With a birth to the Sweet 16 on the line, the competition in the NCAA tournament is only just beginning.
Pleanty of upsets have already taken place during March Madness, but for the lower seeds to continue their Cinderella runs, they will have to play their best, as the teams will only be tougher from here on out.
Here are the games to look out for on Sunday, March 18. Be sure to check out in-depth Associated Press previews.
12:15 p.m. — North Carolina St. vs. Georgetown (-4.5)
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) An international incident made Georgetown a team.
What could have been a disparate collection of freshmen and upperclassmen, entitled stars and incoming newbies, has become a united squad as it prepares to meet North Carolina State on Sunday in a third round of the Midwest Regional. Read the Complete Preview Here.
2:45 p.m — St. Louis vs. Michigan State (-7)
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) There's a thread running through Michigan State's program that connects the decades and NCAA titles – three players intertwined by talent, charisma and leadership skills.
From Magic Johnson to Mateen Cleaves to Draymond Green.
Three-of-a-kind Spartans. Read the Complete Preview Here.
5:15 p.m. — Creighton vs. North Carolina (No line)
GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) As Harrison Barnes and Doug McDermott won state championships together as high school teammates in Iowa, Barnes became one of the nation's top recruits while McDermott was the overlooked teammate.
They'll take the court on opposite sides Sunday – Barnes for North Carolina, McDermott for Creighton – with a trip to the NCAA tournament's round of 16 at stake. Read the Complete Preview Here.
6:10 p.m. — Norfolk State vs. Florida (-14)
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) Kyle O'Quinn has long been a known commodity in the after-thought of a conference in which he plays.
Now everybody seems to know his name.
The gregarious 6-foot-10, 240-pound center is the face of the 15th-seeded Norfolk State Spartans. That's the lovable little engine of a team that shocked second-seeded Missouri in the NCAA tournament Friday and, as O'Quinn said in the afterglow, messed up a lot of folks' brackets – and, he jokingly added, even his own. Read the Complete Preview Here.
7:10 p.m. — Ohio vs. South Florida (-2 1/2)
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) South Florida redshirt senior Ron Anderson Jr. is a bit of an aficionado of teams making unexpected runs deep into the NCAA tournament, and his personal favorite is VCU's streak to the Final Four last season.
Just don't ask the forward to compare his 12th-seeded Bulls to anyone else. Read the Complete Preview Here
7:40 p.m. — Lehigh vs. Xavier (-3 1/2)
GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) The Lehigh Mountain Hawks insist their work here isn't done.
They're not ready to pack up and go home to Bethlehem, Pa., after pulling off one of the biggest upsets in NCAA tournament history by stunning national power and second-seeded Duke 75-70 in its own backyard Friday night. Read the Complete Preview Here.
8:40 p.m. — Purdue vs. Kansas (-8)
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) Matt Painter knows the topic isn't sexy. He knows that it's liable to put folks to sleep, sometimes his very own players. But the coach of Purdue also knows that it often saves teams from misfortune this time of year.
The topic is defense, and he's driving home its value harder than ever. Read the Complete Preview Here.
9:40 p.m. — Cincinnati vs. Florida State (-2)
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) Cincinnati forward Yancy Gates sees a lot of good basketball in the Big East. When he watches Florida State, he sees a team that would fit right in.
That's not a knock on the Atlantic Coast Conference, and he's not making a case for more realignment. It's just that in a conference full of talented offensive teams, the Seminoles' defensive style really stands out. Read the Complete Preview Here.
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