Men's March Madness highlights: Friday's Sweet 16 scores, best NCAA Tournament moments

Men’s March Madness continued Friday night with the second slate of Sweet 16 games. Two top seeds were in action, highlighting the four-game set. No. 1 Purdue rolled No. 5 Gonzaga but No. 1 Houston wasn't so lucky. The Cougars lost star Jamal Shead to injury and then lost the game to No. 4 Duke.

No. 11 NC State upset No. 2 Marquette to advance to the Elite Eight for the first time since 1986 and No. 2 Tennessee fought off No. 3 Creighton to earn the program's second Elite Eight berth.

Men's NCAA Tournament games are airing and streaming across CBS, TBS, TNT and truTV.

USA TODAY Sports will provide the latest news, scores, analysis and more all day. Follow along.

March Madness Sweet 16 highlights

Duke takes down Houston

NC State upsets Marquette

NCAA Tournament scores

Here is the complete scoreboard for Friday's Sweet 16 games.

Men's March Madness NCAA Tournament schedule

Here is the complete schedule for Saturday's Elite Eight games.

March Madness scores today 

• (11) NC State 67, (2) Marquette 58

• (1) Purdue 80, (5) Gonzaga 68

• (4) Duke 54, (1) Houston 51

• (2) Tennessee 82, (3) Creighton 75

Duke win sets up Elite Eight showdown with ACC rival

DALLAS — It will be an all-ACC affair in the South Regional for a spot in the Final Four.

Duke, the No. 4 seed, knocked off top-seeded Houston at American Airlines Center 54-51 on Friday in a game that was marred by an injury to Big 12 player of the year Jamal Shead.

Duke advances to the Elite Eight where it will face conference rival NC State, a team it has already played twice this month.

Though Duke is no stranger to deep NCAA men's tournament runs, this is a breakthrough win for the program’s current iteration under 36-year-old coach Jon Scheyer, who replaced the legendary Mike Krzyzewski before last season.

While Duke has done plenty of winning in two years under Scheyer, it had not lived up to the sky-high expectations that were set when he landed the nation’s top recruiting class right out of the gate and added another crop of five-star prospects in his second year.

That narrative now changes to some degree with this win over Houston: A tough, physical, senior-laden team that went 32-5 overall this season and 15-3 in the Big 12, which was widely considered the nation’s deepest conference.

But the nature of the victory is unlikely to silence all Duke skeptics — and will surely leave Houston wondering what might have been. — Dan Wolken

Final: No. 2 Tennessee 82, No. 3 Creighton 75

DETROIT − Rick Barnes gave two brisk claps of his hands and a quick shout of encouragement.

Josiah-Jordan James made his way to the free-throw line and the moment was felt: Tennessee basketball and Barnes got the breakthrough they've waited for Friday.

The Vols are going to the Elite Eight, pressing within a game of the program's first Final Four and vanquishing all the third-round sadness of the past. Tennessee crushed Creighton with its defense, then proved its mettle in the deepest moments to win 82-75 at Little Caesars Arena to reach the Elite Eight for the second time in program history.

Dalton Knecht led No. 2 Tennessee (27-8) with 24 points. Josiah-Jordan James had 17 to eliminate No. 3 Creighton (25-10). The Vols will face No. 1 Purdue on Sunday. — Mike Wilson, Knoxville News Sentinel, USA TODAY Network

Final: No. 4 Duke 54, No. 1 Houston 51

Duke is headed to the Elite Eight for the first time since Mike Krzyzewski retired as the Blue Devils' coach.

The fourth-seeded Blue Devils did it in rugged fashion, beating the top-seeded Houston Cougars, 54-51.

Houston was forced to play without its star guard, Jamal Shead, who suffered a severely sprained ankle toward the end of the first half. At the time, Houston led by six points. The Cougars failed to regain the momentum without their dynamic leader.

Duke, now under the direction of third-year coach Jon Scheyer, will play NC State Sunday in the Elite Eight. The Blue Devils were there last in 2022 under the direction of Krzyzewski. — Josh Peter

Jeremy Roach delivering for Duke

Duke extends its lead to six points at 54-48 when Jeremy Roach hit a jumper in the lane. He has 14 points, all coming in the second half. — Josh Peter

Duke-Houston hits home stretch

Duke leads Houston 52-46 with just under three minutes to play.

