Men's March Madness highlights: Thursday's Sweet 16 scores, best NCAA Tournament moments

Men’s March Madness continues Thursday night with the first slate of Sweet 16 games.

Two top seeds were in action. No. 1 UConn routed No. 5 San Diego State, 82-52, in a rematch of last year’s national championship game. North Carolina became the first No. 1 seed to lose this tournament, falling to No. 4 Alabama. Elsewhere, No. 6 Clemson upset No. 2 Arizona and No. 3 Illinois defeated No. 2 Iowa State.

Men's NCAA Tournament games are airing and streaming across CBS, TBS, TNT and truTV.

USA TODAY Sports will provide the latest news, scores, analysis and more all day. Follow along. 

March Madness Sweet 16 highlights

Alabama upsets North Carolina

FOLLOW THE MADNESS: NCAA basketball bracket, scores, schedules, teams and more.

Clemson upsets Arizona

NCAA Tournament scores

Here's the full scoreboard from Thursday's Sweet 16 games.

Men's March Madness NCAA Tournament schedule

Here's the full schedule for Friday's Sweet 16 games.

Men's March Madness scores today

Here is Thursday’s full schedule Sweet 16 schedule and results:

• (6) Clemson 77, (2) Arizona 72
• (1) UConn 82, (5) San Diego State 52
• (4) Alabama 89, (1) North Carolina 87
• (3) Illinois 72, (2) Iowa State 69

No. 4 Alabama upsets No. 1 North Carolina

LOS ANGELES — Another upset in Los Angeles is complete.

Alabama is headed to the Elite Eight for the second time in team history after it took down No. 1 seed North Carolina 89-87. 

North Carolina increased its lead late in the first half, but Alabama controlled the second half en route to the victory. The Crimson Tide outscored the Tar Heels 43-33 in the final 20 minutes as the top seed struggled to shoot the ball. In the second half, North Carolina was 10-for-39 from the field and 2-for-15 from 3-point land. 

The star for Alabama was Grant Nelson, who scored 19 of his game-high 24 points in the second half. He scored at critical points with his own 7-0 run late in the game; a massive three-point play in the final minute gave the Crimson Tide the lead for good and he hit his free throws at the end to preserve the lead to send the nation’s top scoring offense on to the next round.

It’s Alabama's first trip to the Elite Eight since 2004 and it will play Clemson on Saturday, with the winner making its first trip to the Final Four. — Jordan Mendoza

No. 3 Illinois holds off No. 2 Iowa State

For a game with no lead changes, No. 2 Iowa State and No. 3 Illinois played an incredibly competitive contest. 

Iowa State nearly erased a 10-point halftime deficit and had multiple chances to tie the game in the second half but ultimately fell 72-69 in the final game of Thursday's Sweet 16 play.

Illinois' Terrence Shannon Jr. led all scorers with 29 points on 10 of 19 shooting and was the difference in the game. When Shannon picked up his fourth personal foul midway through the second half, the Illinois offense went cold as Iowa State attempted to shoot itself back into the game. But when Shannon re-emerged with about four minutes to play, he sparked the Illinois offense to victory.

Shannon also became the first Illinois player to have at least three games scoring 25 or more points in a single NCAA Tournament.

Keshon Gilbert scored 13 of his 14 points in the second half, at times singlehandedly keeping Iowa State alive. But missed layups and costly turnovers doomed the Cyclones down the stretch.

Now, Illinois will continue dancing after capitalizing on its first Sweet 16 appearance in almost two decades. It will face No. 1 UConn in the Elite Eight. — Richard Morin

Illinois coach goes all-out, removes shirt for postgame squirt-gun fight

The vibes were high in the Illinois locker room after the Fighting Illini punched their ticket to the Elite Eight for the first time since 2005.

Coach Brad Underwood even got in on the fun, going all-out in the team's postgame squirt-gun fight. The seventh-year coach, who removed his shirt for the festivities, appeared to have much greater firepower than his players possessed.

Illinois finds its shooting late

If No. 3 Illinois earns a trip to the Elite Eight, it will be on the back of Terrence Shannon Jr.

Shannon sat on the bench for almost six minutes after receiving his fourth personal foul, but drained a clutch 3-pointer during his first possession back on the court as part of Illinois' hot shooting spurt in the final minutes of its Sweet 16 game against No. 2 Iowa State.

