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Auburn earns Elite Eight bid with blowout win over No. 1 seed North Carolina

By Scott PhillipsMar 29, 2019, 9:35 PM EDT
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Auburn advanced to its second Elite Eight in program history as hot second-half shooting led the No. 5 seed Tigers to a 97-80 win over No. 1 seed North Carolina in a Midwest Regional semifinal on Friday night. The win places Auburn in the Elite Eight for the first time since 1986.

The Tar Heels are the first No. 1 seed to get eliminated from the 2019 NCAA tournament as Auburn shot 17-for-37 from three-point range after a sluggish first half (5-for-19) from the perimeter. Using a 14-0 run spanning halves, Auburn built a comfortable second-half lead once perimeter shots started to fall. The Tigers officially closed out the game with a late 7-0 run to build an 18-point lead with under two minutes left as Auburn outscored North Carolina 56-41 in the second half.

Sophomore Chuma Okeke (20 points, 11 rebounds) was a matchup nightmare for North Carolina as the versatile wing forward was outstanding for the Tigers. Okeke was tough to contain for Tar Heel senior forward Luke Maye before Okeke exited the game with a left knee injury with eight minutes left. Danjel Purifoy picked up the slack at forward, as he got hot from the perimeter to finish with 14 points on 4-for-6 three-point shooting. Guards Malik Dunbar (13 points), Bryce Brown (12 points) and J’Von McCormick (10 points) and also finished in double-figures for Auburn as five Tigers finished in double-figures.

This was a very balanced and impressive offensive effort for Auburn as they thoroughly outplayed one of the best teams in the country while both of their leading scorers, Brown (12 points) and Jared Harper (nine points, 11 assists) only combined for 21 points. The Tigers used multiple weapons who could space the floor and hit shots as undersized Auburn outplayed North Carolina on the interior while also hitting a flurry of second-half shots.

Auburn (29-9) started 2-4 in the SEC. It looked like the Tigers’ season might crumble. During a season in which the Tigers have been one of the main schools involved in the FBI’s college basketball corruption scandal, Auburn is one game away from its first Final Four appearance despite the distractions. Head coach Bruce Pearl and his veteran team never listened to what others predicted as they overcame the mid-season lull to look like a legit title contender.

With a team that can space the floor from all five spots, the Tigers have turned things around with an 11-game winning streak. They’re one of the hottest teams in the field. With timely perimeter shooting and an ability to turn other teams over, the Tigers can compete with any team in the country — particularly if multiple shooters get hot.

The Tigers cruised through the SEC tournament and they’re clearly playing with a lot of confidence over the last month of the season. Okeke’s health will be a concern if he can’t play in Sunday’s Elite Eight, but Purifoy did a great job of providing additional spacing and filling that role as Auburn does have depth.

North Carolina (29-7) struggled to get going in the second half as cold perimeter shooting (7-for-28) and turnover issues (14 turnovers) forced them into a big deficit. The Tar Heels had a couple players sick during the week, most notably senior Cameron Johnson (fever) and freshman forward Nassir Little (flu), as North Carolina didn’t appear to have the same energy as usual. It didn’t help the Tar Heels when Auburn poured on an avalanche of threes in the second half.

Freshman guard Coby White stayed in attack mode, but he struggled to remain efficient, as he finished with 15 points on 4-for-15 shooting. In his final college game, Maye had 13 points and seven rebounds. Johnson shook off a slow start to finish with 15 points while senior guard Kenny Williams (10 points) also finished in double-figures.

The Tar Heels found an opponent comfortable playing fast and putting up offense in a hurry as the tempo of North Carolina didn’t bother Auburn. Once the Tigers delivered a bunch of three-pointers early in the second half, North Carolina failed to counter with consistent enough offense.

Although this is a disappointing tournament exit for North Carolina, this season still gave the Tar Heels a share of the ACC title while pushing into the second weekend for the fourth time in five seasons. Seniors like Maye, Johnson and Williams were a huge part of a great stretch of success for the program. If White leaves for the NBA, he’ll have exceeded expectations as the team’s lead guard as he was successful most of the time in his transition from playing more off the ball. The Tar Heels just ran into the wrong team as the wrong time as Auburn looks like the top-10 team we thought they were earlier this season.

