And identical to that, the primary weekend of the lads’s 2025 NCAA event is over.
March Insanity continues with the Candy 16 on Thursday and Friday, however whether or not you missed or just need to relive the motion from Sunday’s second-round video games, our on-site reporters and school basketball consultants run by way of what it’s good to know in regards to the closing eight video games and winners of opening weekend.
Bounce to: Results and analysis | Relive Sunday’s action | Saturday’s recap
Sunday outcomes, evaluation
Last: Florida defeats UConn 77-75
How Florida gained: Dan Hurley stated after Friday’s opening-round win that “somebody’s going to must put us down” for the UConn Huskies to exit the event with out successful a 3rd straight nationwide title. On Sunday, Walter Clayton Jr. proved to be that somebody. Clayton scored 10 factors in a three-minute span, turning a 59-58 Florida deficit right into a 77-75 win to safe a spot within the Candy 16 and snap UConn’s 13-game event successful streak. Clayton did not make his first bucket till quarter-hour had elapsed, however as soon as he obtained scorching, he was unstoppable. He completed with 23 factors — main all scorers — together with 15 within the second half, draining all three of his second-half 3-point makes an attempt within the course of. Clayton’s 3 with 2:54 remaining was the dagger, erasing a two-point UConn lead. Florida by no means regarded again. — David Hale
Florida’s key to Candy 16 matchup in opposition to Maryland: Defending fast perimeter gamers. Whereas UConn’s push for a three-peat ended in opposition to Florida, Dan Hurley might need authored the blueprint to beat the Gators. Total, Alex Karaban, Solo Ball and Liam McNeeley mixed to shoot 26 3-pointers in opposition to Todd Golden’s group. They made solely six of them, however the Huskies had been relentless, connecting on 50% of their pictures contained in the arc, driving exhausting off excessive screens and attacking particular person matchups to create pictures — and so they managed the motion for a piece of the sport because of this. Florida cannot enable its subsequent opponent to play with the identical aggression. The Gators must do extra to maintain the ball out of the palms of opposing stars.— Myron Medcalf
Last: Maryland defeated Colorado State 72-71
How Maryland gained: Derik Queen confirmed why he could be a lottery choose within the subsequent NBA draft. Maryland’s 6-foot-10 freshman heart ended a back-and-forth thriller at Seattle’s Local weather Pledge Enviornment when he banked a leap shot on the buzzer coming off a timeout, giving Maryland a 72-71 win over Colorado State. Queen completed with 17 factors as all 5 Terrapins starters scored in double digits. That balanced assault helped them overcome a 37-30 halftime deficit to Colorado State, which hoped to advance to the Candy 16 for the primary time because the spherical was launched in 1975. Maryland is again for the primary time since 2016. — Brady Henderson
Maryland’s key to Candy 16 matchup in opposition to Florida: Get Rodney Rice going early. The entire world knew that Derik Queen would take the final shot within the closing seconds of Maryland’s win over Colorado State on Sunday — the projected lottery choose has been the point of interest of every little thing Maryland has achieved this season. In keeping with head coach Kevin Willard, Queen wanted the last shot, too. However Maryland is best when Rodney Rice, a 37% 3-point shooter, is energetic. His 16-point effort on Sunday was the sixth time in seven video games that he had taken not less than 10 pictures, and the Terps have been undefeated in these matchups. An assertive effort from the 6-foot-4 wing helps create extra alternatives for Queen and his teammates, too. They’ll want extra of that from Rice going ahead. — Myron Medcalf
Last: Arizona defeated Oregon 87-83
How Arizona gained: The final recreation of opening weekend featured a showdown of former Pac-12 groups. Oregon jumped out to a 19-4 lead throughout the first 5:11, however would not regain an edge that vital the remainder of the best way. Arizona closed out the primary half on a 38-19 run to take a 42-38 lead into halftime and in the end win for the second-largest comeback by a Huge 12 group in an NCAA event recreation since 2011, per ESPN Analysis. The Wildcats rode the efficiency of Caleb Love — who has expertise in huge March Insanity moments as a part of the North Carolina group that made a run to the 2022 nationwide title recreation — and his game-high 29 factors to the victory over the Geese. It was Love’s sixth profession NCAA event recreation with 15 factors and three 3-pointers, tied for the fourth-most by any participant this century, per ESPN Analysis. — ESPN workers
0:21
Caleb Love drives and slams with authority
Caleb Love climbs the ladder and slams it down to extend Arizona’s lead over Oregon.