Iowa State had a couple of chances to tie the game, but Shannon's re-entrance invigorated the Illinois offense. Iowa State was trailing 62-56 with 3:44 left. — Richard Morin

Illinois losing grip in second half

A scoreless stretch of 2:40 for No. 3 Illinois with star Terrence Shannon Jr. on the bench allowed No. 2 Iowa State to pull within two points midway through the second half of their Sweet 16 game.

The score was 51-49 with 9:46 to go.

Shannon led all scorers with 20 points but was removed from the game after his fourth personal foul. Iowa State's Keshon Gilbert continued his hot second half. He was up to 14 points for the game. — Richard Morin

Alabama takes lead in final minutes

We’ve already had one upset in Los Angeles. Will we see another?

Alabama is starting to make shots and it has retaken the lead over North Carolina, 82-77, with 3:35 to go.

The Crimson Tide have gone on a quick 7-0 run while North Carolina has gone cold. The Tar Heels haven’t made a field goal in over two and a half minutes. All of the points in Alabama's run came from Grant Nelson, who has 19 points on the night. — Jordan Mendoza

Hot shooting gets Iowa State back into matchup with Illinois

Iowa State came out swinging to start the second half against Illinois.

The No. 2 Cyclones connected on five of their first six field goals to divide their 10-point halftime deficit in half. The score was 41-36 in favor of No. 3 Illinois with 15:42 to go.

Illinois' Terrence Shannon Jr. leads all scorers with 18, but Keshon Gilbert's hot start to the second half for Iowa State has him up to nine points for the game. — Richard Morin

UNC jumps back in front of Alabama

It took a while, but North Carolina and Alabama are starting to pick up the pace in the second half with the Tar Heels leading 70-67 with eight minutes left. 

North Carolina used a quick 9-1 run to take the lead back after Alabama grabbed it, but Alabama continues to push the pace after every Tar Heel basket. — Jordan Mendoza

Things getting physical between UNC, Alabama

A frenzy of foul calls filled the first few minutes of the second half between North Carolina and Alabama. Despite a dominant offensive rebounding effort from the Tar Heels, it was the Crimson Tide that cut an eight-point halftime deficit to just three points. The score was 55-52, UNC.

A total of eight fouls were called in the first 4:30 of the second half, five by Alabama and three by UNC. More fouls were called than points scored (7) during that span.

UNC's Mark Spears leads all scorers with 16 points early in the second half. — Richard Morin

Halftime: Illinois 36, Iowa State 26

No. 3 seed Illinois sprinted out to an early 11-2 lead and mostly kept No. 2 seed Iowa State at arm’s length in the first half. The Fighting Illini hit halftime with a 36-26 lead.

The Cyclones haven’t been able to buy a bucket, shooting just 9-for-31 in the first half (29%). Illinois started off hot from the field but has cooled off considerably. The Illini made three of their first four 3-point attempts, but ended the first half 5-for-16 (31.3%) from behind the arc, part of a 41.4% shooting performance overall.

Illinois' Terrence Shannon Jr. leads all scorers with 16 points. Curtis Jones is pacing Iowa State with 13 points off the bench. — Jace Evans

North Carolina vs. Alabama halftime: Tar Heels up by eight

No. 1 seed North Carolina has an eight-point lead over No. 4 seed Alabama heading into halftime, 54-46

The Tar Heels are shooting 62.5% from the 3-point line (10-of-16). Senior Cormac Ryan (12 points) and freshman Elliot Cadeau (8 points) combined for six of those threes. Senior R.J. Davis, the ACC player of the year, had a quiet first half and was held to only two points. Senior Armando Bacot added 12 points and six rebounds. 

The Crimson Tide have knocked down their fair share of 3s as well, with the team shooting 50% from the 3-point line (7-of-14). Sophomore Rylan Griffen (15 points) has four of those 3-pointers. — Cydney Henderson

Alabama, North Carolina trading buckets early

Things are heating up from the 3-point line. 

Both North Carolina and Alabama have knocked down five 3-pointers with 7:43 remaining in the first half. No. 1 seed North Carolina 5-of-8 from three and No. 4 Alabama 5-of-10 from three. 

Alabama is up 32-31. 

North Carolina Crimson Tide freshman Elliot Cadeau (8 points) and sophomore Seth Trimble (8 points) have both hit two 3-pointers each. 

