Utes

The second day of the 2022 NCAA tournament featured some slugfests, some blowouts, as well as a First Four team surviving another day. The Round of 32 is now completely locked-in, and we&rsquo;ll also take a peek at the must-watch matchups for Saturday.&nbsp;
UPSET ALERT&nbsp;
West Region: 11-seed Notre Dame defeats 6-seed Alabama 78-64
Alabama in recent seasons has had a strong program, with a number of players in the conversation for the NBA draft. This year the Crimson Tide&rsquo;s season has been a bit of a roller coaster, including a major win over arguably the best team in college basketball, Gonzaga, but also key SEC and non-conference losses that show in their 19-13 record coming into this game. Notre Dame had their fair share of ups and downs as well, but came into this first round matchup with momentum off their First Four double-OT win against Rutgers. The upset potential was apparent, and the Fighting Irish delivered behind a huge game from Cormac Ryan. The junior guard finished with a season-high 29 points, well above his 9.2 PPG average. Ryan has been coming on strong for the Irish with 20 and 16 points in their last two games respectively. Thanks to the efforts of Ryan and impressive freshman wing Blake Wesley &mdash; he scored 18 &mdash; Notre Dame moved on to play third-seeded Texas Tech in the second round.
Midwest Region: 11-seed Iowa State defeats 6-seed LSU 59-54
These were two teams with similar records that had similar patterns to their seasons &mdash; they both started the year with 12 game winning streaks that went through Christmas. However, playing in two of the best conferences in the country in the SEC and Big 12, both teams took their lumps through the remainder of the season. Although Iowa State took an 11-point lead around the 7-minute mark in the second half, LSU made an 11-1 run that brought the game within one point with under two minutes remaining. Iowa State pulled out the low scoring win with Tyrese Hunter being the team's major difference maker, dropping 23 points on 7-for-11 shooting from beyond the arc. The freshman guard&rsquo;s clutch shooting clinic included two late threes that helped Iowa State pull away from the Tigers at the end. Hunter&rsquo;s 5 steals also led a stingy Cyclones defense that recorded 15 total. Iowa State&rsquo;s victory means they advance to the second round to take on third-seeded Wisconsin on Sunday.
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BEST GAMES OF THE DAY
Midwest Region
No. 10 seed Miami defeats No. 7 seed USC 68-66
This matchup was tightly contested throughout the first 15 minutes, until Miami began to break the game open and took a 13-point lead with three minutes remaining in the first half. USC&rsquo;s offense grew stagnant, and the Hurricanes took advantage with a 31-20 lead at halftime. However, the Trojans came fighting back to begin the second half with two threes and a fast break layup from Isaiah Mobley (he finished with 11 points) to bring them within one. From this point it was a back and forth battle that favored Miami, yet USC would manage a big basket to keep it close &mdash; USC was down by seven points with 45 seconds left in the game. A Doug Peterson three, a Miami out-of-bounds call, and then another Peterson three brought the Trojans back within one, with 25.3 seconds left in the game.
After free throws from both teams, it was tied at 66 in the final moments. Charlie Moore drove to the lane and attempted a contested layup, which earned him a foul call. Moore stepped to the line and knocked down two free throws to seal the game. A halfcourt heave at the buzzer almost fell for Doug Peterson &mdash; he ended the game with a valiant effort of 17 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists. Miami&rsquo;s Isaiah Wong led the Hurricanes with 22 points while dealing with foul trouble and Moore followed with 16 points. Miami will see second-seeded Auburn in the second round.&nbsp;
South Region
No. 4 seed Illinois defeats No. 13 seed Chattanooga 54-53
Illinois only led this game for 25 seconds, but it was the most important time to do so. Chattanooga jumped on Illinois early, with a 14-3 lead in the first five minutes. The Mocs had control over most of the first half, but a Fighting Illini run at the end of period brought the score to 33-29.&nbsp;
The second half started much like the first with Chattanooga playing good basketball and giving themselves an 11-point cushion, but a very resilient Illinois team fought back again and kept the game within one or two possessions over the course of the closing minutes. After some questionable possessions by Chattanooga, Illinois took its first lead of the game on a Kofi Cockburn putback with 47 seconds remaining. The Mocs received a trip to the line on the next possession and two free throws were knocked down by SOCON Player of the Year Malachi Smith (who finished with 12 points and 8 rebounds), which gave his team the lead.
