- Cole Reif joins the show live from Lubbock after the Barton Lady Cougars opening game Wednesday morning in the NJCAA National Tournament.

- Barton Baseball assistant coach Brett McBride joins the show to talk about the Cougars double header sweep of the Southwestern College J.V. Tuesday and about the team's 23-2 start.

- Mike Courson vists with Ottawa University Arizona and Great Bend native Matt Keeley about his teams deep run in the NAIA National Tournament in Kansas City.

<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XxS3lZJZA-g" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>- Cole Reif joins the show live from Lubbock after the Barton Lady Cougars opening game Wednesday morning in the NJCAA National Tournament.- Barton Baseball assistant coach Brett McBride joins the show to talk about the Cougars double header sweep of the Southwestern College J.V. Tuesday and about the team's 23-2 start.- Mike Courson vists with Ottawa University Arizona and Great Bend native Matt Keeley about his teams deep run in the NAIA National Tournament in Kansas City.- Wednesday Sports Headlines- Sounds of the past 24-hours

LISTEN: Sports Day (3/22)

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan State coach Tom Izzo is not a big fan of the transfer portal, lamenting that it gives young athletes an easy out instead of an opportunity to overcome challenges.

“I’ll say until the day I die, I do not see anything good for the players in it,” Izzo said Tuesday.

The seventh-seeded Spartans, however, would not be in the Sweet 16 for the 15th time under their Hall of Fame coach without former Northeastern guard Tyson Walker and ex-Marquette forward Joey Hauser.

The Spartans, of course, are not alone in relying on transfers. Not anymore. They are all over March Madness.

Third-seeded Kansas State, which will face the Spartans on Thursday night in New York, has relied heavily on transfers with 12 on its roster under first-year coach Jerome Tang. Former Florida forward Keyontae Johnson and ex-Arkansas-Little Rock guard Markquis Nowell, both of whom earned third-team All-America recognition, are starring for the Wildcats.

UCLA and Princeton are bucking the trend because they’re still in the Tournament without a transfer player.

Izzo could have dipped back into the portal to bolster this season's team after losing his top three scorers and a solid post player from last year's team. Instead, he chose to stick with the players he had after they chose to stay.

“There’s something they believed in here,” Izzo said. “That’s the beauty of sticking together. And if it carries us through the weekend, it’ll be one of the great life lessons learned."

No. 4 seed Tennessee vs. No. 9 seed Florida Atlantic

Like many transfers, Tyreke Key left a smaller program (Indiana State) for a bigger one and the Volunteers are glad he did. After sophomore point guard Zakai Zeigler tore a knee ligament in the final week of the regular season, Key became even more valuable for the postseason.

Vladislav Goldin, meanwhile, went against the grain by leaving a larger school for a mid-major program. The 7-foot-1, shot-blocking Russian bolted from Texas A&amp;M to play for the Owls in search of more playing time. He found what he was looking at FAU, starting in 33 games.

No. 1 seed Alabama vs. No. 5 seed San Diego State

All-America freshman forward Brandon Miller leads the Crimson Tide on the court, but key roles have been filled by a few transfers, including Mark Sears. The former Ohio University guard trails only Miller in scoring and has provided much-needed, 3-point shooting.

Four of San Diego State's top five scorers are transfers, including former California standout Matt Bradley, who is averaging a team-high 13 points per game.

No. 6 seed Creighton vs. No. 15 seed Princeton

The Bluejays have two transfers, two more than the Tigers. Baylor Scheierman starts and Francisco Farabello comes off the bench for Creighton. Scheierman was the Summit League player of the year last year at South Dakota State and Farabello played at TCU for three seasons.

No. 1 seed Houston vs. No. 5 seed Miami

The Courgars have recruited and developed most of their best players, but former Arkansas forward Reggie Chaney is in the rotation. The Hurricanes second-, third- and fourth-leading scorers are transfers: Jordan Miller (George Mason), Norchad Omier (Arkansas State) and Nijel Pack (Kansas State).

No. 2 seed Texas vs. No. 3 seed Xavier

The Longhorns often have four transfers in their starting lineup and leading scorer, Marcus Carr, has left two schools. The former Pittsburgh and Minnesota guard along with ex-New Mexico State guard Sir’Jabari Rice, the team's second-leading scorer, are in their sixth season of college. Carr and Rice took advantage of an extra year of eligibility that the NCAA gave athletes if they were in school when the pandemic started.

Souley Boum, who started his career at San Francisco and went on to become a star at New Mexico State, leads the Musketeers with 16.5 points a game and is also in his sixth year of college. Former Iowa forward Jack Nunge, ex-Belmont guard Adam Kunkel and former Indiana forward Adam Kunkel are also among Xavier's top players.

No. 2 seed UCLA vs. No. 3 seed Gonzaga

While the Bruins have no transfers, the Zags have Rasir Bolton, who ranks fourth on the team in scoring, played at Penn State and for Iowa State before landing at Gonzaga. Malachi Smith went from Wright State to Chattanooga before choosing a lesser role at Gonzaga.

No. 4 seed UConn vs. No. 8 seed Arkansas

The Huskies' backcourt is full of transfers. Former East Carolina star Tristen Newton runs the point, averaging 10-plus points and nearly five assists per game. Grad student Joey Calcaterra spent four years at San Diego and Nahiem Alleyne was a three-year starter at Virginia Tech.

The Razorbacks are in the Sweet 16 for a third straight year in part because coach Eric Musselman has made good use of the portal. Former Wichita State guard Ricky Council leads Arkansas in scoring and Makhi Mitchell, who played at Maryland and Rhode Island, is one of team's top rebounders and scores seven points a game. 

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan State coach Tom Izzo is not a big fan of the transfer portal, lamenting that it gives young athletes an easy out instead of an opportunity to overcome challenges.“I’ll say until the day I die, I do not see anything good for the players in it,” Izzo said Tuesday.The seventh-seeded Spartans, however, would not be in the Sweet 16 for the 15th time under their Hall of Fame coach without former Northeastern guard Tyson Walker and ex-Marquette forward Joey Hauser.The Spartans, of course, are not alone in relying on transfers. Not anymore. They are all over March Madness.Third-seeded Kansas State, which will face the Spartans on Thursday night in New York, has relied heavily on transfers with 12 on its roster under first-year coach Jerome Tang. Former Florida forward Keyontae Johnson and ex-Arkansas-Little Rock guard Markquis Nowell, both of whom earned third-team All-America recognition, are starring for the Wildcats.UCLA and Princeton are bucking the trend because they’re still in the Tournament without a transfer player.Izzo could have dipped back into the portal to bolster this season's team after losing his top three scorers and a solid post player from last year's team. Instead, he chose to stick with the players he had after they chose to stay.“There’s something they believed in here,” Izzo said. “That’s the beauty of sticking together. And if it carries us through the weekend, it’ll be one of the great life lessons learned."EAST REGIONNo. 4 seed Tennessee vs. No. 9 seed Florida AtlanticLike many transfers, Tyreke Key left a smaller program (Indiana State) for a bigger one and the Volunteers are glad he did. After sophomore point guard Zakai Zeigler tore a knee ligament in the final week of the regular season, Key became even more valuable for the postseason.Vladislav Goldin, meanwhile, went against the grain by leaving a larger school for a mid-major program. The 7-foot-1, shot-blocking Russian bolted from Texas A&amp;M to play for the Owls in search of more playing time. He found what he was looking at FAU, starting in 33 games.SOUTH REGIONNo. 1 seed Alabama vs. No. 5 seed San Diego StateAll-America freshman forward Brandon Miller leads the Crimson Tide on the court, but key roles have been filled by a few transfers, including Mark Sears. The former Ohio University guard trails only Miller in scoring and has provided much-needed, 3-point shooting.Four of San Diego State's top five scorers are transfers, including former California standout Matt Bradley, who is averaging a team-high 13 points per game.No. 6 seed Creighton vs. No. 15 seed PrincetonThe Bluejays have two transfers, two more than the Tigers. Baylor Scheierman starts and Francisco Farabello comes off the bench for Creighton. Scheierman was the Summit League player of the year last year at South Dakota State and Farabello played at TCU for three seasons.MIDWEST REGIONNo. 1 seed Houston vs. No. 5 seed MiamiThe Courgars have recruited and developed most of their best players, but former Arkansas forward Reggie Chaney is in the rotation. The Hurricanes second-, third- and fourth-leading scorers are transfers: Jordan Miller (George Mason), Norchad Omier (Arkansas State) and Nijel Pack (Kansas State).No. 2 seed Texas vs. No. 3 seed XavierThe Longhorns often have four transfers in their starting lineup and leading scorer, Marcus Carr, has left two schools. The former Pittsburgh and Minnesota guard along with ex-New Mexico State guard Sir’Jabari Rice, the team's second-leading scorer, are in their sixth season of college. Carr and Rice took advantage of an extra year of eligibility that the NCAA gave athletes if they were in school when the pandemic started.Souley Boum, who started his career at San Francisco and went on to become a star at New Mexico State, leads the Musketeers with 16.5 points a game and is also in his sixth year of college. Former Iowa forward Jack Nunge, ex-Belmont guard Adam Kunkel and former Indiana forward Adam Kunkel are also among Xavier's top players.WEST REGIONNo. 2 seed UCLA vs. No. 3 seed GonzagaWhile the Bruins have no transfers, the Zags have Rasir Bolton, who ranks fourth on the team in scoring, played at Penn State and for Iowa State before landing at Gonzaga. Malachi Smith went from Wright State to Chattanooga before choosing a lesser role at Gonzaga.No. 4 seed UConn vs. No. 8 seed ArkansasThe Huskies' backcourt is full of transfers. Former East Carolina star Tristen Newton runs the point, averaging 10-plus points and nearly five assists per game. Grad student Joey Calcaterra spent four years at San Diego and Nahiem Alleyne was a three-year starter at Virginia Tech.The Razorbacks are in the Sweet 16 for a third straight year in part because coach Eric Musselman has made good use of the portal. Former Wichita State guard Ricky Council leads Arkansas in scoring and Makhi Mitchell, who played at Maryland and Rhode Island, is one of team's top rebounders and scores seven points a game.

Transfer portal provided boost for most March Madness teams

Wichita State will introduce Paul Mills as its 27th head men's basketball coach at 3:30 p.m. Thursday inside Charles Koch Arena. This event is free and open to the public with streaming available live and on-demand via ESPN+.

"My family and I are extremely excited about being a part of Wichita State University," Mills said. "The rich history, winning tradition and unbelievable community support will keep us working on behalf of the GREATEST fans in all of college basketball.  We can't wait!"