Kyle Filipowski now has 16 points and nine rebounds for the Blue Devils.

L.J. Cryer, without his backcourt mate Jamal Shead, has a team-high 15 points for the Cougars. — Josh Peter

Creighton claws back vs. Tennessee

The Bluejays have made some defensive adjustments and the Volunteers have gone cold. We're going to have a real battle here down the stretch after it looked like Tennessee was going to run away with things after it went on an 18-0 run.

Tennessee still leads, 62-59, but Creighton's 20-7 run has certainly made it interesting. — Jace Evans

Duke vs. Houston going down to the wire

Duke leads Houston 48-46 with 5:30 left to play.

The potential hero for Houston: J’Wan Roberts, a bruising 6-foot-7 forward, who’s helped keep the Cougars close with 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting, six rebounds and inspired play. — Josh Peter

Kyle Filipowski helps fuel Duke

Duke opened up a six-point lead with 10:16 left on a free throw from Kyle Filipowski and, did anyone else lose track of Duke’s star center? Kind of quietly, Duke’s 7-footer has scored 11 points, grabbed nine rebounds and tangled with Houston’s bigs.

The latest: Duke leads 45-42 with about 7½ minutes left to play. — Josh Peter

Duke capitalizes on Jamal Shead's absence

Houston definitely could use a stabilizing force – like Jamal Shead provides. But he remains on the bench and there’s no sign that he’ll return.

Meanwhile, Duke’s heating up again. Duke outscored Houston 26-16 after Shead’s injury and led 36-32. But the Cougars aren't going down without a fight. Duke leads 39-37 with about 11 minutes left to play. Duke’s Jeremy Roach leads Duke with 12 points, all coming in the second half. — Josh Peter

Tennessee jumps in front of Creighton

Creighton coach Greg McDermott has called timeout with 16:12 to go after the Volunteers jumped up six points via an 8-0 run. Not an overwhelming lead to be sure, but it's still No. 2 Tennessee's largest of the night.

... And the timeout doesn't seem to have helped. Tennessee has continued its run to open up a 55-39 lead. — Jace Evans

Fans paint Raleigh red after both NC State teams advance to Elite Eight

After both North Carolina State’s men’s and women’s basketball teams advanced to the Elite Eight on Friday, fans flooded the streets of Raleigh in celebration. The school reportedly played broadcasts of both games on campus. It’s the first time in Wolfpack history that both teams have made it past the Sweet 16 together.

Cityscape photographer Matt Robinson captured an image of the school’s Memorial Bell Tower lit up red. There were cars lining the streets around the landmark. ABC news reporter Tom George shared a photo of the tower with fans surrounding it.

Wolfpack fan Brian Onorio detailed the scene in the city.

“I’m in the outskirts of Raleigh. I walk outside and I hear nothing but distant screaming and cheering,” he posted on X, formerly Twitter. “Amazing!”

*cue Doja Cat's "Paint the Town Red" — Victoria Hernandez

Duke, Houston locked in ... low-scoring battle

Low-scoring affair puts it mildly.

Just over 15 minutes left to play in the game and Houston and Duke already have broken the 30-point threshold! Sorry, a little Sweet 16 humor here.

But it’s true: Duke and Houston are deadlocked 32-32 with suspense building. Not just over who will advance to the Elite Eight, but which team will score 50 points first.

Assuming either team will score 50.

Duke and Houston might be producing the most entertaining, godawful-shooting-game of the tournament. — Josh Peter

Jamal Shead injury update

Jamal Shead has suffered a “severely sprained ankle’’ and is starting the second half on the bench.

Tracy Wolfson of CBS said Houston is “leaving the door open’’ to Shead playing in the second half. — Josh Peter

Duke leads Houston at halftime; Cougars star Jamal Shead hurt

No. 4 seed Duke, overwhelmed and disjointed early, has pulled ahead of No. 1 seed Houston at the half, 23-22.

No, that's not a typo. Both teams shot less than 35% from the floor in the first half.

Jared McCain has led the Blue Devils with seven points and four rebounds, but it’s been a collective effort against the rough-and-tumble Cougars.

