NCAA Tournament: Down goes Villanova, ACC 9-0

Saturday's results

11 UCLA 92, 14 UAB 75
1 Kentucky 64, 8 Cincinnati 51
2 Arizona 73, 10 Ohio State 58
6 Xavier 75, 14 Georgia State 67
8 NC State 71, 1 Villanova 68
5 Utah 75, 4 Georgetown 64
4 North Carolina 87, 5 Arkansas 78
3 Notre Dame 67, 6 Butler 64

12:28 a.m. ET (Bottero) - With the win, the ACC is now 9-0 in NCAA tournament games.

12:27 a.m. ET (Bottero) - Roosevelt Jones deserves a ton of credit for the game he had tonight. Finishes with 23 points on a balky knee.

12:26 a.m. ET (Bottero) - Notre Dame through to the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 2003.

12:25 a.m. ET (Bottero) - 3 Notre Dame 67, 6 Butler 64

12:24 a.m. ET (Bottero) - A brilliant play by Jerian Grant with Notre Dame ahead 65-62. Holds the ball right to the end of the shot clock, drives by his man and lays it in to put the Irish five points clear.

12:22 a.m. ET (Bottero) - Butler gets in for two but Steve Vasturia answers right back at the other end for Notre Dame, which moves ahead 65-61.

12:18 a.m. ET (Bottero) - Pat Connaughton, who had that huge block for Notre Dame at the end of regulation, knocks down his first triple of the game from the corner to put the Irish ahead 62-59 with less than three minutes to play. Timeout Butler.

12:17 a.m. ET (Bottero) - Jerian Grant hits 2-of-3 free throws, and Andrew Chrabascz answers right back with a pair of his own. Still tied.

12:15 a.m. ET (Bottero) - Notre Dame scores first to open the extra session, but to no one's surprise, Roosevelt Jones answers right back. He's up to 23 points on the night.

12:13 a.m. ET (Bottero) - No points scored in the last 2:56 of regulation.

12:12 a.m. ET (Bottero) - The officials put a tick back on the clock and Butler actually got a decent look at the rim but it didn't fall. They'll play overtime in Pittsburgh.

12:11 a.m. ET (Bottero) - Butler gets the ball into the corner but Pat Connaughton wants no part of it.

12:09 a.m. ET (Bottero) - Timeouts piling up at the end of regulation here. These last two seconds are taking a while with three timeouts called. None left on the board, thankfully.

12:06 a.m. ET (Bottero) - Butler fails to score and Zach Auguste dribbles the ball the other way but gets called for a double-dribble. Butler gets the ball back with 2.0 seconds to play. They'll inbound at the side on Notre Dame's end of the court.

12:04 a.m. ET (Bottero) - Butler gets a fresh shot clock with 20.3 seconds remaining and the Bulldogs take a timeout to draw this one up with a chance to walk off a winner.

12:02 a.m. ET (Bottero) - Notre Dame turns the ball over out of bounds with 44 seconds remaining and Butler takes over with the game still tied 55-55.

11:58 p.m. ET (Bottero) - 1:13 remaining and they're still tied up. Timeout called after a held ball.

11:55 p.m. ET (Bottero) - Great way to end the day. Notre Dame calls a timeout with 1:40 remaining and the game tied 55-55.

11:54 p.m. ET (Bottero) - Nine lead changes and they're tied again on a triple by Butler. It's 55-55 nearing the two-minute mark.

11:52 p.m. ET (Bottero) - A bad game overall for Zach Auguste but he's had his moments. Grabs an offensive board and puts it in to extend the Irish lead. It's 53-50 at the under-4 timeout.

11:49 p.m. ET (Bottero) - A triple for Butler out of the timeout to take a one-point lead, but Notre Dame scores on the next possession to re-take the lead at 51-50. Shaping up for a great finish.

11:48 p.m. ET (Bottero) - Notre Dame continuing this game of runs with another two points, moving ahead 49-47 on the back of an 8-0 run.

11:46 p.m. ET (Bottero) - Notre Dame comes out of the timeout and goes on a 5-0 run to tie the game. Butler nearing three minutes without a point.

11:41 p.m. ET (Bottero) - At the under-8 timeout, Notre Dame behind 47-42 to this scrappy Butler squad. Butler shooting just 34.8 percent from the field.

11:36 p.m. ET (Bottero) - Roosevelt Jones hits on a floater from the free throw line and extends Butler's lead to 47-41. The Bulldogs are on an 11-0 run and the Irish are in trouble.

11:31 p.m. ET (Bottero) - Jones is beasting for the Bulldogs. He has 19 points on 7-of-12 shooting to go along with three rebounds, two assists, a steal, and one sprained knee.

11:29 pm. ET (Bottero) - Roosevelt Jones has been a monster. Backs his man down and scores on the and-1 to put the Bears ahead 43-41 at the under-12 timeout. He'll try to make it a three-point play on the other side of the break.

11:27 p.m. ET (Bottero) - A triple from Butler ties this game 41-41 with a little better than 12 minutes to play.

11:24 p.m. ET (Bottero) - Jerian Grant knocks down a jumper on the other side of the timeout for Notre Dame. He has 12 points, four rebounds, and three assists.

11:19 p.m. ET (Bottero) - The second half is underway in Pittsburgh. Notre Dame and Butler still going back and forth. The Irish are ahead 37-34.

11:17 p.m. ET (Bottero) - North Carolina improves the ACC's record to 8-0 in the NCAA tournament and advances to the Sweet Sixteen to take on the winner of tomorrow's 1-8 matchup between Wisconsin and Oregon.

11:15 p.m. ET (Bottero) - 4 North Carolina 87, 5 Arkansas 78

11:10 p.m. ET (Bottero) - North Carolina has this one in hand. The win will up the ACC to 8-0 for the tournament.

