Positioned on the prime behind the efforts of unbelievable freshmen, Arizona will search to keep away from desert dramatics because it headlines the West Area.
Hold observe of all of the NCAA Males’s Basketball Event happenings within the West Area under …
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RELATED: East Area Preview | South Area Preview | Midwest Area Preview | West Area Preview | Ballislife Author’s picks
First Spherical (March 19-20)
(7) Miami (FL) vs. (10) Missouri
Friday, 10:10 p.m. ET, TruTV
(2) Purdue vs. (15) Queens
Friday, 7:35 p.m. ET, TruTV
(8) Villanova vs. (9) Utah State (-1.5)
Friday, 4:10 p.m. ET, TNT
(1) Arizona (-30.5) vs. (16) Lengthy Island College
Friday, 1:35 p.m. ET, TNT
(3) Gonzaga (-21.5) vs. (14) Kennesaw State
Thursday, 10:20 p.m. ET, TBS
Matas Vokietaitis is the immovable drive and he’s DESTROYING BYU
Love when Large Males play BIG
pic.twitter.com/OmLteW3VAZ
— Hoop Herald (@TheHoopHerald) March 20, 2026
(11) Texas 79, (6) BYU 71
AJ Dybantsa’s hyped freshman season got here to an finish because the Longhorns continued their trek with a follow-up victory over the Richie Saunders-less Cougars. Dybantsa performed all 40 minutes and paired 35 factors with 10 rebounds, however his collegiate profession got here to a possible finish due to Texas middle Matas Vokietaitis, who wanted solely the primary half to remedy his personal double-double earlier than sealing Texas‘ victory with an emphatic rejection of Robert Wright III, stopping the rating from falling to 1 possession within the remaining minute.
Darius Acuff with a TOUGH lefty end 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/TNNA1i4RHM
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) March 19, 2026
(4) Arkansas 97, (13) Hawaii 78
SEC champion Arkansas scored the primary 11 factors and by no means regarded again, rolling to its largest NCAA Event victory because the 1994 regional semifinals. NBA hopeful Darius Acuff Jr. had 24 factors and 7 assists (a part of 26 helpers for the Razorbacks) whereas Malique Erwin had a 16-point, 12-rebound double-double on a day the place Arkansas put up 64 tallies within the paint.
Excessive Level’s Chase Johnston, who shoots almost 50% from 3, simply made his first two-pointer of the season to beat Wisconsinpic.twitter.com/JhsHkbMY4V
— Joe Pompliano (@JoePompliano) March 19, 2026
(12) Excessive Level 83, (5) Wisconsin 82
Chase Johnston’s first two-pointer of the season could not have come at a greater time, because the three-point specialist took a protracted ball from Rob Martin to create a game-winning fastbreak with 11 seconds remaining in what turned the primary main upset of the Event. Trailing by as a lot as 10, Excessive Level earned the primary NCAA Event win in program historical past behind Johnston’s heroics caused by Martin’s cross, created by way of the final of 10 rebounds on a 23-point night time.
First 4 (March 17)
TRAMON MARK FOR TEXAS!!!
THE MADNESS IS ALREADY HERE!!!pic.twitter.com/hHsXP4MseV
— Barstool Sports activities (@barstoolsports) March 18, 2026
(11) Texas 68, (11) NC State 66
A game-winning fadeaway from Tramon Mark within the penultimate second helped render a late Wolfpack rally lengthy forgotten as Texas prevailed in a return to the First 4. The Longhorns led by 9 with slightly below three minutes to go earlier than NC State managed to drive a tie, however Mark’s heroics, a part of a 17-point night time, allowed them to comb a match doubleheader from the Wolfpack after beforehand taking a showdown at November’s Maui Invitational.
Geoff Magliocchetti is on X @GeoffJMags