Mills has spent the past six years rebuilding the program at Oral Roberts (2017-23), earning bids to two of the last three NCAA tournaments.

In 2021 Mills became just the second coach in history to guide a No. 15 seed to the Sweet 16, upsetting Ohio State and Florida in the first two rounds.

This past season he coached ORU to a 30-5 record, an undefeated run through the Summit League (18-0) and a No. 12 seed in the Big Dance.

Mills is currently a finalist for the Jim Phelan National Coach of the Year award as well as the NABC's Skip Prosser Man of the Year honor, presented annually to a coach who achieves success on the basketball court and displays moral integrity off of it.

"Paul Mills' heart for people, passion for life and approach to the development of young people and programs is energizing," WSU Director of Athletics Kevin Saal said. "He aligns with Shocker Athletics' core values, facilitates a first-class student-athlete experience and fuels broad-based competitive excellence. We are thrilled to welcome the Mills family – Paul, Wendy, Audrey and Abbey – to Wichita, Wichita State University and Shocker Nation!"

"We are looking forward to the next chapter of WSU basketball under Paul Mills' leadership," WSU President Dr. Richard Muma said. "He's fully aligned with our priorities, which includes creating success for our student athletes and a winning culture for all of Shocker Nation."

Mills' teams play an exciting brand of basketball, annually ranking among the NCAA leaders in scoring and three-point field goals while playing tough, gritty defense.

Over the years Mills has also demonstrated a knack for finding and developing talent. His greatest success story is 6-foot guard Max Abmas, an overlooked recruit, turned NBA prospect who scored more than 2,500 career points in Mills' system and was twice named Summit League Player of the Year.

Prior to ORU, Mills spent 14 seasons on staff at Baylor under head coach Scott Drew, the last eight as assistant coach during which he helped the Bears to six NCAA tournaments, tallying four Sweet 16 and two Elite Eight appearances, as well as the 2013 NIT title.

Mills, age 50, graduated from Texas A&amp;M in 1996 with a degree in finance and completed a Master of Biblical and Theological Studies from Dallas Theological Seminary in the summer of 2020.

Wichita State AthleticsWichita State will introduce Paul Mills as its 27th head men's basketball coach at 3:30 p.m. Thursday inside Charles Koch Arena. This event is free and open to the public with streaming available live and on-demand via ESPN+."My family and I are extremely excited about being a part of Wichita State University," Mills said. "The rich history, winning tradition and unbelievable community support will keep us working on behalf of the GREATEST fans in all of college basketball. We can't wait!"Mills has spent the past six years rebuilding the program at Oral Roberts (2017-23), earning bids to two of the last three NCAA tournaments.In 2021 Mills became just the second coach in history to guide a No. 15 seed to the Sweet 16, upsetting Ohio State and Florida in the first two rounds.This past season he coached ORU to a 30-5 record, an undefeated run through the Summit League (18-0) and a No. 12 seed in the Big Dance.Mills is currently a finalist for the Jim Phelan National Coach of the Year award as well as the NABC's Skip Prosser Man of the Year honor, presented annually to a coach who achieves success on the basketball court and displays moral integrity off of it."Paul Mills' heart for people, passion for life and approach to the development of young people and programs is energizing," WSU Director of Athletics Kevin Saal said. "He aligns with Shocker Athletics' core values, facilitates a first-class student-athlete experience and fuels broad-based competitive excellence. We are thrilled to welcome the Mills family – Paul, Wendy, Audrey and Abbey – to Wichita, Wichita State University and Shocker Nation!""We are looking forward to the next chapter of WSU basketball under Paul Mills' leadership," WSU President Dr. Richard Muma said. "He's fully aligned with our priorities, which includes creating success for our student athletes and a winning culture for all of Shocker Nation."Mills' teams play an exciting brand of basketball, annually ranking among the NCAA leaders in scoring and three-point field goals while playing tough, gritty defense.Over the years Mills has also demonstrated a knack for finding and developing talent. His greatest success story is 6-foot guard Max Abmas, an overlooked recruit, turned NBA prospect who scored more than 2,500 career points in Mills' system and was twice named Summit League Player of the Year.Prior to ORU, Mills spent 14 seasons on staff at Baylor under head coach Scott Drew, the last eight as assistant coach during which he helped the Bears to six NCAA tournaments, tallying four Sweet 16 and two Elite Eight appearances, as well as the 2013 NIT title.Mills, age 50, graduated from Texas A&amp;M in 1996 with a degree in finance and completed a Master of Biblical and Theological Studies from Dallas Theological Seminary in the summer of 2020.

Mills Selected to Lead Shocker Hoops Program

By BRANDON SMITH Barton Sports Info

David Stuart of the 18th ranked Barton Community College baseball team has been named the Week 7 KJCCC Pitcher of the Week.

Stuart posted his best performances of the season this past Wednesday at Colby Community College in pitching his first collegiate complete game shutout. The Lawrence, Kansas, native held the Trojans' bats nearly silent in scattering just three hits over the seven innings including only allowing just four base runners in striking out seven. Earning the victory improving to 3-0 on the season, Stuart currently holds an impressive 1.91 ERA over his 33-innings of work thus far in the season.

Most recently, Stuart and the Cougars posted a pair of 12-1 and 16-0 five-inning run rule victories over the junior varsity squad of Southwestern College.

Extending the winning streak to nine-straight games, the Cougars are off to their best start of a season in recent memory improving to 23-2 on the year.

Barton returns to conference play Thursday hosting the first leg of a four-game set with Dodge City Community College in a scheduled 1:00 p.m. first pitch from Lawson-Biggs Field before heading to Dodge City on Saturday for a 1:00 p.m. twinbill.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1679493145709.jpeg" alt="Barton Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Barton Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRANDON SMITH Barton Sports InfoDavid Stuart of the 18th ranked Barton Community College baseball team has been named the Week 7 KJCCC Pitcher of the Week.Stuart posted his best performances of the season this past Wednesday at Colby Community College in pitching his first collegiate complete game shutout. The Lawrence, Kansas, native held the Trojans' bats nearly silent in scattering just three hits over the seven innings including only allowing just four base runners in striking out seven. Earning the victory improving to 3-0 on the season, Stuart currently holds an impressive 1.91 ERA over his 33-innings of work thus far in the season.Most recently, Stuart and the Cougars posted a pair of 12-1 and 16-0 five-inning run rule victories over the junior varsity squad of Southwestern College.Extending the winning streak to nine-straight games, the Cougars are off to their best start of a season in recent memory improving to 23-2 on the year.Barton returns to conference play Thursday hosting the first leg of a four-game set with Dodge City Community College in a scheduled 1:00 p.m. first pitch from Lawson-Biggs Field before heading to Dodge City on Saturday for a 1:00 p.m. twinbill.

Barton Baseball's Stuart earns KJCCC Pitcher of the Week


- Cole Reif joins the show
live from Lubbock after the Barton Lady Cougars opening game
Wednesday morning in the NJCAA National Tournament.


- Barton Baseball assistant
coach Brett McBride joins the show to talk about the Cougars double
header sweep of the Southwestern College J.V. Tuesday and about the
team's 23-2 start.


- Mike Courson vists with
Ottawa University Arizona and Great Bend native Matt Keeley about his
teams deep run in the NAIA National Tournament in Kansas City.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1660823675526.jpeg" alt="Wednesday show lineup with hosts Steve Webster, Mike Courson and Aaron Clark" />
 <figcaption>Wednesday show lineup with hosts Steve Webster, Mike Courson and Aaron Clark</figcaption>
 </figure>
- Cole Reif joins the show
live from Lubbock after the Barton Lady Cougars opening game
Wednesday morning in the NJCAA National Tournament.
- Barton Baseball assistant
coach Brett McBride joins the show to talk about the Cougars double
header sweep of the Southwestern College J.V. Tuesday and about the
team's 23-2 start.
- Mike Courson vists with
Ottawa University Arizona and Great Bend native Matt Keeley about his
teams deep run in the NAIA National Tournament in Kansas City.
- Wednesday Sports Headlines
- Sounds of the past 24-hours

Wednesday on Sports Day

By BRANDON SMITH Barton Sports Info

The 18th ranked Barton Community College baseball team barely skipped a beat Tuesday afternoon earning a pair of run rule victories 12-1 and 16-0 over the junior varsity squad of Southwestern College.

Extending the winning streak to nine-straight games, the Cougars improve their best start in recent memory to 23-2 on the season while the Moundbuilders junior varsity team drops to 2-6 on the campaign. 

Barton returns to conference play Thursday hosting the first leg of a four-game set with Dodge City Community College for a scheduled 1:00 p.m. first pitch from Lawson-Biggs Field before heading to Dodge City on Saturday for a 1:00 p.m. twinbill.

Ayden Blachowicz and Riley Silva extended their pair of hit streaks to seven straight games going 3-of-5 and 2-of-4 over the afternoon.

The Cougars accumulated a total of 22 hits in the doubleheader sweep led by Henry Hayman and Blachowicz trio of hits.

Owen Bailey highlighted the runs driven in production in the opener fabricating his second fence clearer of the season with a three-run blast to left.

Collecting 14 hits in game two, the Cougars legged out seven extra-base hits highlighted by six triples fashioned by Silva, Jaden Wiley, Chandler Miller, Grant Nottlemann, Blachowicz, and Cole Schieffer.

Making his second start of the season, Aidan Sowers improved to 2-0 on the season working four scoreless innings in the opener, striking out a trio, walking a pair and surrendering three hits before giving way to Colton Wahlstrom for the final inning.

