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Lace up these dancing sneakers. The Candy 16 has arrived.
4 males’s video games tonight will kick off an thrilling weekend of March Insanity that can set the Ultimate 4 in each the lads’s and ladies’s brackets. (The girls’s Candy 16 spherical begins on Friday.)
No. 1 general seed Gonzaga will get issues going towards fourth-seeded Arkansas. A rematch of the 2018 nationwide championship recreation, No. 2 Villanova vs. No. 11 Michigan, can even tip off within the early window.
The night’s marquee occasion — No. 2 Duke vs. No. 3 Texas Tech in what could possibly be the ultimate recreation of coach Mike Krzyzewski’s profession — will start at 9:39 p.m. ET on CBS.
One other No. 1 seed, Arizona, faces fifth-seeded Houston to wrap up the motion. Observe alongside for the newest updates and evaluation from the USA TODAY Sports activities workers.
CLICKER:Breaking down Thursday’s Candy 16 video games in males’s South, West regionals
FAREWELL EXPLANATION:Mike Krzyzewski on why he introduced plans to retire earlier than Duke’s 2021-22 season started
PENALTIES COMING? Arizona and Kansas are Candy 16 favorites who may additionally face NCAA punishment after tourney

Villanova, Michigan locked in back-and-forth battle
On the energy of 11 factors from senior ahead Jermaine Samuels, second-seeded Villanova holds a 31-28 edge over No. 11 Michigan at halftime in San Antonio. Samuels related on 5 of his seven subject purpose makes an attempt, and hit his solely free throw.
Middle Hunter Dickinson leads the Wolverines with eight factors, nonetheless he picked up his second foul with slightly below 4 minutes remaining within the half.

No. 1 Gonzaga has its arms full with Arkansas at halftime
Prime-seeded Gonzaga noticed an early eight-point lead disappear as No. 4 seed Arkansas closed the primary half on a 13-2 run to take a 32-29 benefit into the locker room at halftime of their Candy 16 recreation in San Francisco.
Each groups have struggled from the sector, with Arkansas capturing 37.5% and Gonzaga connecting on 35.3% of its photographs.
Razorbacks senior guard JD Notae is the one participant in double figures with 10 factors on 5-of-14 capturing. Three Gonzaga gamers, together with ahead Drew Timme, tempo the Zags with eight factors. Seven-foot middle Chet Holmgren was held scoreless.
Mike Krzyzewski’s teaching tree reaches far past Duke
For many years, Mike Krzyzewski has crafted a training tree with branches in practically each convention, as packages look to seize Duke’s fashion and success by hiring one in all his high assistants.
“It’s like getting a freaking TED speak or some form of firm seminar or retreat. You get that each day,” mentioned first-year Austin Peay coach Nate James] “It’s simply an infinite quantity of data that’s persistently poured into you every day, every season. You attempt to take in and drink up as a lot as you presumably can.”
Together with the record-setting win complete, the nationwide championships and the laundry checklist of All-America and NBA gamers, this teaching tree is a part of Krzyzewski’s deep influence on school basketball. Together with James, 11 former Duke gamers or assistants are presently head coaches on the faculty or NBA degree, together with Arizona State’s Bobby Hurley, Notre Dame’s Mike Brey, Pittsburgh’s Jeff Capel, Northwestern’s Chris Collins and Quin Snyder of the Utah Jazz.
The following to observe is Jon Scheyer, who will assume full management of the Blue Devils’ program as quickly as Thursday night or as late because the day after the nationwide championship recreation in early April.
— Paul Myerberg
Arkansas coaches get go to from Steph Curry earlier than Gonzaga tipoff
Golden State Warriors guard Steph Curry met the Arkansas males’s basketball coaches previous to the Razorbacks going through Gonzaga within the NCAA Match Candy 16.
The Arkansas males’s basketball Twitter account shared a photograph of Curry providing “some tips about taking part in in @ChaseCenter.”
The sport is being performed on the Warriors’ dwelling courtroom in San Francisco.
Curry performed for present Arkansas assistant coach Keith Good, who was the Warriors head coach throughout Curry’s rookie NBA season in 2010-11.
Former Arkansas males’s basketball participant Moses Moody is a teammate of Curry’s on the Warriors.
— Erik Corridor, Fort Smith (Ark.) Instances Document

Prime-seeded Arizona has some weaknesses uncovered in early wins
SAN DIEGO — After storming into the NCAA males’s basketball event as a modern choose to win all of it, the No. 1-seeded Arizona Wildcats virtually didn’t final previous the opening weekend.
However right here they’re within the Candy 16, on the point of face Houston on Thursday in San Antonio.
The Wildcats could possibly be a workforce that finds methods to win even after they let their guard down and play just a little sloppy. Or they could be a workforce that has weaknesses ready to be exploited by higher groups than TCU, a bodily bunch that typically pushed across the Wildcats (33-3) in an 85-80 nail-biter on Sunday.
Tenacious protection additionally tends to muck up Arizona’s balanced offensive assault, as it might for any workforce. The Wildcats have solely misplaced to a few groups this season: Tennessee, UCLA and Colorado. Two of these groups (Tennessee and UCLA) rank within the nationwide high 16 in adjusted defensive effectivity, in response to the superior metrics of basketball analytics maven Ken Pomeroy.
So does TCU.
Guess who additionally ranks tenth, forward of each UCLA and TCU?
Houston.
— Brent Schrotenboer

Why did Coach Ok select public farewell?
SAN FRANCISCO — Mike Krzyzewski says the general public nature of his farewell tour as Duke’s basketball coach has include a worth.
“It wears on you just a little bit as a result of all over the place you stroll, everyone seems to be taking an image of you and so they’re watching all the things,’’ Krzyzewski mentioned Wednesday. “Look, that will get outdated. You understand, that will get outdated.’’
He says recruiting performed a consider saying his choice previous to the season.
— Josh Peter

Gonzaga freshman’s highlights are must-see TV
PORTLAND, Oregon — Usually, it’s straightforward to identify the daddy of Chet Holmgren, the freshman phenom from Gonzaga, in a sea of purple and navy blue. Simply search for the tall, lanky man — the place do you suppose Chet, who’s 7 toes tall, weighs 195 kilos and has a 7-foot-6 wingspan, will get it anyway? — holding a video digicam.
Sure, a video digicam. Dave Holmgren, who checks in at 7 toes tall himself and performed school hoops at Minnesota, is old skool. He has recorded each single one in all Chet’s video games since childhood. As such, there’s fairly the library of highlights.
A few of Holmgren’s teammates had been requested about their favorites.
Sophomore guard Julian Strawther: “In all probability in Vegas towards UCLA, coast to coast, behind-the-back, into the dunk in transition.”
Senior guard Rasir Bolton: “It was at some point in follow he had got here down in transition and he had tried a 360 lay-up.”
Maybe there can be much more highlights coming when the Zags tackle Arkansas tonight in San Francisco.
— Lindsay Schnell
Arkansas coach Eric Musselman acquainted with Bay Space
Arkansas head coach Eric Musselman led the Golden State Warriors from 2002 to 2004 — and, as he famous, was additionally head coach of the Sacramento Kings from 2006 to 2007. Now his Razorbacks can be taking part in within the Chase Middle, dwelling of the Warriors.
“The day that I used to be both fired from the Kings or the Warriors, to suppose that I’d be teaching in a Candy 16 within the Bay Space, if anyone would have requested me that at that exact time, I’d have informed them there was zero probability,’’ he mentioned. “Not 5%. Not 10%. Actually zero probability of that occuring.
“I assume the world has a humorous manner of working itself out.’’
— Josh Peter
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