Auburn advances to face the winner of No. 2 seed Kentucky and No. 3 seed Houston on Sunday in the Elite Eight in Kansas City. The Tigers lost to the Wildcats in the SEC play during the season with an 80-53 loss on Feb. 23. The health of Kentucky forward P.J. Washington, who had a big game in the first matchup, would be something to monitor if the Wildcats were to defeat Houston.

Duke’s Cam Reddish sidelined with knee injury as status for Elite Eight remains unclear

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By Scott PhillipsMar 30, 2019, 1:28 AM EDT
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Duke escaped with another NCAA tournament win on Friday night as they outlasted ACC rival Virginia Tech to advance to the Elite Eight.

The Blue Devils were carried to victory by three freshmen as Zion Williamson, Tre Jones and R.J. Barrett were the team’s three top scorers. But it was the absence of the team’s fourth five-star freshman, Cam Reddish, that has people asking questions ahead of Sunday’s showdown in the East Region with No. 2 seed Michigan State.

Reddish was removed from the Duke lineup only 10 minutes before tip on Friday night with an apparent knee injury as he was replaced by Alex O’Connell in the starting lineup. Following Duke’s win, head coach Mike Krzyzewski was mum on Reddish’s injury and future status for Sunday.

“We didn’t know until right before the game that he was not going to be able to play,” Krzyzewski said. “He went out, just had something wrong with his knee. He was limping, but we didn’t find out until right before the game.”

According to The Chronicle, Reddish was not on the floor during the first part of warmups, but he remained in uniform and on the bench during the entire game. It’s still unclear what caused Reddish’s injury, or when it happened, but it will be a major storyline for Duke during Sunday’s Elite Eight matchup with the Spartans.

Reddish is third on the Blue Devils in scoring at 13.6 points per game as the streaky scorer can be a potent perimeter option if he’s feeling it. Duke likely needs a healthy Reddish if they want to win the title since the team has been so poor shooting from the perimeter this season.

Friday’s Sweet 16 Recap: UNC goes down, Tre Jones shines, Tyler Herro’s the hero

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By Rob DausterMar 30, 2019, 1:16 AM EDT
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PLAYER OF THE DAY: Tre Jones, Duke

It was just five days ago that we watched Duke nearly get beaten by UCF on a night where the Knights just did not even bother to guard Tre Jones. That was surely an embarrassing moment for the Duke freshman, and it should surprise no one that the next time out, on Friday night, Jones caught five. He made five threes in the win over Virginia Tech. He didn’t make five threes in the month of December or January.

TEAM OF THE DAY: Auburn Tigers

The Tigers reached the Elite Eight for just the second time in the history of the program on Friday night, and if they can get past Kentucky in the next round they will be heading to the Final Four. After a sluggish start to the night, the Tigers shot 12-for-18 from three in the second half, using a 14-0 run that spanned both halves to take home the win.

ONIONS OF THE DAY: Tyler Herro, Kentucky

Tyler Hero, amirite?

The freshman from Wisconsin buried a three with less than 30 seconds left in the game that snapped a Houston comeback and put Kentucky ahead for good in a 62-58 win that the Wildcats landed to get back to the Elite Eight.

WTF OF THE DAY: Gabe Brown, Michigan State

Gabe Brown entered Friday night having made 12 threes in his college basketball career. He left the arena in Washington D.C. have hit four threes in an 80-63 win over LSU in the Sweet 16. Who saw that coming?

FINAL THOUGHT

I don’t want to play armchair surgeon, but I think that it is pretty obvious based on the reaction of his teammates and coaches — and, frankly, by the way the injury looked on TV — that Chuma Okeke’s knee injury is a bad one.

This is a devastating injury to Okeke. He’s a kid that had been playing his way into the NBA draft’s first round, but with this injury hanging over his head, it will be hard to find a suitor is he opts to go pro this year. It’s also going to be tough to find a suitor if he waits to declare for the draft until next year. There’s no guarantee that he would be healthy and ready to play by the start of next season.

And I bring this all up because these unpaid college athletes, who are putting their professional career on the line when they take the court in the NCAA tournament, all face this same risk. But they don’t get a cut of the profits, even when consider that they cannot drink Powerade or Gatorade on the bench during NCAA tournamant because Drink BodyArmor had an exclusive rights deal.