11:06 p.m. ET (Bottero) - Lunacy from Arkansas which elects not to foul and lets better than half the time remaining on the clock tick away. The Razorbacks got a stop but missed their ensuing shot. Tar Heels heading to the line up 81-74.

11:04 p.m. ET (Bottero) - Meeks has a sprained left knee and will miss the rest of the game.

11:00 p.m. ET (Bottero) - Kennedy Meeks getting looked at by the trainers with an apparent leg injury. He walked off the court under his own power but is in some obvious discomfort.

10:55 p.m. ET (Bottero) - North Carolina ahead 77-68 at the under-4 timeout. Bit of a delay there after an issue with the clock but it's been sorted out.

10:54 p.m. ET (Bottero) - Butler forward Roosevelt Jones, whose status for today's game was in doubt after he sprained his knee on Thursday, was terrific for Butler in the first half, leading all scorers with 15 points on 5-of-8 shooting, hitting on all five of his free throws.

10:52 p.m. ET (Bottero) - Notre Dame takes a 31-29 lead into the half. Great fight by Butler to make a game of it.

10:50 p.m. ET (Bottero) - Arkansas with a season-high 20 turnovers against North Carolina. Combine that with the team's poor shooting and that explains the 12-point deficit.

10:47 p.m. ET (Bottero) - And Butler's made it all the way back, tying its game with Notre Dame 27-27.

10:43 p.m. ET (Bottero) - At the under-8 timeout, North Carolina ahead of Arkansas 68-61. The Razorbacks are shooting just 37.3 percent from the field.

10:40 p.m. ET (Bottero) - Butler showing some fight in Pittsburgh. The Bulldogs have cut Notre Dame's lead to four late in the first half.

10:35 p.m. ET (Bottero) - At the midway point of the second half of the North Carolina-Arkansas game and foul trouble continues to be an issue for both sides as Brice Johnson picks up his third.

10:30 p.m. ET (Bottero) - Notre Dame having its way with Butler early on. The Irish are now 10 points clear of the Bulldogs. It's 22-12 in Pittsburgh.

10:25 p.m. ET (Bottero) - North Carolina starting to move clear in what's been a super tight game. Tar Heels lead 57-52. With all the fouls, both teams will shoot the rest of the way with 12 minutes to go.

10:20 p.m. ET (Bottero) - Alandise Harris to the bench with four fouls for Arkansas. Both big men sitting. Game tied 50-50.

10:16 p.m. ET (Bottero) - North Carolina and Arkansas going back and forth. One-point game at the under-16 timeout.

10:12 p.m. ET (Bottero) - North Carolina's Kennedy Meeks to the bench with four fouls - not the five some are claiming.

10:11 p.m. ET (Bottero) - With that win, the Pac-12 is now a perfect 7-0 in NCAA tournament play.

10:10 p.m. ET (Bottero) - 5 Utah 75, 4 Georgetown 64

10:07 p.m. ET (Bottero) - Georgetown hasn't made it out of the Round of 32 since 2007.

10:05 p.m. ET (Bottero) - Notre Dame and Butler underway in Pittsburgh in a 3-6 matchup. Hot start for the Bulldogs - they scored the game's first four points.

10:01 p.m. ET (Bottero) - Utah extends its lead to 69-58 inside of two minutes. All signs point to the Utes advancing.

9:57 p.m. ET (Bottero) - Delon Wright just 2-of-7 from the field but he's still breaking down the Georgetown defense off the dribble. Gets into the lane and kicks to the corner for a triple. Utah leads 64-59 with 2:30 to play.

9:53 p.m. ET (Bottero) - The 3-6 matchup between Notre Dame and Butler in Pittsburgh has been pushed back to 10:04 p.m. ET. They'll play on the same court as NC State and Villanova.

9:50 p.m. ET (Bottero) - Utah ahead 60-55 against Georgetown heading into the under-4 time. The Hoyas will shoot two free throws on the other side.

9:47 p.m. ET (Bottero) - That loss is going to stick with Jay Wright for a while.

9:45 p.m. ET (Murphy) - UNC reaches the half with a 39-36 lead over Arkansas. Michael Qualls has 12 points for the Razorbacks while Nate Britt leads the way with 10 off the bench for the Tar Heels. I'll now pass you back to the strong, capable hands of Gino Bottero.

9:42 p.m. ET (Murphy) - Jakob Poeltl just picked up a fourth foul for Utah with 7:01 to play, a huge loss for the Utes temporarily. Poeltl has helped limit Joshua Smith inside so far, and Georgetown will probably look his way now.

9:40 p.m. ET (Murphy) - It's been a minute since NC State topped a one-seed.

9:37 p.m. ET (Murphy) - Updating elsewhere, Butler and Notre Dame aren't likely to tip off for a while still, UNC is up 33-28 on Arkansas nearing the half and Utah is up 49-47 on Georgetown with 9:23 to play.

9:33 p.m. ET (Murphy) - Told you NC State would provide for an exciting game, even if I didn't necessarily think this was possible. The Wolfpack now have two wins by a total of four points. Trevor Lacey led the way with 17 points, six rebounds and four assists to head up a very balanced attack that relied heavily on a plus-13 edge on the glass.

For the second year in a row, Jay Wright fails to reach the Sweet Sixteen with a top-two seed. Does this mean NC State, like U-Conn a year ago, is Final Four bound? Who knows, but it's a disappointing end to a very good year for the Wildcats. Darrun Hilliard went down flamethrowing, scoring 27 points with a 6-of-10 mark from long range.

And the band played on.

