Government often tries to make rules for industries it doesn’t understand. There’s a better way.
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Front view of soap bars isolated on white background
Opinion | The Economics of Regulating AI
Men’s March Madness live tracker: Updates from Friday’s first round
The first day of the 2026 NCAA men’s basketball tournament set a high bar.
The 11-seeded VCU Rams and 12-seeded High Point Panthers delivered the first upsets of March Madness. AJ Dybantsa scored the most points (35) by a freshman in an NCAA tournament debut in BYU’s loss to Texas. And more points rained in with Michigan, Illinois and Saint Louis each eclipsing the 100-point mark Thursday.
The action doesn’t slow down Friday with games underway and more still to tip (all times Eastern):
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(16) Prairie View A&M vs. (1) Florida: 9:25 p.m.
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(13) California Baptist vs. (4) Kansas: 9:45 p.m.
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(15) Furman vs. (2) UConn: 10 p.m.
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(10) Missouri vs. (7) Miami: 10:10 p.m.
ESPN’s reporters are on-site across the country, tracking the biggest highlights in real time.
Models with Down syndrome in Romania strike a pose for World Down Syndrome Day
BUCHAREST, Romania — Dozens of models with Down syndrome strutted down a catwalk at a fashion show in Romania’s capital for an evening celebrating style, “atypical beauty” and courage to mark World Down Syndrome Day.
The SEEN Anonymous Seamstresses Gala in Bucharest brought together designers from across the country, who created garments “with great kindness, care and creativity” for young people with Down syndrome and other intellectual disabilities.
Georgeta Bucur, the president of Down Plus Association Bucharest, which organized the event held on Wednesday at the Romexpo center, said 50 seamstresses each created a costume for a youngster they had never met.
“The costumes were created without anyone trying them on,” she said. “But the most important thing is that the people gathered together again. This event is really special … it’s the most beautiful thing that could happen.”
For 19-year-old Antonia Voicu, who wore a puffy green netted dress and a crown of red roses, taking the stage was like a dream come true.
“I feel like I’m always fashionable, and I like to strike a pose, so I like to do like this,” she said, before stepping on the runway. “I’m not nervous at all.”
Antonia’s caretaker, Diana Negres, said the event was “a big step” for Antonia, who had always dreamed of “being a star” parading on stage. “This event gives her exactly this,” she said. “This is her first time, we did no preparation at all, so everything will be spontaneous.”
Cristina Bucur, a seamstress and one of the organizers, said the idea for the fashion show came to her because she has a child with a disability.
“I wanted the other children to see what it’s like to wear a costume during a fashion show, what it’s like to be cheered on stage,” she said. “They enjoy it enormously because they see that someone looks at them, that someone does something for them.”
In Romania, about 12,000 people have Down syndrome, and over 6 million worldwide, according to the Romania Down Syndrome Federation. In 2022, the Eastern European country reported that a person with Down syndrome was born per 847 births.
“On stage, us children go on a parade, and today I’m dressed in a nice dress and try to do some modeling,” said nine-year-old Marusika Burlaca, who took to the stage wearing a pink dress studded with little pearls after having her hair done up.
“Maybe they get a bit nervous at times, it’s the emotions, but they really like to be the center of attention,” said Larisa Bucur, one of the organizers. “We know that they want to be in the spotlight. I think it’s a very good opportunity for them.”
World Down Syndrome Day celebrates the lives of people with Down syndrome to make sure they have equal freedoms and opportunities, and to raise awareness. In 2011, the United Nations General Assembly declared March 21 as the official day of observation.
This year’s theme is combating loneliness, which the World Down Syndrome Day website says can have an outsized impact on people living with Down syndrome.
“Everyone feels lonely sometimes,” it states. “But for many people with Down syndrome and other intellectual disabilities, loneliness is a more common and painful experience.”
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McGrath reported from Leamington Spa, England.
Actor-Director Timothy Busfield maintains innocence in APD phone interview
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Actor-director Timothy Busfield, along with his actress wife, Melissa Gilbert, told Albuquerque Police a family was out to get him and claimed they made up accusations of molesting their kids. Video shows a roughly 35-minute phone call as Busfield maintains his innocence and suggests the accusations are part of the children’s parents’ […]
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Can Irish Spring Soap Really Protect Your Garden Plants?
