The NCAA Tournament's Sweet 16 tipped off Thursday and some expected - and unexpected - performances made headlines.
Ryan Cline, Purdue
As Purdue's best player, Carsen Edwards' big night in the Boilermarkers' win over Tennessee was expected - he became the first player with four straight 25-point tournament games since Stephen Curry.
The same probably can't be said of senior guard Ryan Cline, who exploded for a career-high 27 points against the Vols. Twenty-two of those came in the second half and overtime before he fouled out with two minutes left in the extra period.
Cline shot 10-for-13 from the floor, including 7-of-10 from beyond the arc. Three of those treys came with less than five minutes left in regulation after Tennessee closed the gap and his dribble step-back 3 tied the game with 36.4 seconds left.
Brandon Clarke, Gonzaga
Brandon Clarke didn't lead Gonzaga in scoring in its win over Florida State, but he did it all and set the tone early. Off the opening jump, the 6-foot-8, 220-pound Clarke was matched up with the Seminoles' 7-foot-4, 268-pound center Christ Koumadje. Clarke more than held his own in the paint, goading Koumadje into two quick fouls.
From there on out, Clarke's usually stout defense was on full display. For the second tourney game in a row - and for the 11th time this season - he blocked five shots in a contest, and also added a steal. The Canadian senior finished with 15 points and 12 rebounds, and his putback jam over a hapless Terance Mann was likely the highlight of the game.
Jarrett Culver, Texas Tech
Through three tournament games, Jarrett Culver continues to pump up his draft stock. The Texas Tech sophomore scored 22 points in Thursday's blowout win over Michigan, and though he was 0-for-5 from deep, he further demonstrated his ability to dodge multiple defenders and attack the basket. His knack for scoring was fully evident in a tricky, reverse finger roll through contact.
Culver was defensively active for Texas Tech too, racking up three steals. The Red Raiders' Division I-leading defense held Michigan to 1-of-19 shooting from beyond the arc and just 32.7 percent overall.
Culver is now averaging nearly 25 points over his last five outings.