On the following possession Alfonso Plummer was fouled and hit two free throws for the Illini to take the lead back. On the final possession, the Mocs gave the ball to Smith who had two looks to take home the win &mdash; he was blocked on a left hand drive, then shot a last second midrange jumper that went just a tad long. Cockburn finished with 17 points and 13 rebounds and Plummer provided 15 points of his own. Illinois avoided the upset and will face fifth-seeded Houston on Sunday.
West Region
No. 7 seed MSU defeats No. 10 seed Davidson 74-73
An up-and-down season for Michigan State had some experts predicting Davidson would come away with this game. However, an impressive 27 points on 9-12 from the floor by Joey Hauser was the big difference.
An interesting storyline revolved around Davidson&rsquo;s transfer starting point guard, Foster Loyer &mdash; he's a Michigan native who made the move down to play with the Wildcats after three seasons of limited production for the Spartans. This proved to be a good move for Loyer, as he&rsquo;s been the leading scorer and assist man for Davidson with 16.1 points and 3.3 assists per game this season. The motivation was there for Davidson, and the team played with a confidence that showed each time the team came up with an answer to Michigan State&rsquo;s attempts to pull away.
Davidson took a five-point lead with under seven minutes to go, but with some big buckets by Hauser, heady play by AJ Hoggard (14 points) and a three from Gabe Brown (12 points), the Spartans made a 10-0 run to take a five-point lead of their own with under four minutes left. Michigan State had an eight point lead with one minute remaining, but a late push by the Wildcats with some great clock management, clutch baskets and pressure defense that led to a bad MSU turnover brought the game back in reach. However, in the end, Michigan State was able to close it out with two Tyson Walker free throws. Michigan State will take on second-seeded Duke in the round of 32.
No. 3 seed Wisconsin beats No. 14 seed Colgate 67-60
Colgate is one of the best three-point shooting teams in the country, and came into this game on a 15-game winning streak. The Patriot League champs made sure Wisconsin knew this one wouldn&rsquo;t be easy. However, this would be the Raiders&rsquo;s biggest test, as the Badgers won the Big Ten regular season championship and have a projected lottery pick in Johnny Davis.
Colgate found success scoring the ball from inside before unleashing their long-range prowess. Senior Nelly Cummings for Colgate finished the game with 20 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists &mdash; he gave the Badgers trouble on all three levels. Cummings even locked the game at 28-all with a baseline reverse layup at the buzzer to go into halftime.
But the stars shine bright on the big stage and, after a slow start, Johnny Davis got going in the second half. Davis finished with 25 points on 8 for 20 shooting from the floor and added 6 rebounds and 2 steals. Tyler Wahl followed Davis with 15 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals of his own. The Raiders played a strong game but wore down as the battle-tested Badgers showed up down the stretch. Wisconsin has a date with 11th-seeded Iowa State in the next round.
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OTHER FIRST-ROUND RESULTS
Midwest Region
2-seed Auburn defeats 15-seed Jacksonville State 80-61
East Region
3-seed Purdue defeats 14-seed Yale 78-56
6-seed Texas defeats 11-seed Virginia Tech 81-73
South Region
No. 1 seed Arizona defeats No. 16 seed Wright State 87-70
No. 2 seed Villanova defeats No. 15 seed Delaware 80-60
No. 5 seed Houston defeats No. 12 seed UAB 82-68
No. 7 seed Ohio State defeats No. 10 seed Loyola Chicago 54-41
No. 9 seed TCU defeats No. 8 seed Seton Hall 69-42
West Region
No. 2 seed Duke defeats 15-seed Cal State Fullerton 78-61
No. 3 seed Texas Tech defeats 14-seed Montana State 97-62
MUST-WATCH SECOND-ROUND GAMES ON DAY 3
No. 1 seed Gonzaga vs. No. 9 seed Memphis - 9:40 PM EST
A highly anticipated second round matchup of two potential top-10 picks in Chet Holmgren and Jalen Duren.&nbsp;
No. 1 seed Baylor vs. 8-seed North Carolina - 12:10 PM EST
Baylor is missing two key pieces due to injury, &mdash;LJ Cryer and Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua &mdash;&nbsp;while UNC is playing some of its best basketball of the season. Caleb Love is worth keeping an eye on.
No. 4 seed UCLA vs. 5-seed Saint Mary&rsquo;s - 7:10 PM EST
The Bruins are hoping to get back to the Final Four while Saint Mary&rsquo;s wants to prove the WCC isn&rsquo;t just run by Gonzaga. This could be a battle.
No. 7 seed Murray State vs. No. 15 seed Saint Peter&rsquo;s 7:45 PM EST
Does Saint Peter&rsquo;s have more magic for a Sweet 16 birth? Or will Murray State's toughness win out?
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Blake Hairston takes us through the upsets and thrillers of Day 2 of the NCAA DI men's basketball tournament, plus a preview of Day 3.