A growing trend among homeowners has some covering their grass and plants with soap.
And before you ask, it has nothing to do with cleaning up their yard. There is actually a practical reason for tossing bars of soap on your lawn.
Why People Put Soap In Their Yard
Maybe you spotted a bar nestled between plants in someone’s garden or caught a whiff of a fresh-smelling scent wafting from a neighbor’s lawn.
Either way, you should know the person who lives in that home has a good reason for loading their yard up with soap. To be more specific, Irish Spring soap.
House Digest dug into the topic and revealed Irish Spring is particularly good for keeping various critters out of your yard.
The website recommends turning a bar of Irish Spring soap into shavings that can be placed in the mesh bag. You can also chop it into chunks. Just any method of releasing the Irish Spring scent should work.
Place the bag near whatever plants you’d like to keep clear of small animals. You should start seeing fewer unwelcome guests in your yard or garden.
Which Animals Does Irish Spring Deter?
While Home Digest focused on keeping skunks away from your home, there are several different animals that will likely be deterred by the scent of Irish Spring.
A post recently shared in the Illinois-based Morgan County Animal Control Facebook group noted Irish Spring can be an effective solution for keeping deer and rabbits from nibbling on your plants.
Certain insects, slugs, and even snails will turn the other way if they pick up the scent of Irish Spring in your yard.
READ MORE: Every State Where They’ve Made It Illegal To Collect Rainwater
Unfortunately, Irish Spring seems to have the opposite effect on one commonly annoying creature that invades people’s homes and yards.
Several online forums on pest control contain posts trumpeting Irish Spring as a cheap mouse deterrent that will also keep your home smelling shower-fresh.
Several TikTok videos have popped up debunking the myth while showing that mice often choose to chew up the soap rather than run away. What’s left is a big mess for you to clean up.
While it may not be the solution to get rid of mice, at least your plants can still look (and smell) nice if you load up your yard with bars of soap.
The Smallest Towns In All 50 States
From towns with more than 1,000 residents to places that have absolutely no one living there, here is the smallest town in each state according to 2023 census data.
Gallery Credit: Rob Carroll
11 Awful Grilling Habits You Need To Stop NOW!
There’s a good chance you’re likely doing at least one of these. Here’s everything you need to stop doing at the grill before you ruin your next cookout.
Gallery Credit: Rob Carroll
Opinion | Why the Trump FCC Cares About Your Sports Viewing
Its irrepressible chairman never runs out of ways to advance the president’s political interests.
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‘Players deserve better’: Kim Caldwell takes blame for Tennessee’s historic collapse after first-round exit
A 76-61 loss to NC State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament was the dagger to a disappointing Tennessee women’s basketball season. The Lady Vols officially wrapped up their 2025-26 campaign with eight consecutive losses and a 16-14 overall record, which is the lowest winning percentage in program history.
Kim Caldwell said this was the worst year of her professional career and that it happened because Tennessee didn’t stick to the original plan. Caldwell likes a very unique style of play that focuses on pressing, is fast, aggressive and features a hockey-style substitution system. She said the team didn’t fully stick to it and that’s how it all went south.
“You can’t play this style of play and put in a plan B, and we put in a plan B,” she said. “I think when you do that, you lose your identity. You lose your buy in. You lose your staff a little bit and there’s fault from the top, and that’s from me. I did that in the middle of the season. I know better than to do that and it was the worst year of my professional career. Our players deserve better than that from me.”
This was just the third first-round loss in program history. The Lady Vols were already on their longest losing streak since the start of the NCAA women’s basketball era in 1981 and were also the first team in at least 20 years to enter the Big Dance with seven consecutive losses. Their resume was strong enough to help them continue their streak of dancing every year since the inception of the women’s tournament, but that’s about the only thing they can celebrate right now.
Finding momentum to win a game in the NCAA Tournament was going to be tough, particularly against a young but hungry NC State roster. Things got even more challenging after Janiah Barker was listed as “out” on Friday’s availability report, which meant the team was without their leading rebounder and second leading scorer.
The first five minutes of the game were rough for Tennessee, with five turnovers and just two field goals made, as NC State was 7 of 7 from the field. The team started showing some life but never got a lead aside from its 2-0 start. Talaysia Cooper was a bright spot with 24 points, but as a whole, the Lady Vols shot just 33% from the field. They made seven 3-pointers, but they weren’t efficient since they had 36 attempts. Meanwhile, the Wolfpack shot 51% from the field with Zamareya Jones as their leading scorer with 30 points.
