COLLEGE BASKETBALL

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

In case you've ever looked at an NCAA Tournament bracket and wondered, "Where the heck is that school located?," we have just the quiz for you.

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

Baylor standout NaLyssa Smith is the Big 12 women’s basketball player of the year for the second season in a row.

Buddy Meyer Jr., who retired from coaching Men’s Basketball in 2005, impacted so many lives over the course of 41 years at St. Mary’s as a student-athlete, coach and athletics director.

After one of the greatest years in San Antonio sports history, KSAT 12 counts down the 12 best moments and memories from 2021.

The University of the Incarnate Word men’s basketball game against Trinity University, initially scheduled for Thursday, has been postponed due to COVID-19 concerns within Trinity’s program, according to UIW officials.

Former San Antonio Wagner basketball standout and Texas Tech guard Kevin McCullar Jr. has quickly made a name for himself on the court for the Red Raider basketball team, and now for the first time, he’s using his name to open up endorsement opportunities and give back to the community.

As she prepares for the upcoming WNBA Draft, Stanford senior and Wagner alumna Kiana Williams takes a moment to reflect on the moments immediately after she became a National Champion last weekend in the Alamodome.

The fresh-as-can-be Baylor Bears obliterated wobbly-legged Gonzaga’s march to perfection in an 86-70 runaway in the national title game.

Baylor wins first men's basketball national title, ends Gonzaga's bid for perfect season with 86-70 victory.

Jalen Suggs couldn’t have said it any better.

(AP Photo/Morry Gash)SAN ANTONIO – Missouri State had waited two years to get another crack at the Sweet 16 and Stanford, only to watch the Cardinal turn their rematch into a romp. 5 Lady Bears 89-62 to earn a spot in the Elite Eight of the women's NCAA Tournament for the 21st time. Elle Ruffridge scored 18 points to lead Missouri State (23-3), a team with a history of punching above its status as a mid-major from the Missouri Valley Conference. And Missouri State was hungry to push for even bigger things after the coronavirus pandemic canceled the 2020 tournament and abruptly ended a 26-4 season. “Every game we’ve been down, we’ve always come back,” Missouri State coach Amaka Agugua-Hamilton said.

The men and women’s NCAA basketball tournaments can cause some problems for employers when people watch the games during normal working hours. According to the work outplacement firm, Challenger, Gray & Christmas, INC., U.S. employers lose around an average of $13.3 billion in productivity during the tournament. The firm also estimated that “each hour spent on the games at work” can cost employers about $2.1 billion. AdThe Challenger firm said they encourage companies to embrace the problem, and instead, they could turn it into a bonding experience for their team by doing an office pool or hosting a viewing party on Zoom. This could also be a great stress reliever considering everything people have been through with the pandemic, the Challenger firm said, and it can pay off in the long run.

SAN ANTONIO – Kiana Williams scored 20 points while becoming Stanford’s career leader in made 3-pointers, and six teammates also hit from long range as the top-seeded Cardinal overwhelmed women’s NCAA Tournament first-timer Utah Valley 87-44 in the opening round Sunday night. Williams' six were the most by a player since Bonnie Samuelson also hit six in the 2014 tourney against South Dakota. The former BYU associate head coach is a native of Round Rock, Texas, only about 100 miles from the Alamodome. THEY WERE THE FIRSTThere was never the threat of an upset to wrap up the first day of the women’s NCAA Tournament, but the Cardinal were the first No. 1 seed in the men’s or women’s tournament to against a No.

Andrew has covered athletics of all levels for more than five years and is dedicated to shining a spotlight on local San Antonio athletes and their stories.

SAN ANTONIO – Moon Ursin scored a career-high 24 points, All-American NaLyssa Smith had a double-double and fifth-ranked Baylor had no problem in its women’s NCAA Tournament opener, cruising to a 101-52 win over Jackson State on Sunday. Smith scored 18 points on 8-of-9 shooting and grabbed 10 rebounds for the second-seeded Bears (26-2), who face seventh-seeded Virginia Tech on Tuesday in the River Walk Region. Baylor, the national leader in field-goal defense (31.8%) and rebounding margin (plus-19), limited Jackson State to 30.9% shooting, including 2 of 19 from 3-point range, and had a 59-35 rebounding advantage. Ursin, who was 3 of 3 behind the arc, had 16 points and Smith was 5 of 6 for 12 points, and the Bears led 51-24. The Bears shot 54.5% and held Jackson State to 27.8% for a 51-24 lead.