March Madness: Recapping Day 2 of the 2022 NCAA Tournament

No. 12 Illinois defeated No. 19 Michigan State 79-74. llinois&rsquo; last road win in East Lansing was in February of 2015, but that changed with a big-time win today. The Illini withstood a comeback from the Spartans, as Trent Frazier hit a dagger pull-up triple with 25 seconds to play. Kofi Cockburn led all players with 27 points. Tyson Walker had a phenomenal game for Michigan State off the bench, scoring 26 points.&nbsp;
Illinois (19-7, 12-4 Big Ten) entered this one projected a No. 4 seed in the NCAA tournament, slipping a bit after losses to Purdue and Rutgers. Cockburn continues to be one of the most dominant forces in the country, averaging 21.4 points and 11.3 rebounds per game. Alfonso Plummer and Frazier have been reliable all season and will need to keep things up for their team during the homestretch.
The Spartans (18-8, 9-6 Big Ten) came in having lost three of their last four contests, desperately needing to get back on track. They rank 24th nationally in Adjusted Efficiency, but simply haven&rsquo;t been able to score consistently recently. Gabe Brown leads the team with 12.1 points per game, but potential first round pick Max Christie will be an x-factor during the last few weeks of the season.&nbsp;
Illinois jumped out to a 7-2 lead after a Da&rsquo;Monte Williams steal and transition bucket. Brown answered with a corner three as he scored the first five points for Sparty. The Illini stretched the lead to 17-8 as Brown picked up his second foul at the 12:00 mark and Michigan State hit only 3 of their first 14 attempts from the field.&nbsp;
The visitors took a 34-22 lead into the break and quickly extended it to 40-24 early in the second period. Illinois remained in control for a good while until Tyson Walker and AJ Hoggard cut it down to 67-59. Walker then connected on a three at the 3:47 mark while, at the same time, a whistle under the basket sent Julius Marble II to the free-throw line. Cockburn was then called for a 3-second violation and the momentum completely shifted, revving the crowd up again.&nbsp;
Cockburn and Walker traded buckets as Illinois held a 71-69 lead with 1:57 to go. Frazier stole the ball with 1:02 to go and finished a tough transition layup. Walker converted an and-1 to make it 76-74 with 47.7 on the clock. Frazier hit a deep pull-up triple with 0:25 on the clock, which all but ended the game, as Illinois would get the ball back and run out the clock.&nbsp;
Jacob Grandison scored 24 points on 6 of 10 from behind the arc. Frazier finished with 12 points, 5 assists and 3 rebounds. Joey Hauser posted 11 points for the Spartans. Hoggard finished with 15 points and 8 assists in a strong outing.&nbsp;
Michigan State started this season 14-2, but are 4-6 since.
Tom Izzo remains one win from tying Bob Knight for the most overall wins at B1G schools, at 662.&nbsp;
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UPCOMING
Illinois hosts Ohio State on Thursday night.
Michigan State visits Iowa on Tuesday.