Tennessee became one of the most successful programs in women’s basketball history with eight national championships during the Pat Summitt Era. The Lady Vols reached the Sweet 16 last season, which was Caldwell’s first year at the helm of the program. They were hoping to build from that with the No. 2 freshman class in the nation, but this season showed some changes might be needed.
Earlier this month, senior Kaiya Wynn announced she was leaving the program early, citing senior night as her breaking point. More locker room questions arose when Cooper, the team’s star player, was on the bench for most of the loss to Alabama during the SEC Tournament.
“There was never any clear leadership on my part of, ‘Hey, this is exactly what we’re going to do, this is why we’re going to do it,'” Caldwell said when talking about the overall season. “We never got consistent rotations. That’s the first time in my (career) that we’ve never had players that consistently we know who is going to go in with which group. We just never got there.”
The biggest question now is what needs to change in order for the Lady Vols to bounce back next season. For Cooper, a junior who also has WNBA Draft eligibility, the answer is clear.
“Effort,” Cooper said during the postgame press conference. “My coach Kim says it a lot. This is an effort-based program. If you don’t want to work hard, if you don’t want to press, don’t think about coming here because this is what she does and she is not changing it.”
While this season was a step backward, Caldwell’s job appears to be safe. Earlier this month, Athletic Director Danny White said he didn’t expect “a quick fix” and is confident Caldwell can turn this into a successful program once again. The coach said she hopes to take this season as a learning experience and grow from it.
“I think that personally there have been very few times that I have hit failure and I have never hit failure to this extreme,” Caldwell said. “It’s a tough place to do it, publicly, and I didn’t like who I was at certain times. I think that God sometimes pulls you out of the storm and sometimes he sits with you through the storm… you just pray for peace in your program and for God to be there with you and there’s lessons in this and he’s building.”
Man charged with murder in fatal shooting of landscaper in California
A 70-year-old man has been charged with murder after a confrontation with landscapers in Southern California this week turned deadly, according to authorities and a property owner.
Michael Anthony Burke was being held without bail in San Diego County’s Vista Detention Facility on Friday in connection with the death of Martin Lucas Esteban, according to jail records and a criminal complaint.
Esteban, an immigrant from Guatemala, had been working at a property in Fallbrook, a community about 100 miles southeast of Los Angeles, before the shooting on Monday, according to Alan Hsu, the property’s owner.
The shooting occurred about 8 p.m. following an argument, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office said. One man was killed and a second was treated for a gunshot injury and has been released from the hospital, it said.
Burke has been charged with murder, attempted murder, and shooting into an inhabited vehicle, according to the criminal complaint. Each allegation includes a recommended sentence of 25 years to life, if convicted, the filing states.
He pleaded not guilty to the charges Thursday, according to plea documents obtained by NBC San Diego.
It’s not clear if Burke has retained a lawyer. The local public defender’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Cellphone video of the apparent incident shows a man holding a shotgun and standing next to a pickup.
The video, which was verified by NBC News, doesn’t make clear the entire discussion, and it does not show appear to show what preceded the argument between the man with the shotgun and the two inside the pickup.
In the video, the man with the gun is heard threatening the men in the truck.
“I got mucho friends in the policia, highway patrol. That’s all right. You wanna die today?” the man says. Someone can be heard to ask him what he said.
“You wanna die today? I will kill you right now. Don’t f— with me. OK? You sabe? You sabe in Español or in Inglés?” the man with the gun says, using the Spanish word for “know.”
Afterward the man with the shotgun points it inside the truck’s cabin and the passenger grabs its barrel, the video shows. A struggle ensues, the gun goes off, and the man with the weapon eventually says, “See, you f—-d around,” according to the video.
San Diego County Sheriff’s Lt. Juan Marquez said investigators are aware of the video and that prosecutors have reviewed it.
“The Sheriff’s Homicide Unit is conducting a thorough and comprehensive investigation into this matter,” he said by email.
Hsu, the owner of the property being landscaped, a vacation rental, said Burke is a caretaker for an adjacent property and lives on the parcel.
He described the suspect as having an “angry demeanor.”