Pitching by committee in the nightcap, Nathan Bowman made it a pair of collegiate firsts making his first start while notching his first victory tossing two innings allowing one hit and striking out three. Bryan Bartels, Jordan Bedell and Brett Allen each tossed an inning of no-hit ball to secure the run rule victory.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1679479906105.jpeg" alt="Robby Bolin and Ayden Blachowicz celebrating Barton's victory - Barton Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Robby Bolin and Ayden Blachowicz celebrating Barton's victory - Barton Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRANDON SMITH Barton Sports InfoThe 18th ranked Barton Community College baseball team barely skipped a beat Tuesday afternoon earning a pair of run rule victories 12-1 and 16-0 over the junior varsity squad of Southwestern College.Extending the winning streak to nine-straight games, the Cougars improve their best start in recent memory to 23-2 on the season while the Moundbuilders junior varsity team drops to 2-6 on the campaign. Barton returns to conference play Thursday hosting the first leg of a four-game set with Dodge City Community College for a scheduled 1:00 p.m. first pitch from Lawson-Biggs Field before heading to Dodge City on Saturday for a 1:00 p.m. twinbill.Ayden Blachowicz and Riley Silva extended their pair of hit streaks to seven straight games going 3-of-5 and 2-of-4 over the afternoon.The Cougars accumulated a total of 22 hits in the doubleheader sweep led by Henry Hayman and Blachowicz trio of hits.Owen Bailey highlighted the runs driven in production in the opener fabricating his second fence clearer of the season with a three-run blast to left.Collecting 14 hits in game two, the Cougars legged out seven extra-base hits highlighted by six triples fashioned by Silva, Jaden Wiley, Chandler Miller, Grant Nottlemann, Blachowicz, and Cole Schieffer.Making his second start of the season, Aidan Sowers improved to 2-0 on the season working four scoreless innings in the opener, striking out a trio, walking a pair and surrendering three hits before giving way to Colton Wahlstrom for the final inning.Pitching by committee in the nightcap, Nathan Bowman made it a pair of collegiate firsts making his first start while notching his first victory tossing two innings allowing one hit and striking out three. Bryan Bartels, Jordan Bedell and Brett Allen each tossed an inning of no-hit ball to secure the run rule victory.

18th ranked Barton Baseball earns run rule victories over Southwestern JV

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Jerome Tang was tearing around his property on an unseasonably warm spring day not long ago, just before Kansas State headed down Interstate 70 for the Big 12 Tournament, when he noticed his four-wheeler was running out of fuel.

So, the Wildcats' coach did what anyone would do in a small town: He steered that bad boy onto the road, conveniently forgetting that it wasn't exactly street legal, and headed off for the service station.

“So I'm zooming down and the college kids are outside. They're hollering at you, happy to see you. I mean, how great is that?" Tang recalled. “My wife was upset. She's like, 'You're going to get arrested. It's going to be on the news!'”

Tang glances around furtively, his ever-present smile growing just a bit wider.

“I can't, like, get in trouble for something that already happened, right?”

Not these days. Not in Manhattan, Kansas.

One year after taking over a downtrodden program coming off three straight losing seasons, Tang and his upstart Wildcats are preparing to play Michigan State in the Sweet 16 on Thursday night. They've already taken down mighty Kentucky and its roster of NBA prospects, and now they will face Tom Izzo and the Spartans — a program synonymous with NCAA Tournament success — under the bright lights of Madison Square Garden.

The fan apathy that reached a nadir last spring? Forgotten after eight straight sellouts to end the regular season. Chants of “Eff K-U” during home games, the epitome of a long-standing inferiority complex toward their bitter rival, replaced by pride-filled shouts of “K-S-U,” much to the relief of a coach who demands 10 pushups every time his players swear.

This is a coach who can be found posted up on a purple sofa delivered to random spots around campus, from dining halls to the engineering building, so that he can chat with students going about their everyday lives.

“I mean, I'm just happy to see Coach Tang and our team having so much success,” says Markquis Nowell, their All-American guard. “He's the reason we play with so much love and joy. And you know, we still have a lot to prove.”

Tang kept using the term “elevate” when he was hired to replace Bruce Weber a year ago. But not even the longtime Baylor assistant could imagine how quickly, and how high, he would have the Wildcats soaring.

“We surpassed the epectations I had,” Tang said in a wide-ranging interview with The Associated Press. “But like, you don't enjoy this, you shouldn't be doing it, right? Our guys, our young people, our community deserves to have someone that really appreciates them and desires to be around them. They deserve this.”

The first thing to understand about Tang's winding road to the heartland of America is fortunate to be here. Not here, as in Kansas State. Here, as in alive.

Born in San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago, Tang moved to St. Croix with his mother and three siblings while his father chased work in the oil industry. He was about 5 years old and playing marbles beneath a car in his aunt's driveway when his cousin, not knowing he was there, got behind the wheel and drove away.

“Drove right over him,” remembers Tang's older sister, Kim. “He's lucky. He was in the hospital for weeks.”

Perhaps that brush with death somehow infused in Tang his profoundly deep faith — “I believe my gift is ministry,” he explains, “and my passion just happens to be basketball." Or perhaps it somehow led to a preternaturally optimistic outlook on life, which has served him well as he tries to resurrect Kansas State's basketball program.

“He treats people the right way,” says Baylor coach Scott Drew, his longtime friend. “He just always sees the good in people.”

Tang grew up playing cricket and soccer, and when his family moved to the Houston area, it became baseball and football — this was Texas, after all. But in 1979, while watching Magic Johnson and Michigan State beat Larry Bird and Indiana State in the title game that truly gave birth to March Madness, Tang fell in love with basketball.

It was a bible scholarship that got him to North Central College. He later attended junior college before dropping out, partly because of money, partly due to immaturity. (He would earn his degree from Charter Oak State College years later.)

Tang returned to Texas, intent on becoming a youth pastor. But when the founder of Heritage Christian Academy, Dr. Jennifer Cooper, was searching for a basketball coach, she turned to Mike Allard, Tang's own youth pastor at Green’s Bayou Assembly of God. He recommended this energetic kid with a devout faith in both Jesus and basketball.

“We drove around in, like, a Cheech-and-Chong van to get places,” Tang says. “It was the best place in the world.”

Tang soon built the small school into a national power, pumping out prospects such as Von Wafer, who played at Florida State and in the NBA. And he was still there in 2002 when Drew was hired to clean up an inconceivable mess at Baylor.

Drew needed someone with an unflinchingly positive attitude who could recruit in Texas, and over dinner one night, Tang won him over, earning a job that Drew had very nearly given to someone else.

Nearly two decades later, inside a quiet football stadium at the end of an NCAA Tournament played entirely inside a COVID-19 bubble, Drew and Tang celebrated the Bears winning the 2021 national championship.

“Scott allowed us to make mistakes,” says Tang, who has Drew's book, “The Road to Joy,” prominently displayed above his otherwise haphazard desk. “I mean, we were young, so we could make mistakes. And sometimes in this business, you're not allowed to make mistakes. I'll never be able to thank him for that.”

Gene Taylor remembers a moment last year when the Wildcats still had just five players on their roster, and he was rightfully nervous. The athletic director had hired Tang after a pair of lengthy linterviews, one in Kansas City and one at Tang's home in Waco, Texas, and entrusted him with a program long on tradition but short on recent success.

“I asked, ‘Are we OK?’” Taylor recalled, "and he said, ‘Gene, we're fine. I don’t just want guys; I want the right guys.'”

The right guys turned out to be a motley crew carefully assembled during that hot summer in the Flint Hills.

Nowell is the 5-foot-8 sparkplug that Kentucky coach John Calipari couldn't get himself to call by name — “That little guy,” coach Cal said — after he'd minced up his own Wildcats in last weekend's second-round tourney game.

Keyontae Johnson, voted an All-American alongside Nowell, was playing for Florida when he collapsed on the court during a game in December 2020. Most schools were unwilling to clear Johnson to play, due to his underlying heart condition, but Tang was willing to take every step and precaution necessary to get him back on the court.

Cam Carter came from Mississippi State, David N'Guessan from Virginia Tech. Desi Sills arrived from Arkansas State, Abayomi Iyiola from Hofstra. Nae'Qwan Tomlin, who never even played basketball in high school, signed out of junior college, and a pair of freshmen were sold on Tang's unwavering vision for the future.

“Nobody," Kansas coach Bill Self said, “has done a better job of assembling talent in a short amount of time.”

Picked to finish last in the Big 12, the Wildcats finished third. The reward was a No. 3 seed in March Madness, where the Wildcats knocked off Montana State in the first round before toppling Kentucky last weekend.

Now, they're just two more wins away from their first Final Four in nearly 50 years.

“I like doing first stuff, you know?” Tang says, leaning forward in a purple wingback chair in the corner of his office, where boxes still remain unpacked a year after moving in. “Players, you ask them, do you remember your first dunk? They all remember their first dunk. Do you remember your third dunk? They don’t. Do you remember your first girlfriend? My first girlfriend was Pam Hubbard. My last was Careylyen, and I married her.

“You remember your firsts and your lasts,” Tang says, "and I like firsts.”