Illinois’ last road win in East Lansing was in February of 2015, but that changed with a big-time win Saturday.

No. 12 Illinois defeats No. 19 Michigan State 79-74, Cockburn scores 27

Champaign, IL&nbsp; -&nbsp; Kofi Cockburn had a monster game with 37 points, as No. 18 Illinois defeated No. 11 Wisconsin 80-67. The Fighting Illini got a huge conference win.
The Badgers (17-4, 8-3 B1G) are currently projected a No. 3 seed in the NCAA tournament and have been led by one of college basketball&rsquo;s best stories &mdash; the emerging Johnny Davis. The sophomore guard leads the team in points, rebounds, assists and steals, and is making a case as a top-10 pick in the 2022 NBA draft.&nbsp;
The Fighting Illini (16-5, 9-2 B1G) control their own destiny in the Big Ten and are projected a No. 5 seed for March Madness. Junior center Kofi Cockburn, recently returned from a concussion, has helped the team get back on track after dropping games to Purdue and Maryland.&nbsp;
In a first half with numerous lead changes &mdash; the biggest lead either direction being only six &mdash; Illinois took a 42-38 lead into the break. Cockburn got started early and had a sensational first half with 20 points, 7 rebounds and 1 block on 10 of 12 from the field. Johnny Davis had 13 points and 9 rebounds while Wisconsin&rsquo;s Tyler Wahl scored 12 points on 6 of 8 shooting.&nbsp;
To start the second period, four different Illinois players made a bucket in the first three minutes, extending the lead to 51-40. Alfonso Plummer connected on a triple at the 16:44 mark to end a 9-0 run, which forced the Badgers into a timeout. Lorne Bowman II and Steven Crowl would then turn it on and cut the difference back to 65-59.
From that point on, Cockburn was nearly unstoppable. He dominated the interior the rest of the way and secured the 80-67 win for Illinois. Davis had an inefficient night hitting only 5 of 19 from the field, but ended with 22 points and 15 rebounds. Wahl posted 14 points and 6 rebounds. Jacob Grandison had a solid game for Illinios with 14 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals.&nbsp;
Illinois moves into sole first place in the B1G standings.
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UPCOMING
Wisconsin will host Penn State on Saturday.
Illinois will visit Indiana on Saturday afternoon.&nbsp;
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Kofi Cockburn had a monster game with 37 points as No. 18 Illinois defeated No. 11 Wisconsin 80-67.

