TOM IZZO

Shaka Smart was voted the AP men's basketball coach of the year after leading Marquette to regular-season and Big East Tournament titles.

Underdogs have blown up every bracket in the country in what may be the maddest March ever.

Tyson Walker scored 23 points and No. 7 seed Michigan State beat second-seeded Marquette 69-60 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, sending coach Tom Izzo’s squad back to the Sweet 16 for the first time in four years.

Joey Hauser scored 17 points and No. 7 seed Michigan State clamped down defensively on No. 10 seed Southern California in the second half for a 72-62 win in the first round of the NCAA Tournament’s East Region.

Purdue and Marquette were far from the favorites in their own conferences going into the season.

Tyson Walker shook off a slow start to score 23 points and lifted Michigan State to an 80-65 win over No. 17 Indiana on Tuesday night in its first home game since last week’s shootings on campus that killed three students and hospitalized five students.

Zach Edey scored a career-high 38 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, helping No. 1 Purdue beat Michigan State 77-61.

Zach Edey made a go-ahead shot at the front of the rim with 2.2 seconds left and finished with a career-high 32 points and 17 rebounds to help No. 3 Purdue hold off Michigan State 64-63.

Mat Ishbia’s career basketball statistics at Michigan State went like this: He averaged 0.6 points, 0.3 rebounds and 0.3 assists per game.

Virginia climbed 11 spots to No. 5 in this week's AP Top 25 following a difficult week.

Malik Hall forced two extra periods with dunks off inbounds plays, and Michigan State outlasted No. 4 Kentucky 86-77 in double overtime after Oscar Tshiebwe concluded his strong season debut by fouling out.

Drew Timme had 22 points and 13 rebounds, and led No. 2 Gonzaga in a spirited comeback from a 12-point deficit that carried the Bulldogs to a 64-63 victory over Michigan State on the flight deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln at North Island Naval Air Station.

Two of the more notable games on Friday’s college basketball schedule are taking place on an aircraft carrier and in a baseball stadium.

Tom Izzo is proud of the fact that Michigan State has consistently played tough nonconference schedules throughout his career.

Michigan State has signed basketball coach Tom Izzo to a new deal valued at $6.2 million per season.

Ja Morant scored 47 points to match his postseason high and carry the Memphis Grizzlies into a tie in the Western Conference semifinals with a 106-101 victory over the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night.

North Carolina, Duke and Kansas are bona fide basketball bluebloods, the best of the best in the men's college game.

Although your favorite team may or may not still be dancing, the NCAA Tournament continues on, with Sweet 16 games running through the weekend.

Duke guard Jeremy Roach has provided a big spark for the Blue Devils at the right time.

Top seeds Gonzaga, Arizona and Kansas are in the NCAA Sweet 16.

Duke survived a tense finish against Michigan State and extended Mike Krzyzewski’s final NCAA Tournament run.

The matchup between Hall of Fame coaches Mike Krzyzewski of Duke and Tom Izzo of Michigan State highlights the final day of the NCAA Tournament's opening weekend.

Duke's Mike Krzyzewski and Michigan State's Tom Izzo are preparing for their final matchup as coaches.

Mike Krzyzewski won his first NCAA Tournament game as Duke’s coach in 1985 and his 98th on Friday night.

Joey Hauser scored a career-high 27 points and Michigan State edged Davidson 74-73 on Friday night in the NCAA Tournament’s first round.

The NCAA Tournament's South Carolina site for opening-round games is filled with postseason-tested coaches.

Loyola-Chicago plays Ohio State in one of the top matchups on the second full day of the NCAA Tournament.

It’s tournament time, which, for college basketball fans, is the best time of the year.

College basketball fans hungering for a return to normal this March should feel happy.

We finally have a March featuring NCAA Tournament games with no crowd restrictions at sites across the country.

No. 7 Duke faces Virginia Tech in the title game of the ACC Tournament.

The madness arrived early this year.

Tyson Walker made a tiebreaking 3-pointer with 3 seconds left, lifting Michigan State to a 68-65 win over No. 4 Purdue.