“I love the fight,’’ Duke coach Jon Scheyer said at halftime on the CBS broadcast. “That’s what you’ve got to do against these guys.’’

Not to minimize Duke’s surge, but it probably shouldn’t be a shock. Houston led 16-10 when Cougars star guard Jamal Shead turned his ankle and had to be helped to the locker room.

With Shead off the floor, Duke went on a 13-6 spurt. — Josh Peter

Halftime: Creighton 35, Tennessee 34

No. 3 seed Creighton has a one-point lead over No. 2 seed Tennessee at halftime in the Sweet 16.

Bluejays senior Baylor Scheierman has a game-high 15 points, four rebounds and two assists. The team is shooting 44.8% from the field and 6-of-14 from three.

Tennessee senior Dalton Knecht has 10 points and three rebounds. The Volunteers are shooting 41.2% from the field and 5-of-10 from three.

The winner will face No. 1 seed Purdue in the Elite Eight. — Cydney Henderson

Duke rallies after injury to Houston star Jamal Shead

How quickly things turn. Houston was up 16-10 in the first half and appeared to have its mojo back. That is, until Cougars star guard Jamal Shead turned his right ankle driving to the basket and had to be helped to the locker room. At the time he was 1-for-5 shooting but had three assists. Early reports indicate Shead's injury could be severe.

Duke has clawed within 18-17 with four minutes in the half. — Josh Peter

Tennessee maintains small first-half lead over Creighton

Tennessee senior Josiah-Jordan James was called for a foul after running through a screen set up by Steven Ashworth. Officials paused play to review whether the hard foul should be upgraded to a flagrant, but referees ultimately decided it was a common foul.

The Volunteers have a 18-14 lead over the Bluejays with 7:50 left in the first half.

Four Creighton turnovers have led to eight points for Tennessee, which is the difference in the game so far. — Cydney Henderson

Houston star Jamal Shead injures right ankle vs. Duke

Houston guard Jamal Shead went down with an injury with less than seven minutes left in the first half. Trainers came out to assess the senior during a stop in the action. Shead had an awkward fall and appeared to injure his foot or ankle.

Replays showed he turned his right ankle on a drive to the basket. The Big 12 Player of the Year was helped to the locker room with No. 1 seed Houston leading No. 4 seed Duke 16-10. — Josh Peter

Tennessee battling Creighton early in first half

No. 2 seed Tennessee and No. 3 Creighton are trading buckets early in their Sweet 16 matchup at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.

The Volunteers got off to a slow start and opened the game 1-of-7 but found their rhythm and knocked down four shots in a row, including a pair of 3-pointers from Josiah-Jordan James.

Creighton senior Baylor Scheierman has seven of the Bluejays’ 12 points.

Tennessee is up 14-12 with 11:30 remaining in the first half. — Cydney Henderson

Houston ice-cold

How cold is Houston? The Cougars haven't scored in more than four minutes. They've missed their last five shots. But they still lead 10-7, coming out of a timeout with 11:28 left in the half. — Josh Peter

Houston-Duke getting physical

Game is getting very physical. Keep the First Aid kits ready.

And Houston’s gone cold. The Cougars opened 3-of-4 shooting from the floor, and then missed seven of their next nine shots. Duke’s warming up and pulled within 10-7 with about 12 minutes left in the first half. — Josh Peter

Houston takes quick lead over Duke early in first half

Down 8-0 to No. 1 seed Houston, Duke finally got on the board when 7-footer Kyle Filipowski drained 3-pointer. But on the next possession, the No. 4 seeded Blue Devils coughed up their fourth turnover of the night then headed into a media timeout trailing  8-3 with 15:17 left in the first half. — Josh Peter

Houston, Duke tip off in Sweet 16 matchup

No. 1 seed Houston took a quick 6-0 lead over No. 4 seed Duke in their Sweet 16 matchup on Friday night. Ja'Vier Francis scored four points, and his dunk, less than two minutes into the game, to put the Cougars up six forced Duke to call a quick timeout.

No. 1 Purdue cruises past No. 5 Gonzaga into Elite Eight

Is this the year Purdue finally returns to the Final Four?