No. 8 NC State d. No. 1 Villanova, 71-68
9:32 p.m. ET (Murphy) - Vill-OH NO-va! The first No. 1-seed in the tournament has fallen. After NC State's Ralston Turner hit a pair of free throws, Villanova had just 1.4 seconds left and no timeouts. Their inbounds pass went into the hands of the Wolfpack.

9:30 p.m. ET (Murphy) - After Lennard Freeman missed a pair of free throws, Darrun Hilliard hit another huge, deep triple. NC State is at the line, up 69-68 with 1.2 seconds left.

9:27 p.m. ET (Murphy) - Dylan Ennis misses a three and NC State gets the rebound. Anthony Barber hits both freebies, and it's 69-65 with 14.6 seconds to play.

9:27 p.m. ET (Murphy) - Turnover NC State! Villanova pressed and the the Wolfpack coughed the ball up out of bounds. Here. We. Go.

9:25 p.m. ET (Murphy) - Darrun. Hilliard. Deep triple. It's 67-65 for NC State with 41.1 seconds to play, both teams in the double bonus, Villanova without timeouts and NC State with the ball and possession arrow.

9:24 p.m. ET (Murphy) - If only Villanova could rebound. They hit a three, got a stop and then conceded an offensive rebound to NC State for the 13th time tonight. That'll cost them huge, as they remain down 67-62 with under a minute to play.

9:22 p.m. ET (Murphy) - Well, that was quick. A Villanova travel was sandwiched between a pair of NC State buckets and the lead is back to seven. It's 66-59 for the Wolfpack with 97 seconds on the clock.

9:20 p.m. ET (Murphy) - Lennard Freeman just completely erased a JayVaughn Pinkston layup attempt but Villanova got the offensive rebound, and Pinkston scored and-one to cut the lead to one possession.

9:19 p.m. ET (Murphy) - A quick check in elsewhere - Arkansas is up 22-20 on UNC halfway through the first half and Utah is up 43-39 on Georgetown early in the second.

9:14 p.m. ET (Murphy) - The final television timeout gives Villanova a chance to regroup before the stretch run. They're down 59-53 with 3:51 to play. NC State is in the double bonus with three timeouts, while 'Nova is in the bonus with two timeouts and the possession arrow.

9:08 p.m. ET (Murphy) - Villanova came in shooting 39.2 percent from long range on the year, perhaps their biggest strength. They're 6-of-22 from beyond the arc tonight. It makes sense to keep firing, but there's your answer if you do a postmortem after an upset loss.

They're down 57-51 with five minutes to play.

9:05 p.m. ET (Murphy) - Abdul-Malik Abu averaged 6.2 points and 4.5 rebounds this season. He's at 12 and seven right now, and NC State's up 55-48 with 6:18 left on the clock.

9:04 p.m. ET (Murphy) - Remember when Gino ordered food back in the 2013 Final Four? Me, too. Thought it would have been here by now.

9:02 p.m. ET (Murphy) - We interrupt this upset in progress for this picture of Steve Nash at Santa Clara.

9:00 p.m. ET (Murphy) - Got sad at the thought of Villanova losing because I have them in the national championship game. Remembered Furious 7 comes out soon. I'm good.

8:58 p.m. ET (Murphy) - Villanova has cut the lead to five! It's 50-45 NC State with 7:52 to go, both teams are in the bonus and Villanova has the possession arrow. Big swing over the last two minutes.

8:56 p.m. ET (Murphy) - UNC-Arkansas is underway and surprise, surprise, a charge has been called already. The NCAA really needs to adjust the block-charge balancing.

8:54 p.m. ET (Murphy) - Villanova can't get over the hump and close this gap. They're down 48-41 with 9:55 to play, and NC State is in the bonus with the possession arrow and the ball. It's going to take something special.

8:52 p.m. ET (Murphy) - Utah and Georgetown enter the half tied at 32, which is more or less what was expected.

8:43 p.m. ET (Murphy) - Villanova has hit just three of their last 19 field goal attempts. They're shooting 25.6 percent overall and are 4-of-15 from long range. They're down 43-33.

Uhh, 43-35. Maybe that Dylan Ennis bucket-and-harm will get the Wildcats going.

8:41 p.m. ET (Murphy) - Be honest: You're pronouncing Abdul-Malik Abu's name like Ben Stiller says "peekaboo" in Dodgeball. It's okay, we're idiots, too.

8:37 p.m. ET (Murphy) - Here's some more mushy stuff from Georgia State head coach Ron Hunter. Hey, this is the time of year for it, and the story with him and son R.J. is pretty incredible.

Now, to see if R.J., a potential first-round pick, bolts for the draft and if Ron heads for a bigger school, something that seems a real possibility given his growing reputation as a program-builder.

8:33 p.m. ET (Murphy) - There's a little bit of history on the line for NC State head coach Mark Gottfried with NC State up 40-33 on Villanova.

8:26 p.m. ET (Murphy) - Looking around the horn, we have NC State coming out of the half up 32-28 on Villanova and Georgetown with an early 23-19 lead against Utah. Arkansas-UNC has been pushed back to an 8:50 tip.

No. 6 Xavier d. No. 14 Georgia State, 75-67
8:24 p.m. ET (Murphy) - Can you believe Gino muscled me out of the blog to cover the end of that Xavier win? Selfish, to be honest.

R.J. Hunter finished with 20-4-5 on 6-of-15 shooting. He and his father, head coach Ron Hunter, went 1-of-1 on touching moments.

Jalen Reynolds led the way for Xavier with a career-high 21 points along with six rebounds.

8:20 p.m. ET (Bottero) - R.J. Hunter and father Ron share a moment on the sideline as R.J. checks out for the final time.

8:17 p.m. ET (Bottero) - The end of this game's going to take a while. Xavier knocks down a couple of free throws and Georgia State hits a quick jumper. 31.6 seconds remaining.