Arizona’s key to Candy 16 matchup in opposition to Duke: Caleb Love. It is at all times Caleb Love. Duke is a well-recognized foe for the veteran star, who spent his first three school seasons at North Carolina — and likewise hit the game-winning shot in opposition to Duke within the closing recreation of Mike Krzyzewski’s profession, on the 2022 Last 4. Love is able to enormous performances, as evidenced by his 29-point effort in opposition to Oregon in Sunday’s second-round win, or his 27 factors in opposition to Texas Tech within the Huge 12 event. However he’s simply as able to taking pictures Arizona out of a recreation. Coming into Sunday, Love was averaging 17.7 factors and taking pictures 38.9% from 3 in Arizona’s wins, however simply 13.8 factors and 21.1% from 3 in its losses. Beating Duke is an extremely troublesome process, however it will likely be not possible if Love just isn’t at his All-American ceiling. — Jeff Borzello
Last: Michigan State defeated New Mexico 71-63
How Michigan State gained: With their beginning backcourt struggling, the Spartans turned to their bench — and their bench responded. Led by Tre Holloman (14 factors) and Frankie Fidler (10 factors), Michigan State’s reserves carried the group previous New Mexico. The Spartans poured in 36 factors off the bench, outscoring the Lobos’ bench by 29. That proved essential, particularly with beginning guards Jeremy Fears Jr. and Jase Richardson going 1-for-12 from the sphere. — Jake Trotter
Michigan State’s key to Candy 16 matchup in opposition to Ole Miss: Extra Tre Holloman. Within the switch portal period, gamers who do not get the taking part in time they need typically depart and search for higher alternatives — and Holloman, a Minnesota native, appeared like a great candidate to make a transfer earlier in his profession as he looked for a job with the Spartans. This yr, although, the junior guard has emerged as a essential function participant for a Spartans group that would not be headed to what feels just like the millionth Candy 16 underneath Tom Izzo with out Holloman. His 14 factors in opposition to New Mexico had been simply two wanting the game- and team-high, and was the sixth time he has scored not less than that many this season. Michigan State’s document in these matchups? 6-0. — Myron Medcalf
0:20
Michigan State’s hustle play results in huge and-1 basket
Frankie Fidler offers Michigan State momentum with an and-1 bucket after the Spartans dive on the ground to corral a free ball.
Last: Ole Miss defeated Iowa State 91-78
How Ole Miss gained: In a matchup of two tough-minded groups led by coaches who drill protection, Ole Miss proved to be significantly better on Sunday evening, advancing to its first Candy 16 since 2001. A late Iowa State flurry made the margin respectable, however Ole Miss led by as many as 26 factors. Exterior of the primary 5 minutes, when Iowa State stormed out to a 13-5 lead, Ole Miss dominated the sport at each ends, taking the need from a Cyclones group that had executed that to fairly a couple of opponents in coach T.J. Otzelberger’s tenure. The Rebels used a 19-9 run firstly of the second half to place the sport away, as Jaemyn Brakefield, Sean Pedulla and others attacked a immediately susceptible Cyclones protection.
Pedulla — a Virginia Tech switch from Edmond, Oklahoma — has channeled his internal Marshall Henderson in his first yr with the Rebels, recording his second consecutive 20-point recreation within the event, whereas including seven assists and 4 steals. He obtained assist from ahead Malik Dia, who had 18 factors and eight rebounds, in addition to Brakefield, who added 19 factors and a win-punctuating slam with 59 seconds to go.
Three years in the past, Chris Beard noticed his Texas group eradicated within the second spherical on the similar enviornment. Rather a lot has modified for him since then, however he returned to Milwaukee and now has Ole Miss shifting on to the South regional in Atlanta. — Adam Rittenberg
Ole Miss’ key to Candy 16 matchup in opposition to Michigan State: The Rebels want good manufacturing. In case you evaluate Ole Miss to the remaining groups within the discipline, most have extra expertise than the Rebels (not less than on paper). They’ve only one all-conference participant in Sean Pedulla, an all-SEC third group honoree, which is why bench manufacturing might be important within the Candy 16. Over their final 5 victories, the Rebels had one reserve in each recreation who completed in double figures — Jaemyn Brakefield, a star in Sunday’s win over Iowa State, is chargeable for 4 of these efforts. And Davon Barnes did have 11 factors within the win over Arkansas within the SEC event. So whereas Ole Miss won’t have a star, Chris Beard’s group continues to get a set off the bench. — Myron Medcalf
Last: Alabama defeated Saint Mary’s 80-66
How Alabama gained: The Crimson Tide shut down two-time West Coast Convention Participant of the Yr Augustas Marčiulionis. The Saint Mary’s level guard from Lithuania — and son of Basketball Corridor of Famer Šarūnas Marčiulionis — did not get his second discipline aim till the 7:31 mark of the second half. By then, Alabama had constructed a double-digit lead. The Crimson Tide rotated our bodies on Marčiulionis, together with Chris Youngblood and Labaron Philon, in addition to Derrion Reid and Aden Holloway off the bench. Marčiulionis by no means discovered a rhythm and completed simply 3-of-11 taking pictures.