“He wasn’t the friendliest person in the world,” Hsu said.
The victim’s daughter, Martina Lucas, said her father was invited to the location to help a friend with landscaping, which Hsu confirmed. He said Martin Lucas had worked at the property before.
Martina Lucas said her dad was a good father.
“That guy had no heart killing him,” she said outside a court hearing for the suspect on Thursday, according to NBC San Diego. “My father didn’t deserve to die.”
Full schedule of Friday’s NCAA games in men’s tournament
The Madness is underway! Day 2 of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament begins Friday. Here’s a look at Friday’s matchups. All times Eastern.(5) Texas Tech 91, (12) Akron 71Jaylen Petty scored 24 points, Christian Anderson added 18 and fifth-seeded Texas Tech beat No. 12 seed Akron 91-71 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Playing without All-America guard JT Toppin, who tore the ACL in his right knee last month, Texas Tech got double-figure scoring from five players. Josiah Moseley had 16 points, Donovan Atwell scored 15 and LeJuan Watts added 14. Amani Lyles led Akron with 26 points and Shammah Scott had 20.(7) Kentucky 89, (10) Santa Clara 84Santa Clara may have lost to Kentucky in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday, but few will forget the way everything unfolded at the end of regulation. The two teams each hit a 3-pointer in the last 2.4 seconds, forcing them to play another five minutes in a game that the seventh-seeded Wildcats won, 89-84. The Broncos hit the first of them to take a 73-70 lead, only for Kentucky’s Otega Oweh to answer at the buzzer from right in front of his own bench to tie the game. It was a crushing loss for Santa Clara, which was making its first NCAA Tournament appearance since Steve Nash was playing there 30 years ago.(1) Arizona 92, (16) LIU 58Brayden Burries hit four 3-pointers while scoring 18 points, Koa Peat added 15 and top-seeded Arizona opened its NCAA Tournament run with a 92-58 victory over Long Island. Ivan Kharchenkov had 14 points and 10 rebounds for the Big 12 regular-season and tournament champion Wildcats, who quickly showed why they’re the tournament’s second overall seed behind Duke. Arizona went up by double digits in the opening minutes and led the Sharks by 27 in the first half. Mason Porter-Brown scored 15 points and Greg Gordon had 12 for the Sharks, who finished their fourth season under coach Rod Strickland.(3) Virginia 82, (14) Wright State 73Jacari White hit six 3-pointers and scored 26 points, and third-seeded Virginia avoided yet another early NCAA Tournament exit, beating a resolute Wright State 82-73 in the first round. Virginia won its first NCAA Tournament game since it won the 2019 national title. The Cavaliers lost in the first round or the First Four in 2021, 2023 and 2024. Now they’re winners again under first-year coach Ryan Odom. Michael Imariagbe scored 19 points for 14th-seeded Wright State.(2) Iowa State 108, (15) Tennessee St. 74Second-seeded Iowa State blew out No. 15 seed Tennessee State 108-74 on Friday after losing star forward Joshua Jefferson to an ankle injury in the opening minutes of their first-round matchup. His status for the rest of the NCAA Tournament is unclear. Jefferson watched the second half from the end of the bench with his ankle in a boot. Iowa State plays No. 7 seed Kentucky in the second round on Sunday. Killyan Toure had career-highs of 25 points and 11 rebounds for the Cyclones, while Nate Heise scored eight of his season-high 23 points during a 23-0 first-half run that broke open the game. Aaron Nkrumah had 21 points to lead Tennessee State.(4) Alabama 90, (13) Hofstra 70Labaron Philon Jr scored 29 points and No. 4 seed Alabama rallied from an early double-digit deficit to beat 13th-seeded Hofstra 90-70 in a first-round game in the Midwest Region of the NCAA Tournament. The Crimson Tide advanced to a second-round matchup against fifth-seeded Texas Tech, a 20-point winner over 12th-seeded Akron in the earlier first-round Midwest Region game at Benchmark International Arena. Freshman Preston Edmead led Hofstra with 24 points. The NCAA appearance was the first for the Pride in 25 years.(9) Utah State 86, (8) Villanova 76MJ Collins’ steal and emphatic one-handed slam dunk with 1:13 left gave him 20 points and the Utah State Aggies opened their fourth straight NCAA Tournament by beating Villanova 86-76. Mason Falslev, the Mountain West Conference Player of the Year, scored 22 and helped bring the Aggies back from a 10-point deficit early in the second half. Utah State (29-6), the No. 9 seed in the West Region, will play No. 1 seed Arizona in the second round on Sunday. (6) Tennessee 78, (11) Miami (OH) 56Ja’Kobi Gillespie hit six 3-pointers and scored 29 points as sixth-seeded Tennessee ended a fabulous season for Miami of Ohio with a 78-56 win on Friday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Vols shook off a rough end to the season and advanced to play third-seeded Virginia on Sunday in the Midwest Region. Gillespie hit five 3s in the first half to help the Vols push ahead by 20. J.P. Estrella had 14 points and 10 rebounds for the Vols. Peter Suder was the lone Miami player in double digits with 27 points.