UConn Opens Big East Tournament Defense Against Villanova As March Madness approaches, UConn looks to continue its strong late-season surge when it begins its Big East Tournament title defense against Villanova in Thursday night’s quarterfinal matchup. With momentum on their side, the third-seeded Huskies will try to extend their four-game winning streak and solidify their place as a top contender

Iowa, Ohio State Embrace ‘Fresh Start’ in Big Ten Tourney Iowa enters the Big Ten tournament against Ohio State on Wednesday in Indianapolis, looking to capitalize on its momentum from a must-win regular-season finale. Hawkeyes Fight for Postseason Life The No. 15 seed Hawkeyes (16-15) secured their spot in the tournament with a decisive 83-68 victory over Nebraska on Sunday,

DePaul, Georgetown Look to Extend Much-Improved Seasons NEW YORK — Georgetown showed major improvement in coach Ed Cooley’s second season as Micah Peavy earned a spot on the All-Big East first team and injured center Thomas Sorber made the third team and the conference’s all-rookie team. Hoyas Looking to Continue Their Progress The seventh-seeded Hoyas (17-14) will face 10th-seeded DePaul

Butler, Providence Enter Big East Tourney on Downturns NEW YORK — Providence and Butler ended disappointing regular seasons with the dubious claim of being among the Big East’s coldest teams. Struggling Teams Set to Face Off Two teams on lengthy losing streaks will open the Big East tournament Wednesday afternoon when eighth-seeded Providence faces ninth-seeded Butler in an opening-round game.

Big Ten Tournament Preview: USC Looks to Contain Rutgers’ Dylan Harper in High-Stakes Rematch As the Big Ten Tournament tips off in Indianapolis, the No. 11 seed Rutgers Scarlet Knights (15-16) and No. 14 seed USC Trojans (15-16) face off in a win-or-go-home showdown on Wednesday. Both teams aim to extend difficult seasons with a five-game Cinderella run that would

Mississippi State Confident as They Face Struggling LSU in SEC Tournament Opener Mississippi State enters the Southeastern Conference (SEC) tournament with renewed confidence, despite slipping out of the AP Top 25 rankings after an 11-week stay. The No. 10 seed Bulldogs (20-11) will take on No. 15 seed LSU (14-17) in the first round on Wednesday night in Nashville, Tennessee,

Texas in Desperation Mode Entering SEC Tournament The stakes could not be higher for Texas as it enters the Southeastern Conference tournament. The No. 13-seeded Longhorns (17-14) must win their first-round game against No. 12-seeded Vanderbilt (20-11) on Wednesday afternoon in Nashville to keep their NCAA Tournament dreams alive. With a second-round matchup against No. 5 seed Texas A&M awaiting

A Fresh Start in the ACC Tournament Georgia Tech and Virginia both enter the ACC Tournament looking to shake off recent struggles and piece together a deep postseason run. Their second-round showdown on Wednesday in Charlotte will determine which team advances to face No. 1 seed Duke in the quarterfinals. The Yellow Jackets (16-15) and Cavaliers (15-16) each received first-round

Buffaloes Aim to Keep Postseason Run Alive Colorado has struggled mightily in its first season in the Big 12, winning just three conference games all year. However, the Buffaloes are suddenly showing life at the right time, securing back-to-back wins for the first time since December. After defeating TCU in the regular-season finale, Colorado followed up with a hard-fought 69-67