MICK CRONIN

NCAA St Peters Basketball Saint Peter's head coach Shaheen Holloway watches practice for the NCAA men's college basketball tournament, Thursday, March 24, 2022, in Philadelphia. Saint Peter's plays Purdue in a Sweet 16 game on Friday. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) (Matt Rourke)A look at what’s happening in the NCAA Tournament today:GAME OF THE DAYSAINT PETER'S VS. PURDUEThis is where the Saint Peter's storybook run should end, right? Saint Peter's plays great defense, but will have to get creative to keep third-seeded Purdue in check. Asked Thursday why the Friars don't schedule more high-profile programs, Cooley said, “The reason we don’t play the bluebloods is because they don’t want to come to the Dunkin’ Donuts Center.

The Saint Peter's Peacocks look to keep their surprise run in the NCAA Tournament going when they play Purdue in the East Region semifinal in Philadelphia.

NCAA St Peters Basketball Saint Peter's head coach Shaheen Holloway watches practice for the NCAA men's college basketball tournament, Thursday, March 24, 2022, in Philadelphia. Saint Peter's plays Purdue in a Sweet 16 game on Friday. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) (Matt Rourke)A look at what’s happening in the NCAA Tournament on Friday:GAME OF THE DAYSAINT PETER'S VS. PURDUEThis is where the Saint Peter's storybook run should end, right? Saint Peter's plays great defense but will have to get creative to keep third-seeded Purdue in check. Asked Thursday why the Friars don't schedule more high-profile programs, Cooley said, “The reason we don’t play the bluebloods is because they don’t want to come to the Dunkin’ Donuts Center.

The Sweet 16 at the East region features one game between UCLA and North Carolina and another between Purdue and underdog Saint Peter’s.

Tyger Campbell rescued UCLA from a potential upset, scoring eight straight points late in the second half, and the fourth-seeded Bruins rallied for a 57-53 win over No. 13 seed Akron in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday night. With the Bruins down 51-47 with 3 1/2 minutes left, Campbell took control and helped his team avoid getting bounced on the opening day of the tournament. Campbell hit a corner 3-pointer to pull UCLA within one, knocked down a 15-footer for the lead and added a 25-footer as the shot clock was expiring to put the Bruins ahead 55-51 with 1:17 left.

UCLA's David Singleton, Cody Riley and Jules Bernard will be honored on senior night, but all three could return because of COVID eligibility rules.

Men’s and women’s basketball coaches across the country are coping with the challenge of physical conditioning that comes with COVID-19 pauses.

Struggling to find opponents amid the coronavirus chaos, San Francisco and Loyola Chicago decided to meet in the middle. The Dons and Ramblers are set to play Thursday in Salt Lake City, an unexpected nonconference mid-major pop-up game that had San Francisco coach Todd Golden so giddy he called on support from a rival. “We would love any @BYUMBB fans in the Salt Lake area to come support the @USFDonsMBB on Thursday at 12noon Mtn Time! !”The college basketball season got off to such a great start, a sense of normalcy returning to the hardwood. Barring more issues, San Francisco and Loyola Chicago will meet at Salt Lake Community College's Lifetime Activities Center-Bruin Arena.

San Francisco and Loyola Chicago struggled to find opponents for college basketball games so they decided to meet in the middle.

Alabama St UCLA Basketball An empty Pauley Pavilion is seen before an NCAA college basketball game between UCLA and Alabama State Wednesday, Dec. 15, 2021, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) (Marcio Jose Sanchez)LOS ANGELES — (AP) — After a nearly two-week shutdown because of COVID-19, UCLA is back. The Bruins’ game that night against Alabama State was canceled an hour before tipoff. UCLA thought it would be hosting Arizona State on Wednesday, but then the Sun Devils came down with COVID-19 issues. The Bruins’ COVID-19 woes coincided with the Christmas break, leaving Bernard alone in his off-campus apartment.

The UCLA men's basketball team is back after a nearly two-week shutdown because of COVID-19.

LAS VEGAS — (AP) — Andrew Nembhard scored 24 points, freshman Chet Holmgren showed off his unique skill set and top-ranked Gonzaga overwhelmed No. Gonzaga shell shocked UCLA (5-1) with a huge early blitz and never let up to beat its second top-5 team this season. The Zags and Bruins played an all-timer last April in Indianapolis, an epic Final Four game won by Gonzaga on Jalen Suggs' running 3-point buzzer beater. UCLA has everyone back, though big man Cody Riley has been out since injuring his knee in the season opener. Gonzaga was at its free-flowing best on offense, picking apart the Bruins with crisp cuts and passes.