(9) Iowa 67, (8) Clemson 61Bennett Stirtz scored 16 points and No. 9 seed Iowa weathered his erratic shooting to hold off eighth-seeded Clemson 67-61 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Stirtz made two free throws with 10.9 seconds remaining to help put the game away. But Iowa’s leading scorer had an off night, going 3 for 10 on 3-point attempts and 1 for 7 inside the arc.(5) St. John’s 79, (12) Northern Iowa 53Zuby Ejiofor had 14 points and 11 rebounds, Bryce Hopkins added 13 points and fifth-seeded St. John’s beat Northern Iowa 79-53 for its second NCAA Tournament victory since 2000. Oziyah Sellers scored 11 points for Rick Pitino’s gathering Red Storm (29-6), who have won 20 of 21 since early January in increasingly impressive fashion. St. John’s jumped to a huge early lead at Viejas Arena and never trailed the 12th-seeded Panthers. Trey Campbell scored 14 points and Leon Bond III added 12 for Northern Iowa, which surprisingly snared its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2016 by streaking through the Missouri Valley Conference tournament.(7) UCLA 75, (10) UCF 71Eric Dailey Jr. scored 20 points, Xaiver Booker had 15 points and eight rebounds to make up for the absence of leading scorer Tyler Biloudeau and seventh-seeded UCLA withstood every serious challenge and beat 10th-seeded UCF 75-71 Friday night in the NCAA Tournament. Jordan Burks scored 22 points and hit six 3-pointers — including one that made it 72-69 with 10 seconds left — to almost single-handedly carry UCF into the second round. (2) Purdue 104, (15) Queens (NC) 71Braden Smith scored 26 points and became the Division I career leader in assists, guiding No. 2 seed Purdue to a 104-71 win over Queens University in the NCAA Tournament. The Boilermakers seized control with a pair of 10-0 runs, once in the waning moments of the first half and in the opening minutes of the second half. Trey Kaufman-Renn contributed 25 points and nine rebounds, and Oscar Cluff had nine points, 11 rebounds, five assists, and four blocks for Purdue. Jordan Watford and Nasir Mann, the younger brother of Charlotte Hornets guard Tre Mann, led the 15th-seeded Royals with 10 points apiece.(1) Florida 114, (16) Prairie View A&M 55Florida began its national title defense with the second-largest victory margin in NCAA Tournament history, pounding Prairie View A&M 114-55. Boogie Fland scored 16 points to lead seven players in double figures for the top-seeded Gators, whose 59-point margin fell short of only Loyola Chicago’s 111-42 win over Tennessee Tech in 1963. Florida went on runs of 18-0 and 17-0 in the first half to turn a 15-all tie into a 60-21 lead at the break. The Gators shot 75% before halftime and 64.3% for the game.(4) Kansas 68, (13) California Baptist 60Darryn Peterson made four 3-pointers and scored 28 points, and fourth-seeded Kansas squandered most of a 26-point lead before holding off scrappy NCAA Tournament newcomer Cal Baptist 68-60 on Friday night. Kansas advances to face St. John’s in the second round on Sunday in a matchup between Hall of Fame coaches Bill Self of the Jayhawks and Rick Pitino of the Red Storm. The No. 5-seeded Red Storm beat Northern Iowa 79-53 in the East Region bracket. Kansas hasn’t survived the opening weekend since 2022, when it won the national title.(15) Furman vs. (2) UConn – 10 p.m.Tarris Reed Jr. had 31 points and 27 rebounds in a dominant NCAA Tournament performance, leading second-seeded UConn to an 82-71 victory over Furman team on Friday night in the first round. Alex Karaban added 22 points for UConn. The Huskies were 20 1/2-point favorites to thump a school most basketball fans couldn’t even find on a map. The real line that mattered was the final stat line: The Huskies missed 20 of 25 3-pointers with each clang off the rim seemingly sounding the dinner bell for the No. 15-seeded Paladins to come on in and pull off the seismic shocker.(7) Miami (FL) 80, (10) Missouri 66Malik Reneau scored 24 points, Tre Donaldson had 17 and seventh-seeded Miami pulled away late for an 80-66 victory over No. 10 seed Missouri in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Tigers briefly took the lead in the second half, but Miami answered with an 11-0 to regain control. Jayden Stone had 21 points to lead the Tigers while Mark Mitchell finished with 19.
