March Madness is racing toward the national championship game.
The beloved annual tradition that is the NCAA Tournament opened with bracket busters and overnight stars — Oakland's Jack Gohlke and Oregon's Jermaine Couisnard, anyone? — emerging out of nowhere.
Who will win it all? UConn is the No. 1 overall seed and an overwhelming pick to claim a sixth overall title and become the first team to repeat as NCAA champion since Florida in 2006-07. The only other top seed still alive is Purdue.
Last year's Final Four, remember, included two 5 seeds (Miami and San Diego State), the fourth-seeded Huskies and 9 seed Florida Atlantic. This year is a bit more traditional — except for 11-seed North Carolina State crashing the party.
1 UConn vs. 4 Alabama (8:49 p.m. Eastern, Saturday). The question before the tourney was who could stop the Huskies and that question hasn't changed at all as UConn has won its NCAA games by 39, 17, 30 and 25 points. Next up: the Crimson Tide. Alabama hit 16 3-pointers to advance over Clemson and that came after the Tide eliminated top-seeded North Carolina.
1 Purdue vs 11 N.C. State (6:09 p.m. Eastern, Saturday). The Boilermakers have advanced behind big man Zach Edey, who dropped 40 points in his last game to help eliminate Tennessee. The 7-foot-4, 300-pound Edey and his strong supporting cast will face a Wolfpack team that has a standout big man of its own: D.J. Burns Jr., who is 6-9 and 275 pounds. N.C. State hasn't made it this far since its 1983 championship team coached by the late Jim Valvano.
Every game of the men’s tournament will be aired — here is a schedule — either on CBS, TBS, TNT or TruTV and their digital platforms, including Paramount+. TBS will handle the Final Four and national title game this year. The NCAA is streaming games via its March Madness Live option.
The betting favorite is UConn, followed by Purdue, Alabama and N.C. State, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
The Final Four is in Glendale, Arizona, on Saturday, April 6, with the championship game the night of Monday, April 8.
March Madness as we know it could be on the way out amid all the changes in college athletics. There is a lot of talk about expanding the tournament beyond 68 teams, a format that's been in place since 2011.
For now, enjoy the show and if it seems like everyone can score, there is a reason. Offense has evolved. Just take a look at UConn.
Everyone loves those buzzer beaters and late-game winners. A lot of the guys who hit those last year came back for more. Edey was back too, though his basketball future after Purdue is murky.
If you like your team this season, take a good look. The transfer portal and the allure of NIL deals mean coaches have to worry about their rosters even amid March Madness.
AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness
UConn center Donovan Clingan (32) celebrates after hitting a 3-pointer against Illinois during the second half of the Elite 8 college basketball game in the men's NCAA Tournament, Saturday, March 30, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
North Carolina State's Casey Morsell (14) and Duke's Tyrese Proctor (5) react during the second half of an Elite Eight college basketball game in the NCAA Tournament in Dallas, Sunday, March 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Brandon Wade)
DORTMUND, Germany (AP) — Niclas Füllkrug scored and Borussia Dortmund earned a 1-0 win over Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of their Champions League semifinal on Wednesday.
Dortmund defender Nico Schlotterbeck sent a long pass over the top for Füllkrug to control brilliantly with his first touch before firing it past PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma with his next in the 36th minute.
“It's not the first time that I've tried to stick the ball in at the near post this season. This time it worked out and I'm even happier that it's in such an important game,” Füllkrug said.
The win gives Dortmund a narrow advantage before the teams play again in the second leg in Paris next Tuesday, when the French champion will need to overturn the result if it's going to capture Europe's biggest prize before Kylian Mbappé leaves the club.
PSG is under pressure to finally win to the Champions League to justify more than a decade of huge investment from its Qatari owners.
Dortmund's win ensured it qualified for the tournament next season and it gives the Bundesliga five teams in the expanded tournament. Dortmund is assured of finishing at least fifth.
Roared on by most of the 81,365 fans present, including the famed “yellow wall” behind one of the goals, Dortmund made the busier start and maintained its intensity for the whole game. The home team ran 119.7 kilometers — almost 10 more than the visitors.
Defender Lucas Hernández went off injured after trying to stop Füllkrug from scoring. It looked like Hernández suffered a left leg injury.
PSG pushed hardest early in the second half, when Mbappé hit the right post before Achraf Hakimi struck the left post.