Auburn has climbed past Gonzaga and into the No. 1 spot in the AP Top 25 men's college basketball poll for the first time ever.

Ryan Young had 18 points and eight rebounds, helping Northwestern hold on to beat No. 10 Michigan State 64-62 for its first road win over a top 10 team in nearly five years.

Baylor remained No. 1 for the third straight week in The Associated Press men's college basketball poll, receiving all 61 first-place votes from a national media panel.

Baylor coach Scott Drew knew his sixth-ranked Bears might need time to blend a changed roster after losing four starters from a national-championship run.

James Akinjo scored 15 points and No. 6 Baylor beat Michigan State 75-58 for the Battle 4 Atlantis championship.

Michigan State is giving Mel Tucker a $95 million, 10-year contract to stay, making an aggressive move to keep a football coach who potentially could have left for LSU or the NFL.

Ochai Agbaji scored a career-high 29 points and No. 3 Kansas beat Michigan State 87-74 at the Champions Classic on the opening night of college basketball.

Penny Hardaway says the new name, image and likeness rules have helped him land another top recruiting class at Memphis.

A former Michigan State University basketball star has been ordered to remain in jail during his first court appearance on murder and other charges in Detroit.

(AP Photo/Paul Sancya)The Latest on the first round of the NCAA Tournament (all times Eastern):___6:50 p.m.Another first-round upset as 12th-seeded Oregon State defeated No. 9 seed Georgia Tech 71-60 on Friday to mark a triumphant return to the NCAA Tournament. Senior guard Bubba Parham, who is 5-10, got the start instead as Georgia Tech went with a guard-heavy look. AdIllinois will face eighth-seeded Loyola Chicago or ninth-seeded Georgia Tech in the second round of the Midwest Regional on Sunday. Ad___2:10 p.m.Players from several NCAA Tournament teams took a knee during the playing of the national anthem before their first-round games.

UCLA won 86-80. But because of the pandemic, it’s been 710 days since last we saw the NCAA Tournament — who’s counting? The first four games were grafted onto the 64-team main bracket in 2011, naturally, to pad the NCAA coffers. Michigan State’s brief appearance in the tournament was coach Tom Izzo’s 23rd straight, but it was small consolation. They told me that the flight was leaving tomorrow at 9:30 (am),” Norfolk State coach Robert Jones said.

– UCLA showed plenty of fight in its overtime win over Michigan State in a First Four game in the NCAA Tournament. UCLA forced overtime with Jaime Jaquez Jr.'s three-point play with 3.3 seconds to go, then pulled away in the extra session for an 86-80 victory at Mackey Arena on Thursday night. Riley was back on the floor for a crucial free throw in overtime, and the Bruins survived to make it a good start to their 50th appearance in the NCAA Tournament. They also split their four NCAA Tournament games, with UCLA winning in 1965 and 1971 and the Cougars winning in 1950 and 1981. ___More AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball and updated NCAA Tournament bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket

The Spartans are seeking their 23rd straight NCAA Tournament appearance. In the Mountain West, Colorado State and Utah State succeeded where Boise State failed. Those two teams advanced to the semifinals of that tournament and have a chance to keep padding their resumes at a time when several other bubble teams can't. GAME TO WATCHColorado State faces Utah State in a Mountain West semifinal. On Thursday, Colorado State was one of the last at-large teams projected to make the field at bracketmatrix.com, and Utah State was one of the first teams out.

Rocket Watts scored 21 points and Aaron Henry had 18 to lead the Spartans in a 70-64 victory over No. The Wolverines (19-3, 14-3) closed the regular season getting routed at home by the Fighting Illini, beating Michigan State handily to clinch the Big Ten title and losing the rematch three days later. They were ready to play today and we weren’t.”AdJoey Hauser scored nine of his 11 points off the bench in the first half as Michigan State led 30-26. SENIOR MOMENTFifth-year senior Joshua Langford, who missed much of the previous two seasons with injury, made a 3-point shot with 49 seconds left to give Michigan State a 64-59 lead. UP NEXTThe Big Ten Tournament begins Wednesday in Indianapolis, where first-seeded Michigan may meet Michigan State for a third time.

