A look around the sights and sounds of the NCAA Tournament from reporters at the games and surrounding events:
NBA AIN’T GOT NOTHING ON THE NCAA: The top-seeded Vilanova Wildcats continued their outside feast in the NCAA Tournament, downing the fifth-seeded West Virginia Mountaineers, 90-78, on Friday night to earn their second trip to the regional finals in three seasons.
West Virginia senior Jevon Carter, who had 12 points, said he was proud of his classmates’ four-year run. Friday’s game marked the 10th career NCAA Tournament game for Carter and teammate Daxter Miles — tying them for the most in school history.
Carter said the tournament will always mean a lot to both of them.
“It’s everything. Everybody is in tune with March Madness. I feel like it’s bigger than the NBA playoffs,” he said. “Anything can happen in March. … Unfortunately we lost in the Sweet 16.”
In his news conference, Villanova head coach Jay Wright described his team’s mental toughness to advance to the Elite Eight.
BAD BREAK: Purdue star center Isaac Haas, the team’s No. 2 scorer and rebounder, could only be a cheerleader — and a one-armed cheerleader, at that — in his team’s 78-65 loss to Texas Tech on Friday night.
After breaking his right elbow in the first-round game against Cal State-Fullerton, he tried to convince the coach he could play; the Purdue engineering department even pitched in, designing a special brace for his right arm.
But Haas remained on the bench, replaced by Matt Haarms, a redshirt freshman who at 7-foot-3 measures an inch taller but at 40 pounds lighter is hardly the force under the basket of that his senior teammate has been. Haarms finished with four points and three rebounds.
STILL BEST BUDDIES: After Duke narrowly got past Syracuse, 69-65, Friday night, the Blue Devils’ coach only had good things to stay about the Orange, including its star guard Tyus Battle.
“Battle is one of the best players in the country…He’s a big-time player. I love Tyus,” Mike Krzyzewski said. “I love their team. I love their coach even more. He does such a great job with them.”
But when asked about Kansas, Krzyzewski demurred, saying it was out of respect for Syracuse and his good buddy, Boeheim. Krzyzewski said he’ll talk KU Saturday.
.@DukeMBB takes the podium after it edges @Cuse_MBB. #MarchMadnesshttps://t.co/ByOYCXXIum
— NCAA March Madness (@marchmadness) March 24, 2018
THE BANNERS ARE STAYING: The players are getting a bit of a history lesson at this year’s East regional in Boston.
The banners honoring the Celtics and Bruins championships and retired numbers were allowed to remain in the rafters at the TD Garden this year — a change from previous events here.
“Part of the allure of being in Boston is playing beneath our championship banners,” TD Garden president Amy Latimer said. “We are proud to have them on display and part of the student-athlete experience.”
When NCAA tournament last came to town in 2012, the banners were replaced by ones noting past college basketball champions. The 17 Celtics championship banners and six for the Bruins were brought to a Salvation Army facility, where fans lined up to take pictures with them.
The Celtics also have three banners to honor their 23 retired numbers. The Bruins have retired 10 numbers.
DOGS IN THEM: Michigan is aware of the dilemma it faces Saturday with Florida State’s pressing, shot-blocking “junkyard defense,” which has deserved its colorful name.
“Just really getting after it,” Florida State’s Phil Cofer said. “We say 94 feet. That’s picking the ball up early and playing hard to exhaustion. That’s one of the key things of our junkyard defense. When everybody is locked into that, we can take ourselves all the way to the top.”
ANN ARBOR WEST: Florida State has plenty of fans in Southern California, but Michigan had a truly impressive crowd in the Staples stands for the victory over Texas A&M. Beilein expects more of the same Saturday.
“Those people didn’t travel here to see this game,” he said. “They live here, and that’s what’s great about coaching at Michigan. We’re everywhere.”
The Final Four is within our grasp.
We caught up with the guys as we we prepare for Florida State. #GoBlue | #Elite8pic.twitter.com/AnYCWCsm01
— Michigan Men’s Basketball (@umichbball) March 24, 2018
A CUT ABOVE: Scissors maker Fiskars issued a news release Friday noting that, for the 10th year in a row, it is providing the official net-cutting scissors used by victorious teams during the NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournaments.
Its “iconic” orange-handled scissors are a special edition with serrated, gold titanium blades etched with the NCAA logo.
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