Kentucky’s PJ Washington plays through foot injury in gutsy Sweet 16 performance

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By Scott PhillipsMar 30, 2019, 1:08 AM EDT
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Kentucky advanced past Houston to make the Elite Eight on Friday night as sophomore forward PJ Washington was a huge reason the Wildcats rallied to win.

Missing the NCAA tournament’s first weekend with his foot in a hard cast, Washington came off the bench on Friday night as he scored 16 points on 6-for-8 shooting. Washington also added a huge block late in the game with the Wildcats trailing by two in the final minute. On a night where Kentucky’s offense struggled to produce quality looks, Washington’s ability to score on the block was vital for the Wildcats to escape with another win.

Kentucky head coach John Calipari said in the postgame interview that Washington didn’t go through the team’s shootaround on Friday as he was a game-time decision. Washington said his foot didn’t have much feeling after Friday’s win as his status remains uncertain for Sunday’s Elite Eight game with Auburn.

“It’s feeling good. I don’t feel no pain right now. A lot of adrenaline. It’s probably going to be hurting later so I’m going to go home and get some treatment. And get ready for the next game,” Washington said after Friday’s win.

If Washington is healthy enough to play, and give this kind of effort, then he’ll likely try to give it a go against the Tigers in the Elite Eight. Although Washington isn’t as springy as normal, he still did an effective job of letting his skills do the work in the post as he got position on the block and went to work against Houston. Kentucky’s best player in the Wildcats’ blowout win over Auburn in late February, Kentucky probably needs Washington to play, and be somewhat effective, if they want to reach another Final Four.

Washington and the Wildcats will be facing a hot Auburn team riding an 11-game winning streak as the Tigers look like a different team since the loss to Kentucky in Lexington.

Kentucky holds off Houston to move on to Elite Eight

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By Scott PhillipsMar 30, 2019, 12:18 AM EDT
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Kentucky used a late three-pointer from freshman Tyler Herro to get past No. 3 seed Houston with a 62-58 victory on Friday night to advance to the Elite Eight in the Midwest Region. The freshman’s go-ahead three-pointer with 25.8 seconds left gave Kentucky a two-point lead as Herro also made two free throws for the game’s deciding advantage. Kentucky closed the game on a 7-0 run to advance to the Elite Eight for the seventh time in head coach John Calipari’s 10 seasons as the team’s coach.

Kentucky (30-6) struggled with perimeter shooting (4-for-12) as they didn’t make a three-pointer in the second half until Herro’s late shot. Herro (19 points) was Kentucky’s main threat on the evening as he went 7-for-13 from the floor.

But the Wildcats don’t advance on Friday without a gutsy effort from All-American forward P.J. Washington.

After missing the tournament’s first weekend with his foot in a hard cast, Washington made his return to the Kentucky lineup in the Sweet 16 as he came off the bench to finish with 16 points on 6-for-8 shooting. Washington wasn’t fully healthy, but his presence was huge for the Wildcats. The sophomore forward was a go-to player on offense while registering a key block that ignited the fast-break look for Herro’s go-ahead three. For Washington to play this well on a bum foot is a signature moment to an already memorable sophomore season.

With freshman Keldon Johnson (seven points, 3-for-12 shooting) having an off-day, Herro’s ability to create his own shot, and Washington’s stability on the inside, was all that Kentucky needed on offense as they grinded out this win against Houston’s strong defense.

This win wasn’t pretty for Kentucky, but they have to be pleased to advance on a night where only two players were clicking on offense. The Wildcats put forth a solid defensive outing against the Cougars, but they’re going to need more than Herro and Washington if they want to advance to another Final Four.

No. 2 seed Kentucky moves on to face No. 5 seed Auburn in Sunday’s Elite Eight in Kansas City. The Tigers are riding an 11-game winning streak as they’re one of the hottest teams in the field. But the Wildcats knocked off the Tigers, 80-53, during a blowout home SEC win in Lexington in late February.

