Roadrunners

The Elite Eight is set! After two more days of madness, nail-biters, and upsets, eight programs will meet this weekend to earn trips to the Final Four. Here's the breakdown of Thursday and Friday's results:
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Saint Peter&rsquo;s def. Purdue 67-64, will face North Carolina Happy National Peacock Day! Shaheen Holloway and the Saint Peter's Peacocks have stunned another powerhouse, defeating the No. 3 seed Purdue Boilermakers 67-64 to advance to the Elite Eight. They have now beaten Kentucky, Murray State and Purdue en route to becoming the very first No. 15 seed to make the Elite Eight in NCAA Tournament history. Daryl Banks III led them in scoring with 14 points, while Doug Edert provided 10 huge ones off the bench.
Arkansas def. Gonzaga 74-68, will face Duke In a fast-paced game for most of the night, JD Notae, Jaylin Williams and Trey Wade knocked off the No. 1 overall seed. Williams said after the game, "We've been disrespected the whole year, so it's just another thing for us.&rdquo; Notae led the way with 21 points on 9 of 29 shooting from the floor, while Drew Timme posted 25 points in (potentially) his final game for the Zags. This one had the internet buzzing - what a win for Eric Musselman and co.&nbsp;
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Duke def. Texas Tech 78-73, will face Arkansas This game was a heavyweight fight from start to finish. Texas Tech held a four-point lead at the half, but Paolo Banchero took over down the stretch, finishing with 22 points in the win. Jeremy Roach also played a huge role in this one with 15 points and 5 assists. Coach K and his Blue Devils survive and advance to a meeting with Arkansas. Must-see television ahead.&nbsp;
Houston def. Arizona 72-60, will face Villanova Kelvin Sampson is having, arguably, the best coaching season in America. He and the Cougars led wire-to-wire in this one to defeat the Wildcats, whom many had as their championship pick. Jamal Shead led the way with 21 points while Kyler Edwards posted 19. Another &lsquo;Culture Win&rsquo; for the Cougars as they will meet Collin Gillespie and Villanova in the Elite Eight.&nbsp;
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Villanova def. Michigan 63-55, will face Houston The Wildcats took the lead with 3:42 to go in the first half and never looked back. They remained in control the rest of the way behind 22 points from Jermaine Samuels and 15 from Justin Moore. This ends the Wolverines' run, which has been nothing short of impressive. Villanova will now meet Houston in the Elite Eight in a matchup of two of the most disciplined, well-coached teams in the country.
Kansas def. Providence 66-61, will face Miami (FL) The Jayhawks advance to their first Elite Eight since 2017 behind Remy Martin&rsquo;s 23 points, a season-high for him. They only got 19 combined points from Ochai Agbaji, Christian Braun and David McCormack, but were able to hold on down the stretch. The Jayhawks are the only No. 1 seed remaining in the NCAA Tournament, and they are currently the betting favorites to win it all.&nbsp;
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North Carolina def. UCLA 73-66, will face Saint Peter&rsquo;s UCLA led 64-61 with 2:08 to play, but Caleb Love had other plans. He would catch fire from deep and hit two huge shots with just under a minute to play, giving his team the 67-64 lead. Armando Bacot would add a putback with 0:15 to play to make it a five-point game. That would be enough to hold off the Bruins. Love led the way with 30 points in an incredible performance, propelling the Tar Heels into a meeting with Cinderella, the Peacocks from Saint Peter&rsquo;s.&nbsp;
Miami (FL) def. Iowa State 70-56, will face Kansas The Hurricanes have advanced to the first Elite Eight in their program's history. Senior guard Kameron McGusty led all players with 27 points in this one, something he&rsquo;s accustomed to. A Sam Waardenburg three and Jordan Miller alley-oop extended Miami's the lead to 13 points with under 2:00 to play, which sealed the deal. Jim Larranaga and co. will play the final No. 1 seed in the field, Kansas, for a spot in the Final Four.
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Eight programs will meet this weekend to decide the Final Four. Here's Derek Murray breaking down how everyone got where they are.