The No. 1 seeded Boilermakers are knocking on the door after dispatching No. 5 Gonzaga 80-68 in the Sweet 16 on Friday to advance to the Elite Eight.

The first half was a back-and-forth affair, but Purdue slowly asserted itself as the game went along.

Like usual, big man Zach Edey led the way with a game-high 27 points and 14 rebounds. He hit 7-of-10 free throws – he was actually the only Purdue player to attempt foul shots – and his presence inside helped contribute to Gonzaga foul trouble (forwards Graham Ike and Anton Watson both fouled out, and Ben Gregg picked up three fouls all in the first half).

But Edey was only part of the story. In the first half, Purdue’s torrid 3-point shooting was the headline. The Boilermakers splashed home seven shots from deep and added two more after halftime. They finished 9-for-20 from 3-point range.

Overall, the Boilers shot 32-for-56 from the field (57.1%) and began to hammer away in the paint in the second half. Gonzaga shot 49.2% overall but couldn’t keep up in the end with a team that spent much of this season ranked No. 1.

Purdue guard Braden Smith joined Edey in the double-double club, scoring 14 points and dishing 15 assists. Fletcher Loyer and Lance Jones also scored in double figures.

The Boilermakers will play the Creighton-Tennessee winner in the Elite Eight, which they last reached in 2019. Purdue has not reached the Final Four since 1980. — Jace Evans

No. 11 NC State upsets No. 2 Marquette to reach Elite Eight

No. 11 seed NC State, the only remaining double-digit seed in the tournament, is advancing to the Elite Eight for the first time since 1986 after beating No. 2 seed Marquette 67-58 in the Sweet 16 on Friday.

Senior DJ Horne led the Wolfpack with 19 points, five rebounds and one assist. Senior Casey Morsell had 15 points, two rebounds and two steals, while junior Mohamed Diarra added a double-double (11 points, 15 rebounds).

Marquette had an off shooting night. The Golden Eagles shot just 33.3% from the field and 4-of-31 from 3-point range. Kam Jones, who finished the night with a game-high 20 points, had three of the team’s four 3-pointers. Senior Tyler Kolek added 17 points.

“I’m so proud of them,” NC State head coach Kevin Keatts said. “I thought we were better defensively. We are sharing the basketball. They are starting to trust each other. They believe in one another.

"It’s beautiful. We are in the Elite Eight. All the credit goes to these guys.”

When asked if NC State is a Cinderella team, Horne responded, “No, not at all.” — Cydney Henderson

NC State closes in on upset of Marquette

NC State senior Michael O’Connell knocked down a 3-pointer as the shot clock expired to stretch the Wolfpack’s lead back to double digits with 1:36 minutes remaining in the game.

Marquette’s Kam Jones responded with a three of his own – only the Golden Eagles’ fourth of the night out of 27 attempts. They are shooting a dismal 14.8% from 3-point range and 34.5% from the field. Marquette trails 63-56 with 1:17 remaining. — Cydney Henderson

Purdue answers Gonzaga run, builds on second-half lead

A 9-2 Gonzaga run cut Purdue’s lead to two points. But the Boilermakers have answered, showing why they were one of the best teams in the country this season.

No. 1 seed Purdue methodically pushed its lead back to eight points at 61-53, doing all its damage inside. The TBS broadcast said the Boilermakers had a 16-4 advantage in points in the paint in the second half at that point.

And the onslaught continued after a media timeout.

Zach Edey hit a free throw, then had a dunk. Camden Heide’s 3-pointer, Purdue’s ninth of the game, pushed the lead to 67-53 and led to another Gonzaga timeout with 8:52 remaining in the game. — Jace Evans

Marquette cuts into NC State lead late in second half

Marquette cut NC State’s lead to single-digits, 55-47. After trailing by as many as 16 points, the Golden Eagles went on a 9-2 run to come within nine points of the Wolfpack with 4:50 remaining in the contest. Senior Tyler Kolek has 16 points and seven rebounds, while junior Kam Jones added 10.

NC State senior DJ Horne leads the team with 14 points. Junior Mohamed Diarra, seniors Casey Morsella and DJ Burns Jr. all have three fouls. — Cydney Henderson

Purdue builds lead over Gonzaga early in second half

Purdue has opened up its biggest lead of the night.

