The 2023 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament continues Saturday with the first two games of the Elite Eight!
Kicking things off, the East Region took center stage, as 9-seed Florida Atlantic continued its Cinderella run by taking down 3-seed Kansas State in a nail-biter at Madison Square Garden to advance to the first Final Four in school history.
Currently, there is a No. 3 vs. No. 4 battle in full swing in Las Vegas, as Gonzaga battles UConn in the West Region.
The remaining Final Four teams will be decided Sunday among 2-seed Texas or 5-seed Miami (Fla.) and 5-seed San Diego State or 6-seed Creighton. This is the first time since seeding began in 1979 that no 1-seed advanced to the Elite Eight.
Three schools — Creighton, FAU and SDSU — are making their debut in the Elite Eight. FAU is the first Conference USA team to make the Elite Eight since 2008, while SDSU is the first Mountain West team to make the Elite Eight all time.
What’s more, six of the eight coaches in the Elite Eight are coaching in the round for the first time in their career, with Miami’s Jim Larrañaga and Gonzaga’s Mark Few being the only two to have coached this far into the tournament before.
Follow along with the most up-to-date bracket here.
Here are the highlights!
Hot start
It was a back-and-forth battle from the very beginning.
Adama Sanogo blocked a shot and UConn got out in transition as Joey Calcaterra hit a reverse layup to give the Huskies a 19-15 lead.
Finding a rhythm
Gonzaga took its first lead of the game, 22-21, late in the first half — courtesy of Malachi Smith‘s smooth 3-point jumper.
Building momentum
The Zags’ lead was short-lived, however, as the Huskies got back in the driver’s seat in no time.
Zeroing in
Gonzaga got a scoring boost late in the frame from star forward Drew Timme, who helped keep things close.
Widening the gap
As the first half came to a close, UConn extended its lead with ease. It was a seven-point game at the half, 39-32.
Stay tuned for updates!
No. 9 Florida Atlantic 79, No. 3 Kansas State 76
We’re off!
FAU was first to strike in this one, making a splash with a smooth 3-pointer right out of the gate to set the tone early.
Heading into Thursday’s tilt, a 9-seed had faced a 3-seed twice before in the Elite Eight (since 1985), with No. 9 teams going 0-2 in those games. The Owls were determined from the start to challenge that narrative — and they did just that.
Back and forth
The Wildcats responded in a big way by going on a quick run to regain the lead, but it was short-lived.
FAU answered with a 10-2 run midway through the first half to take a 22-18 lead at the second official TV timeout.
Clawing back
K-State wasn’t backing down, however, coming up with one crafty basket after another to keep FAU within arm’s reach.
Neck and neck
The Wildcats went on an 8-0 run to take a one-point lead, 32-31, as the first half wound down.
One down, one to go
FAU quickly put a stop to the run and retook the lead, thanks to the fancy footwork of breakout star guard Johnell Davis.
The Owls led at the break, 42-36.
However, it was Wildcats guard Markquis Nowell who led all scorers in the first half with 15 points.
Eyes on the prize
Kansas State got the second-half scoring started, opening the frame with a quick 6-0 run to take a 44-42 lead.
All gas, no brakes
FAU responded with a monster block to stop K-State’s momentum before taking the lead right back, 47-44.
Star of the show
As the second half got underway, Nowell continued to pour it on for the Wildcats with one clutch play after another.
All-out effort
Both teams traded 3-pointers — some from way downtown — back and forth to keep things close midway through the second half. Then, Kansas State took its largest lead of the game, 57-50, with 12 minutes to play.
No quit
With momentum on their side, the Wildcats continued to show up in big moments. Forward Nae’Qwan Tomlin made a statement with a tough and-1, followed by a massive rejection that brought K-State fans to their feet.
Anyone’s game!
The Owls still had a few tricks up their sleeve as things continued, draining a couple of 3s to make it a one-point game.
FAU was back in front, 64-63, with roughly six minutes remaining after a clutch dunk from center Vladislav Goldin.
Too close!
FAU extended its lead to 72-64 with 2:44 to go, but K-State went on an immediate 5-0 run to keep things competitive.
Wild ending
One moment, the Owls led by five points. The next, the Wildcats had pulled within one after Cam Carter‘s opportune 3.
It remained a one-point game until there were just nine seconds left in regulation, as both teams battled until the very end. Ultimately, the Owls had a little more left in the tank, narrowly edging the Wildcats by three points, 79-76.
With the win, a 9-seed advanced to the Final Four for just the third time in the history of the men’s tournament.
COMING UP:
No. 6 Creighton vs. No. 5 San Diego State (Sunday, 2:20 p.m. ET, CBS)
A 6-seed has faced a 5-seed once before in the Elite Eight (since 1985), with No. 6 teams going 0-1 in that game.
No. 5 Miami (Fla.) vs. No. 2 Texas (Sunday, 5:05 p.m. ET, CBS)
A 5-seed has faced a 2-seed five times in the Elite Eight (since 1985), with No. 5 teams going 4-1 in those games.
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