UConn wants to show in March it's still the top dog out of the Big East

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The recent championship trophies suggest that, perhaps, there's been a shift in the Big East hierarchy.

Rick Pitino and St. John’s were the outright regular-season champions each of the past two years and paired those with Big East Tournament titles, too.

The latest tourney title came last week at Madison Square Garden, where St. John's toppled UConn in the championship game to strengthen its argument that it owns the Big East.

Yet the pecking order changes once the NCAA Tournament brackets are unveiled.

March Madness is UConn's time.

Yes, in a loaded East Region field that boasts top-seeded Duke, Michigan State, Kansas and, yes, St. John's as the fifth seed, coach Dan Hurley and his second-seeded Huskies (29-5) are ready to roll and win a third national title — sorry, those still trump conference triumphs — in Hurley's eight seasons.

The Huskies will play at a familiar venue Friday — they usually get a matchup each season at the Philadelphia 76ers' home arena with Big East rival Villanova — and are 20 1/2-point favorites, per BetMGM Sportsbook, over Furman (22-12).

Hurley and the Huskies rolled to national titles in 2023 and 2024 — and could face St. John's in the Elite Eight if they are to win another one.

One hiccup: The Huskies have lost two of their past four games and showed flaws throughout the season that could prevent another long March Madness run for a program that expects it.

“I'm waiting to see that personality from the group of those two (title) teams where ... you see that UConn swagger,” Hurley said. “You want to see that UConn swagger at Friday night 10 o'clock. That's what those teams have. I didn't have to talk them into winning games in this tournament. They were in the tournament to kick some serious you-know-what.”

The Huskies hope some key players can overcome lingering health issues and play against Furman.

Point guard Silas Demary Jr. should play after he suffered an ankle injury in the Big East Tournament and forward Jaylin Stewart, who hasn't played since late February because of a knee injury, is questionable.

“He’s got a chance for (Friday) and if not, if we’re still playing on Sunday, he’ll have a shot for that, but I’m not sure,” Hurley said.

Johnny Dawkins wants to add to his basketball legacy in his former NBA home city.

Dawkins never played a game inside the 76ers' current arena — built after he retired in 1995 — but has plenty of fond memories of his time with the team. He played five seasons for the Sixers from 1989 to '94 and was named by The Philadelphia Inquirer in 2022 as the 36th greatest Sixer of all time.

“Played with the great Charles Barkley,” Dawkins said before he rattled off a list of other 1990s Sixers stars. “You always want to leave your legacy wherever you are.”

Now the coach at UCF, Dawkins would like to lead the program into the Sweet 16 out of this weekend's games in Philadelphia. Up first for the 10th-seeded Knights (21-11) is a Friday matchup against No. 7 UCLA (23-11).

UCF used a January win over then-No. 17 Kansas to get off to a 12-1 start, its best since 2010-2011. The Knights faded late but managed to avoid a First Four bid.

Behind 6-foot-5 guard Riley Kugel (14.7 points), UCF made its first NCAA Tournament since 2019 in Dawkins' third season.

Dawkins hoped his Philly ties would be enough to sway needed fan support toward UCF.

“When you drive through the city, you just feel it. they care,” he said. “They care about their sports, and they care about their programs, whether it’s collegiate and professional.”

UCLA coach Mick Cronin doesn't expect to lose in Philadelphia — in games or weight.

Cronin had already hit Philly cheesesteak spot Dallessandro's Steaks by Thursday afternoon and hoped to have a dinner date at Joe's Steaks (thanks to a retired sports writer's suggestion) before he left.

“When in Philly, you don’t eat a cheesesteak, you don’t show up,” Cronin said. “It would be un-American. Come on.”

Cronin joked he would try to drop five pounds from his cheesesteak tour after the season was over.

Fattening delicacies aside, Cronin hoped UCLA would have leading scorers Tyler Bilodeau and Donovan Dent available. Bilodeau sprained his right knee and Dent hurt his calf, both in the Big Ten Tournament.

Dent said Thursday he was ready to go against UCF.

The East Region has three Hall of Fame coaches who have each won at least one national title, and two of them could face off in the second round at San Diego State’s Viejas Arena.

Pitino and No. 5 seed St. John's face No. 12 seed Northern Iowa in the first round Friday, and Bill Self and No. 4 seed Kansas face 13th-seeded Cal Baptist. The winners will meet Sunday for a spot in the Sweet 16.

Pitino won titles at Kentucky (1996) and Louisville (2013), though the latter title was later vacated due to NCAA sanctions. St. John’s (28-6) has won 19 of 20 since early January.

Asked about his influence on the game, Pitino said: “The only thing I’d like to leave the fellow coaches: Just have fun. March Madness, I could be out of coaching next year. I really can be. You’re 73. And I want to have the greatest time of my life.