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Jerome Tang was tearing around his property on an unseasonably warm spring day not long ago, just before Kansas State headed down Interstate 70 for the Big 12 Tournament, when he noticed his four-wheeler was running out of fuel.So, the Wildcats' coach did what anyone would do in a small town: He steered that bad boy onto the road, conveniently forgetting that it wasn't exactly street legal, and headed off for the service station.“So I'm zooming down and the college kids are outside. They're hollering at you, happy to see you. I mean, how great is that?" Tang recalled. “My wife was upset. She's like, 'You're going to get arrested. It's going to be on the news!'”Tang glances around furtively, his ever-present smile growing just a bit wider.“I can't, like, get in trouble for something that already happened, right?”Not these days. Not in Manhattan, Kansas.One year after taking over a downtrodden program coming off three straight losing seasons, Tang and his upstart Wildcats are preparing to play Michigan State in the Sweet 16 on Thursday night. They've already taken down mighty Kentucky and its roster of NBA prospects, and now they will face Tom Izzo and the Spartans — a program synonymous with NCAA Tournament success — under the bright lights of Madison Square Garden.The fan apathy that reached a nadir last spring? Forgotten after eight straight sellouts to end the regular season. Chants of “Eff K-U” during home games, the epitome of a long-standing inferiority complex toward their bitter rival, replaced by pride-filled shouts of “K-S-U,” much to the relief of a coach who demands 10 pushups every time his players swear.This is a coach who can be found posted up on a purple sofa delivered to random spots around campus, from dining halls to the engineering building, so that he can chat with students going about their everyday lives.“I mean, I'm just happy to see Coach Tang and our team having so much success,” says Markquis Nowell, their All-American guard. “He's the reason we play with so much love and joy. And you know, we still have a lot to prove.”Tang kept using the term “elevate” when he was hired to replace Bruce Weber a year ago. But not even the longtime Baylor assistant could imagine how quickly, and how high, he would have the Wildcats soaring.“We surpassed the epectations I had,” Tang said in a wide-ranging interview with The Associated Press. “But like, you don't enjoy this, you shouldn't be doing it, right? Our guys, our young people, our community deserves to have someone that really appreciates them and desires to be around them. They deserve this.”The first thing to understand about Tang's winding road to the heartland of America is fortunate to be here. Not here, as in Kansas State. Here, as in alive.Born in San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago, Tang moved to St. Croix with his mother and three siblings while his father chased work in the oil industry. He was about 5 years old and playing marbles beneath a car in his aunt's driveway when his cousin, not knowing he was there, got behind the wheel and drove away.“Drove right over him,” remembers Tang's older sister, Kim. “He's lucky. He was in the hospital for weeks.”Perhaps that brush with death somehow infused in Tang his profoundly deep faith — “I believe my gift is ministry,” he explains, “and my passion just happens to be basketball." Or perhaps it somehow led to a preternaturally optimistic outlook on life, which has served him well as he tries to resurrect Kansas State's basketball program.“He treats people the right way,” says Baylor coach Scott Drew, his longtime friend. “He just always sees the good in people.”Tang grew up playing cricket and soccer, and when his family moved to the Houston area, it became baseball and football — this was Texas, after all. But in 1979, while watching Magic Johnson and Michigan State beat Larry Bird and Indiana State in the title game that truly gave birth to March Madness, Tang fell in love with basketball.Except, well, he wasn't very good.It was a bible scholarship that got him to North Central College. He later attended junior college before dropping out, partly because of money, partly due to immaturity. (He would earn his degree from Charter Oak State College years later.)Tang returned to Texas, intent on becoming a youth pastor. But when the founder of Heritage Christian Academy, Dr. Jennifer Cooper, was searching for a basketball coach, she turned to Mike Allard, Tang's own youth pastor at Green’s Bayou Assembly of God. He recommended this energetic kid with a devout faith in both Jesus and basketball.“We drove around in, like, a Cheech-and-Chong van to get places,” Tang says. “It was the best place in the world.”Tang soon built the small school into a national power, pumping out prospects such as Von Wafer, who played at Florida State and in the NBA. And he was still there in 2002 when Drew was hired to clean up an inconceivable mess at Baylor.Drew needed someone with an unflinchingly positive attitude who could recruit in Texas, and over dinner one night, Tang won him over, earning a job that Drew had very nearly given to someone else.Nearly two decades later, inside a quiet football stadium at the end of an NCAA Tournament played entirely inside a COVID-19 bubble, Drew and Tang celebrated the Bears winning the 2021 national championship.“Scott allowed us to make mistakes,” says Tang, who has Drew's book, “The Road to Joy,” prominently displayed above his otherwise haphazard desk. “I mean, we were young, so we could make mistakes. And sometimes in this business, you're not allowed to make mistakes. I'll never be able to thank him for that.”Gene Taylor remembers a moment last year when the Wildcats still had just five players on their roster, and he was rightfully nervous. The athletic director had hired Tang after a pair of lengthy linterviews, one in Kansas City and one at Tang's home in Waco, Texas, and entrusted him with a program long on tradition but short on recent success.“I asked, ‘Are we OK?’” Taylor recalled, "and he said, ‘Gene, we're fine. I don’t just want guys; I want the right guys.'”The right guys turned out to be a motley crew carefully assembled during that hot summer in the Flint Hills.Nowell is the 5-foot-8 sparkplug that Kentucky coach John Calipari couldn't get himself to call by name — “That little guy,” coach Cal said — after he'd minced up his own Wildcats in last weekend's second-round tourney game.Keyontae Johnson, voted an All-American alongside Nowell, was playing for Florida when he collapsed on the court during a game in December 2020. Most schools were unwilling to clear Johnson to play, due to his underlying heart condition, but Tang was willing to take every step and precaution necessary to get him back on the court.Cam Carter came from Mississippi State, David N'Guessan from Virginia Tech. Desi Sills arrived from Arkansas State, Abayomi Iyiola from Hofstra. Nae'Qwan Tomlin, who never even played basketball in high school, signed out of junior college, and a pair of freshmen were sold on Tang's unwavering vision for the future.“Nobody," Kansas coach Bill Self said, “has done a better job of assembling talent in a short amount of time.”Picked to finish last in the Big 12, the Wildcats finished third. The reward was a No. 3 seed in March Madness, where the Wildcats knocked off Montana State in the first round before toppling Kentucky last weekend.Now, they're just two more wins away from their first Final Four in nearly 50 years.“I like doing first stuff, you know?” Tang says, leaning forward in a purple wingback chair in the corner of his office, where boxes still remain unpacked a year after moving in. “Players, you ask them, do you remember your first dunk? They all remember their first dunk. Do you remember your third dunk? They don’t. Do you remember your first girlfriend? My first girlfriend was Pam Hubbard. My last was Careylyen, and I married her.“You remember your firsts and your lasts,” Tang says, "and I like firsts.”

Jerome Tang has rising Kansas State feeling sweet again

Wednesday March 22 9:45AM B104 - NCJAA National Tournament - Barton Women vs Moberly 6:00PM 1590KVGB/95.5 - NBA - Golden State @ Dallas 9:00PM&nbsp;1590KVGB/95.5 - NBA - Phoenix @ LA Lakers Thursday March 23 1:45PM B104 - NCJAA National Tournament - Barton Women vs TBA Saturday March 25 2:00PM 1590KVGB/95.5 - Royals Baseball - Kansas City vs LA Dodgers Monday March 27 7:00PM 1590KVGB/95.5 - Royals Baseball - Kansas City vs Texas Wednesday March 29 6:00PM 1590KVGB/95.5 - NBA - Dallas @ Philadelphia Thursday March 30 (Opening Day MLB) 12:30PM 1590KVGB/95.5 - Royals Baseball - Minnesota @ Kansas City 6:00PM&nbsp;&nbsp;1590KVGB/95.5 - MLB - Chicago White Sox @ Houston Saturday April 1 2:30PM 1590KVGB/95.5 - Royals Baseball - Minnesota @ Kansas City&nbsp; Sunday April 2 12:30PM 1590KVGB/95.5 - Royals Baseball - Minnesota @ Kansas City 5:00PM&nbsp;&nbsp;1590KVGB/95.5 - MLB - Chicago White Sox @ Houston&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Monday April 3 6:00PM 1590KVGB/95.5 - Royals Baseball - Toronto @ Kansas City&nbsp; Tuesday April 4 6:00PM 1590KVGB/95.5 - Royals Baseball - Toronto @ Kansas City&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Wednesday March 22 9:45AM B104 - NCJAA National Tournament - Barton Women vs Moberly 6:00PM 1590KVGB/95.5 - NBA - Golden State @ Dallas 9:00PM&nbsp;1590KVGB/95.5 - NBA - Phoenix @ LA Lakers Thursday March 23 1:45PM B104 - NCJAA National Tournament - Barton Women vs TBA Saturday March 25 2:00PM 1590KVGB/95.5 - Royals Baseball - Kansas City vs LA Dodgers Monday March 27 7:00PM 1590KVGB/95.5 - Royals Baseball - Kansas City vs Texas Wednesday March 29 6:00PM 1590KVGB/95.5 - NBA - Dallas @ Philadelphia Thursday March 30 (Opening Day MLB) 12:30PM 1590KVGB/95.5 - Royals Baseball - Minnesota @ Kansas City 6:00PM&nbsp;&nbsp;1590KVGB/95.5 - MLB - Chicago White Sox @ Houston Saturday April 1 2:30PM 1590KVGB/95.5 - Royals Baseball - Minnesota @ Kansas City&nbsp; Sunday April 2 12:30PM 1590KVGB/95.5 - Royals Baseball - Minnesota @ Kansas City 5:00PM&nbsp;&nbsp;1590KVGB/95.5 - MLB - Chicago White Sox @ Houston&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Monday April 3 6:00PM 1590KVGB/95.5 - Royals Baseball - Toronto @ Kansas City&nbsp; Tuesday April 4 6:00PM 1590KVGB/95.5 - Royals Baseball - Toronto @ Kansas City&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Eagle Radio and Hull Broadcasting PBP Schedule

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP)
— In less than a year, Jerome Tang has taken a Kansas State program
that was down to two scholarship players and built a team headed to
the Sweet 16. The longtime Baylor assistant has changed the culture
of the Wildcats' program. Tang and his team are headed to Madison
Square Garden in New York on Thursday night to play Michigan State in
the NCAA Tournament. With two more wins, Kansas State would be headed
to its first Final Four in nearly 50 years.

UNDATED (AP) —
Coaches across college basketball are looking at ways to evolve to
deal with recruiting, roster management and athletes who can earn
money. It is a chaotic landscape. The challenges include players
being able to move freely through the transfer portal and cash in on
their fame with endorsement deals. Houston coach Kelvin Sampson says
programs have to adapt and have specialized roles. Kansas State coach
Jerome Tang says the additional layers of support staff can make a
program stand out from others.

UNDATED (AP) — The
battle for the national championship in women’s basketball is on.
The top seeds are South Carolina, Indiana, Stanford and Virginia
Tech. Stanford was the first of that quartet to lose, followed by
Indiana a day later. Sweet 16 weekend brings a twist this year for
the women’s teams: There will be two regional sites instead of
four: Greenville, South Carolina, and Seattle each will host eight
teams. The Final Four is in Dallas on March 31 and the championship
game is two days later on April 2.

MIAMI (AP) —
Shohei Ohtani emerged from the bullpen and fanned Los Angeles Angels
teammate Mike Trout for the final out in a matchup the whole baseball
world wanted to see, leading Japan over the defending champion United
States 3-2 for its first World Baseball Classic title since 2009.
Ohtani, the two-way star who has captivated fans across two
continents, beat out an infield single in the seventh inning as a
designated hitter, then walked down the left-field line to Japan’s
bullpen to warm up for his third mound appearance of the tournament.
Trout, the U.S. captain and a three-time MVP, struck out on a
full-count pitch.

MIAMI (AP) — Team
USA fielded a World Baseball Classic roster brimming with All-Star
names from Trea Turner to Mookie Betts to Mike Trout. Despite its
plethora of talented hitters, Team USA didn't bring the same pitching
talent to the tournament, which culminated in the Americans being
outpitched and outmatched in a 3-2 loss to Japan in Tuesday night's
championship game.

MIAMI (AP) — The
World Baseball Classic will return for its sixth edition in March
2026, with organizers concluding spring training remains a better
time than after the World Series or in the middle of the major league
season. Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred says MLB
owners and general managers have to be pursuaded to make more star
pitchers available to national teams. Since its launch in 2006, the
WBC has been played in March, ahead of club opening day in MLB, Japan
and South Korea. Many MLB teams blocked pitchers from participating,
wanting them to concentrate on preparing for the season.

MIAMI (AP) — Major
League Baseball’s new pitch clock is going to undergo some timing
adjustments before it is turned on for games that count. Baseball
Commissioner Rob Manfred called the changes “significant” but
also described them as “clarifications” based on input from
players. The alterations are likely to be announced Wednesday, eight
days before opening day. Baseball’s 11-man competition committee,
established in the labor agreement last March, adopted the pitch
clock and shift limits last September over the opposition of the four
players on the panel. MLB set the pitch clock at 15 seconds with no
runners and 20 seconds with runners.