8:15 p.m. ET (Bottero) - Georgia State not ready to let its tourney run end just yet. A three-point play from R.J. Hunter ups his total to 20 points for the game. Panthers trail by seven with 44.5 seconds remaining.

8:11 p.m. ET (Murphy) - Myles Davis hit another three. Yup. That's 5-of-8 from long range for him, pushing Xavier to a 10-point lead. With 76 seconds left, it ain't Sharpie time, but it's damn close.

8:07 p.m. ET (Murphy) - Markus Crider just fouled out for Georgia State, so things are only going to get tougher for the Panthers. Crider had 10 points and three dimes. His fifth foul put Jalen Reynolds on the line for his career-high 21st point. Xavier by seven with 2:02 left.

8:06 p.m. ET (Murphy) - Georgetown and Utah are underway in Portland. Georgetown has 10 points in less than four minutes, something that usually takes Utah opponents about a half of play to do.

8:03 p.m. ET (Murphy) - Georgia State isn't the only underdog threatening. NC State has a 32-28 lead over Villanova at the half thanks to a buzzer-beating Trevor Lacey triple.

8:01 p.m. ET (Murphy) - R.J. Hunter still hasn't gotten his shot going but it's about the time he normally does just that. He's 5-of-13 and 3-of-7 on threes, good for 15-4-4. Georgia State trails 59-53 with 3:27 to go. Should be a fun finish, so if you like fun, keep watching.

7:58 p.m. ET (Murphy) - Important reminder: This is what Xavier big man Matt Stainbrook looked at two years ago. He's out here throwing towels angry as the Musketeers see their lead dwindle.

7:47 p.m. ET (Murphy) - Myles Davis has Georgia State ... Kind of Blue. Okay, I reused that one from Thursday, but still - Davis is 4-of-6 from deep and has Xavier up 54-46 with 7:20 left to play.

7:46 p.m. ET (Murphy) - There's something about NC State. They played a 66-65 game with LSU on Thursday and are locked 19-19 with Villanova late in the first half. Close games for the Wolfpack.

7:44 p.m. ET (Murphy) - Arizona topping Ohio State killed the last perfect bracket in known existence. 

7:43 p.m. ET (Murphy) - They are talking about Georgia State head coach Ron Hunter getting a pedicure on the foot that's in a cast. They are showing closeups of it. I am refusing to embed a photo here because gross, feet.

7:38 p.m. ET (Murphy) - That R.J. Hunter heat watch can take a rest. He just picked up his third foul, which could be trouble for the Panthers, who trail Xavier 45-40.

7:31 p.m. ET (Murphy) - Georgia State is hanging around against Xavier, down just five with 13:25 left to come back. R.J. Hunter has been uncharacteristically inconspicuous to start the second half. Ron Hunter is still seated as a result.

No. 2 Arizona d. No. 10 Ohio State, 73-58
7:27 p.m. ET (Murphy) - Here's the issue with having one player carry you all season: You're upside is probably the Round of 32. Arizona's defensive chops and depth were way too much for Ohio State, because try as he might, D'Angelo Russell just couldn't go one-and-help-on-five. He finished 3-of-19 from the floor with nine points, seven rebounds and six assists. Much more on him in tonight's prospect recap.

Arizona has now won 13 games in a row. They're the second best team in the country, in my eyes. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (11-10-5), Gabe York (5-of-9 on threes) and T.J. McConnell (19-6-5, five steals) were all terrific.

7:21 p.m. ET (Murphy) - I'm calling it in Portland - at 67-50 with 2:34 left, Arizona has eliminated Ohio State. Xavier-Georgia State is back from half, NC State-Villanova is off to a slow start and Utah-Georgetown isn't too far off. We're alright, even if we'll miss D'Angelo Russell.

7:16 p.m. ET (Murphy) - As Arizona-Ohio State winds down (63-50, 3:48), NC State and Villanova have tipped off in Pittsburgh. Villanova is somehow 1-of-7 in 4:04 of play.

7:13 p.m. ET (Murphy) - Ohio State had cut the lead to 11 and it looked like something could be brewing. But like our office dinner order, that run stalled quickly. Arizona is up 13 and at the free throw line, after Gabe York took a hard (but clean) foul from D'Angelo Russell on a layup attempt.

7:11 p.m. ET (Murphy) - Look at how stupid-deep these two R.J. Hunter triples were.

7:07 p.m. ET (Murphy) - Brandon Ashley has fouled out for Arizona, but it's probably a little late for that to move the needle much. It's 59-45 Arizona with 5:33 to play.

7:05 p.m. ET (Murphy) - Yeah, it's 59-44 Arizona. Barring a D'Angelo Russell magic show - normally conceivable but not against this defense - this one's in the books. Xavier and Georgia State could be interesting when it comes out of half, with the Musketeers only up four.

7:01 p.m. ET (Murphy) - There's momentum on an office dinner order now. There may be some of the same brewing for Ohio State - they're on a mini 5-0 run to cut ... nevermind, another Arizona triple. 55-44, Wildcats.

6:57 p.m. ET (Murphy) - T.J. McConnell is a two-way terror right now for Arizona. Ohio State has also forgotten about Gabe York entirely, and he's 5-of-9 on triples. It's 52-39 Arizona and the wheels have come off for the Buckeyes.

6:55 p.m. ET (Murphy) - Rondae Hollis-Jefferson's shimmies will never not crack me up.

6:53 p.m. ET (Murphy) - Shannon Scott splits a pair at the line at 11:11 (satisfying), and the Buckeyes are on the wrong end of a 10-3 run. They're down 46-37 overall, largely because D'Angelo Russell can't score, only distribute.

6:52 p.m. ET (Murphy) - Gino still hasn't ordered our team dinner. Can you believe that? It's almost 7 p.m., this is crazy.