Crimson Tide senior Mark Sears has a game-high 12 points 

“Cadeau and Trimble are making more threes than they are making all year,” Alabama coach Nate Oats said on the TBS broadcast. “We can’t give up easy buckets.” — Cydney Henderson

Illinois leads early vs. Iowa State

It’s all Illinois early.

The No. 3 seed Illini took an 11-2 lead over No. 2 seed Iowa State into the first TV timeout at the 15:52 mark. Illinois has hit three of its four 3-point attempts and has four assists on four made shots. — Jace Evans

North Carolina has early lead over Alabama

No. 1 seed North Carolina went on a 8-0 run to take a 12-7 lead over No. 4 Alabama with 15:49 remaining the first half. The Crimson Tide are already up to four turnovers in less than five minutes of play, which the Tar Heels have converted to seven points. 

Freshman Elliot Cadeau leads North Carolina with five points. They have knocked down 2-of-2 threes so far.  — Cydney Henderson

UConn cruises to Elite Eight with San Diego State blowout

The rematch of the 2023 title game between UConn and San Diego State went exactly how it went last year. The Aztecs surrendered another double-digit loss to the reigning champion Huskies. 

UConn defeated San Diego State, 82-52, in Sweet 16 play on Thursday to advance to the Elite Eight for the second straight year. Huskies senior Cam Spencer led the way with 18 points, five rebounds, three assists and three steals. Senior Tristen Newton added 17 points and seven rebounds, while freshman Stephon Castle had a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds. 

The Huskies, who shot 46.2% from the field and 10-of-26 from three, dominated the Aztecs in the paint. UConn recorded 50 rebounds – 21 of them offensive – compared to San Diego State’s 29. The Huskies also outscored the Aztecs 38-18 in the paint. 

Aztecs senior Jaedon Ledee had a team-high 18 points, eight rebounds and on assist. — Cydney Henderson

UConn pulls away from San Diego State

The No. 1 seed Huskies are closing in on their second straight trip to the Elite Eight in as many years. 

UConn has a 25-point lead over the No. 5 seed Aztecs, 73-48, with 3:54 remaining in the game, thanks to their rebounding efforts. The Huskies have outrebounded the Aztecs, 50-25, including 21 offensive rebounds. 

Huskies senior Cam Spencer leads the Huskies with 18 points, five rebounds and three assists. Freshman Stephon Castle has a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds. 

Collectively, UConn is shooting 44.3% from the field and 8-of-23 from three, compared to San Diego State shooting 34.5% from the field and 5-of-22 from three. — Cydney Henderson

Clemson upsets Arizona, goes to first Elite 8 since 1980

LOS ANGELES — In the battle of the cats, the Tiger prevails.

No. 6 seed Clemson is headed to its second Elite Eight in school history after it knocked off No. 2 seed Arizona, 77-72, in a game it handled the majority of the way.

After a lackluster first half, Arizona stormed back in the second half to take its first lead. But the lead was brief; Clemson grabbed it right back and never let go of it, fending off the Wildcats. 

It was a two-point game in the final minute, but a clutch 3-point play from Chase Hunter extended the lead and Arizona couldn’t respond. Hunter finished the game with a team-high 18 points. 

Clemson’s defense came up big against Baylor in the second round and it was the same story this time around. The Wildcats were among the nation’s best in shooting percentage and 3-point shooting, yet it never found rhythm. It finished the night 25-for-67 (37.3%) from the field and an abysmal 5-for-28 (17.9%) from the 3-point line. 

The Tigers will continue one of its best seasons in team history on Saturday, facing the winner of No. 1 seed North Carolina and No. 4 seed Alabama. Meanwhile it’s another March disappointment from Arizona, as it hasn’t advanced to the Elite Eight since 2015. — Jordan Mendoza

UConn extends lead over San Diego State

The Huskies have their largest lead of the game at 55-39. UConn extended its lead over the San Diego State to 16 with 11:35 remaining in the second half. 

The reigning champion Huskies are dominating the Aztecs, last year’s runner-up in the NCAA Tournament, 28-14, in the paint. UConn also has out-rebounded the Aztecs, 39-20, with the Huskies grabbing a whopping 18 offensive rebounds. 

Huskies senior Cam Spencer leads the Huskies with 16 points, four rebounds and two assists. — Cydney Henderson

Clemson retakes lead

LOS ANGELES — Arizona’s lead was brief, with Clemson retaking it and holding the Wildcats away for now. The Tigers lead 63-58 with less than eight minutes left.