The Bears answered the run with a dash of more D to reach the Sweet 16 for the fifth time under coach Scott Drew. Dominant Baylor showed up in the opener after a shaky start, hitting 11 3-pointers in a 79-55 win over Hartford. The Sweet 16 bid fell short when the shots wouldn't fall down the stretch. Baylor showed glimpses of the dominating D from its fast start to the season. The Bears let up a little in the second half, but it was plenty good enough to reach the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2017.

While the brackets have been announced and games are set to take place, it will be a different viewing experience than normal. Here are the ways this year’s tournament will be different. A different schedule means Monday is part of the first week of games. Replacement teams were on standby until Tuesday deadline. If that would have happened to a qualifying team before 6 p.m. on Tuesday, a replacement team would have filled the spot.

Second-ranked Baylor (22-2) headlines the South Region and opens against 16th-seeded Hartford, the America East Conference champion. 2 seed in the South after losing in overtime to Illinois in Sunday’s Big Ten Tournament final. The Raiders (14-1) won the Patriot League title and entered Selection Sunday averaging 86.3 points, led by Jordan Burns' 17-point average. When his eighth-seeded Tar Heels (18-10) face ninth-seeded Wisconsin, Williams will look to improve to 30-0 in first-round NCAA Tournament games. CONFERENCE WATCHThe Big 12, Big Ten and Southeastern Conference combined to take six of the top seven seeds in the South bracket.

(AP Photo/Eric Gay)FORT WORTH, Texas – Andrew Jones and the Texas Longhorns took a busy bonus week of Big 12 road games and turned it into momentum for the postseason. 15 Texas finished the regular season with a third consecutive road victory, beating TCU 76-64 on Sunday night. They also won at Iowa State and 15th-ranked Oklahoma to reach 9-2 away from home and 6-2 in true road games. “It’s hard to win three road games in one week,” Coleman said. The Horned Frogs will have to win twice in the Big 12 tournament for him to avoid his first.

SAN ANTONIO – The entire NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament will be held in the greater San Antonio area this year, and in order to properly staff the event, San Antonio Sports Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Jenny Carnes says that they need nearly 1,500 volunteers, 3,000 volunteer shifts. If you would like to volunteer your services, please visit wffsantonio.com/volunteer.

SAN ANTONIO – After holding at least 50 Division I offers, Antonian junior guard Carleigh Wenzel, one of the top girls high school basketball prospects in the country, has officially committed to play college ball at Virginia Tech.

(AP Photo/Eric Gay)Baylor is back in its bid for an undefeated season. 2 Bears return from a lengthy COVID-19 pause this week with three games in five days. Baylor returns to the court for the first time in three weeks Tuesday against Iowa State. “I’d like to believe that we’re going to pick up where we left off,” Baylor junior guard Jared Butler said. AdUNDEFEATED ZAGSGonzaga's bid for an undefeated season could close this week, barring any additions to the schedule.

Texas guard Andrew Jones (1) shoots over TCU guard PJ Fuller (4) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Saturday, Feb. 13, 2021, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)AUSTIN, Texas – Texas freshman Greg Brown used a body twist and quick step for a thunderous baseline dunk. TCU (11-8, 4-6) quickly rallied in the second half and pulled within 43-41 before consecutive turnovers set up layups by Jones. R.J. Nembhard scored 15 points to lead TCU, but was mostly held in check after making four of his first five shots in the opening minutes. The Horned Frogs had 15 turnovers, leading to 19 Texas points.

SAN ANTONIO – Jhivvan Jackson had 30 points as UTSA edged past Florida Atlantic 84-80 on Friday night. Jacob Germany scored a career-high 26 points plus 12 rebounds and three blocks for UTSA (11-9, 7-6 Conference USA), which earned its fifth straight home victory. Cedrick Alley Jr. added 14 points and eight rebounds. Kenan Blackshear scored a career-high 20 points and had 10 rebounds for the Owls (8-8, 3-4). ___For more AP college basketball coverage: https://apnews.com/Collegebasketball and http://twitter.com/AP_Top25___This was generated by Automated Insights, http://www.automatedinsights.com/ap, using data from STATS LLC, https://www.stats.com

SAN ANTONIO – The NCAA officially named San Antonio host of the 2021 Women’s Division I basketball tournament to be held throughout March and early April. San Antonio city officials and the NCAA worked for months to determine the logistics of hosting the tournament in a single region. Official team travel parties with a maximum of 34 individuals will arrive Tuesday, March 16, and Wednesday, March 17, in San Antonio. The University of the Incarnate Word, the University of Texas at San Antonio and San Antonio Sports will serve as hosts for the 2021 Women’s Final Four. The Alamodome hosted the Women’s Final Four in 2002, 2010, and the 2011 NCAA Women’s Volleyball Final Four.