NEW YORK (AP) —
St. John’s introduced 70-year-old Rick Pitino as its new men's
basketball coach with a news conference at Madison Square Garden. St.
John's is hoping the Hall of Famer can turn back the clock on a
program that once stole New York City tabloid headlines away from the
Knicks in the 1980s under coach Lou Carnesecca. The 98-year-old
Carnesecca attended the news conference and called the hire a “home
run.” Pitino, whose resume includes two national championships,
including one that was vacated because of NCAA violations, was
previously coaching at Iona. He said he has earned another shot at
the big-time.

NEW YORK (AP) —
Willis Reed, who dramatically emerged from the locker room minutes
before Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals to spark the New York Knicks to
their first championship and create one of sports’ most enduring
examples of playing through pain, has died. He was 80. Reed died
Tuesday, according to the National Basketball Retired Players
Association, which confirmed it through his family. Reed had been in
poor health recently and was unable to travel to New York when the
Knicks honored the 50th anniversary of their 1973 NBA championship
team last month. Nicknamed “The Captain,” Reed was the undersized
center and emotional leader on the Knicks’ two NBA championship
teams.

Final	Oklahoma
City	101	L.A. Clippers	100	

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1678358685056.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP)
— In less than a year, Jerome Tang has taken a Kansas State program
that was down to two scholarship players and built a team headed to
the Sweet 16. The longtime Baylor assistant has changed the culture
of the Wildcats' program. Tang and his team are headed to Madison
Square Garden in New York on Thursday night to play Michigan State in
the NCAA Tournament. With two more wins, Kansas State would be headed
to its first Final Four in nearly 50 years.UNDATED (AP) —
Coaches across college basketball are looking at ways to evolve to
deal with recruiting, roster management and athletes who can earn
money. It is a chaotic landscape. The challenges include players
being able to move freely through the transfer portal and cash in on
their fame with endorsement deals. Houston coach Kelvin Sampson says
programs have to adapt and have specialized roles. Kansas State coach
Jerome Tang says the additional layers of support staff can make a
program stand out from others.UNDATED (AP) — The
battle for the national championship in women’s basketball is on.
The top seeds are South Carolina, Indiana, Stanford and Virginia
Tech. Stanford was the first of that quartet to lose, followed by
Indiana a day later. Sweet 16 weekend brings a twist this year for
the women’s teams: There will be two regional sites instead of
four: Greenville, South Carolina, and Seattle each will host eight
teams. The Final Four is in Dallas on March 31 and the championship
game is two days later on April 2.MIAMI (AP) —
Shohei Ohtani emerged from the bullpen and fanned Los Angeles Angels
teammate Mike Trout for the final out in a matchup the whole baseball
world wanted to see, leading Japan over the defending champion United
States 3-2 for its first World Baseball Classic title since 2009.
Ohtani, the two-way star who has captivated fans across two
continents, beat out an infield single in the seventh inning as a
designated hitter, then walked down the left-field line to Japan’s
bullpen to warm up for his third mound appearance of the tournament.
Trout, the U.S. captain and a three-time MVP, struck out on a
full-count pitch.MIAMI (AP) — Team
USA fielded a World Baseball Classic roster brimming with All-Star
names from Trea Turner to Mookie Betts to Mike Trout. Despite its
plethora of talented hitters, Team USA didn't bring the same pitching
talent to the tournament, which culminated in the Americans being
outpitched and outmatched in a 3-2 loss to Japan in Tuesday night's
championship game.MIAMI (AP) — The
World Baseball Classic will return for its sixth edition in March
2026, with organizers concluding spring training remains a better
time than after the World Series or in the middle of the major league
season. Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred says MLB
owners and general managers have to be pursuaded to make more star
pitchers available to national teams. Since its launch in 2006, the
WBC has been played in March, ahead of club opening day in MLB, Japan
and South Korea. Many MLB teams blocked pitchers from participating,
wanting them to concentrate on preparing for the season.MIAMI (AP) — Major
League Baseball’s new pitch clock is going to undergo some timing
adjustments before it is turned on for games that count. Baseball
Commissioner Rob Manfred called the changes “significant” but
also described them as “clarifications” based on input from
players. The alterations are likely to be announced Wednesday, eight
days before opening day. Baseball’s 11-man competition committee,
established in the labor agreement last March, adopted the pitch
clock and shift limits last September over the opposition of the four
players on the panel. MLB set the pitch clock at 15 seconds with no
runners and 20 seconds with runners.NEW YORK (AP) —
St. John’s introduced 70-year-old Rick Pitino as its new men's
basketball coach with a news conference at Madison Square Garden. St.
John's is hoping the Hall of Famer can turn back the clock on a
program that once stole New York City tabloid headlines away from the
Knicks in the 1980s under coach Lou Carnesecca. The 98-year-old
Carnesecca attended the news conference and called the hire a “home
run.” Pitino, whose resume includes two national championships,
including one that was vacated because of NCAA violations, was
previously coaching at Iona. He said he has earned another shot at
the big-time.NEW YORK (AP) —
Willis Reed, who dramatically emerged from the locker room minutes
before Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals to spark the New York Knicks to
their first championship and create one of sports’ most enduring
examples of playing through pain, has died. He was 80. Reed died
Tuesday, according to the National Basketball Retired Players
Association, which confirmed it through his family. Reed had been in
poor health recently and was unable to travel to New York when the
Knicks honored the 50th anniversary of their 1973 NBA championship
team last month. Nicknamed “The Captain,” Reed was the undersized
center and emotional leader on the Knicks’ two NBA championship
teams.TUESDAY SCORESNIT QuarterfinalsFinal	Wisconsin	61	Oregon	58	Final OT	North
Texas	65	Oklahoma St.	59	CBI SemifinalsFinal 2OT	E.
Kentucky	108	S. Utah	106	Final	Charlotte	63	Radford	56INTERLEAGUEFinal	Houston	2	Miami	1	Final	L.A.
Dodgers	4	Cleveland	2	Final	Chicago White
Sox	6	Milwaukee	5	Final	L.A.
Angels	7	Arizona	1	Final	Chicago
Cubs	6	Kansas City	2	AMERICAN LEAGUEFinal	Baltimore	6	Boston	2	Final	N.Y.
Yankees	6	Detroit	3	Final	Oakland	6	L.A.
Angels	5	Final	Minnesota	5	Tampa
Bay	2	NATIONAL LEAGUEFinal	Pittsburgh	4	Philadelphia	3	Final	San
Francisco	12	L.A. Dodgers	1	Final	San
Diego	14	Colorado	2	Final	Washington	4	St.
Louis	4	NATIONAL
BASKETBALL ASSOCIATIONFinal	Orlando	122	Washington	112	Final	Atlanta	129	Detroit	107	Final	Cleveland	115	Brooklyn	109	Final	New
Orleans	119	San Antonio	84	Final	Boston	132	Sacramento	109	Final	Oklahoma
City	101	L.A. Clippers	100	NATIONAL HOCKEY
LEAGUEFinal	Nashville	7	Buffalo	3	Final	Montreal	3	Tampa
Bay	2	Final	Philadelphia	6	Florida	3	Final	Carolina	3	N-Y
Rangers	2	Final	Boston	2	Ottawa	1	Final
OT	Minnesota	2	New Jersey	1	Final
OT	Columbus	7	Washington	6	Final	N-Y
Islanders	7	Toronto	2	Final	Winnipeg	2	Arizona	1	Final
SO	Detroit	3	St. Louis	2	Final
OT	Seattle	5	Dallas	4	Final	Vegas	4	Vancouver	3	Final	Calgary	5	Anaheim	1

Wednesday Sports Headlines and Scores presented by Barton Community College

- How many armadillo statutes are there at the Lubbock airport? A simple phone call will provide the answer.

- Voice of the Cougars Cole Reif joins the show from the road as he will be heading to Lubbock, Texas for Wednesday's first round NJCAA National Tournament game between the Barton Lady Cougars and Moberly, Missouri.

- ESPN'S Seth Greenberg breaks down the first weekend of the NCAA Men's Tournament and looks ahead to the Sweet 16.

<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wZ7RTBJIeUw" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>- How many armadillo statutes are there at the Lubbock airport? A simple phone call will provide the answer.- Voice of the Cougars Cole Reif joins the show from the road as he will be heading to Lubbock, Texas for Wednesday's first round NJCAA National Tournament game between the Barton Lady Cougars and Moberly, Missouri.- ESPN'S Seth Greenberg breaks down the first weekend of the NCAA Men's Tournament and looks ahead to the Sweet 16.- Tuesday's Sports Headlines.- Sounds of the past 24-hours.

WATCH: Sports Day (3/21)

By COLE REIF Great Bend Post

Alan Clark grew up around Barton Community College basketball, whether
it has been as a coach, player, referee or working in nearby Jayhawk Conference
towns. 
When Clark took over the Barton women’s basketball program in 2016, the team
was coming off a 14-17 season, only the seventh losing record in the program’s
46 years of competition. After spending the previous four years as the
assistant for the Cougars, Clark’s mission was to return the program back to
the top of the Jayhawk Conference and compete for Region VI titles. 
“I was excited to get the job,” said Clark. “I felt like I was ready. I had
seen what Tony Hobson did here. I saw what Lane Lord did. I was hoping to get
the program back to where they had it. It took longer than I thought, but we
finally got there.” 
Now in his seventh year as head coach, Clark, along with assistant coach Bridgette
Griffin, have guided the women’s basketball team back to the NJCAA National
Tournament for the first time since 2008. The Cougars received the #16-seed, of
the 24-team tournament, and will play Moberly Area Community College on
Wednesday, March 22 in Lubbock, Texas.

A 1978 graduate from Barton Community College, Clark played point guard for the
Cougar basketball team. He was a member of the 1976-1977 team that won the
school’s first ever Jayhawk West Conference title with a 27-3 overall record. 
“Playing at Barton was one of the best times of my life,” said Clark. “Coming
in here and playing for Lorin Miller. It was a great experience. We lost in the
Region VI Championship that year. I’m glad these girls are able to live some of
what I was able to do back in that time.” 
Following his playing career at Midland Lutheran College (now known as Midland
University) in Fremont, Nebraska, Clark became a successful businessman while
becoming a sports official. Serving as a referee, Clark officiated numerous
Jayhawk Conference and Region VI playoff games.