The Wildcats are getting to the free throw line a ton in this half, getting to the bonus in just eight minutes. In the second half, Arizona is 14-for-17 from the foul line while Clemson has gone just seven times. Outside of getting fouls, Arizona’s offense has hit another funk. It hasn’t made a basket in the last six and a half minutes. — Jordan Mendoza

Arizona completes comeback vs. Clemson

Arizona finally took its first lead of the game, 46-45, on a Caleb Love layup with 14:33 to go. The Wildcats’ time in front was short-lived, however, as Jack Clark immediately canned a 3 to put Clemson back in front.

It maintained that edge into a TV timeout with 11:55 to go, the only other highlight to speak of in that stretch a deep 3-pointer by the Tigers’ Joseph Girard III, who calmly collected a deflected ball before dribbling back across midcourt and hitting the pull-up. — Jace Evans

UConn leads San Diego State at the half

They’re maybe not as dominant as they hoped they’d be so far, but No. 1 UConn goes into the halftime break up 40-31 over No. 5 San Diego.

UConn had a 7-0 run early and a lead as large as 11, but they had a three-minute scoring drought that let the Aztecs sneak back. Both teams are shooting only 39 percent from the field. The Huskies are outrebounding San Diego State 28-16.

Senior guard Cam Spencer has 16 points for the Huskies. Their bench has yet to score. Senior forward Jaedon Ledee has 15 points and two fouls for the Aztecs. — Victoria Hernandez

Arizona run makes it one-point game

LOS ANGELES — Here come the Wildcats.

In the blink of an eye, Arizona has stormed back to make it a 43-42 game with a free throw awaiting them after a Clemson timeout with 16:33 left in the game. 

The Wildcats are going inside and it's starting to work, with center Oumar Ballo putting emphatic dunks in to ignite the crowd. Caleb Love, who had a bad first half, then drove in for a layup and the foul to make it a one-point game. Arizona is on a 7-0 run in just 50 seconds. — Jordan Mendoza

UConn slowly pulling away from San Diego State but not easily

UConn is still trying to find a rhythm in the Sweet 16.

The No. 1 Huskies are up 29-21 over the No. 5 Aztecs with 7:45 left in the first quarter.

A layup from Tristen Newton, who led UConn in scoring in last year’s national championship game, broke a three-minute scoring drought for his team. The Huskies had an 11-point lead before the lull. The Aztecs didn’t exactly thrive while their opponent was struggling, but notched five points to shorten the margin. — Victoria Hernandez

Clemson leads Arizona at halftime

LOS ANGELES — An upset is brewing in Los Angeles.

Clemson scored the first points of the game and led the entire first half, heading into the locker room with a 39-31 lead over No. 2 seed Arizona. 

Arizona had a sluggish start to the game, but one of the best offenses in the country has slowly picked it up. The Wildcats have been able to cut the deficit at times, but whenever it looks to be taking momentum of the game, Clemson has been able to respond and quiet the Arizona crowd. 

The biggest difference in the game has been the 3-point shooting. The Tigers are 5-for-11 while Arizona, who enters the game top 20 in the long ball, is only 2-for-11. Arizona was also able to get to the foul line eight times but only made three of them.

Clemson’s Ian Schieffelin is the leading scorer with nine points. — Jordan Mendoza

UConn vs. San Diego State tips off, Aztecs give early scare

The rematch of last year’s NCAA championship game is underway.

No. 1 UConn and No. 5 San Diego State started the game neck-and-neck as the Aztecs answered the Huskies’ points early.

San Diego State had a 10-9 lead at 15:50, but a free throw from Stephon Castle and a three-point bucket from Alex Karaban put UConn back up front 14-10. The Huskies then went on a 7-0 run to go up 22-14. — Victoria Hernandez

Clemson knocking 3-pointers to extend lead

LOS ANGELES — Arizona entered the day among the top three scoring teams in the country, but it’s the Clemson offense doing all the scoring so far with the Tigers jumping to a 27-14 lead, its largest of the game.

Poor shooting and turnovers continue to hurt Arizona while Clemson is knocking down shots from the perimeter. The Tigers are 5-for-7 from beyond the arc while Arizona is 1-for-8. After Clemson hit two 3-pointers in quick fashion, Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd took a timeout in hopes to regroup the Wildcats. — Jordan Mendoza

Clemson capitalizing on Arizona’s slow start

LOS ANGELES — It’s been all Tigers so far in Los Angeles with Clemson’s offense finding rhythm while Arizona has yet to wake up.