(AP Photo/Justin Rex)STILLWATER, Okla. – Baylor’s depth and experience eventually overwhelmed an Oklahoma State team that was missing star freshman Cade Cunningham due to COVID-19 protocols. Jared Butler scored 22 points, and the second-ranked Bears rallied from a halftime deficit to beat Oklahoma State 81-66 on Saturday. Key reserve Rondel Walker also sat out with an arm injury, leaving Oklahoma State with eight players available. STAT LINESOklahoma State outrebounded Baylor 23-12 in the first half, but Baylor won the matchup 22-14 in the second half. Oklahoma State visits Iowa State on Monday.

SAN ANTONIO – Jhivvan Jackson scored 24 points, including six 3-pointers, as UTSA topped Southern Miss 78-72 on Saturday. LaDavius Draine had 19 points and seven rebounds for the Golden Eagles (7-8, 3-5). DeAndre Pinckney had 12 points and seven rebounds. A Draine 3-pointer pulled Southern Miss as close as 74-70 with 16 seconds remaining, but UTSA closed with four straight free throws. UTSA swept Southern Miss with a 70-64 win on Friday.

Baylor head coach Scott Drew watches from the sideline during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Texas Tech in Lubbock, Texas, Saturday, Jan. 16, 2021. 15 Texas Tech 68-60 on Saturday in their closest game this season. Mac McClung had 24 points for Texas Tech, while Kevin McCullar had 10 points and 10 rebounds. Texas Tech led 45-44 after Marcus Santos-Silva made a free throw with 7:14 left. Texas Tech missed a chance for its highest ranking this season (that was 13th last month).

SAN MARCOS – Danny Kaspar is stepping down from his position as head men’s basketball coach. Texas State announced via press release that Director of Athletics Larry Teis has accepted Kaspar’s resignation. Kaspar came under fire in June, as former players accused him of making racist remarks during practice. Shead transferred the following summer. Former teammate Alex Peacock supported Shead, saying "I stand with my boy Jaylen and everything he says 100%.”

But while the world is sad over Thompson’s passing, he at least had 19 more years of living after nearly dying during the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. But Rome’s producer, Danny Schwartz, asked that he fly out a day later to accommodate the show’s schedule. Thompson told Schwartz that wouldn’t work and he was unhappy at the suggestion, but after Schwartz insisted, Thompson changed his flight. Ten years after that day, Thompson went on Rome’s radio show to reminisce, starting with a message Thompson’s assistant relayed to him. “Let me tell you something, if you’re ever in Washington, D.C., you look me up,” Thompson told Schwartz.

SAN ANTONIO After her junior season was cut short due to the coronavirus pandemic, Wagner grad and current Stanford senior Kiana Williams has been diligently training at home in San Antonio in preparation for her senior season. MORE INSTANT REPLAY FEATURES

With one unexpected sentence, Emoni Bates set the basketball world and Twitter on fire Monday afternoon. 1 high school basketball player in the Class of 2022, set off a national reaction of various emotions. Bates played his first two years of high school at Ypsilanti Lincoln High School. Another feeling was elation, particularly for fans of Michigan State basketball, who were understandably jumping for joy over Bates choosing to play for their school/team. pic.twitter.com/WdrG7R5tpc — SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 29, 2020Why Emoni Bates is a big dealMany pundits have called Bates the best basketball prodigy to come out of high school since LeBron James.

Daniel P. Villanueva has been with KSAT 12 since 2003 and is the producer of our one-hour sports show, "Instant Replay." Villanueva is a graduate of St. Mary's University and is a TAPB and Lone Star Emmy award winner.

SAN ANTONIO – For the second week in a row, a Wagner basketball player commits to play college basketball next season. This week, it’s senior Braelon Seals, who’s heading to Blinn College where he plans on studying Kinesiology with the goal to become a basketball coach.

SAN ANTONIO – After an impressive four-year career with the Wagner Thunderbirds, senior Journee Phillips officially signed his letter of intent to play in Laredo next season for Texas A&M International University.