The Madness is underway! Day 2 of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament begins Friday.
Here’s a look at Friday’s matchups. All times Eastern.
(5) Texas Tech 91, (12) Akron 71
Jaylen Petty scored 24 points, Christian Anderson added 18 and fifth-seeded Texas Tech beat No. 12 seed Akron 91-71 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Playing without All-America guard JT Toppin, who tore the ACL in his right knee last month, Texas Tech got double-figure scoring from five players. Josiah Moseley had 16 points, Donovan Atwell scored 15 and LeJuan Watts added 14. Amani Lyles led Akron with 26 points and Shammah Scott had 20.
(7) Kentucky 89, (10) Santa Clara 84
Santa Clara may have lost to Kentucky in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday, but few will forget the way everything unfolded at the end of regulation. The two teams each hit a 3-pointer in the last 2.4 seconds, forcing them to play another five minutes in a game that the seventh-seeded Wildcats won, 89-84. The Broncos hit the first of them to take a 73-70 lead, only for Kentucky’s Otega Oweh to answer at the buzzer from right in front of his own bench to tie the game. It was a crushing loss for Santa Clara, which was making its first NCAA Tournament appearance since Steve Nash was playing there 30 years ago.
(1) Arizona 92, (16) LIU 58
Brayden Burries hit four 3-pointers while scoring 18 points, Koa Peat added 15 and top-seeded Arizona opened its NCAA Tournament run with a 92-58 victory over Long Island. Ivan Kharchenkov had 14 points and 10 rebounds for the Big 12 regular-season and tournament champion Wildcats, who quickly showed why they’re the tournament’s second overall seed behind Duke. Arizona went up by double digits in the opening minutes and led the Sharks by 27 in the first half. Mason Porter-Brown scored 15 points and Greg Gordon had 12 for the Sharks, who finished their fourth season under coach Rod Strickland.
(3) Virginia 82, (14) Wright State 73
Jacari White hit six 3-pointers and scored 26 points, and third-seeded Virginia avoided yet another early NCAA Tournament exit, beating a resolute Wright State 82-73 in the first round. Virginia won its first NCAA Tournament game since it won the 2019 national title. The Cavaliers lost in the first round or the First Four in 2021, 2023 and 2024. Now they’re winners again under first-year coach Ryan Odom. Michael Imariagbe scored 19 points for 14th-seeded Wright State.
(2) Iowa State 108, (15) Tennessee St. 74
Second-seeded Iowa State blew out No. 15 seed Tennessee State 108-74 on Friday after losing star forward Joshua Jefferson to an ankle injury in the opening minutes of their first-round matchup. His status for the rest of the NCAA Tournament is unclear. Jefferson watched the second half from the end of the bench with his ankle in a boot. Iowa State plays No. 7 seed Kentucky in the second round on Sunday. Killyan Toure had career-highs of 25 points and 11 rebounds for the Cyclones, while Nate Heise scored eight of his season-high 23 points during a 23-0 first-half run that broke open the game. Aaron Nkrumah had 21 points to lead Tennessee State.
(4) Alabama 90, (13) Hofstra 70
Labaron Philon Jr scored 29 points and No. 4 seed Alabama rallied from an early double-digit deficit to beat 13th-seeded Hofstra 90-70 in a first-round game in the Midwest Region of the NCAA Tournament. The Crimson Tide advanced to a second-round matchup against fifth-seeded Texas Tech, a 20-point winner over 12th-seeded Akron in the earlier first-round Midwest Region game at Benchmark International Arena. Freshman Preston Edmead led Hofstra with 24 points. The NCAA appearance was the first for the Pride in 25 years.