After going inside early, Clemson has started to shoot the ball outside and it has worked with two 3-pointers. Meanwhile Arizona is an abysmal 2-for-13 to start the contest and its turned the ball over four times. Guard Caleb Love, who has had great tournament success, is 0-for-5. Clemson has controlled the pace and prevent the Wildcats from moving quickly. — Jordan Mendoza

UConn gets unreleased Kobe 6 sneakers ahead of Sweet 16 courtesy of Vanessa Bryant

The Connecticut Huskies will have sweet feet for their Sweet 16 matchup.

Vanessa Bryant, Kobe Bryant’s widow, gifted the team with unreleased Nike Kobe 6 Protro sneakers. The shoes are in the “Italian Camo” colorway with a dark green base and red swoosh. They pay homage to the NBA icon’s heritage in Italy.

The Huskies posted photos of the sneakers on their social media and a video of the players receiving their surprise. Several gasped when they opened their shoe box.

This edition of the Kobe 6 sneakers, originally released in 2011, isn’t available to the public yet. According to SneakerFiles, they will drop on April 13 with a retail price of $190. — Victoria Hernandez

Clemson up with early lead

LOS ANGELES — Clemson isn’t afraid of the No. 2 seed with an early 6-3 lead after five minutes of play.

Arizona is off to a sloppy start to the game after it missed its first six shots and are currently 1-for-8 from the field with three turnovers. Meanwhile Clemson has gone inside early and often, attacking the Arizona bigs. All of the Tigers’ points so far have come near the basket. — Jordan Mendoza

Arizona-Clemson kicks off Sweet 16

LOS ANGELES — The second weekend of the men’s NCAA Tournament is underway with Arizona and Clemson facing off in the first Sweet 16 game.

Clemson is one of four ACC teams left in the tournament, the most of any conference. No. 2 seed Arizona is the only Pac-12 school remaining. Arizona certainly will enjoy a somewhat home-court advantage, as they are the only team in the region that didn’t have to fly over the Mississippi River to play in Los Angeles. 

The winner of this game will play the winner of No. 1 seed North Carolina and No. 4 seed Alabama. — Jordan Mendoza

NCAA Tournament games tonight

Here is the complete scoreboard for Thursday’s Sweet 16 games.

What time does Sweet 16 start? 

The first game, between No. 2 Arizona and No. 6 Clemson, tips off just after 7 p.m. EDT. 

What channel is March Madness on?

CBS, TBS, TNT and truTV will air first- and second-round games. CBS and TBS will air Sweet 16 and Elite Eight games. CBS will air the men's Final Four and championship game. 

How to stream March Madness on your phone 

You can catch every second by streaming every game through a few different options. All games will be broadcast across CBS, TBS, TNT and TruTV, but here are additional streaming options to watch all the action on your devices. 

• Stream through Paramount+ 
• Stream through HULU with Live TV 
• NCAA March Madness Live app 
• Stream through DirecTV Stream 

Arizona's Oumar Ballo on Wildcats' Sweet 16 experience, his bond with other African players

Arizona is about to open Sweet 16 play against Clemson. The Wildcats will be led by senior center Oumar Ballo, who is averaging 12.9 points and 10 rebounds per game. In an interview posted to the team’s X page, Ballo spoke on what the Sweet 16 run means.

“It does feel special because not every team have the opportunity to make it this far,” he said. “We are aware of that and we’re grateful that we made it and then we know that we still have a long, long way to go.”

The Wildcats bring lots of experience to the regional semifinal. Senior Keshad Johnson played in last year’s national championship with San Diego State. He faced Jaden Bradley in the Sweet 16 when his teammate was on Alabama. Caleb Love has also gone to the national championship. He did so with North Carolina in 2022.

“It helps a lot,” Ballo said. “... It’s just gonna help us ‘cause we’ve been there, we’ve done it and we know what it takes to be at this situation. So, we’re gonna take full advantage of that.”

Ballo, who hails from Mali, said his family back in Africa stays up late at night to watch his games. He explained the bond he has with other players from West Africa. Connecticut’s Youssouf Singare is also from Mali and Houston’s Cedric Lath is from the Ivory Coast.