No. 18 Illinois defeated No. 11 Wisconsin 80-67, Cockburn scores 37

Champaign, IL&nbsp; &mdash;&nbsp; In a game that went down the to wire, the Illinois Fighting Illini (14-5, 7-2 Big Ten) held on to a narrow, last-second victory over the Michigan State Spartans (15-4, 6-2 Big Ten) without star center Kofi Cockburn, 56-55. Holding onto the win, No. 24 Illinois moved into first place in the Big Ten.
Illinois&rsquo; Trent Frazier led all players with 16 points in the contest, while Marcus Bingham Jr. led the way for the 10th-ranked Spartans with 13 points.&nbsp;
In a fairly lopsided first half, Illinois took a 34-20 lead into the break. Frazier displayed his tough shot-making ability early on and posted 10 points in the first period on 4 of 7 shooting. Freshman Luke Goode had a good first half as well with 6 points. Gabe Brown and Bingham led the Spartans in scoring at half with 5 points each.
Illinois extended its lead in the second half to 15 points, and up until roughly the 5:30 mark, looked completely in control to close it out. During the final five minutes of play, the Spartans&rsquo; defense was up to the task and made the necessary stops. On the other end, Malik Hall and Joey Hauser brought Michigan State back within two points at 56-54. Hall then missed the front end of a pair of free throws, which all but sealed the deal.&nbsp;
Brown finished with 10 points and 3 rebounds. Hall scored 7 points and secured 7 rebounds. Alfonso Plummer played a key role in the win, posting 11 points, 4 assists and 3 rebounds for the home team.
No. 24 Illinois held onto the win, and as a result, moved into first place in the Big Ten.
Coming into Tuesday's game, the No. 10 Spartans&nbsp; had won 10 of their last 11 games, including a statement last weekend at Wisconsin. Senior forward Gabe Brown leads Michigan State in scoring at 13.6 points per game. Freshman Spartan wing Max Christie is averaging 10.5 points per contest and is a potential lottery pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.&nbsp;
Cockburn, a junior big man, leads the No. 24 Fighting Illini in points and rebounds, but without him, they lack a physical force on the inside. Neither he nor point guard Andre Curbelo played in this one; however, the Illini were still able to sneak out with the victory.
UPCOMING
Illinois will visit Northwestern on Saturday afternoon.&nbsp;
Michigan State will host Michigan in a rivalry matchup on Saturday.&nbsp;
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In a game that went down the to wire, the Fighting Illini held on to a last-second victory over MSU without star center Kofi Cockburn.

No. 24 Illinois edges No. 10 Michigan State 56-55 to go atop Big Ten

After a recent loss to No. 4 Purdue, the No. 17 Fighting Illini (13-5, 6-2 B1G) visited the Maryland Terrapins with hopes to rebound with a win. Illinois was without junior big man Kofi Cockburn, who has dominated the interior as one of the best centers in the country this season &mdash; averaging 21.1 points and 11.8 rebounds per contest. Cockburn was out due to concussion protocol.
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Maryland (10-9, 2-6 B1G) and interim head coach Danny Manning are led by senior Eric Ayala. The athletic wing is averaging 16.3 points per game, followed by Fatts Russell and Donta Scott who are both averaging 12.0 points per game. Coming into tonight, the Terps led the head-to-head matchup 12-7 all-time.
Scott scored 25 off the bench for the Terps, while the Illinois bench provided only 13 points as a unit. Russell, Hakim Hart and Qudus Wahab combined for 36 for Maryland.
Alfonso Plummer got started early for the Illini by scoring five of the team&rsquo;s first seven points. He flashed a nasty step-back three right off the bat, displaying the tough shot making that has him second in the Big Ten in three-point shooting. Ayala answered soon after with a deep pull-up triple of his own to give the Terps the 18-17 lead.
Maryland took a 37-35 lead into the break behind 10 points from Scott and 8 from Russell and Wahab. Plummer led all scorers at the half with 14, connecting on 4-of-6 from behind the arc.&nbsp;
The two teams started trading threes at the start of the second half, with the game tied 51-51 at the 13-minute mark. Illinois appeared to be gaining momentum, but Maryland never quit and fought their way to a lead with seven minutes to go behind a nice run from Julian Reese. The Terps held a 70-63 lead at the under 4-minute timeout, much thanks to Scott who was a menace on the inside all night &mdash; he led all scorers with 25 points on 9-of-12 shooting from the field.&nbsp;
In the end, the Fighting Illini simply could not get stops when they needed them. Maryland pulled away down the stretch, securing an 81-65 victory. Coach Manning said, "We wanted to create paint touches. With Kofi being out it gave us an opportunity. Our guys continue to grind and work very hard."
Illinois remains winless against ranked teams this season, but the team is still in contention for the conference title. I believe their next game against Michigan State is a must-win.
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UPCOMING
Illinois will host No. 14 Michigan State on Tuesday.
Maryland will visit Rutgers on Tuesday evening.
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The Maryland Terrapins managed an upset at home, taking down Illinois 81-65 behind Donta Scott's 25 points.