2 Michigan wrapped up the Big Ten title with a 69-50 victory over rival Michigan State on Thursday night. The Wolverines won it again in 2014. Aaron Henry scored 14 points for Michigan State (14-11, 8-11), which will finish with a losing conference record for the first time since 1993. Michigan State went 0 for 9 from 3-point range, its first game without a 3 since Nov. 15, 2013 against Columbia, according to Sportradar. MOTIVATIONAL VIDEOFormer Michigan State star Draymond Green made an appearance in a pregame video the Wolverines watched.

Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo reacts during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Maryland, Sunday, Feb. 28, 2021, in College Park, Md. “We’re not safe in anything yet,” coach Tom Izzo said after Ohio State win. 4 nationally in December, Michigan State started 2-7 in league play and was unranked by mid-January. AdThe Indiana, Illinois and Ohio State wins helped push the Spartans to 4-9 in Quadrant 1 games. Michigan State hosts the Hoosiers on Tuesday then closes with consecutive games against third-ranked Michigan.

Michigan State forward Gabe Brown celebrates the team's 71-67 win over Ohio State in an NCAA college basketball game Thursday, Feb. 25, 2021, in East Lansing, Mich. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)EAST LANSING, Mich. – Aaron Henry had 18 points to help Michigan State improve its chances of making the NCAA Tournament with a 71-67 win over No. Michigan State was coming off an 81-72 win over No. The Buckeyes beat Michigan State 79-62 at home, ending a four-game losing streak in the series. Michigan State: Point guard Foster Loyer was on the bench, but not in uniform, resting his injured left shoulder for a third game in a row. Michigan State: Play at Maryland on Sunday, a third game in six days against a team that has been resting and practicing since beating Rutgers on Feb. 21.

Trent Frazier scored 22 points for Illinois, whose star players weren't as productive as usual against a suddenly stingy defense. Michigan State: Hall of Fame Coach Tom Izzo hasn't missed the NCAA Tournament since 1997. They shot 24% and were held to 26 points in the first half at Michigan State before shooting better and scoring more in the second half. POLL IMPLICATIONSThe Illini, who haven't won at Michigan State since 2015, will likely slip in the AP Top 25 after getting upset as a seven-point favorite. Michigan State: Hosts Ohio State on Thursday night.

15 Iowa still had enough from the rest of its team to rout Michigan State 88-58 on Saturday. Michigan State started the afternoon hoping to earn a quality win against a team it lost by just six points to earlier this month. Michigan State: Izzo was in his second season the last time he didn't coach in the NCAA Tournament, and the next time might be next month. POLL IMPLICATIONSThe Hawkeyes should move up in the Top 25 after routing Michigan State on the road and beating No. 25 Rutgers by 13 points earlier in the week.

18 Tennessee never trailed Saturday in beating 15th-ranked Kansas 80-61 in the Big 12/SEC Challenge. This was just Tennessee's second win all-time against Kansas in six games. David McCormack led the Jayhawks with 17 points, Marcus Garrett added 15 and Jalen Wilson had 10. Kansas shot only 7 of 26 through the first 20 minutes and kept from being blown out by hitting 11 of 12 at the free throw line. Tennessee: The Vols have proven they can play stingy defense, and they dominated on the boards 38-23, scoring 14 second-chance points.

(AP Photo/Doug McSchooler)The Latest on the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on sports around the world:___The Tennessee Tech men’s basketball team has its first schedule change of the season because of COVID-19 issues. Individuals who test positive for COVID-19 follow the protocol established by the league and the players' association. Club medical staff are in regular communication with individuals who test positive to monitor symptoms. Staal said he was “the first guy to test positive” and said he was “as surprised as anyone else – really in shock” after finding out. He said he was trying to be safe and follow health protocols before testing positive.