Three teams from Texas made the NCAA Tournament, with Texas and TCU just missing out. Here’s a breakdown of the draw for each team, with happiness meter of the draw being on a scale of 1-10 (10 being happiest). 3 seed)First round opponent: Georgia StateDraw happiness meter: 5Breakdown: Talk about being in a bracket with blue bloods. Northern Kentucky is a seasoned NCAA tournament team that qualified last year and won the Horizon League. Abilene Christian knew it would likely play a powerhouse, and the experience of playing in the NCAA Tournament will be a dream come true.

Sunday evening will bring one of the most anticipated hours of the entire sports year, as the 68-team field will be announced for the upcoming NCAA men’s basketball tournament. An appointed 10-member committee is tasked with determining the teams and matchups for the tournament. Not only does the committee determine which teams make the field, but also their seeding, which can create favorable matchups. Teams are placed in four regions, with two regions having 16 teams and two having 18 teams. Why is there a selection committee?

Ty Cockfield scored a game-high 39 points and Tristin Walley added 12 points off the bench for Arkansas State (10-15, 4-8). Texas State equaled its season-high of 28 free throws made in the game as Shead made 9-11 and Sule hit 8-9. Following a turnover by Arkansas State, Peacock made one of his two free throws to tie the score 40-40 at halftime. Arkansas State cut the lead in half when Cockfield hit a pair of free throws and nailed a three-point shot from the left wing. Shead closed out the game with two more free throws to make the final score 84-74.

Cortez Edwards led Southern Miss with 24 points after making 11 of 17 from the field, while Leonard Harper-Baker posted a double-double of 14 points and a game-high 12 rebounds. Keyed by 38 points in the paint, the Golden Eagles shot 46 percent (28-61) for the game and made 5 of 13 (38 percent) from beyond the arc. UTSA shot just 37 percent (23-62) overall and 26 percent (7-27) from long distance but did convert 18 of 22 (82 percent) at the free-throw line. Back-to-back steals by the Golden Eagles led to a pair of layups that made it a one-point contest. After UTSA missed a jumper, Draine gave them a 29-28 lead on a layup with less than a minute on the clock.

Legendary UNC basketball coach Dean Smith dies at 83 College basketball fans called him "The Dean." Over four decades, Dean Smith turned the North Carolina Tar Heels into a powerhouse team. Mark Strassmann reports on his remarkable career.

Former Wagner Thunderbirds star and Missouri guard Jordan Clarkson will pass up his final year of collegiate eligibility and declare for the NBA Draft. The 6-foot-5 Clarkson averaged 17.5 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game this season for the Tigers. Clarkson was named to the All-SEC second-team and scored in double figures in 34 of 35 games this season. Clarkson spent his first two seasons playing at Tulsa and then transferred to Missouri. According to ESPN.com, Clarkson is considered a late first-round pick who can play either backcourt spot.

Cory Jefferson scored 16 points and No. 6 seed Baylor kept 11th-seeded Nebraska winless in its NCAA tournament history with a 74-60 second-round victory Friday. The Bears (25-11) kept up a two-month tear and will play either No. Terran Petteway scored 18 points for Nebraska (19-13), which fell to 0-7 in tournament history. Frustration boiled over for Big Ten coach of the year Tim Miles, who was ejected with 11 minutes left.

San Antonio and the AT&T Center are set to host some big games and marquee teams in this year's NCAA Tournament. Eight teams will visit the Alamo City for second- and third round games on Friday and Sunday. The evening session features Big East Tournament champion Providence against legendary head coach Roy Williams and the North Carolina Tar Heels at 6:20 p.m. The final game of the day Friday features Big 12 Tournament champion Iowa State against North Carolina Central from the MEAC at 8:50 p.m. The winners of the four games will play Sunday for the right to go to the Sweet 16 in their respective regions.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Syracuse University has placed longtime assistant basketball coach Bernie Fine on administrative leave "in light of the new allegations and the Syracuse City Police investigation." ESPN is reporting that police are investigating Fine on allegations of child molestation. ESPN first reported the allegations, saying Fine is accused of molesting a former Syracuse ball boy, who is now 39. The alleged victim told ESPN the abuse occurred at Fine's home, at Syracuse basketball facilities and on team road trips, including the 1987 Final Four. Fine is in his 35th season as an assistant to Syracuse basketball coach Jim Boeheim.