On the different finish, Clifford Omoruyi spearheaded Alabama offensively with a collection of dazzling dunks — the spotlight approaching an alley-oop reverse jam over Saint Mary’s heart Mitchell Saxen. Omoruyi already has 11 dunks this NCAA event, which leads the sphere, based on ESPN Analysis. Saint Mary’s was the final remaining group in school hoops to not quit greater than 75 factors in a recreation — till Sunday evening. Alabama set a program event document with six double-digit scorers. Up subsequent for the surging Crimson Tide: a 3rd straight journey to the Candy 16, the place BYU awaits. — Jake Trotter
0:19
Alabama’s Clifford Omoruyi slams house a reverse alley-oop
Clifford Omoruyi rises over a Saint Mary’s defender and throws down a reverse alley-oop jam for Alabama.
Alabama’s key to Candy 16 matchup in opposition to BYU: 3-point effectiveness. Alabama needing to make pictures from the perimeter is not a brand new growth. The Crimson Tide take a ton of 3s, however they are often streaky (although they’ve been much less reliant on it in convention play). Working of their favor subsequent spherical might be that BYU can wrestle defending the perimeter; the Cougars have allowed every of their final 5 opponents to make double-digit 3-pointers. Neither Alabama nor BYU is overly stingy defensively, however the Crimson Tide have proven flashes of with the ability to stifle opponents. If BYU goes to easily attempt to outscore Nate Oats’ group, Alabama goes to wish to make 3s. The Tide shoot almost 36% from 3 in wins and simply 32% in losses. If they will get going early from the perimeter whereas additionally stringing collectively a couple of stops, they might put the Cougars on their heels shortly. — Jeff Borzello
Last: Kentucky defeated Illinois 84-75
How Kentucky gained: In a matchup of remade rosters, Kentucky managed play all through and, in coach Mark Pope’s first season on the helm, superior to its first Candy 16 since 2019. The Wildcats flustered Illinois with their protection within the first half, then made 15 of their first 19 pictures to open the second half and draw back. Though Illinois guard Kylan Boswell was wonderful (23 factors, 5 assists), Kentucky’s backcourt expertise confirmed as Koby Brea, Lamont Butler and Otega Oweh mixed for 52 factors. Brea was unstoppable for many of the second half, whereas Butler, taking part in with a shoulder harm that Pope stated would sideline most gamers, dictated play on each ends of the ground. Heart Amari Williams manned the inside nicely. — Adam Rittenberg
0:17
Amari Williams will get block, dunk for UK in electrical sequence
Kentucky’s Amari Williams swats a 3-point try and caps the play with a robust end on the break.
Kentucky’s key to Candy 16 matchup in opposition to Tennessee: Win the 3-point battle. Kentucky has already knocked off Tennessee twice this season, so there will not be many secrets and techniques between these groups. However what did the Wildcats do nicely within the first two conferences? They shot precisely 12-for-24 from 3 in each video games, one thing the Vols’ third-ranked 3-point protection just isn’t accustomed to permitting. The Wildcats additionally did not let Chaz Lanier get going from the perimeter — he had 15 factors within the first matchup, however shot 5-for-14 from the sphere and 3-for-10 from 3. Within the second recreation, he completed with 10 factors and went 0-for-7 from behind the arc. Lanier’s capability to make pictures opens up Tennessee’s complete offense, and the Vols wrestle to attain constantly with out him producing. Tennessee is 21-0 when Lanier scores not less than 18 factors and simply 8-7 when he would not hit that mark. — Jeff Borzello
Last: Duke defeated Baylor 89-66
How Duke gained: There have been loads of highlights for Duke in a dominant win over Baylor to advance to the Candy 16, however maybe none extra eye-popping than the 3-point taking pictures of veteran Tyrese Proctor. Proctor completed with 25 factors on 9-of-10 taking pictures, together with seven 3-pointers, giving him 13 for the event. That, based on ESPN Analysis, is a Duke document for the primary two video games of an NCAA event, topping Bobby Hurley’s 12 in 1993. What’s extra spectacular is that, till the ACC event closing, Proctor was hardly a drive from past the arc. Within the common season, he shot 40% from deep, after which within the first two video games of the ACC tourney, he missed all 10 of his tries. However Proctor has been lights-out since, connecting on 19 3s in his previous three video games — making 63% of his 3-point pictures. — David Hale
0:19
Cooper Flagg rocks the rim on this crowd-pleasing alley-oop
Cooper Flagg will get critical air time to throw down a vicious alley-oop for Duke vs. Baylor.
Duke’s key to Candy 16 matchup in opposition to Arizona: Tyrese Proctor. Probably the most eye-opening stats from this weekend, courtesy of ESPN Analysis: Within the first 100 video games of Proctor’s profession, he by no means made greater than 5 3-pointers an outing — then he went out and made six or extra 3s in video games 101, 102 and 103. Proctor shot 37.9% from past the arc within the first 32 video games of this season, averaging simply over two. In his previous three video games, he’s taking pictures 63.3% from past the arc, with 19 makes mixed. When Proctor is making pictures from the surface, the nation’s greatest offense turns into much more harmful. Cooper Flagg will get extra room to function, Sion James has driving lanes, Proctor and Kon Knueppel can house the ground and make pictures. Jon Scheyer will hope Proctor stays scorching. — Jeff Borzello