“I’m going to coach this game as if it’s the last game I’ll ever coach,” Pitino added. “Then if we’re good enough to win, it’s going to be here. If it’s next year, I’m going to coach next year as if it’s the last year I’m going to be on Earth."

Northern Iowa (28-6) won the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament.

The other Hall of Fame coach in the East is Michigan State's Tom Izzo.

Bill Self guided the Jayhawks (23-10) to national titles in 2008 and 2022, though Kansas hasn’t survived the opening weekend since.

“I think talent-wise, we’re definitely more equipped. We’re more athletic, those sorts of things,” Self said. “I’m excited about moving forward with our full complement of guys closer to 100 percent.”

Cal Baptist (25-8) won the final Western Athletic Conference Tournament and clinched its first NCAA Tournament berth. The Lancers traveled the 100 miles from Riverside to San Diego by bus.

“We earned the bus ride,” coach Rick Croy said.

AP freelancer Bernie Wilson in San Diego contributed to this report.

AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness

UConn head coach Dan Hurley argues for a call during first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Xavier in the quarterfinals of the Big East basketball tournament Thursday, March 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

HOUSTON (AP) — Now more than halfway to the moon, the Artemis II astronauts prepared for their historic lunar fly-around to push deeper into space than even the Apollo astronauts.

On the downside, their toilet is on the blink again.

The three Americans and one Canadian are set to reach their destination Monday, photographing the mysterious lunar far side as they zoom around. It is the first moon-bound crew in more than 53 years, picking up where NASA’s Apollo program left off.

“The Earth is quite small, and the moon is definitely getting bigger,” pilot Victor Glover reported.

Until the Orion capsule's bathroom is fixed, Mission Control has instructed the astronauts to break out more of the backup urine collection bags. The so-called lunar loo malfunctioned following Wednesday’s liftoff and has been hit-and-miss ever since. A version of the Artemis II toilet was tested on the International Space Station several years ago.

Engineers suspect ice may be blocking the line that is preventing urine from completely flushing overboard. The toilet is still open for No. 2 business.

Debbie Korth, NASA’s Orion program deputy manager, said the astronauts have also reported a smell coming from the bathroom, which is buried in the floor of the capsule with a door and curtain for privacy.

“Space toilets and bathrooms are something everybody can understand .. it’s always a challenge,” she said, noting that the space shuttle toilet was also often on the fritz.

John Honeycutt, chair of the mission management team, said it is human nature to be interested in the space commode, and even though it is “in a good state right now,” he’d like it to be working at 100%.

“They’re OK,” he said of the astronauts. “They trained to manage through the situation.”

Artemis II is poised to set a distance record for humans, traveling more than 252,000 miles (400,000 kilometers) from Earth before hanging a U-turn behind the moon and heading home without stopping or entering lunar orbit. The record is currently held by Apollo 13.

The Canadian Space Agency celebrated the country’s role in the mission, speaking from Quebec with astronaut Jeremy Hansen as he headed toward his lunar rendezvous. Hansen is the first non-U.S. citizen to fly to the moon.

“Today he is making history for Canada,” Canadian Space Agency President Lisa Campbell said. “As we watch him taking this bold step into the unknown, let his journey remind us that Canada’s future is written by those who dare to reach for more.”

In the live televised linkup, Hansen said he has already witnessed “extraordinary” views from NASA's Orion capsule.

Hansen, Glover, Reid Wiseman and Christina Koch are the world's first lunar astronauts since Apollo 17's crew of three in 1972. Koch and Glover are the first female and first Black astronauts to the moon, respectively.

Their nearly 10-day mission — ending with a Pacific splashdown on April 10 — is the first step in NASA's bold plans for a sustainable moon base. The space agency is aiming for a landing by two astronauts near the lunar south pole in 2028.

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

In this image from video provided by NASA, Artemis II astronauts, from left, Reid Wiseman, Jeremy Hansen, Christina Koch and Victor Glover gather for an interview en route to the moon on Saturday, April 4, 2026. (NASA via AP)

This image provided by the Canadian Space Agency, Artemis II astronaut Jeremy Hansen of Canada, connects live from the Orion spacecraft and speaks with Canadian media along with astronauts Victor Glover, left, and Reid Wiseman on Saturday, April 4, 2026. (Canadian Space Agency via AP)

This image from video provided by NASA shows the Artemis II crew Commander Reid Wiseman, second from left, thanking the families of the crew while speaking with NASA Mission Control in a video conference while en route to the moon, Thursday, April 2, 2026, as Canadian astronaut and mission specialist Jeremy Hansen, far left, looks on and mission specialist Christina Koch and pilot Victor Glover, far right, make hearts with their hands. (NASA via AP) CORRECTION: headed to the moon, not in moon's orbit

This image from video provided by NASA shows a view of earth taken by NASA astronaut and Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman from one of the Orion spacecraft's four windows after completing the translunar injection burn, Thursday, April 2, 2026. (NASA via AP)