March Madness: Sweet 16 recap, looking ahead to the Elite Eight

After 10 grueling days on slippery courts in hot Las Vegas gyms, the NBA <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/breakingnews/kings-offense-mitchells-defense-leads-sacramento-to-title" target="_blank" rel="noopener">crowned a summer league champion</a>. And it was the Sacramento Kings, who went from the worst defense in the Association last season to a stifling unit in a 5-0 summer run.
Does this mean anything about the Kings' outlook for next season? I have no idea. But it was thrilling to watch Davion Mitchell, Louis King and company dismantle the Celtics in a 100-67 rout. Those teams will highlight today's reflection. But there were a number of other squads who played, and a few notables made their final cases for NBA playing time.
Let's get to the last installment of 2021 Studs and Duds from NBA Summer league:
STUDS
Armoni Brooks, guard: Houston Rockets
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Here were all 9 of the threes that Armoni Brooks hit today for the Rockets as he helped complete the come from behind dub! <a href="https://t.co/uuNyGXzhQF">pic.twitter.com/uuNyGXzhQF</a>
&mdash; Aram Cannuscio (@AC__Hoops) <a href="https://twitter.com/AC__Hoops/status/1427777063424077824?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 17, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Box Score Stats: 30 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 10-for-19 FG, 9-for-17 3PT
Brooks had the hottest hand in the final day of NBA Summer League. He drained three-pointers from all over the court, including the go-ahead basket with 40.1 seconds remaining. Some of these attempts are deep. Brooks made his NBA debut with Houston last season and quietly averaged 11.2 points per game with a 38.2% three-point clip in 20 games as a rookie. I'll be interested to see if he maintains a place in Houston's rotation this season.
Jaden Springer, guard: Philadelphia 76ers
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Jaden Springer had what was easily his best offensive performance in Summer League today. 21 PTS (8/14 FG, 5/6 FT), 2 REB, 3 AST, 2 STL. Hit a few mid-range pull-ups, had some solid drives through contact, and showed good awareness and instincts with his interior passing. <a href="https://t.co/LdlFh2Z8YY">pic.twitter.com/LdlFh2Z8YY</a>
&mdash; Tom West (@TomWestNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/TomWestNBA/status/1427746698332446720?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 17, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Box Score Stats: 21 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 8-for-14 FG, 0-for-2 3PT
Springer's strength and flexibility are mind-boggling for an 18-year-old guard. The No. 28 overall pick finally got some self-creation opportunities in Philly's final game, and he capitalized by showing a methodical ability to get to his spots on the court.
Springer exhibited a floater, some mid-range pull-ups, some smart passing decisions and those aforementioned finishes. His bounce is also underrated; look how well he hangs in the air on some of these shots.
Jarell Martin, forward: Utah Jazz
Box Score Stats: 23 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals, 8-for-13 FG, 1-for-3 3PT
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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBLxNBA?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBLxNBA</a> Summer League ☀️<a href="https://twitter.com/SydneyKings?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SydneyKings</a> big man Jarell Martin saved his best for last, putting up 23 points and 12 boards in his final game in Vegas. Catch Summer League on <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNAusNZ?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ESPNAusNZ</a> 📺 <a href="https://t.co/REZii8cQst">pic.twitter.com/REZii8cQst</a>
&mdash; The NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1427772212392562689?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 17, 2021</a></blockquote>
The 27-year-old Martin did what an elder statesman of the summer league should do: completely dominate. Martin had his way with Paul Reed, who is no slouch as a strong interior forward, and just frankly outmuscled all opposition in the double-double effort. But he also had a few nice floaters and runners, as well as that lone three-point make. Martin hasn't played in the NBA since 2018-19, but a performance like this is how you set up a comeback effort.

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Louis King, wing: Sacramento Kings
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Louis King (21 PTS &amp; 5 STL) did it all for the <a href="https://twitter.com/SacramentoKings?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SacramentoKings</a> tonight at <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBASummer?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBASummer</a> 🔥 <a href="https://t.co/h2JCEIYuN5">pic.twitter.com/h2JCEIYuN5</a>
&mdash; NBA TV (@NBATV) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBATV/status/1427833008296321025?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 18, 2021</a></blockquote>
Box Score Stats: 21 points, 3 rebounds, 5 steals, 8-for-18 FG, 4-for-8 3PT
King "kinged" the Kings in the summer league title game and earned the summer equivalent of a Finals MVP for his two-way efforts. The 2019 second-round pick looked fluid and decisive on his perimeter attempts. While he isn't a bulldozer, King also had some nice finishes through contact at the rim.&nbsp;
But I was most impressed by his defensive activity. King jumped passing lanes, kept his hands active even when off the ball, and played stellar team defense. On one possession, he did a great job of contesting without fouling as Aaron Nesmith tried to draw contact on a three-point attempt. The summer in general was a great all-around showcase for King, who evidently deserves an NBA roster spot.
Other notable performers: Josh Christopher (Rockets), MaCio Teague (Jazz), Matt Morgan (Raptors), Davion Mitchell (Kings), Trevelin Queen (Lakers), Antonio Blakeney (Trail Blazers), Carlik Jones (Mavericks), Naji Marshall (Pelicans), Justinian Jessup (Warriors)
DUDS
Payton Pritchard, guard: Boston Celtics
Box Score Stats: 6 points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists, 3-for-9 FG, 0-for-6 3PT
I understand the context of Pritchard's game on Tuesday. He entered the contest having played back-to-back Portland Pro-Am games and a prior summer league matchup. And yes, Pritchard faced Davion Mitchell, arguably the most impressive defensive player this entire summer.
But Pritchard seriously struggled to gain separation from Mitchell and others. He's not an elite athlete and does not have elite guard length, and those two downsides haunted him against the Kings' ball pressure. By the third quarter collapse, Pritchard was resigned to huck up perimeter shots that had little chance of falling. It was a tough end to an otherwise excellent 10 days.
Aaron Nesmith, forward: Boston Celtics
Box Score Stats: 12 points, 6 rebounds, 4-for-10 FG, 2-for-8 3PT
A second catalyst of the Celtics' second-half meltdown was Nesmith, who failed to apply pressure off the dribble as he had in previous games. The second-year wing coughed up six turnovers and missed shots he normally makes. Nesmith was had some pretty miserable defensive possessions, letting his matchup blow by him for layups with little resistance.
Neemias Queta, center: Sacramento Kings
Box Score Stats: 1 point, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 0-for-5 FG
Even in the Kings' triumph, Queta stood out in the wrong ways. The seven-foot center missed every shot he took, and quite frankly, a lot of these were open or slightly contested jump hooks and easy at-rim attempts. Queta played just over 14 minutes as Sacramento went smaller to build up the lead. If he is going to be a non-shooter (which he is at this stage), Queta has to finish at the basket, and that did not happen Tuesday night.

Louis King won Summer League title game MVP as he led the Kings to a championship.