(9) Utah State 86, (8) Villanova 76
MJ Collins’ steal and emphatic one-handed slam dunk with 1:13 left gave him 20 points and the Utah State Aggies opened their fourth straight NCAA Tournament by beating Villanova 86-76. Mason Falslev, the Mountain West Conference Player of the Year, scored 22 and helped bring the Aggies back from a 10-point deficit early in the second half. Utah State (29-6), the No. 9 seed in the West Region, will play No. 1 seed Arizona in the second round on Sunday.
(6) Tennessee 78, (11) Miami (OH) 56
Ja’Kobi Gillespie hit six 3-pointers and scored 29 points as sixth-seeded Tennessee ended a fabulous season for Miami of Ohio with a 78-56 win on Friday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Vols shook off a rough end to the season and advanced to play third-seeded Virginia on Sunday in the Midwest Region. Gillespie hit five 3s in the first half to help the Vols push ahead by 20. J.P. Estrella had 14 points and 10 rebounds for the Vols. Peter Suder was the lone Miami player in double digits with 27 points.
(9) Iowa 67, (8) Clemson 61
Bennett Stirtz scored 16 points and No. 9 seed Iowa weathered his erratic shooting to hold off eighth-seeded Clemson 67-61 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Stirtz made two free throws with 10.9 seconds remaining to help put the game away. But Iowa’s leading scorer had an off night, going 3 for 10 on 3-point attempts and 1 for 7 inside the arc.
(5) St. John’s 79, (12) Northern Iowa 53
Zuby Ejiofor had 14 points and 11 rebounds, Bryce Hopkins added 13 points and fifth-seeded St. John’s beat Northern Iowa 79-53 for its second NCAA Tournament victory since 2000. Oziyah Sellers scored 11 points for Rick Pitino’s gathering Red Storm (29-6), who have won 20 of 21 since early January in increasingly impressive fashion. St. John’s jumped to a huge early lead at Viejas Arena and never trailed the 12th-seeded Panthers. Trey Campbell scored 14 points and Leon Bond III added 12 for Northern Iowa, which surprisingly snared its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2016 by streaking through the Missouri Valley Conference tournament.
(7) UCLA 75, (10) UCF 71
Eric Dailey Jr. scored 20 points, Xaiver Booker had 15 points and eight rebounds to make up for the absence of leading scorer Tyler Biloudeau and seventh-seeded UCLA withstood every serious challenge and beat 10th-seeded UCF 75-71 Friday night in the NCAA Tournament. Jordan Burks scored 22 points and hit six 3-pointers — including one that made it 72-69 with 10 seconds left — to almost single-handedly carry UCF into the second round.
(2) Purdue 104, (15) Queens (NC) 71
Braden Smith scored 26 points and became the Division I career leader in assists, guiding No. 2 seed Purdue to a 104-71 win over Queens University in the NCAA Tournament. The Boilermakers seized control with a pair of 10-0 runs, once in the waning moments of the first half and in the opening minutes of the second half. Trey Kaufman-Renn contributed 25 points and nine rebounds, and Oscar Cluff had nine points, 11 rebounds, five assists, and four blocks for Purdue. Jordan Watford and Nasir Mann, the younger brother of Charlotte Hornets guard Tre Mann, led the 15th-seeded Royals with 10 points apiece.
(1) Florida 114, (16) Prairie View A&M 55
Florida began its national title defense with the second-largest victory margin in NCAA Tournament history, pounding Prairie View A&M 114-55. Boogie Fland scored 16 points to lead seven players in double figures for the top-seeded Gators, whose 59-point margin fell short of only Loyola Chicago’s 111-42 win over Tennessee Tech in 1963. Florida went on runs of 18-0 and 17-0 in the first half to turn a 15-all tie into a 60-21 lead at the break. The Gators shot 75% before halftime and 64.3% for the game.
(4) Kansas 68, (13) California Baptist 60
Darryn Peterson made four 3-pointers and scored 28 points, and fourth-seeded Kansas squandered most of a 26-point lead before holding off scrappy NCAA Tournament newcomer Cal Baptist 68-60 on Friday night. Kansas advances to face St. John’s in the second round on Sunday in a matchup between Hall of Fame coaches Bill Self of the Jayhawks and Rick Pitino of the Red Storm. The No. 5-seeded Red Storm beat Northern Iowa 79-53 in the East Region bracket. Kansas hasn’t survived the opening weekend since 2022, when it won the national title.