He spent three years coaching
Otis-Bison High School boys basketball prior to arriving to Barton in 2012. While at Otis-Bison, Clark’s teams went to the state tournament twice,
including a runner-up finish in 2011. 
“Barton Athletic Director Trevor Rolfs told me a young coach, Carter Kruger,
was going to be promoted as head coach,” said Clark. “He wanted to know if I
wanted to become an assistant to provide some experience.” 
Clark learned a lot as an assistant the next four years. The biggest change was
learning how to coach women. 
“Carter taught me some nuances that women do in basketball,” said Clark. “Mostly
about coaching in the post.”

After compiling a record of 33-30 after his first two seasons at Barton, Clark’s
team broke through with a 23-10 campaign in 2019 and made it to the Region VI
semifinals. 
“Even before that, I felt like a turning point was the 2018 season when we beat
Seward County here at home,” said Clark. “We then beat Butler on a last-second
shot a couple games later. Those were some of the schools that we were chasing.
Winning those two games at home was kind of the start of hey, we can do this.” 
In 2020, thanks to a buzzer-beating three-pointer against Hutchinson in the
semifinals, the Cougars reached their first Region VI Championship game in 12
years. 
“Vanessa Oduah’s basket to beat Hutch was another big step,” said Clark. “Breaking
that losing streak against Hutch was nice. Even though we lost badly to Butler
in the finals that year, we were able to take another step.” 
That would be the beginning of four straight appearances in the Region VI title
game for the Cougars. After suffering defeat the previous three, Barton picked
up a 60-56 win over Coffeyville on March 11 to win their first Region VI
Championship in 15 years. 
“I got text messages from former players and parents of former players,” said
Clark. “They know how hard their kids worked at it. A lot of four-year coaches
have been watching us for years, and they reached out to us and told us good
job. It’s pretty neat.” The 2021 Jayhawk Conference West Coach of the Year, Clark is 143-79 in seven years and ranks second for most wins in Barton
history. 
“Each year has just been a little bit better,” said Clark. “With the talent
coming back this year, we felt like it was finally time for us to take that
last step and win the Region.” 
The Cougars’ game against Moberly Wednesday will tipoff at 10 a.m. in Lubbock.
The broadcast will begin at 9:45 a.m. on 104.3 FM and online at
<a href="https://streamdb7web.securenetsystems.net/ce/index.cfm?stationCallSign=kvgbfm2">greatbendpost.com</a>.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1679339148591.jpeg" alt="Alan Clark, Barton Community College women's basketball coach, was able to cut down the nets this year after winning the Region VI Championship on March 11. The Cougars will play in the NJCAA National Tournament on Wednesday, March 22. (photo by Ed Bailey)" />
 <figcaption>Alan Clark, Barton Community College women's basketball coach, was able to cut down the nets this year after winning the Region VI Championship on March 11. The Cougars will play in the NJCAA National Tournament on Wednesday, March 22. (photo by Ed Bailey)</figcaption>
 </figure>By COLE REIF Great Bend PostAlan Clark grew up around Barton Community College basketball, whether
it has been as a coach, player, referee or working in nearby Jayhawk Conference
towns. 
When Clark took over the Barton women’s basketball program in 2016, the team
was coming off a 14-17 season, only the seventh losing record in the program’s
46 years of competition. After spending the previous four years as the
assistant for the Cougars, Clark’s mission was to return the program back to
the top of the Jayhawk Conference and compete for Region VI titles. 
“I was excited to get the job,” said Clark. “I felt like I was ready. I had
seen what Tony Hobson did here. I saw what Lane Lord did. I was hoping to get
the program back to where they had it. It took longer than I thought, but we
finally got there.” 
Now in his seventh year as head coach, Clark, along with assistant coach Bridgette
Griffin, have guided the women’s basketball team back to the NJCAA National
Tournament for the first time since 2008. The Cougars received the #16-seed, of
the 24-team tournament, and will play Moberly Area Community College on
Wednesday, March 22 in Lubbock, Texas.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1679339452269.jpeg" alt="photo by Ed Bailey" />
 <figcaption>photo by Ed Bailey</figcaption>
 </figure>A 1978 graduate from Barton Community College, Clark played point guard for the
Cougar basketball team. He was a member of the 1976-1977 team that won the
school’s first ever Jayhawk West Conference title with a 27-3 overall record. 
“Playing at Barton was one of the best times of my life,” said Clark. “Coming
in here and playing for Lorin Miller. It was a great experience. We lost in the
Region VI Championship that year. I’m glad these girls are able to live some of
what I was able to do back in that time.” 
Following his playing career at Midland Lutheran College (now known as Midland
University) in Fremont, Nebraska, Clark became a successful businessman while
becoming a sports official. Serving as a referee, Clark officiated numerous
Jayhawk Conference and Region VI playoff games. He spent three years coaching
Otis-Bison High School boys basketball prior to arriving to Barton in 2012. While at Otis-Bison, Clark’s teams went to the state tournament twice,
including a runner-up finish in 2011. 
“Barton Athletic Director Trevor Rolfs told me a young coach, Carter Kruger,
was going to be promoted as head coach,” said Clark. “He wanted to know if I
wanted to become an assistant to provide some experience.” 
Clark learned a lot as an assistant the next four years. The biggest change was
learning how to coach women. 
“Carter taught me some nuances that women do in basketball,” said Clark. “Mostly
about coaching in the post.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1679339546756.jpeg" alt="photo by Ed Bailey" />
 <figcaption>photo by Ed Bailey</figcaption>
 </figure>After compiling a record of 33-30 after his first two seasons at Barton, Clark’s
team broke through with a 23-10 campaign in 2019 and made it to the Region VI
semifinals. 
“Even before that, I felt like a turning point was the 2018 season when we beat
Seward County here at home,” said Clark. “We then beat Butler on a last-second
shot a couple games later. Those were some of the schools that we were chasing.
Winning those two games at home was kind of the start of hey, we can do this.” 
In 2020, thanks to a buzzer-beating three-pointer against Hutchinson in the
semifinals, the Cougars reached their first Region VI Championship game in 12
years. 
“Vanessa Oduah’s basket to beat Hutch was another big step,” said Clark. “Breaking
that losing streak against Hutch was nice. Even though we lost badly to Butler
in the finals that year, we were able to take another step.” 
That would be the beginning of four straight appearances in the Region VI title
game for the Cougars. After suffering defeat the previous three, Barton picked
up a 60-56 win over Coffeyville on March 11 to win their first Region VI
Championship in 15 years. 
“I got text messages from former players and parents of former players,” said
Clark. “They know how hard their kids worked at it. A lot of four-year coaches
have been watching us for years, and they reached out to us and told us good
job. It’s pretty neat.” The 2021 Jayhawk Conference West Coach of the Year, Clark is 143-79 in seven years and ranks second for most wins in Barton
history. 
“Each year has just been a little bit better,” said Clark. “With the talent
coming back this year, we felt like it was finally time for us to take that
last step and win the Region.” 
The Cougars’ game against Moberly Wednesday will tipoff at 10 a.m. in Lubbock.
The broadcast will begin at 9:45 a.m. on 104.3 FM and online at
<a href="https://streamdb7web.securenetsystems.net/ce/index.cfm?stationCallSign=kvgbfm2">greatbendpost.com</a>.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1679339638245.jpeg" alt="photo by Ed Bailey" />
 <figcaption>photo by Ed Bailey</figcaption>
 </figure>

Coach Clark: Putting Barton basketball on a 'national' level again

UNDATED (AP) —&nbsp;We know you're upset. Underdogs have blown up every bracket in the country.

An upside of the upsets: perhaps the maddest March ever.

Defending national champion Kansas and fellow No. 1 seed Purdue are gone — the Boilermakers with a slice of unwanted history. The Sweet 16 won't have blue bloods Kentucky, Duke or North Carolina for only the second time since 1979.

In are upstarts like Princeton, Florida Atlantic and a team picked to finish last in the Big 12 Conference.

And, this being March, of course there's Tom Izzo.

The bracket has been nearly devoid of the buzzer-beaters that college hoops fans have been accustomed to, but the games have been close. There have been four games decided by one point, the most since there were six in 2017 and three short of the record last matched in 1998.

Alabama has looked every bit the No. 1 overall seed, blowing out Texas A&amp;M-Corpus Christi and Maryland despite turmoil swirling around the program.

Waiting for Alabama in Louisville, Kentucky, will be San Diego State. The fifth-seeded Aztecs are old and love to knock around opponents — just ask College of Charleston and Furman.

The second game marks Princeton's first Sweet 16 in 56 years. The No. 15 seed Tigers had the first major March upset by knocking off No. 2 Arizona and proved it was no fluke by taking down Missouri.

They face Creighton, one of three Big East teams to get this far. Inconsistent early, the bombing Bluejays and big man Ryan Kalkbrenner are in the Sweet 16 for the second time in three seasons after bouncing No. 3 seed Baylor.

Florida Atlantic won the battle of bracket darlings by knocking off Fairleigh Dickinson, the second No. 16 seed ever to beat a No. 1, taking down Purdue.

The Owls better be ready for some bruises against Tennessee at Madison Square Garden in their first Sweet 16. The third-seeded Vols bullied their way through the first two rounds, pushing around Duke after grinding out a win over Louisiana.

Sharing the Garden marquee will be Michigan State and Kansas State.

The Spartans are at their best in March under coach Izzo, who won his record 16th NCAA Tournament game as a lower seed by bouncing No. 2 seed Marquette.

Jerome Tang is taking underdog Kansas State from one Manhattan to another in his first season in the Little Apple.

Picked last in the Big 12, the Wildcats and undersized but undeterred guard Markquis Nowell shoved aside Montana State and wore down Kentucky for their first Sweet 16 since 2018.

Tang said the Wildcats won because they've “got dudes.” Houston has a few of its own.

The Midwest's No. 1 seed, the Cougars have played the lockdown defense that made them a Final Four favorite at the start of the season, holding Northern Kentucky to 52 points and Auburn to 64.

The Cougars' bid to play the Final Four at home now heads to Kansas City, Missouri, where they will face Miami.

The speedy, fifth-seeded Hurricanes hit Indiana with a gale force of offensive rebounds, scoring 29 second-chance points to reach the Sweet 16 for the second straight season under Jim Larrañaga.

Another Texas team is still in the mix to reach the Final Four in its home state — the one from Austin.

No. 2 seed Texas overcame the midseason firing of coach Chris Beard to play some outstanding basketball under interim coach Rodney Terry. The Longhorns shut down sweet-shooting Colgate in the first round and earned their first Sweet 16 appearance in 15 years with a 71-66 win over Penn State.

Up next is another coach making the most of an opportunity.