A 9-1 Boilermakers run pushed their lead to 51-42 and caused Gonzaga coach Mark Few to call timeout with 16:24 to go in the game. Another 3-pointer, this one from Fletcher Loyer, prompted Few to take action. — Jace Evans

NC State keeps sizeable lead as Marquette tries to rally in second half

NC State junior Ben Middlebrooks ended Marquette’s 5-0 run with an exclamation point. Middlebrooks slammed down a one-handed dunk to extend the Wolfpack’s lead back to 13 points with 11:53 remaining in the game.

Marquette has struggled to get anything going. They’ve missed four 3-pointers — bringing them to 2-of-17 for the game — and turned the ball over four times in the second half.

NC State leads 46-34. — Cydney Henderson

Purdue vs. Gonzaga halftime: Boilermakers lead 40-36

No. 1 Purdue and No. 5 Gonzaga hit halftime locked in a tight battle.

Zach Edey has done Zach Edey things – 11 points on 4-for-6 shooting – but 3-point shooting has been the real difference for Purdue. The Boilermakers have hit seven of their 13 attempts from deep, part of a 15-for-28 shooting performance overall (53.6%).

Gonzaga has been nearly as efficient from the field (15-for-25, 51.7%), but has hit just four of its 10 3-point attempts. Two of the Bulldogs’ makes have come from forward Graham Ike, who entered Friday’s game with just five 3-pointers on the year – though two of those came in the first matchup between these teams back in November at the Maui Invitational.

Gonzaga forward Ben Gregg picked up his third foul of the game right before halftime with an ill-advised swipe at Edey on a dunk. The towering big man completed the three-point play to send Purdue into halftime with a 40-36 lead. — Jace Evans

NC State maintains double-digit lead over Marquette in second half

Marquette’s shooting woes continue. The Golden Eagles are shooting 33.3% from the field and 2-of-16 from 3-point range. Senior Tyler Kolek has 14 of the Golden Eagles’ 30 points, while junior Stevie Mitchell has added seven. Marquette trails NC State 44-30.

Meanwhile, NC State senior Casey Morsell has 13 points and two steals. — Cydney Henderson

Gonzaga rallies as Zach Edey hits bench for Purdue

Purdue star Zach Edey hit the bench and Gonzaga immediately went on a run.

Graham Ike’s putback dunk – have to imagine that might have gone differently if the 7-foot-4 center was out there – and an Anton Watson 3-pointer put Gonzaga back in front, 29-28, and got Edey out of his seat with 6:19 to go.

He should be back in the game on the other side of the media timeout. — Jace Evans

NC State vs. Marquette halftime: Wolkpack lead 37-24

No. 11 NC State has a double-digit lead over No. 2 seed Marquette heading into halftime.

The Golden Eagles did not turn in their best shooting performance in the first half. They shot just 34.5% from the field, 2-of-13 from 3-point range and 2-of-8 from the free throw line. Senior Tyler Kolek has a game-high 14 points and five rebounds.

NC State has out rebounded Marquette 22-14. Junior Mohamed Diarra has half the team’s rebounds with 11 boards and five points in the first half. Senior DJ Horne leads with nine points, but he was limited after picking up two early fouls. NC State is shooting 53.6% from the field and 5-of-13 from three. — Cydney Henderson

Purdue, Gonzaga shooting well in tight first half

Both Purdue and Gonzaga continue to hit at a high clip. Gonzaga is 10-for-17 from the field (58.8%) and Purdue is 10-for-18 (55.6%).

The Boilermakers have hit six of their nine shots from 3-point range – the most recent one from Braden Smith putting Purdue up 28-24 and prompting Gonzaga coach Mark Few to call timeout with 8:11 to go in the first half. — Jace Evans

Purdue, Gonzaga battling early in Sweet 16 matchup

Gonzaga vs. Purdue is shaping up to be a high-scoring affair early.

The Bulldogs are red-hot from the field to start the game, hitting five of their six shots from the field, including both 3-point attempts. One of those 3s came from an unlikely source – Graham Ike, the forward who entered with just five made 3s on the season (in 15 attempts).