(15) Furman vs. (2) UConn – 10 p.m.
Tarris Reed Jr. had 31 points and 27 rebounds in a dominant NCAA Tournament performance, leading second-seeded UConn to an 82-71 victory over Furman team on Friday night in the first round. Alex Karaban added 22 points for UConn. The Huskies were 20 1/2-point favorites to thump a school most basketball fans couldn’t even find on a map. The real line that mattered was the final stat line: The Huskies missed 20 of 25 3-pointers with each clang off the rim seemingly sounding the dinner bell for the No. 15-seeded Paladins to come on in and pull off the seismic shocker.
(7) Miami (FL) 80, (10) Missouri 66
Malik Reneau scored 24 points, Tre Donaldson had 17 and seventh-seeded Miami pulled away late for an 80-66 victory over No. 10 seed Missouri in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Tigers briefly took the lead in the second half, but Miami answered with an 11-0 to regain control. Jayden Stone had 21 points to lead the Tigers while Mark Mitchell finished with 19.
NEUROSIS Reunites, First Show Announced
Legendary post-metal outfit Neurosis will reunite for a worldwide exclusive performance at this year’s Fire in the Mountains. The show, presented by the Firekeeper Alliance – a non-profit tackling suicide in Indigenous communities – will take place on the sacred lands of the Blackfeet Nation this July. Neurosis will perform with new vocalist/guitarist Aaron Turner (Isis, Sumac, Old Man Gloom) against the mountain backdrop.
The announcement coincides with the release of their new album, An Undying Love For A Burning World, via Neurot Recordings. Stream that right here in all its phenomenal, sludgy glory.
Steve Von Till commented on the performance: “I cannot think of a more appropriate environment for us to return to the stage. Last year’s Fire in the Mountains festival was the most profound music event I have ever been a part of… Using emotionally heavy music to build community and collectively stare darkness in the eye is something we have always believed in, but using it to directly address the heartbreaking reality of suicide, grief, loss and trauma is taking it to another level.”
Festival founder Jeremy Walker added: “To provide the stage for the return of one of the most impactful bands of our generation is more than a milestone – it is a dream realized… We invite you to join us at Red Eagle Campground for a once in a lifetime performance.”
Shane McCarthy, Fire in the Mountains Music Curator, described the booking as “surreal and very exciting… the return of Neurosis – along with a new album and lineup – is the final piece of the puzzle for this year’s festival.”
Fire in the Mountains 2026 lineup:
- Neurosis
- 16 Horsepower
- Enslaved
- Between Two Worlds
- Baroness
- Amigo the Devil
- Borknagar (U.S. exclusive)
- Agalloch
- Yob (presented by Firekeeper Alliance)
- The Ruins of Beverast (U.S. exclusive)
- SubRosa
- Full of Hell (presented by Firekeeper Alliance)
- Gallowbraid (U.S. exclusive)
- Sigh
- Wayfarer
- Old Man Gloom
- Raven Chacon & Iggor Cavalera
- Midwife
- Dreadnought
- Phobophilic
- Tarantella
- Yaotl Mictlan
- Savage Oath
- Galvanist
- Nocturne
- El Welk
Fire in the Mountains was originally created to highlight the symbiotic relationship between heavy music and mountain landscapes. It was a way to bring people together to experience something extraordinary: the primal power of heavy music combined with the majesty and wildness of the Rocky Mountains.
What transpired was a truly unique and inspiring musical experience for the audience and bands alike. Now, Fire in the Mountains is evolving to be much more than just a concert in the mountains— it’s the deliberate curation of music, art, education, food, social responsibility, and adventure with the intention to cultivate our intrinsic nature through the act of rewilding; that is, to reconnect and immerse oneself with the natural world.
Fire in the Mountains is committed not only to raising awareness of the prevalence of suicide in Indian Country but also to actively participate in the solution by providing support for suicide prevention initiatives. Fire in the Mountains aims to create a platform that brings this issue to the forefront of public consciousness and fosters a supportive community dedicated to change.
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