6:49 p.m. ET (Murphy) - You'll need Google Maps to figure out where R.J. Hunter just hit a three from for Georgia State. He's heating up, with eight points and three assists, which is bad news for the Musketeers.

6:48 p.m. ET (Murphy) - That gem of a game from Willie Cauley-Stein earlier? Willie Cauley-Stein was a big fan.

6:43 p.m. ET (Murphy) - Ohio State ranked 36th in defense by KenPom rating. They are not playing as such to start the second half, with Arizona piling up 17 points in 6:10 after scoring 26 in the entire first half. T.J. McConnell has 13 points, five assists and four steals.

6:40 p.m. ET (Murphy) - Georgia State has come back to cut Xavier's lead to 19-17. The only thing that hurts more than that is this:

6:38 p.m. ET (Murphy) - OSU switches to zone and Gabe York busts it, thanks in part to a small defensive lapse from Russell. That's three triples for York, so maybe at least match up the zone. It's 41-34 Arizona with 15:31 to play. The Buckeyes need a run.

6:36 p.m. ET (Murphy) - A minor defensive development for Arizona - Brandon Ashley just picked up a third foul and went to the bench, which means Rondae Hollis-Jefferson will probably come off of D'Angelo Russell, at least for a few possessions. Of course, T.J. McConnell is a former A-10 All-Defensive team player, so it's not as if Russell can go off now.

6:33 p.m. ET (Murphy) - D'Angelo Russell may be 2-of-12 from the floor, but he's accepted the stout Arizona defense and contributed in other ways, already grabbing four rebounds and dishing five assists. It's the ability to control the game without scoring that separates good college players from good NBA players, and Russell is decidedly the latter.

6:30 p.m. ET (Murphy) - Thad Matta's resemblance to Brutus Buckeye, the most electrifying mascot in all of college basketball, never ceases to amaze me. That's none of Brutus' business, though.

We're back underway between Ohio State and Arizona.

6:26 p.m. ET (Murphy) - Georgia State looks out of magic early on. They've fallen behind 17-6 to Xavier in a hurry.

6:24 p.m. ET (Murphy) - I'm tagging back in for Gino. It was supposed to happen at 6 p.m. even, but I needed a while to cool down from this D'Angelo Russell-Rondae Hollis-Jefferson matchup. I think I'm good now.

6:21 p.m. ET (Bottero) - Pretty slow pace in Jacksonville right now. Have to figure things will open up at some point. Ryan Harrow has yet to attempt a shot.

6:16 p.m. ET (Bottero) - Ryan Harrow enters the game for Georgia State after missing the team's last two contests with a hamstring injury. That Kevin Ware magic is great, but the Panthers could really use his scoring.

6:15 p.m. ET (Bottero) - D'Angelo Russell played the role of distributor quite well in the first half.

6:12 p.m. ET (Bottero) - They're underway in Jacksonville on the 6-14 matchup between Xavier and Georgia State.

6:11 p.m. ET (Bottero) - D'Angelo Russell finishes the first half 2-of-11 from the field, though he did dish out five assists. Stanley Johnson went 1-of-7 from the field for two points.

6:09 p.m. ET (Bottero) - Arizona takes a 26-25 lead into the break after Ohio State fails to score in the final 3:13 of the half.

6:07 p.m. ET (Bottero) - Ohio State's gone nearly three minutes without a bucket and that's allowed Arizona to move into the lead at 26-25.

6:04 p.m. ET (Bottero) - D'Angelo Russell with the no-look pass for an easy flush.

6:02 p.m. ET (Bottero) - Ohio State starting to figure out this tough Arizona defense: give the ball to D'Angelo Russell and have him pass it because everyone else will be open.

5:57 p.m. ET (Bottero) - Ohio State in front 23-21 entering the under-4 timeout. Neither team shooting the ball well, but the Buckeyes are 3-of-5 from beyond the arc.

5:55 p.m. ET (Bottero) - D'Angelo Russell with a nifty pass down low to Amir Williams for the wide open dunk. The Wildcats don't want to let Russell beat them and he's making them pay with four assists.

5:53 p.m. ET (Bottero) - D'Angelo Russell and Stanley Johnson combined to start 2-of-12 from the field before Russell's layup there.

5:52 p.m. ET (Bottero) - T.J. McConnell 4-for-6 from the floor. The rest of the Arizona team is 3-for-16.

5:50 p.m. ET (Bottero) - Someone wasted a lot of time making this.

5:47 p.m. ET (Bottero) - Ohio State ahead 19-15 at the under-8 timeout. The Buckeyes would be even better off if they figured out a way to stop the ball. T.J. McConnell with eight points, most on uncontested layups.

5:45 p.m. ET (Bottero) - D'Angelo Russell knocks down a 3-pointer for his first bucket of the game. His line is starting to come together. Three each of points, rebounds, and assists.

5:41 p.m. ET (Bottero) - D'Angelo Russell up to three assists now, but no one sees anything but that 0-for-4 start from the field. Took him a while to get going against VCU, for what it's worth.

5:36 p.m. ET (Bottero) - Sam Thompson knocks down a triple from the left elbow to give Ohio State a 10-9 lead. The Buckeyes need more help from the secondary players. D'Angelo Russell 0-for-4 to start.

5:31 p.m. ET (Bottero) - Not a lot of action early on. Arizona quietly in front 9-5 as the game heads to another TV timeout.

5:26 p.m. ET (Bottero) - Stanley Johnson the first of the two freshmen to score. D'Angelo Russell starting 0-for-3 from the field to start.

5:21 p.m. ET (Bottero) - They're underway in Portland on the 2-10 matchup between Arizona and Ohio State. Great freshman showdown between Stanley Johnson and D'Angelo Russell.