“Africa’s big but West Africa’s not that big,” he said. “Whenever there’s a high-measure program where there’s a good player on that team, we always try to get in touch and it’s nothing but respect and love because I’m one of them. It’s not easy to live from Africa to make it all the way this far. I’m nothing but proud for those guys and I’m grateful that I was able to play with them or play against them.” — Victoria Hernandez

Clemson bracing for Arizona’s ‘raucous crowd’

LOS ANGELES — North Carolina might be the No. 1 seed in the West Regional, but there’s no team feeling more at home than Arizona.

The No. 2 seed had the shortest travel distance of any West Regional Sweet 16 team, and the fanbase has been known to come in large numbers whenever the team is in Southern California. Now with the Wildcats two wins away from their first Final Four appearance since 2001, expect a mostly pro-Arizona crowd inside Crypto.com Arena. 

“I know it will be a raucous crowd with a lot of Arizona fans,” Clemson head coach Brad Brownell said on Wednesday. “But we're super excited to be here. Our guys have worked really hard, and we're looking forward to the opportunity.” — Jordan Mendoza

Men’s March Madness schedule 

Here is the men's NCAA Tournament schedule: 

• First round: March 21-22 
• Second round: March 23-24  
• Sweet 16: March 28-29  
• Elite Eight: March 30-31  
• Final Four: Saturday, April 6 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. 
• NCAA championship game: Monday, April 8 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. 

March Madness expert picks: Our bracket predictions for 2024 NCAA men's tournament

The madness continues, and so does USA TODAY Sports' expert picks and predictions. Click here to see the selections for Thursday night's matchups.

March Madness expert brackets: Predictions for 2024 NCAA men's tournament 

The experts have dissected the men's NCAA Tournament bracket, providing sleepers, Final Four matchups and upset predictions. Your chances of filling out a perfect bracket are miniscule, but maybe you need a few tips to win your office pool. We've got you covered with a look at how to pick an upset and a look historically at how the seeds have performed in the NCAA Tournament. Three of our five USA TODAY experts have UConn as their picks to win the national title on April 8. Here are our expert picks. 

Sweet 16 schedule and locations 

Here is the full schedule for today and where games are being played. 

• No. 2 Arizona vs. No. 6 Clemson, 7:09 p.m. ET, Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles 
• No. 1 UConn vs. No. 5 San Diego State, 7:39 p.m. ET, TD Garden, Boston 
• No. 1 UNC vs. No. 4 Alabama, 9:39 p.m. ET, Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles 
• No. 2 Iowa State vs. No. 3 Illinois, 10:09 p.m. ET, TD Garden, Boston

March Madness 2024 game locations 

Here are all the venues hosting tournament games over the next couple weeks:

• Sweet 16 and Elite Eight — Boston (TD Garden), March 28-30
• Sweet 16 and Elite Eight — Dallas (American Airlines Center), March 29-31
• Sweet 16 and Elite Eight — Detroit (Little Caesars Arena), March 29-31
• Sweet 16 and Elite Eight — Los Angeles (Crypto.com Arena), March 28-30
• Final Four — Glendale, Arizona (State Farm Stadium), April 6
• National championship — Glendale, Arizona. (State Farm Stadium), April 8

What to know about Caleb Love, the North Carolina transfer who is now leading Arizona 

The Arizona Wildcats are once again a high seed in the men's NCAA Tournament, but leading the team is a newcomer with plenty of NCAA Tournament experience: Caleb Love. In his fourth college basketball season, Love has been a leader for a Wildcats team that will be a No. 2 seed in the West region of the 2024 NCAA Tournament. The Pac-12 Player of the Year's teammates have called him their best player and head coach Tommy Lloyd said he is grateful to have on his team. 

"This is a guy who’s had the highest of highs in college basketball and the lowest of the lows. His experience is invaluable to us," Lloyd told USA TODAY Sports. "I love him, and I'm lucky to have him." Here is what you need to know about Arizona star guard Caleb Love. 

What to know about R.J. Davis, UNC’s senior star and ACC player of the year 

During his senior year, R.J. Davis averaged a career-high 21.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.2 steals per game, while shooting 43.3% from the field and 41.1% on 3-pointers. Davis' 21.1 points per game leads the ACC this year. Here’s everything to know about him. 

Why Alabama is the sleeper pick in the West Region 

The Crimson Tide rank 346th nationally in scoring defense, allowing 81.1 points a game and are just five spots ahead of Houston Christian, the nation’s worst ranked scoring defense. More bad news: The Crimson Tide have lost four of their past six games, and in three of those defeats gave up more than 100 points. 