The hot shooting has No. 5 seed Gonzaga in front of No. 1 seed Purdue 12-7 at the first TV timeout.

One thing to watch: Bulldogs starting forward Ben Gregg got in early foul trouble and was forced to hit the bench before the game was even four minutes old. — Jace Evans

NC State builds first-half lead as Marquette struggles from 3-point range

After staring 0-of-8 from the 3-point line, Marquette junior Kam Jones knocked down the Golden Eagles’ first shot from beyond the arc to cut into NC State’s lead. The team is shooting 34.8% from the field and 1-of-11 from three.

Turnovers are starting to impact the Wolfpack, who led by as many as 10 points. NC State has turned the ball over six times, compared to Marquette’s single turnover.

NC State leads 26-19 with 5:47 remaining in the first half. — Cydney Henderson

DJ Horne shoots NC State to lead over Marquette in first half

NC State senior guard DJ Horne is cooking early. He knocked down a 3-point jumper and was fouled on the shot with 13:38 remaining in the first half. He made a free throw to convert the four-point play. Horne has a game-high nine points. The Wolfpack have an eight-point lead over the Golden Eagles, 20-12.

Marquette is struggling from beyond the arc. The team is 0-of-6 from the 3-point line and shooting 5-of-14 from the field. Senior Tyler Kolek has seven of the Golden Eagles’ 12 points. — Cydney Henderson

NC State takes close, early lead over Marquette in first half

NC State got off to a sloppy start and gave up two turnovers in their first two possessions of the game, but the Wolfpack settled into the contest and have a 9-7 lead with 15:39 remaining in the first half. Senior Michael O’Connell knocked down the first three of the game for NC State on an assist from DJ Burns Jr. and leads the team with three points.

Marquette senior Tyler Kolek has five of the Golden Eagles’ seven points, but they team is 0-of-3 from three. — Cydney Henderson

NC State-Marquette tips off in Dallas

The Sweet 16 matchup between No. 2 seed Marquette and No. 11 seed NC State is underway at the American Airlines Center in Dallas.

The winner will advance to the Elite Eight to face the winner of No. 1 Houston and No. 4 Duke.

NC State is the lone double-digit seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Wolkpack is looking to advance to the Elite Eight for the first time since 1986. Marquette last made it to the Elite Eight in 2013. — Cydney Henderson

How to watch March Madness Sweet 16 games

CBS and TBS will air Sweet 16 and Elite Eight games. CBS will air the men's Final Four and championship game.

How to stream March Madness on your phone

You can catch every second by streaming every game through a few different options. All games will be broadcast across CBS, TBS, TNT and TruTV, but here are additional streaming options to watch all the action on your devices.

• Stream through Paramount+

• Stream through HULU with Live TV

• NCAA March Madness Live app

• Stream through DirecTV Stream

March Madness Sweet 16 expert picks, predictions 

(2) Marquette vs. (11) NC State

• Dan Wolken: Marquette

• Paul Myerberg: Marquette

• Jordan Mendoza: Marquette

(1) Purdue vs. (5) Gonzaga

• Dan Wolken: Purdue

• Paul Myerberg: Purdue

• Jordan Mendoza: Purdue

What time does Sweet 16 start today?

The first NCAA tournament Sweet 16 game today, between No. 2 Marquette and No. 11 NC State, tips off just after 7 p.m. EDT.

After dancing in March Madness, could actual dancing shoes be next for NC State big man DJ Burns?

There is no question that NC State's DJ Burns Jr. has become a national star during March Madness.

The Wolfpack's 6-foot-9 forward has become the go-to player interview on TV for North Carolina State and one of the nation's favorite players in this year's NCAA Tournament.

So what could be next for the Wolfpack big man? A shot at winning a Mirrorball Trophy?

NC State coach Kevin Keatts told Jay Wright, Auburn coach Bruce Pearl, Candace Packer and Seth Davis during an appearance on the TNT pregame show Thursday that he thinks his star forward would make a good contestant on ABC's "Dancing with the Stars."