5:16 p.m. ET (Bottero) - Ohio State and Arizona a bit delayed. Tip pushed back to 5:20 p.m. ET.

5:14 p.m. ET (Bottero) - Credit to Cincinnati for making a game of that for a good long while. Kentucky's just in a whole different class, though.

5:11 p.m. ET (Bottero) - Kentucky is the first Division I men's college basketball team to start 36-0 with today's win over Cincinnati.

5:10 p.m. ET (Bottero) - 1 Kentucky 64 vs. 8 Cincinnati 51

Game Recap

5:06 p.m. ET (Bottero) - Kentucky ahead 64-47 entering a TV timeout with less than a minute to play.

5:03 p.m. ET (Bottero) - Troy Caupain heading to the line to shoot two with Cincinnati trailing 62-43. Bearcats haven't scored in a while.

4:59 p.m. ET (Bottero) - Kentucky ahead 58-43. With a win, the Wildcats will be the first D-I basketball team to 36-0.

4:54 p.m. ET (Bottero) - At the under-4 timeout, Kentucky comfortably ahead 56-43. Even if Cincinnati were to intentionally foul the rest of the way it would have a difficult time scoring another 13 points.

4:51 p.m. ET (Bottero) - Aaron Harrison slammed his left elbow on the court after his last drive to the basket. The team is calling it a left elbow contusion. He should re-enter the game shortly.

4:47 p.m. ET (Bottero) - The game's getting called a little tighter and that's not a favorable outcome for Cincinnati. Kentucky's living at the line.

4:43 p.m. ET (Bottero) - For as much press as Kentucky's bigs get, the Harrison twins have been the star of the show today. They've been playing some great basketball.

4:39 p.m. ET (Bottero) - Octavius Ellis having his moment.

4:37 p.m. ET (Bottero) - Kentucky starting to pull away. Wildcats lead 46-35 with less than 10 minutes to play.

4:33 p.m. ET (Bottero) - Cincinnati shooting 3-of-16 in the second half.

4:29 p.m. ET (Bottero) - Kentucky ahead 42-34 at the under-12 timeout. Feeling like the teams are more interested in getting into it with one another than they are the score.

4:24 p.m. ET (Bottero) - Sounds like Octavius Ellis got into it with a male cheerleader from Kentucky during the break. Plenty of dislike out there right now.

4:19 p.m. ET (Bottero) - Things are getting intense in Louisville.

4:14 p.m. ET (Bottero) - Kentucky ahead 35-30 at the under-16 timeout. Things are getting physical and the officials are whistling everything now.

4:12 p.m. ET (Bottero) - An initial shooting foul called against Cincinnati will send Lyles to the line to shoot two. Then the Bearcats will shoot two as Harrison is assessed a two-shot technical for the bump.

4:10 p.m. ET (Bottero) - Octavius Ellis and Trey Lyles get into it under the basket after a bit of a hard foul by Ellis. The officials let it go, but Aaron Harrison bumps Ellis after the next whistle and the officials are heading to the scorekeeper's table to take a look at this.

4:06 p.m. ET (Bottero) - Octavius Ellis back on the court for Cincinnati. The Bearcats would have been in a lot of trouble without him.

4:05 p.m. ET (Bottero) - Kentucky and Cincinnati getting started on the second half in Louisville. Wildcats lead 31-24.

4:02 p.m. ET (Bottero) - UCLA's Tony Parker having himself a day.

3:57 p.m. ET (Bottero) - Cincinnati's Quadri Moore after getting dunked all over by Willie Cauley-Stein.

3:52 p.m. ET (Bottero) - Kentucky held Cincinnati scoreless for the final 3:42 of the first half. 6-0 run after Ellis left.

3:49 p.m. ET (Bottero) - The last time Kentucky played Cincinnati (1983), the final score was 24-11 (35 total points). This game has 55 total points at the half.

3:46 p.m. ET (Bottero) - John Calipari-coached teams have won 16 straight tournament games when tied or ahead at the half.

3:43 p.m. ET (Bottero) - CBS's Allie LaForce asks John Calipari if the Wildcats want to quicken the pace: "Are we up?"

3:41 p.m. ET (Bottero) - Kentucky really pulled away in the last few minutes and takes a seven-point lead into the break, at 31-24.

3:38 p.m. ET (Bottero) - Aaron Harrison knocks down a 3-pointer that extends Kentucky's run to 10 unanswered points. The Wildcats lead 31-24, and the Bearcats use a timeout with 39 seconds remaining to hopefully stop the bleeding.

3:35 p.m. ET (Bottero) - Octavius Ellis heading to the Cincinnati locker room after taking a knee to the back on that Willie Cauley-Stein dunk. Looks like a lower back issue.

3:32 p.m. ET (Bottero) - Willie Cauley-Stein with maybe his best dunk of the year. Put that defender on a poster. Ferocious. And it moves the Wildcats into the lead. And he's got a shot at making it a three-point play.

3:29 p.m. ET (Bottero) - One of those Harrison brothers really giving it his all.

3:27 p.m. ET (Bottero) - Cincinnati has a 22-21 lead entering the final five minutes of the first half and John Calipari is livid on the sideline. Considering the Bearcats are hitting at a clip 20 percent better than the Wildcats, being down one right now is a pretty favorable spot.

3:24 p.m. ET (Bottero) - Cincinnati back in front 20-19. Kentucky is shooting just 28.6 percent from the field. Can't expect that to last forever.

3:19 p.m. ET (Bottero) - Going into the under-8 timeout, Kentucky shooting just 31.6 percent from the field and 20 percent from beyond the arc. Cincinnati shooting 46.7 percent from the field and 50 percent from three. Wildcats still lead 17-16. Why? Offensive rebounds: Kentucky 7, Cincinnati 3. Turnovers: Kentucky 2, Cincinnati 5. Personal fouls: Kentucky 2, Cincinnati 7.