(AP Photo/Giovanni Auletta)The Latest on the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on sports around the world:___The Canadian women’s hockey team opened a 35-player camp in a Calgary bubble. The 2020 women’s world hockey championship in Halifax and Truro, Nova Scotia, was postponed to April 7-17, 2021 because of the pandemic. National team players have skated and trained this winter in Toronto, Montreal and Calgary hubs. Last week, three players tested positive and that led to the Spartans postponing games at No. FIS says Waldner tested positive while overseeing slalom races in Flachau, Austria.

FILE - Villanova head coach Jay Wright gestures during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Georgetown in Washington, in this Saturday, March 7, 2020, file photo. South Carolina, 3-2 this season, has had seven scheduled games called off because of COVID-19. ___Xavier's scheduled men's basketball game Saturday at Seton Hall has been postponed because of COVID-19 related issues within the Xavier program. ___The Atlantic Coast Conference says Saturday’s men’s basketball game between Georgia Tech and North Carolina State has been postponed. ___Michigan State is postponing a second straight men's basketball game due to a COVID-19 outbreak within its basketball program.

Garber said while he felt for the challenges facing the Canadian teams, the league had to abide by made-in-Canada health guidelines. Green Bay (13-3) hosts the Los Angeles Rams (11-6) in a NFC divisional playoff game Saturday. Also, Thursday night’s Southeastern Conference women’s basketball game featuring No. ___Georgetown has canceled its men’s basketball game against DePaul on Wednesday night, citing a COVID-19-related issue with the program. ___Two SMU men’s basketball games scheduled for this week have been postponed because of a positive COVID-19 case and ensuing contact tracing issues in the program.

(AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)EVANSTON, Ill. – Boo Buie scored a career-high 30 points and Northwestern beat Michigan State for the first time in almost a decade, topping the No. Northwestern (4-1, 1-0 Big Ten) stopped a 12-game slide in the series with its first victory over Michigan State since Jan. 14, 2012. 4 Michigan State on Jan. 27, 1979. Aaron Henry scored 11 points for Michigan State (6-1, 0-1), and Malik Hall finished with 10 points and nine boards. Michigan State looked rusty early on and a fired-up Northwestern team took advantage.

Michigan State basketball coach Tom Izzo has tested positive for COVID-19. 8 Michigan State beat No. “They are able to play at a consistently higher level than us due to their depth right now," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. Joey Hauser had 11 points and 10 rebounds, while Malik Hall added 10 points and 10 rebounds for Michigan State. “I’m going to smile and enjoy it because I haven’t done a very good job against Duke," Izzo said.

Juwan Howard's coaching acumen was never in doubt when he took over as Michigan's coach in 2019. Howard's 2021 class, rated No. The first day of the early signing period was Wednesday, but Michigan won't officially announce its 2021 recruiting class until the last player in it has signed on Friday. 4 overall recruiting class, topped by Trey Patterson, a 6-7 forward from Somerset, New Jersey, rated No. Coach Leonard Hamilton and the Seminoles still have three more commits expected to sign soon, including five-star players Matthew Cleveland and Jalen Warley, in a class rated No.

The conference on Monday postponed Saturday’s game between No. 20 Auburn and Mississippi State because of positive COVID-19 cases and quarantining within the Bulldogs’ program. Mississippi State coach Mike Leach said the Bulldogs were just a player away from having to postpone last Saturday’s game against Vanderbilt. 5 Texas A&M paused in-person activities after a player and a staff member tested positive for COVID-19 after returning from a win at South Carolina. LSU is battling an outbreak that could put Saturday's game against No.

(AP Photo/Michael Woods)The Latest on the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on sports around the world:___Michigan State basketball coach Tom Izzo has tested positive for COVID-19. 20 Auburn and Mississippi State because of positive COVID-19 and quarantining within the Bulldogs’ program that the school says left the team below the minimum threshold of 53 available scholarship athletes. 5 Texas A&M paused in-person activities on Monday after a player and a staff member tested positive for COVID-19 after the team returned from its weekend trip to South Carolina. ___Arkansas football coach Sam Pittman has tested positive for COVID-19 and could miss the Razorbacks’ game at No. Pittman was tested Sunday as part of the team’s regular protocol and learned Monday that his test came back positive.