Andrew Nembhard scored 24 points, freshman Chet Holmgren showed off his unique skill set and top-ranked Gonzaga overwhelmed No. 2 UCLA 83-63 to win the Empire Classic.

Villanova UCLA Basketball UCLA player huddle in the closing seconds of an overtime win over Villanova during an NCAA college basketball game Friday, Nov. 12, 2021, in Los Angeles. 2 UCLA backed up its Final Four run last spring with an 86-77 overtime victory against fourth-ranked Villanova on Friday night. Samuels scored 20 points and Gillespie scored 18 points to lead Villanova (1-1). The first was in the 1971 national championship game at the Houston Astrodome, with UCLA beating Villanova 68-62. ... Cedric the Entertainer and actor Jessica Alba, the daughter-in-law of UCLA great Mike Warren, and Jamaal Wilkes were on hand.

Gonzaga is the preseason No. 1 in The Associated Press Top 25 men's college basketball poll.

UCLA challenged top-seeded Gonzaga for 45 minutes and came up just short.

Johnny Juzang’s impact at UCLA has been immediate since he transferred from Kentucky, giving the Bruins the scorer and dynamic player they had been missing in recent years.

Michigan’s Juwan Howard is The Associated Press men’s college basketball coach of the year.

(AP Photo/Michael Conroy)INDIANAPOLIS – UCLA has made more trips to the Final Four than any program but North Carolina. AdThey were clinging to a 50-49 lead when Michigan called a timeout with 19 seconds to go, intending to set up the game's final shot. The buzzer sounded and UCLA began to celebrate, only for the officials to put a half-second back on the clock. They were 3 of 11 beyond the arc, shot 39% overall and couldn't make one at the end. UCLA won a regional semifinal in 2006 and the Bulldogs returned the favor in the 2015 regional semifinals.

Instead, they scored the first five points of the extra session, then cruised from there to an 88-78 victory that gave the No. 11 seed Bruins their first trip to the Elite Eight since 2008 — and Cronin the first of his 18-year coaching career. Singleton was fouled and made two free throws for UCLA, pushing the lead to 65-62 with 4 seconds to go. Alabama led the nation in 3-pointers attempted and made this season, so it was fitting that a 3 would send the game to overtime. UCLA has beaten Michigan in three of their four NCAA Tournament games, including the 1965 national championship in Portland, Oregon.

(AP Photo/AJ Mast)INDIANAPOLIS – It's not that Juwan Howard doesn't love his old friend and mentor, Leonard Hamilton. Howard and Hamilton struck up a strong friendship in 2000, when Howard was wrapping up his time with the Washington Wizards and Hamilton was coaching there. He said even if his late grandmother, Jannie Mae Howard, was alive and playing basketball, "I'd play her 1-on-1. “Johnny is young,” UCLA coach Mick Cronin said after the BYU game. He’s improved immensely.”___More AP College Basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball; and https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket

UCLA basketball players celebrate their win over BYU after a first-round game in the NCAA college basketball tournament at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Saturday, March 20, 2021. 11 seed Bruins rally past Michigan State in the First Four, Juzang poured in 27 points against sixth-seeded BYU on Saturday night, carrying his team to a 73-62 victory and the second round of the East Region. This is the height of college basketball,” Juzang said, “and playing for the Bruins — I'm from Los Angeles. He's scouting Abilene Christian and he told me they would win,” UCLA coach Mick Cronin said. There's a number of things we can take from this game to get better,” BYU coach Mark Pope said.

– UCLA showed plenty of fight in its overtime win over Michigan State in a First Four game in the NCAA Tournament. UCLA forced overtime on Jaime Jaquez Jr.'s three-point play with 3.3 seconds to go, then pulled away in the extra session for an 86-80 victory at Mackey Arena on Thursday night. Once overtime came around, Juzang hit the first two baskets of the extra session to give UCLA the lead. Michigan State was 16 of 18 from the foul line but missed one in overtime. They also split their four NCAA Tournament games, with UCLA winning in 1965 and 1971 and the Cougars winning in 1950 and 1981.