I don't know where we would be without DJ Burns," Keatts said. "I want him to keep playing, I want us to win it all because I know he is going to get a call from 'Dancing with the Stars' as soon as this is over." — John Leuzzi, Fayetteville Observer

No Cinderella, NC State playing smarter in improbable March Madness run

There's just one double-digit seed remaining in the NCAA men's basketball tournament, but it would be wrong to call North Carolina State a Cinderella.

Cinderellas don't have two national championships, an arena that seats nearly 20,000 people, a coach making $3 million annually and a fan base that expects to compete with its blue-blooded neighbors Duke and North Carolina.

Instead, NC State might be the best representation of what college basketball really looks like in an era where hundreds of players are moving around every offseason, where coaches are constructing rosters on a year-to-year basis and where fans’ expectations will rarely be aligned with the true quality of the team they root for.

The main difference between NC State and a few dozen teams sitting at home this weekend is that the Wolfpack figured it out just in time. — Dan Wolken

Where is Marquette University? What to know about Sweet 16 school's location and more 

The Marquette Golden Eagles have become stalwarts in March Madness. Having made the tournament 15 times since 2000, the school is no stranger to success this time of year. Head coach Shaka Smart is hoping to improve on that success as the Eagles soar through the madness once again. But what has been strange about Marquette is, well, where exactly it is. The NCAA Tournament has never been light on schools with a little bit of geographical mystery for the casual viewer, and that's true even for a tourney regular like Marquette. Here's what to know about where Marquette calls home. — Joe Rivera

What to know about Tyler Kolek, Marquette guard who leads nation in assists per game

Who is Tyler Kolek? Can he be one of the breakout stars of March Madness?

Kolek is the second-leading scorer and rebound man for Marquette, which earned a No. 2 seed in this year's men's NCAA Tournament. But it's his passing that makes him stand out − he enters the tournament as the No. 1 assist man in the nation this season at 7.6 per game.

The Golden Eagles were also a No. 2 seed last season, but got bounced in the second round by No. 7 Michigan State. Marquette certainly wants to avoid a repeat performance this year as it attempts to return to the Final Four for the first time since 2003. If the Golden Eagles get there, Kolek will certainly play a major role. Here's everything you need to know about the Marquette star, including his all-important injury status entering Friday's game.

Why Jim Nantz isn't calling 2024 March Madness games

As the men's NCAA Tournament begins, fans may be wondering where Jim Nantz, voice synonymous with one of the most popular events in college sports is.

Nantz decided the 2023 NCAA Tournament would be his last so he could focus on his family and other broadcasting commitments. Nantz didn't retire from broadcasting; He's still calling The Masters and serves as the lead play-by-play person for CBS' NFL coverage alongside Tony Romo. The duo were in the booth for Super Bowl 58 in February. – Jordan Mendoza

Why NC State is the sleeper pick in the South Region

As we all know, North Carolina State had to win five games in five days in the ACC tournament just to get here, a feat previously accomplished by Connecticut in the 2011 Big East tourney. Hmmm…anyone remember how that UConn team fared in the Big Dance? Oh yeah, thanks to a dude named Kemba Walker, those Huskies just kept rolling all the way to the title. The Wolfpack face long odds of making a similar run. Their opening contest against Texas Tech will be challenging enough. But with the team’s leading DJ’s, D.J. Horne and D.J. Burns, spinning all the right tunes, a little belief can go a long way. — Eddie Timanus

What to know about Zach Edey, Purdue's star big man

You can't have the men's NCAA Tournament without the potential back-to-back national player of the year.

Zach Edey is back and leading Purdue into March Madness again, and is a major reason the Boilermakers are a No. 1 seed for the second straight season. This time, Purdue is hoping for a better outcome than last year – when it was eliminated by a No. 16 seed – and looking to make the Final Four for the first time since 1980. If Purdue does that, Edey will likely be a big reason for the trip to State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Here is everything to know about Purdue center Zach Edey.

Men’s March Madness schedule

Here is the men's schedule:

• First round: March 21-22

• Second round: March 23-24

• Sweet 16: March 28-29

• Elite Eight: March 30-31

• Final Four: Saturday, April 6 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.

• NCAA championship game: Monday, April 8 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.

March Madness 2024 game locations

Here are all the venues hosting men's tournament games:

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: March Madness scores: Sweet 16 highlights, NCAA bracket info