3:18 p.m. ET (Bottero) - Kentucky with its first lead of the game with under nine minutes to play in the half. Wildcats in front 15-13.

3:16 p.m. ET (Bottero) - Aaron Harrison knocks down a triple from the corner to tie the game 13-13.

3:12 p.m. ET (Bottero) - Following a career day on the court, UCLA's Tony Parker with a little "heat check" off it. The last Bruin to have at least 28 points and 12 rebounds in an NCAA tournament game was Kevin Love in 2008.

3:10 p.m. ET (Bottero) - 11:57 to play in the first half and the Bearcats are in front 9-6 heading into a TV timeout. Head coach Mick Cronin may not be on the sideline, but he's still in a coach's mindset.

3:08 p.m. ET (Bottero) - Cincinnati scores the first basket in a while to take a 6-4 lead, but an alley-oop from Willie Cauley-Stein swings momentum back the other way. Were the Bearcats fazed? Nope. They went the other way and knocked down a triple to move back in front 9-6.

3:06 p.m. ET (Bottero) - UCLA's win today improves the Pac-12's record to 5-0 in the NCAA tournament.

3:04 p.m. ET (Bottero) - Points will surely be hard to come by for the Bearcats this afternoon.

3:01 p.m. ET (Bottero) - While neither side has been able to score much (game tied 4-4), the pace has been quite quick thus far. That really favors Kentucky. Have to figure the Cincinnati coaches use this TV timeout to remind their players how they got here.

2:59 p.m. ET (Bottero) - Verne Lundquist, ladies and gentleman: "Foul on the Harrison."

2:56 p.m. ET (Bottero) - Cincinnati's Octavius Ellis, who was ejected from Thursday's game for throwing an elbow, grabs an offensive board and goes back up to put it in to give the Bearcats an early 4-2 lead.

2:54 p.m. ET (Bottero) - They're underway in Louisville on the 1-8 matchup between Kentucky and Cincinnati.

2:52 p.m. ET (Bottero) - Cincinnati head coach Mick Cronin will be watching today's game from Rick Pitino's office. 

2:49 p.m. ET (Bottero) - The last time Kentucky played Cincinnati, the final score was 24-11. That was in 1983. It was one of the games that played a big role in the installation of the shot clock.

2:47 p.m. ET (Murphy) - We're a little delayed in tipping off Kentucky-Cincinnati. Unfortunately for you, dear reader, that means Gino Bottero is checking in a few minutes early to take over the live blog until dinner time. It's been a slice. Of pizza. I like pizza.

2:37 p.m. ET (Murphy) - Steve Nash has officially retired. I'm sad. He's a big part of not just the NBA and basketball in Canada, but of March Madness, too. He made three tournament appearances while at Santa Clara, with the Broncos owning one of the greatest upsets in tournament history, a 64-61 victory as a 15-seed in 1993.

As a senor in 1996, Nash led No. 10 Santa Clara to a victory over No. 7 Maryland, scoring 28 points with six rebounds and 12 assists in the opening round, one of the greatest individual tournament performances ever.

2:28 p.m. ET (Murphy) - You've got about 12 minutes to lunch-up before Kentucky tips off against Cincinnati. I recommend pizza. Always pizza.

2:27 p.m. ET (Murphy) - Tony Parker stays being one of the best interviews in college hoops.

No. 11 UCLA d. No. 14 UAB, 92-75

Game Recap

2:21 p.m. ET (Murphy) - Credit UAB for getting hot from outside (12-of-26) and Robert Brown for going down gunning (25 points on 10-of-20 shooting). This was a more fun game than an 11-14 Round of 32 game had much business being, and both teams really let the offense go (alternatively, they let the defense slip, but shh).

All five UCLA starters scored in double-figures, Tony Parker had a career-high 28 points on 11-of-14 shooting with 12 rebounds and three blocks, Kevon Looney had his 15th double-double, Bryce Alford got hot late to finish with 22 points, and the Bruins shot 60.3 percent from the floor.

They now await Iowa or Gonzaga.

2:18 p.m. ET (Murphy) - "Hi, haters. It's us, UCLA. We're in the Sweet Sixteen. If you believed in us, awesome. If you still don't, well, we'll see you in Houston next week."

2:15 p.m. ET (Murphy) - This one's pretty much over. UCLA has their largest lead of the game with two minutes to go at 86-73. All five Bruins starters are in double-figures, Tony Parker has been a beast and Kevon Looney has his 15th double-double, tops among freshman.

2:09 p.m. ET (Murphy) - Bryce Alford finished his chores in time, so Steve Alford gave him some more touches. Alford is making good use, hitting three of his last four attempts. He now has 19 points, and UCLA is up 12 with 3:07 remaining.

2:07 p.m. ET (Murphy) - Tony Parker has now topped his career-high. He's got 24 points on 9-of-11 shooting along with 11 rebounds, good for his fourth double-double of the season. UCLA leads 79-68 with four minutes to play.

2:05 p.m. ET (Murphy) - How unlikely is this UAB shooting performance? Let some idiot explain:

In other words, UAB would have about a 1-in-50 chance of shooting this well in a game, without controlling for which individuals are taking the shots or the quality of UCLA's perimeter defense.

2:02 p.m. (Murphy) - Another nod in the favor of a UAB comeback - they're in the bonus with 6:42 to play. So is UCLA, but the Blazers have been a better free throw shooting team this year (74.2 percent to 67.6 percent). It's 72-65 UCLA with 6:36 to play.

1:57 p.m. ET (Murphy) - It's 70-61 UCLA with 7:23 to go and a Sweet Sixteen berth on the line. If UAB continues to throw flames from outside, this could be quite a finish. Tony Parker has matched a career-high with 22 points for the Bruins, by the way.

