress this season.'

Style isn't the only similarity between the schools. Success is another. They represent two of the nine schools that have reached the Sweet 16 in five of the past eight seasons.

'Greg earning the job before the season was over says a lot about the job he's done,' Xavier coach Chris Mack said. 'I'm really happy for him. A big-time job. But he's proven so far he's more than able.'

Much like they have in years past, the Musketeers (28-5) are using the same script that Mack put in place when he took over for current Arizona coach Sean Miller: Pound away in the paint, get loose on the perimeter, and mix man-to-man defense with a 1-3-1 zone that can cause all kinds of confusion.

Just ask their first-round opponent, the No. 15 seed Wildcats.

Farr had 18 points and 15 rebounds. Reynolds added 12 more points. And the pair of 6-foot-10, 240ish-pound forwards probably could have had more with the ease they were able to get to the rim.

But that's what makes Xavier so difficult to guard. Not only do the Big East standard-bearers have a physical presence inside, they have one of the best perimeter players in Trevon Bluiett, and athletes who are capable of turning up the tempo.

'I think pace does pay a role,' said the Musketeers' Myles Davis. 'Wisconsin likes to slow the ball down. We have a certain pace we go with. But honestly, it doesn't matter. It's about getting stops.'

SPEAKING OF PACE: As rugged as the Musketeers may be, they still average more than 80 points. 'It's not like we're trying to walk the ball up the court,' the Badgers' Ethan Happ countered. 'If we have something available in transition, we're definitely going to take that.'

GETTING DIRTY: Farr wasn't always a bruising post player for the Musketeers. 'When he first came to Xavier, he fancied himself a pick-and-pop 3-point shooter,' Mack said. 'I've just seen his confidence grow and grow. He's taken that jump shot and put it deep in his back pocket.'

REVENGE FACTOR: Xavier has won the last two meetings, including one against the Badgers in the second round of the 2009 tournament. That was the year before Mack took over the Musketeers.

HOME COOKING: Showalter's father is an assistant coach at nearby Lindenwood University, where his brother Jake Showalter also plays. 'It was good to see them,' Zak Showalter said. 'I call (my dad) pretty much after all our games. He calls me after his games to check in, critique me.'

STEERING CLEAR: Gard said that Ryan sent him a congratulatory text after the Badgers advanced, but that was it. 'He said back in December, `You know what you're doing. Go coach,'' Gard said. 'He sent a text message, `Keep it going. Good luck.' All the same things 300 other people sent me.'

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Preview: Hawks (28-7) at Ducks (29-6)
Date: March 20, 2016 9:40 PM EDT

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) For most anyone outside of Philadelphia, Saint Joseph's DeAndre' Bembry is an unknown star even though he was the Atlantic 10 player of the year.

For anyone not situated on the West Coast, how Oregon landed a No. 1 seed is a mystery even with the Ducks winning the Pac-12 regular season and tournament titles.

It seemed only appropriate these unknowns would find each other in the NCAA Tournament.

The top-seeded Ducks face No. 8 seed Saint Joseph's on Sunday night in a West Regional second-round game. It's a matchup of mirrored teams: Versatile players throughout their lineups, a couple of stars on both sides and a desire to play at a fast pace and score a lot of points.

The similarities are striking. Both rely heavily on players defined as 'wings' but can play any position on both ends of the court. Oregon's 6-foot-10 Chris Boucher is really the only outlier, but as Bembry pointed out, 'Even their center dribbles the ball and shoots 3s.'

That makes the matchup fascinating for fans, and troubling for the players and coaches. Whose versatility can stand out? What individual attribute is going to make the difference when the teams are mirrored?

'Versatility is a big thing that we talk about in recruiting. And we take players from where they feel most comfortable, and we always talk about playing to their strengths and working on their weaknesses,' Oregon coach Dana Altman said. 'Fortunately, we have had a group that's really bought into that.'

Bembry was described on the telecast of Friday's thrilling win over Cincinnati as the best player the country has never heard of, with the unique hairstyle that stands out as much as his game. That's a misnomer because inside the Atlantic 10, there arguably hasn't been a better player over the past three seasons. The junior averaged 17.5 points and 7.6 rebounds and fills whatever role is asked. In the win over Cincinnati, it was the job of facilitator, making the pass that led to Isaiah Miles' game-winning 3-pointer in the closing seconds.

'One word I would use to describe him as a player is selfless. Because he shares the ball,' SJU teammate Aaron Brown said. 'Usually you see a superstar and it's like, OK, they're going out to get theirs. It's like he really goes out of his way to get us going before he gets himself going sometimes. Those kinds of players are special.'

While Bembry got little fanfare outside of the A-10, the same could be said of the season Oregon put together even with being a No. 1 seed. Martelli acknowledged Saturday that he was unaware the Ducks finished No. 5 in the final Associated Press Top 25 poll. That wasn't meant to be a slight of the Ducks, but a reality of the difficulty following what's happening on the other side of the country.

'They're fabulous. They're as good; up close and personal, I know what Villanova looks like and I know Villanova could end up in Houston and I know Oregon could end up in Houston,' Martelli said. 'So to the fan in Philadelphia, or the East Coast, they have no idea.'

Here's what else to watch as the Hawks and Ducks meet for the second time ever the last coming in 1938:

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MILES AND MILES: For as good as Bembry has played this season, Miles might be the biggest reason the Hawks are in the second-round of the NCAAs. Miles has scored in double figures in every game this season including 19 points and the winning 3 against Cincinnati, the first game-winning shot he could remember hitting.

'Just a bunch of mixed reactions, but all positive and all motivational,' Miles said.

TEXT ALERTS: Saint Joseph's thrilling win over Cincinnati resonated around college basketball. Martelli, who doesn't sleep after games, said he got text messages in the early hours of Saturday morning from Kentucky coach John Calipari and Connecticut coach Geno Auriemma.

'They were both looking for suggestions for their games today, to see if I could give them some ideas on a last-second play,' Martelli joked.

FEWER NERVES: Oregon acknowledged being a little nervous coming into its NCAA opener against No. 16 seed Holy Cross in part because a top-seed had never lost to a No. 16. While those nerves never materialized, the Ducks expect to be more at ease with one game out of the way.

'We just got a better feel for the court,' Oregon's Dwayne Benjamin said. 'That's maybe one of the reasons why. A better feel for the court, different atmosphere, more people. Every game means more.'