Since that February loss to Kentucky, Auburn hasn’t lost, as the Tigers’ offense continues to put up flurries of points behind a dangerous collection of three-point shooters. Although it’s looking like Auburn will be without versatile sophomore wing forward Chuma Okeke (knee) on Sunday, Auburn is still a very credible threat with the way they’re playing. Although we saw a blowout between these two teams in the regular season, a similar result in the Elite Eight would come as a surprise given how good the Tigers have looked in recent weeks.

Houston (33-4) had one of its most successful seasons in decades as they advanced to the second weekend for the first time since 1984. This loss is going to sting for the the AAC champions, however, as they came very close to knocking off one of the sport’s bluebloods until the final minute. The Cougars were led by Armoni Brooks as he buried five second-half three-pointers to pace Houston as he finished with 20 points. Guards Corey Davis Jr. (14 points) and Galen Robinson Jr. (10 points) also finished in double-figures for the Cougars.

With a chance to close out Kentucky in the final minutes, Houston went cold as Brooks couldn’t knock down a final dagger. With its big men battling foul trouble, Houston’s guards made a huge late push as the Cougars went on a 20-10 run to take a three-point lead. But Houston couldn’t close on either end of the floor as they let Herro take an open look and Washington get comfortable on the block during key defensive possessions.

Head coach Kelvin Sampson has re-built Houston into a nationally-respected program with back-to-back appearances in the Round of 32. The Cougars also had the opportunity to close out games during back-to-back tournaments where they ended up losing in the final minute.

Last season, Jordan Poole’s buzzer-beating three-pointer lifted Michigan past Houston when the Cougars were clinging to a late lead in the Round of 32. This year, Houston led 58-55 with 1:16 left before seeing its lead melt away during the final possessions in the Sweet 16. These seasons have certainly been memorable for the Cougars but some giant postseason “What Ifs?” loom as the main story.

If Sampson ends up leaving Houston for another job this offseason — either way, Sampson is going to get paid by someone for his recent string of success — then it’ll be fascinating to see how the Cougars maintain. It’s been fun having Houston basketball back in the national college basketball landscape these past few seasons. Sampson has helped develop some fun guards to watch with some teams that came very close to making deep runs in the tournament.

WATCH: Duke survives after Virginia Tech misses a layup at the buzzer

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By Rob DausterMar 30, 2019, 12:04 AM EDT
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One round after top-seeded Duke survived UCF when an Aubrey Dawkins layup rolled off the rim, they got similarly lucky against ACC rival Virginia Tech.

With the ball underneath their own basket and just 1.1 seconds left on the clock, Buzz Williams drew up a beautiful out of bounds play to get Ahmed Hill a shot at the rim … and he missed it.

Look at this:

Hill had 15 huge points in this game, but this is the shot that he is never going to forget, and the Blue Devils hang on to win, 75-73.

Ending aside, there is plenty to talk about with this game.

Like, for example, Tre Jones picked a hell of a time to figure out how to shoot.

Duke’s five-star freshman point guard had not hit more than one three in a game since Nov. 19th heading into Friday night’s date with Virginia Tech in the Sweet 16. He entered the game having made all of 22 threes on the season, and he left the arena with five three-pointers, finishing the night with a career-high 22 points and eight assists.

It’s particularly notable because of how humiliating it must have been for the entire world to watch UCF just ignore him on the offensive end of the floor. Jones is used to teams sagging off and helping off, but what the Knights did in the second round of this tournament was the ultimate in disrespect. They used Tacko Fall to “guard” Jones, but the reality of the situation is that UCF didn’t even bother to pretend to be concerned about him.

That happened on national television, in one of the most-watched games of the season.

It says something about Tre that the very next time out, he bangs how five threes, a shooting performance that not only gave Duke some much-needed points in what ended up being a two-point win, but helped pull Virginia Tech’s defense out of the paint. Duke had to win this game short-handed, as their fourth five-star freshman — Cam Reddish — did not play. He was in uniform on the bench, but a knee injury suffered at some point before tip-off kept him off the floor.

Throughout the year, Reddish has more or less been Duke’s best and most dangerous shooter. Without him, Virginia Tech was running doubles at Zion Williamson before he even caught the ball in the post.

Williamson himself put on a show, going for a team-high 23 points on 11-for-14 shooting, while R.J. Barrett chipped in with 18 points, 11 assists and five boards.