1:54 p.m. ET (Murphy) - Bryce Alford just threw a terribly ill-advised alley-oop pass for a turnover. Head coach and father Steve Alford promptly sent him to his room.

1:51 p.m. ET (Murphy) - All those UAB threes? They've been answered by an incredible 40-14 edge on points in the paint for UCLA. They lead 66-58 with 8:41 to play, and it looks like the team that maybe shouldn't have been in the field could be headed to the Sweet Sixteen.

Not only did a certain handsome live-blogger see this coming, but Rick Pitino did, too.

1:47 p.m. ET (Murphy) - Quick quiz: Is the following picture the UAB logo, or their shooting percentage from long range today?

It is both. They're 11-of-20 on threes after shooting 32.7 percent on the season to this point. They're down 64-58, strictly because of that mark. Blaze is loving it.

1:45 p.m. ET (Murphy) - A reminder if you're noticing UAB's mismatched shoes - they're doing it for a great reason.

1:40 p.m. ET (Murphy) - Bryce Alford isn't 9-of-11 from downtown like he was in the Round of 64, but he's having another nice game. He's dished five dimes, several of them pretty, and has nine points. Isaac Hamilton has five assists, too.

1:38 p.m. ET (Murphy) - UAB's 3-point shooting isn't slowing down as expected. They're 9-of-16, the only reason they remain within nine points at 59-50. Robert Brown has four of those triples on his way to 20 points for a second consecutive game.

1:25 p.m. ET (Murphy) - The second half started exactly as the first half played out: All Tony Parker everything. He opened the half with a pair of freebies and then passed the torch to Kevon Looney, who is on a personal 6-0 run to push the lead to 54-40.

1:15 p.m. ET (Murphy) - Remember those NCAA tournament snubs? I just looked at the NIT bracket. Colorado St. lost in the first round, but all of the other 1- and 2-seeds have won, as did Murray St. But tough to argue with the last team in (Dayton) and the most-debated inclusion (UCLA) since they're both in the Round of 32.

1:10 p.m. ET (Murphy) - Feeling a little low on energy with the game at half, another not scheduled until 2:40 and this being the third day of a four-day marathon stretch? You're not alone.

1:02 p.m. ET (Murphy) - Tony Parker finishes the half with 19 points and six rebounds to lead UCLA, and he does so on 8-of-9 shooting. UAB is hanging around thanks to a 6-of-10 mark from long range, something that seems unsustainable considering they shot 32.7 percent from outside this season.

Then again, UCLA may not be able to keep shooting 61.3 percent overall, either. But the 21-8 rebounding edge and all those points in the paint could keep up. They lead 46-37 at the break.

12:54 p.m. ET (Murphy) - Kevon Looney has the world's thinnest mohawk. He also just bailed UAB out late in the shot clock with a ticky-tack foul on the floor.

12:51 p.m. ET (Murphy) - Terrible though the jerseys may be, UCLA is playing in them just fine. They're shooting 58.6 percent from the floor and have a plus-12 mark on the glass, good for a 39-33 lead with 2:44 left in the first half.

Tony Parker (19 points, six rebounds) and Robert Brown (15 points) are having quite the offensive slugfest. Isaac Hamilton has been really good for UCLA, too, with 4-3-4 early.

12:46 p.m. ET (Murphy) - Seriously, who designed and approved these?

A cummerbund, a stripe on only one leg ... these are terrible.

12:45 p.m. ET (Murphy) - Tony Parker has 17 points in 15 minutes of game time. I didn't realize this, but apparently he's quite the quote, and reporters are getting excited about talking to him after a big outing.

12:41 p.m. ET (Murphy) - UAB has tried to move into a matchup zone to slow UCLA from the field but it's not having the desired effect yet. Luckily, the Blazers are shooting 50 percent from the floor and 5-of-7 on threes themselves, and they're staying close, down 35-28.

12:38 p.m. ET (Murphy) - UCLA's pulled ahead with a 27-23 lead, their largest of the game. Tony Parker has 10 points and four rebounds to lead the way.

12:33 p.m. ET (Murphy) - Robert Brown averages 13.3 points on 39.7 percent shooting for UAB. He scored 21 on 7-of-19 in the Round of 64 against Iowa State. He has 10 on 4-of-5 just 11 minutes into play Friday. A flair for the moment, it seems, for Bobby Brown. He has UAB in front 21-18.

12:24 p.m. ET (Murphy) - As a reminder, UCLA beat UAB 88-76 back on Nov. 28 on neutral court. It's not going quite so well yet, with UAB up 14-13 seven minutes into the game. Robert Brown has 10 points on perfect shooting for the Blazers.

12:17 p.m. ET (Murphy) - UCLA has followed Louisville's lead with uniforms that look as if they have cummerbunds. It's weird. It's also 7-7 at the first television timeout.

12:12 p.m. ET (Murphy) - We're underway in Louisville, as Tony Parker opens the scoring for UCLA by splitting a pair of free throws.

11:06 a.m. ET (Murphy): Bruh. Bruhhhhh. You ready for this? Not only do my Bruins kick things off, we've got Kentucky, we've got Stanley Johnson against D'Angelo Russell, we've got a pair of enticing 4-5 matchups and we've got 16 teams that made magic happen Thursday.

I ask you, then...

Gino Bottero and I will be here allllll day long for the third day in a row, taking you through all of the action. Check back at 12:10 p.m. when the first game tips off.

Bottero: And then there were 32.

A rather uneventful Friday gives way to an eight-game slate Saturday which features the same teams that made Thursday so exciting, with four double-digit seeds in action.

Catch up on Friday's action with the Morning Wrap-up.