Fired by Arizona two years ago, Sean Miller landed back where he started at Xavier. The Musketeers earned their first Sweet 16 appearance since 2017 with a 84-73 win over Pittsburgh.

Losing guard Jaylen Clark has done little to slow down No. 2 UCLA. Now the Bruins hope their lineup isn't depleted further after key guard David Singleton injured his ankle late in a 69-63 victory over Northwestern.

UCLA still has Jaime Jaquez and Tyger Campbell, which will give them at least a shot at beating Gonzaga in Las Vegas.

There were midseason whispers the Zags were in a down year. An eighth straight trip to the Sweet 16 under Mark Few put those to rest.

Two coaches with familiar last names face off in the other Sin City game.

Eric Musselman, son of longtime NBA and college coach Bill Musselman, has shown off his coaching chops by leading Arkansas to the Sweet 16 for the third straight season. The Razorbacks got there with a takedown of top-seeded Kansas that had Musselman taking off his shirt — again.

Danny Hurley's father is a Hall of Fame high school coach, his brother the NCAA's all-time assist leader. Bob's son and Bobby's brother has revitalized UConn, taking the Huskies to the Sweet 16 for the first time in nine years.

UNDATED (AP) —&nbsp;We know you're upset. Underdogs have blown up every bracket in the country.An upside of the upsets: perhaps the maddest March ever.Defending national champion Kansas and fellow No. 1 seed Purdue are gone — the Boilermakers with a slice of unwanted history. The Sweet 16 won't have blue bloods Kentucky, Duke or North Carolina for only the second time since 1979.In are upstarts like Princeton, Florida Atlantic and a team picked to finish last in the Big 12 Conference.And, this being March, of course there's Tom Izzo.The bracket has been nearly devoid of the buzzer-beaters that college hoops fans have been accustomed to, but the games have been close. There have been four games decided by one point, the most since there were six in 2017 and three short of the record last matched in 1998.SOUTH REGIONAlabama has looked every bit the No. 1 overall seed, blowing out Texas A&amp;M-Corpus Christi and Maryland despite turmoil swirling around the program.Waiting for Alabama in Louisville, Kentucky, will be San Diego State. The fifth-seeded Aztecs are old and love to knock around opponents — just ask College of Charleston and Furman.The second game marks Princeton's first Sweet 16 in 56 years. The No. 15 seed Tigers had the first major March upset by knocking off No. 2 Arizona and proved it was no fluke by taking down Missouri.They face Creighton, one of three Big East teams to get this far. Inconsistent early, the bombing Bluejays and big man Ryan Kalkbrenner are in the Sweet 16 for the second time in three seasons after bouncing No. 3 seed Baylor.EAST REGIONFlorida Atlantic won the battle of bracket darlings by knocking off Fairleigh Dickinson, the second No. 16 seed ever to beat a No. 1, taking down Purdue.The Owls better be ready for some bruises against Tennessee at Madison Square Garden in their first Sweet 16. The third-seeded Vols bullied their way through the first two rounds, pushing around Duke after grinding out a win over Louisiana.Sharing the Garden marquee will be Michigan State and Kansas State.The Spartans are at their best in March under coach Izzo, who won his record 16th NCAA Tournament game as a lower seed by bouncing No. 2 seed Marquette.Jerome Tang is taking underdog Kansas State from one Manhattan to another in his first season in the Little Apple.Picked last in the Big 12, the Wildcats and undersized but undeterred guard Markquis Nowell shoved aside Montana State and wore down Kentucky for their first Sweet 16 since 2018.MIDWEST REGIONTang said the Wildcats won because they've “got dudes.” Houston has a few of its own.The Midwest's No. 1 seed, the Cougars have played the lockdown defense that made them a Final Four favorite at the start of the season, holding Northern Kentucky to 52 points and Auburn to 64.The Cougars' bid to play the Final Four at home now heads to Kansas City, Missouri, where they will face Miami.The speedy, fifth-seeded Hurricanes hit Indiana with a gale force of offensive rebounds, scoring 29 second-chance points to reach the Sweet 16 for the second straight season under Jim Larrañaga.Another Texas team is still in the mix to reach the Final Four in its home state — the one from Austin.No. 2 seed Texas overcame the midseason firing of coach Chris Beard to play some outstanding basketball under interim coach Rodney Terry. The Longhorns shut down sweet-shooting Colgate in the first round and earned their first Sweet 16 appearance in 15 years with a 71-66 win over Penn State.Up next is another coach making the most of an opportunity.Fired by Arizona two years ago, Sean Miller landed back where he started at Xavier. The Musketeers earned their first Sweet 16 appearance since 2017 with a 84-73 win over Pittsburgh.WEST REGIONLosing guard Jaylen Clark has done little to slow down No. 2 UCLA. Now the Bruins hope their lineup isn't depleted further after key guard David Singleton injured his ankle late in a 69-63 victory over Northwestern.UCLA still has Jaime Jaquez and Tyger Campbell, which will give them at least a shot at beating Gonzaga in Las Vegas.There were midseason whispers the Zags were in a down year. An eighth straight trip to the Sweet 16 under Mark Few put those to rest.Two coaches with familiar last names face off in the other Sin City game.Eric Musselman, son of longtime NBA and college coach Bill Musselman, has shown off his coaching chops by leading Arkansas to the Sweet 16 for the third straight season. The Razorbacks got there with a takedown of top-seeded Kansas that had Musselman taking off his shirt — again.Danny Hurley's father is a Hall of Fame high school coach, his brother the NCAA's all-time assist leader. Bob's son and Bobby's brother has revitalized UConn, taking the Huskies to the Sweet 16 for the first time in nine years.

The maddest March ever? Underdogs head to the Sweet 16

By TODD MOORE Barton Sports Info

Knocking off the nation's 13th ranked team the last time on the field, Monday at Cougar Field the Barton Community College softball team found itself in a dogfight, coming out with a doubleheader split against Division II region foe Hesston College.

The Cougars trailed 4-0 after the Larks' first at-bat before retaking the lead in the third to go on to the 9-6 game one victory. In game two, Barton's 1-0 lead was buried as Hesston scored five in each of the second and third frames to hold on for the 13-9 doubleheader split. The day's results leaves Barton at 13-12 on the year with Hesston moving to 6-7.

Barton returns to conference play on Wednesday for a 2:00 p.m. first pitch at Dodge City Community College before returning to Cougar Field in Saturday's 1:00 p.m. doubleheader against Northwest Kansas Technical College.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1679392092062.jpeg" alt="Julia Carey launching her 1st collegiate home run-Barton Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Julia Carey launching her 1st collegiate home run-Barton Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>By TODD MOORE Barton Sports InfoKnocking off the nation's 13th ranked team the last time on the field, Monday at Cougar Field the Barton Community College softball team found itself in a dogfight, coming out with a doubleheader split against Division II region foe Hesston College.The Cougars trailed 4-0 after the Larks' first at-bat before retaking the lead in the third to go on to the 9-6 game one victory. In game two, Barton's 1-0 lead was buried as Hesston scored five in each of the second and third frames to hold on for the 13-9 doubleheader split. The day's results leaves Barton at 13-12 on the year with Hesston moving to 6-7.Barton returns to conference play on Wednesday for a 2:00 p.m. first pitch at Dodge City Community College before returning to Cougar Field in Saturday's 1:00 p.m. doubleheader against Northwest Kansas Technical College.

Barton Softball splits doubleheader with Hesston

- A surprise visit...or a bunch! Barton Women's basketball coach Alan Clark brought in the entire Lady Cougar squad on their way Lubbock where BCC will open the NJCAA National Tournament Wednesday morning against Moberly, Mo.

- Great Bend Tribune Sports Editor Jim Misuanas joins us in his regular Monday slot to talk about his K-State Wildcats trip to the Sweet 16 and maybe a sneak peek ahead to the spring sports season for the the high schools.

<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BIYBin8ynGc" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>- A surprise visit...or a bunch! Barton Women's basketball coach Alan Clark brought in the entire Lady Cougar squad on their way Lubbock where BCC will open the NJCAA National Tournament Wednesday morning against Moberly, Mo.- Great Bend Tribune Sports Editor Jim Misuanas joins us in his regular Monday slot to talk about his K-State Wildcats trip to the Sweet 16 and maybe a sneak peek ahead to the spring sports season for the the high schools.- Weekend Sports Headlines.- Sounds of the past 48-hours.

WATCH: Sports Day 3/20 (BCC Women stop on way to nationals)

The top four seeds in the tournament were given to Alabama, Houston, Kansas and Purdue. Each had its share of headaches to set up what is proving to be a chaotic tournament. The Boilermakers were the first to fall, ousted in a first-round stunner, and the Jayhawks followed the very next day.

EAST REGION: The Boilermakers got a top seed for the fourth time, but Purdue was dumped by Fairleigh Dickinson in a near-historic upset. and the 2-seed, Marquette, is also gone. Up next: No. 9 seed FAU vs. No. 4 seed Tennessee and No. 3 seed Kansas State vs. No. 7 seed Michigan State, whose coach Tom Izzo is heading to his 15th regional.

SOUTH REGION: Alabama, led by coach Nate Oats in a challenging season, got a top seed for the first time behind SEC player of the year Brandon Miller, who has armed security on hand after being the subject of threats. Up next: No. 1 seed Alabama vs. No. 5 seed San Diego State and No. 6 seed Creighton vs. No. 15 seed Princeton, which is in rare territory.

MIDWEST REGION: Houston got a top seed and won its opener before a rugged victory over Auburn even with All-American Marcus Sasser hobbled by a groin injury. Up next: No. 1 seed Houston vs. No. 5 seed Miami and No. 2 seed Texas vs. No. 3 seed Xavier.

WEST REGION: Kansas, the top-seeded defending national champion that was without coach Bill Self in the tournament following a heart procedure, blew an 8-point halftime lead and lost to Arkansas. Up next: No. 2 seed UCLA vs. No. 3 Gonzaga and No. 4 seed UConn vs. No. 8 seed Arkansas.

Princeton used a late run to earn its first NCAA Tournament win in 25 years by ousting No. 2 seed Arizona and then answered any skeptics by rolling Missouri to lock in its first Sweet 16 spot in 56 years.

Furman celebrated its first tourney appearance since 1980 with a win over No. 4 seed Virginia on a deep 3-pointer by JP Pegues with 2.4 seconds left. Then came 16-seed Fairleigh Dickinson's win over Purdue as the 22 1/2-point underdog stifled 7-4 center Zach Edey to advance and join UMBC in the record books.

All that happened before the Razorbacks and shirtless coach Eric Musselman celebrated their win over the Jayhawks.

