NCAA Tournament live results and updates: Purdue routs Yale

We’re just minutes away from tipoff. Take a look at the starters for both sides.

The Boilermakers, the No. 3 seed in the East Region, just finished off a workmanlike 78-56 win over No. 14 seed Yale, a game that was comfortable throughout and made Purdue look like the team we thought it was in November. Namely a national title contender built around its three stars.

Purdue leaders: Jaden Ivey (22 points, 3-of-6 3pt), Zach Edey (16 points, 9 rebounds, 3 blocks), Trevion Williams (8 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists)

Yale leaders: Azar Swain (18 points)

What’s next for Purdue: It’ll play the winner of No. 6 Texas / No. 11 Virginia Tech on Sunday for a spot in the Sweet 16.

The Cats are on a 19-2 run dating to the first half. Five players have at least six points, they’re sizzling from 3 (50 percent) and owning the glass.

The Red Raiders left no doubt Friday in their blowout win over Montana State. They shot nearly 70 percent overall and 60 percent from 3, along with 23 assists and dominance on the glass. Kevin Obanor became only the third Texas Tech player since 2010 to record a double-double in the NCAA Tournament.

Texas Tech leaders: Terrence Shannon Jr. (20 points, six assists), Bryson Williams (20 points), Adonis Arms (15 points, five rebounds)

Montana State leader: Xavier Bishop (12 points)

What’s next: Texas Tech will play the winner of Alabama-Notre Dame on Sunday

And is probably not getting a McDonald’s deal out of this Cinderella run.

Spring is almost here (Sunday, March 20, let us rejoice!) And the Blue Hens were out chirping, having fun and making Villanova really earn this one. But the Wildcats are no doubt the superior team, and they take a 35-25 lead into the half. UDel’s Jyare Davis and Kevin Anderson are leading the way, but UDel is only 1-for-10 from deep, which is a problem.

Well. 2 seed Villanova, on the other hand, is shooting 50 percent from deep with eight assists. In other words, they’re playing Villanova basketball, true to form.

Just a gritty first half all around of quality hoops: not many turnovers, well-run offenses and strong defensive pressure.

It’s 27-23 Wildcats with 3:10 to play in the first half, but the Blue Hens made their presence known early with a 7-0 run to start the game and are holding on since. Jyare Davis leads Delaware having made 4 of his first 5 shots. Could we have another 15-2 upset? It’s too early to say all of that, but it bears watching.

My goodness are the Red Raiders having some fun today in a 30-point rout of Montana State. They might give up fewer than 50 points today for the sixth – yes, sixth – time this season. It’s clear why they won 25 games this year.

The reactions to Smith’s epic dunk are almost as good as the dunk, and the dunk is pretty great.

Coach Juwan Howard confirmed Devante Jones practiced Friday after missing Thursday’s first-round game while in concussion protocol. Jones took an elbow to the nose in practice before the team left Ann Arbor and wasn’t in attendance when the Wolverines beat No. 6 seed Colorado State in the opening round.

Read more here.

Good lord Jabari, that man has a family.

What a dunk. What a talent.

(Oh yeah, Jabari Smith had 20 points, 14 rebounds and four assists, Walker Kessler came a block away from a triple-double and the Tigers won 80-61. Good stuff. But mostly … wow that dunk.)

Texas Tech is punishing Montana State in nearly all areas. I mean, just look at this ball movement.

It’s all Texas Tech this afternoon over Montana State. The Raiders own a 20-plus point lead as halftime approaches behind Terrence Samuel Jr.’s 13 points. They’re shooting nearly 75 percent from the floor, have 12 assists, four blocks, five steals and only four turnovers.

As Seth Davis might note, Texas Tech: sharpie.

It’s not often you shoot 1-for-15 from beyond the arc and win an NCAA Tournament game by 13 points. But here we are. The Buckeyes played one heck of a defensive game Friday afternoon to advance to the Round of 32 over Loyola Chicago. The final score was 54-31. Sadly, no more Sister Jean this March, as her Ramblers whiffed on just about everything, either from deep or close range. They shot under 30 percent from the field and just 30 percent from the free-throw line in a brutal showing.

The Buckeyes move to 20-11 on the year, despite going just 1-for-15 from 3. This game wasn’t exactly a shooting clinic.

Ohio State leaders: EJ Liddell (16 points, 10 rebounds), Malaki Branham (14 points, five rebounds), Kyle Young (nine points, seven rebounds)

Loyola Chicago leader: Braden Norris (14 points)

What’s next: Ohio State plays the winner of Villanova and Delaware on Sunday

The Bluejays will be without the 7-1 Ryan Kalkbrenner in their second-round game against Baylor on Saturday, coach Greg McDermott said on Twitter.

Kalkbrenner is Creighton’s second-leading scorer (13.1 points per game) and rebounder (7.7 rebounds per game) in 2021-22 and ranks first in blocks (2.6 per game).

Texas Tech star guard Terrence Shannon Jr. is already up to nine points … at the first media timeout. The third-seeded Raiders all over No. 14 Montana State, 15-4, in the early going.

The Athletic’s Seth Davis and Dana O’Neil can confirm that Todd Golden is expected to become Florida’s next head men’s basketball coach.

Golden has earned acclaim for the job he’s done with San Francisco, and is the second-straight Dons head coach to use the position to move into the power six. Kyle Smith is now the head coach at Washington State. USF made the NCAA Tournament as a No. 10 seed, but lost to Murray State Thursday night in the first round.

Does Sister Jean’s club have some second-half magic in it? We’ll soon find out. But Ohio State closed a dud of a first half on a good note, and now the Buckeyes have a 10-point lead. They’re starting to knock down shots and rebound, though the turnover number (12) isn’t ideal. Loyola still can hardly buy a shot right now.