Which are valid reasons to be snoozing on Alabama – at your own risk. The Crimson Tide can heat up in a hurry. They rank No. 1 in the country in scoring offense with 98 points per game and their 3-point shooters are among the best in the country. Three of their players are shooting better than 40 percent from behind the three-point stripe. Despite the defensive deficiencies, the SEC has helped prepare Alabama for the tournament. If the Crimson Tide play at their high-octane best, they could be in position for a Sweet 16 shocker against North Carolina. — Josh Peter 

Who will win the East Region? UConn 

OK, so let's get real: Anyone other than UConn winning the region and going to the Final Four would be a big surprise. (Anyone other than UConn winning the whole thing might be a big surprise, actually.) The Huskies are long, deep, explosive, dripping with athleticism and loaded with the sort of confidence you'd expect from the defending champs. The Huskies are built to handle the intensity of tournament play and will benefit from the depth developed while battling some injuries during the regular season. — Paul Myerberg 

Looking back: UConn beat San Diego State for last year’s national championship

Thursday’s Sweet 16 action features a rematch of last year’s title game between then-No.4 UConn and then-No. 5 San Diego State. The Huskies dominated the matchup, 76-59, to win their fifth national championship. 

Tristen Newton led UConn with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Adama Sanogo, who was named the Final Four's Most Outstanding Player, added 17 points and 10 rebounds. 

Newton is back on the Huskies and is averaging 15.2 points per game. Sanogo now has a two-way contract with the Chicago Bulls and the G-League Windy City Bulls.

Keshad Johnson, who will be playing for Arizona in a Sweet 16 game earlier on Thursday, had 14 points and four rebounds in the Aztecs' first national championship appearance. — Victoria Hernandez

Auburn coach Bruce Pearl to join Jay Wright, Candace Parker for Sweet 16 in-studio coverage

Bruce Pearl is taking in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament from a different seat this year.

The Auburn basketball coach will join Seth Davis, Jay Wright, Candace Parker and Adam Lefkoe at the reporters table from TNT Sports' studios in Atlanta for Sweet 16 in-studio coverage, as announced by the networks on Thursday.

Pearl is available this year as Auburn was knocked out of the NCAA Tournament in the first round by 13 seed Yale last Friday. — John Leuzzi, USA TODAY NETWORK

Why Jim Nantz isn't calling 2024 March Madness games 

As the men's NCAA Tournament begins, fans may be wondering where Jim Nantz, voice synonymous with one of the most popular events in college sports is. 

Nantz decided the 2023 NCAA Tournament would be his last so he could focus on his family and other broadcasting commitments. Nantz didn't retire from broadcasting; He's still calling The Masters and serves as the lead play-by-play person for CBS' NFL coverage alongside Tony Romo. The duo were in the booth for Super Bowl 58 in February. — Jordan Mendoza 

Who will win the West Region? Arizona 

The long wait is over for the Wildcats. They’ll win the West Region and head to the Final Four for the first time since 2001. 

Sure, the skeptics are howling: But Arizona lost two of its past three games! Including a 78-65 setback against lowly Southern California! Nonetheless, these Wildcats are built for an extended run thanks to a versatile eight-man rotation. Scoring? Got it. Arizona ranks third in scoring offense with 87.7 points per game. Caleb Love, the senior guard, leads the team in scoring at 18.1, and each of the team’s four other starters are averaging at least 9.8. 

Size? Ample. Oumar Ballo, the 7-footer from Mali, is averaging 13.1 points, a team-best 10.1 rebounds and leads the team in blocks with 40. Arizona also can bring in 7-2 freshman Motiejus Krivas and cause shooters to think twice in the paint. The bench? Good enough to keep the starters fresh. Yes, Arizona lost to Oregon in the Pac-12 Conference Tournament semifinals. But don’t forget the Wildcats also beat Duke in Durham, North Carolina, when the Blue Devils were ranked No. 2. — Josh Peter 

Men’s March Madness schedule 

Here is the men's NCAA Tournament schedule: 

• First round: March 21-22 
• Second round: March 23-24  
• Sweet 16: March 28-29  
• Elite Eight: March 30-31  
• Final Four: Saturday, April 6 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. 
• NCAA championship game: Monday, April 8 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. 

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