No. 4 seed Connecticut (27-8) vs. No. 8 seed Arkansas (22-13), Thursday, 7:15 p.m. ET (CBS)

The Huskies are returning to the Sweet 16 for the first time in nine years, and hoping to avoid being the next victim of Arkansas, which ousted defending champion Kansas. UConn outclassed Saint Mary’s 70-55 behind 24 points by Adama Sanogo and timely 3-point shooting.

No. 2 Kansas State (25-9) vs. No. 7 Michigan State (21-12), Thursday, 6:30 p.m. ET (TBS)

Tom Izzo is taking Michigan State to the Sweet 16 for the 15th time and first in four years after a 69-60 victory against No. 2 seed Marquette. The victory was the 16th for Izzo in the tournament against a higher seed, breaking the record he shared with recently retired Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim. At Madison Square Garden, the Spartans will face a Kansas State team that was picked to finish last in the Big 12 with a remade roster and first-year coach in Jerome Tang. The Wildcats outlasted Kentucky 75-69 behind 27 points by Markquis Nowell.

No. 5 seed San Diego State (29-6) vs. No. 1 seed Alabama (31-5), Friday, 6:30 p.m. ET (TBS)

The Aztecs are heading to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2004 and have won 11 of their last 13. Balanced scoring carried them to a second-round victory against Furman and they’ll need more of the same against the Crimson Tide, who handily dispatched Maryland in the second round. All-America freshman Brandon Miller, who is nursing an injury, had 19 after going scoreless in the first round.

No. 3 seed Xavier (27-9) vs. No. 2 seed Texas (28-8), Friday, 9:45 p.m. ET (CBS)

The Musketeers are heading to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2017 and will face a Longhorns team that hasn’t been there in 15 years. Xavier put on a clinic on unselfishness in the first half of its 84-73 victory against Pittsburgh, totaling 17 assists on 19 made field goals. The Longhorns made just one 3-pointer in 13 tries in their 71-66 victory against Penn State, but Dylan Disu had season-high 28-point performance.

The SEC and Big Ten led the way by placing eight teams each in the 68-team field. Conference USA (Florida Atlantic) and the Ivy League (Princeton) each got one team into the tournament and both are still alive. The rest of the leagues can't say that. The records through two rounds:

ACC (5 teams made tourney): 5-4. One team left (Miami). American Athletic (2): 2-1. One team left (Houston). Big 12 (7): 7-5. Two teams left (Kansas State, Texas). Big East (5): 7-2. Three teams left (Creighton, UConn, Xavier). Big Ten (8): 6-7. One team left (Michigan State). Mountain West (4): 2-3. One team left (San Diego State). Pac-12 (4): 3-3. One team left (UCLA). SEC (8): 9-5. Three teams left (Alabama, Arkansas, Tennessee). West Coast (2): 3-1. One team left (Gonzaga).

Gun violence has cost lives and disrupted college sports all season, touching some of the top programs in college basketball, including Alabama. Coaches have been thrust into uncertain and unwelcome roles in trying to navigate the topic — as well as the fallout from the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe vs. Wade.

On a lighter note, if you feel you know March Madness pretty well, try this 25-question trivia quiz put together by AP.

The NCAA Tournament is filled with great players and the AP All-America team is a good place to get familiar with the names. It's also an event where guys you've never heard of can take a star turn. Guard play is always going to be important (see: Baylor, 2021 title winner) and there are some NBA prospects in the mix.

Bet on this, too: Some player — maybe more than one — will have a chance to join the mustachioed Doug Edert (remember Saint Peters' inspiring run last year?) and find a way to cash in on their celebrity.

TOP SEEDSThe top four seeds in the tournament were given to Alabama, Houston, Kansas and Purdue. Each had its share of headaches to set up what is proving to be a chaotic tournament. The Boilermakers were the first to fall, ousted in a first-round stunner, and the Jayhawks followed the very next day.EAST REGION: The Boilermakers got a top seed for the fourth time, but Purdue was dumped by Fairleigh Dickinson in a near-historic upset. and the 2-seed, Marquette, is also gone. Up next: No. 9 seed FAU vs. No. 4 seed Tennessee and No. 3 seed Kansas State vs. No. 7 seed Michigan State, whose coach Tom Izzo is heading to his 15th regional.SOUTH REGION: Alabama, led by coach Nate Oats in a challenging season, got a top seed for the first time behind SEC player of the year Brandon Miller, who has armed security on hand after being the subject of threats. Up next: No. 1 seed Alabama vs. No. 5 seed San Diego State and No. 6 seed Creighton vs. No. 15 seed Princeton, which is in rare territory.MIDWEST REGION: Houston got a top seed and won its opener before a rugged victory over Auburn even with All-American Marcus Sasser hobbled by a groin injury. Up next: No. 1 seed Houston vs. No. 5 seed Miami and No. 2 seed Texas vs. No. 3 seed Xavier.WEST REGION: Kansas, the top-seeded defending national champion that was without coach Bill Self in the tournament following a heart procedure, blew an 8-point halftime lead and lost to Arkansas. Up next: No. 2 seed UCLA vs. No. 3 Gonzaga and No. 4 seed UConn vs. No. 8 seed Arkansas.SHINING MOMENTSThe unforgettable plays are piling up.Princeton used a late run to earn its first NCAA Tournament win in 25 years by ousting No. 2 seed Arizona and then answered any skeptics by rolling Missouri to lock in its first Sweet 16 spot in 56 years.Furman celebrated its first tourney appearance since 1980 with a win over No. 4 seed Virginia on a deep 3-pointer by JP Pegues with 2.4 seconds left. Then came 16-seed Fairleigh Dickinson's win over Purdue as the 22 1/2-point underdog stifled 7-4 center Zach Edey to advance and join UMBC in the record books.All that happened before the Razorbacks and shirtless coach Eric Musselman celebrated their win over the Jayhawks.GAMES TO WATCHNo. 4 seed Connecticut (27-8) vs. No. 8 seed Arkansas (22-13), Thursday, 7:15 p.m. ET (CBS)The Huskies are returning to the Sweet 16 for the first time in nine years, and hoping to avoid being the next victim of Arkansas, which ousted defending champion Kansas. UConn outclassed Saint Mary’s 70-55 behind 24 points by Adama Sanogo and timely 3-point shooting.No. 2 Kansas State (25-9) vs. No. 7 Michigan State (21-12), Thursday, 6:30 p.m. ET (TBS)Tom Izzo is taking Michigan State to the Sweet 16 for the 15th time and first in four years after a 69-60 victory against No. 2 seed Marquette. The victory was the 16th for Izzo in the tournament against a higher seed, breaking the record he shared with recently retired Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim. At Madison Square Garden, the Spartans will face a Kansas State team that was picked to finish last in the Big 12 with a remade roster and first-year coach in Jerome Tang. The Wildcats outlasted Kentucky 75-69 behind 27 points by Markquis Nowell.No. 5 seed San Diego State (29-6) vs. No. 1 seed Alabama (31-5), Friday, 6:30 p.m. ET (TBS)The Aztecs are heading to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2004 and have won 11 of their last 13. Balanced scoring carried them to a second-round victory against Furman and they’ll need more of the same against the Crimson Tide, who handily dispatched Maryland in the second round. All-America freshman Brandon Miller, who is nursing an injury, had 19 after going scoreless in the first round.No. 3 seed Xavier (27-9) vs. No. 2 seed Texas (28-8), Friday, 9:45 p.m. ET (CBS)The Musketeers are heading to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2017 and will face a Longhorns team that hasn’t been there in 15 years. Xavier put on a clinic on unselfishness in the first half of its 84-73 victory against Pittsburgh, totaling 17 assists on 19 made field goals. The Longhorns made just one 3-pointer in 13 tries in their 71-66 victory against Penn State, but Dylan Disu had season-high 28-point performance.BRAGGING RIGHTSThe SEC and Big Ten led the way by placing eight teams each in the 68-team field. Conference USA (Florida Atlantic) and the Ivy League (Princeton) each got one team into the tournament and both are still alive. The rest of the leagues can't say that. The records through two rounds:ACC (5 teams made tourney): 5-4. One team left (Miami). American Athletic (2): 2-1. One team left (Houston). Big 12 (7): 7-5. Two teams left (Kansas State, Texas). Big East (5): 7-2. Three teams left (Creighton, UConn, Xavier). Big Ten (8): 6-7. One team left (Michigan State). Mountain West (4): 2-3. One team left (San Diego State). Pac-12 (4): 3-3. One team left (UCLA). SEC (8): 9-5. Three teams left (Alabama, Arkansas, Tennessee). West Coast (2): 3-1. One team left (Gonzaga).GO DEEPERGun violence has cost lives and disrupted college sports all season, touching some of the top programs in college basketball, including Alabama. Coaches have been thrust into uncertain and unwelcome roles in trying to navigate the topic — as well as the fallout from the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe vs. Wade.On a lighter note, if you feel you know March Madness pretty well, try this 25-question trivia quiz put together by AP.PLAYERS TO WATCHThe NCAA Tournament is filled with great players and the AP All-America team is a good place to get familiar with the names. It's also an event where guys you've never heard of can take a star turn. Guard play is always going to be important (see: Baylor, 2021 title winner) and there are some NBA prospects in the mix.Bet on this, too: Some player — maybe more than one — will have a chance to join the mustachioed Doug Edert (remember Saint Peters' inspiring run last year?) and find a way to cash in on their celebrity.HOW TO WATCHEvery game of the men’s tournament will be aired — here is a schedule — either on CBS, TBS, TNT or TruTV and their digital platforms. CBS, which also has a handy schedule that includes announcing teams, will handle the Final Four and national title game this year.The NCAA is streaming games via its March Madness Live option and CBS games are being streamed on Paramount+. Fans of longtime play-by-play announcer Jim Nantz should soak up every moment: It’s his final NCAA Tournament.BETTING GUIDEWho's going to win the national championship? The betting favorites to reach the Final Four are (in order, as of March 19): Alabama, Houston, UConn, UCLA, Gonzaga and Texas, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.MARCH MADNESS CALENDARSweet 16 weekend will see games in New York City (East Region), Las Vegas (West), Kansas City, Missouri (Midwest), and Louisville, Kentucky (South).Where is the Final Four? In Houston, on April 1, with the championship game on April 3. Basketball aficionados, take note: The women’s NCAA Tournament will hold its Final Four in Dallas, a four-hour drive up the road from Houston.Can't get enough March Madness? Well, there is talk about expanding the tournament despite a host of challenges. Enjoy the 68-team version for now!