Gregor Kobel saved Mbappé’s next effort and Dortmund survived the pressure.
Füllkrug went on to miss further good chances for the German team, while Marquinhos made a crucial block to deny Julian Brandt late on.
“It would have been nice if we could have made our counterattacks count to get a second goal at the end,” Dortmund veteran Mats Hummels said. “But now we have to come through in Paris.”
The visitors missed chances, too.
Ousmane Dembelé should have scored on his return to Dortmund when he blazed a shot over late, then Vitinha flashed a shot wide of the left post.
“We tried to keep the ball from them but it’s so difficult because they have a lot of quality,” PSG coach Luis Enrique said. "They are a great team on the ball and off the ball. Today in that environment they were great in both aspects of the game. I think we had maybe a lack of intensity in the first half, but in the second half we created clear, clear chances. But we couldn’t score.”
Dortmund coach Edin Terzić only made his first substitution in the 83rd, when he sent on veteran Marco Reus for the exhausted Karim Adeyemi.
The winner of the two-leg tie will play either Real Madrid or Bayern Munich in the final in London on June 1. The old rivals drew 2-2 in their semifinal first leg in Munich on Tuesday.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Dortmund's head coach Edin Terzic protests to referee Anthony Taylor during the Champions League semifinal first leg soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain at the Signal-Iduna Park in Dortmund, Germany, Wednesday, May 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
Dortmund's head coach Edin Terzic protests to referee Anthony Taylor during the Champions League semifinal first leg soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain at the Signal-Iduna Park in Dortmund, Germany, Wednesday, May 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
Dortmund's Niclas Fuellkrug reacts after a missed chance during the Champions League semifinal first leg soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain at the Signal-Iduna Park stadium in Dortmund, Germany, Wednesday, May 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
PSG's Marquinhos, front, defenses against Dortmund's Julian Brandt during the Champions League semifinal first leg soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain at the Signal-Iduna Park in Dortmund, Germany, Wednesday, May 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
PSG's head coach Luis Enrique reacts after the Champions League semifinal first leg soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain at the Signal-Iduna Park stadium in Dortmund, Germany, Wednesday, May 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
Dortmund supporters wave flags after the Champions League semifinal first leg soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain at the Signal-Iduna Park stadium in Dortmund, Germany, Wednesday, May 1, 2024. Dortmund won 1-0. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
PSG's Mbappe reacts after a missed chance during the Champions League semifinal first leg soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain at Signal Iduna Park, Dortmundm Germany, Wednesday May 1, 2024. (Bernd Thissen/dpa via AP)
Dortmund's Niclas Fuellkrug celebrates after scoring his side's opening goal during the Champions League semifinal first leg soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain at the Signal-Iduna Park stadium in Dortmund, Germany, Wednesday, May 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
Dortmund's players greet fans after the Champions League semifinal first leg soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain at the Signal-Iduna Park in Dortmund, Germany, Wednesday, May 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
PSG's Kylian Mbappe leaves the pitch after the Champions League semifinal first leg soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain at the Signal-Iduna Park in Dortmund, Germany, Wednesday, May 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
Dortmund's Emre Can is challenged by PSG's Randal Kolo Muani, right, during the Champions League semifinal first leg soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain at the Signal-Iduna Park stadium in Dortmund, Germany, Wednesday, May 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
Dortmund's Emre Can is challenged by PSG's Randal Kolo Muani, right, during the Champions League semifinal first leg soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain at the Signal-Iduna Park stadium in Dortmund, Germany, Wednesday, May 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
PSG's Kylian Mbappe gestures during the Champions League semifinal first leg soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain at the Signal-Iduna Park stadium in Dortmund, Germany, Wednesday, May 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
PSG's Kylian Mbappe reacts during the Champions League semifinal first leg soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain at the Signal-Iduna Park stadium in Dortmund, Germany, Wednesday, May 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
Dortmund's fans cheer for their team during the Champions League semifinal first leg soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain at the Signal-Iduna Park in Dortmund, Germany, Wednesday, May 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
Dortmund's fans cheer for their team during the Champions League semifinal first leg soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain at the Signal-Iduna Park in Dortmund, Germany, Wednesday, May 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
Dortmund's Niclas Fuellkrug, right, celebrates after scoring his side's opening goal during the Champions League semifinal first leg soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain at the Signal-Iduna Park stadium in Dortmund, Germany, Wednesday, May 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
