ESPN Men's Basketball

DENVER -- BYU fans were chanting long after the team had left the court at the Pepsi Center. Their cries could be heard inside the Cougars locker room, where a player asked Jimmer Fredette if he could understand the chants.

“3:16?” he asked Fredette, a reference to the famed verse of Biblical scripture.

The BYU faithful were actually chanting “Sweet 16!“ The team's hearing problem was one of the few struggles the Cougars experienced as they trounced 11th-seeded Gonzaga 89-67 on Saturday. Behind Fredette’s 34, BYU advanced to the regional semifinal round for the first time in 30 years.

“It’s been a long time for our fans, and I’m happy, really happy for them,” said BYU coach Dave Rose, pausing as his voice cracked with emotion. “I’m happy for our players, happy for our coaches, our administration. I mean, everybody is in this. We’re in this together. This is a special team.”

Fredette, the nation’s leading scorer, delivered one of his most memorable performances, hitting seven 3-pointers and burying the Zags.

The Cougars faced many uncertainties heading into the tournament.

Leading rebounder Brandon Davies had been suspended for the rest of the season in early March after violating the school’s honor code. He was relegated to the bench wearing a sweater rather than a jersey. In its first game following Davies' suspension, BYU lost to New Mexico at home. Rose told the team it needed to adjust or this magical season would soon end.

He also implemented associate head coach Dave Rice’s new game plan -- a strategy that called for spreading the floor and creating chances based on driving and kicking the ball out to the perimeter.

Against an imposing Gonzaga frontline that included 7-foot center Robert Sacre and ultra-athletic 6-foot-7 forward Elias Harris, BYU did just that. Fredette scored his first five field goals on 3-pointers. He ran off screens and pulled up in transition to get looks at the basket. While Fredette was 2-for-9 from beyond the arc two days earlier against Wofford, he was 7-for-12 facing a mixture of man-to-man and zone defenses from the Zags.

“You have off nights, then you come back and have good nights,” Fredette said. “Kind of the law of percentages throughout the year.”

Said guard Jackson Emery: “Jimmer’s Jimmer. He’s going to score from outside, inside, you never know.”

The Cougars made half of their 3-point attempts, with Emery and Noah Hartsock each notching three. Emery scored 11 of his 16 points in the first half while Hartsock scored 13 on 5-for-5 shooting.

Hartsock got in early foul trouble, but Stephen Rogers came off the bench to score 10 first-half points and James Anderson blocked two shots to further show that BYU isn’t just about Fredette.

The Bulldogs (25-10) saw their 10-game winning streak snapped despite 17 points from Sacre and 18 points apiece from Harris and senior Steven Gray. Harris grabbed eight rebounds, and Sacre had seven to help outrebound the Cougars 36-27.

But after a Gray 3-pointer cut the lead to eight with 12:19 left, BYU responded with a 12-0 run capped off by back-to-back 3-pointers from Fredette and Hartsock, and eventually extended the lead to 24. Rose called this the best game BYU has played all season.

“They got points, they were physical, but we tried to be physical back with them even though we don‘t have the size,” Hartsock said.

Not since Danny Ainge led BYU to a run to the Elite Eight in 1981 has the program experienced this level of success. The Fredette worship has become a national phenomenon. In each corner of the Pepsi Center, fans held up homemade posters and marked Fredette’s points as he scored them. They left plenty of space available just in case the star senior exploded for more.

The Cougars hope to make more history during a dream season in which Emery has already broken Ainge’s all-time steals record and Fredette has broken the school record for points. They’ll now face Florida in New Orleans for a chance to go to the Elite Eight.

“It’s stuff you’ve always dreamed of,” Emery said. “We know we’re not done yet.”

BYU’s Jimmer Fredette talks about the 89-67 victory over Gonzaga.

DENVER -- BYU beat Gonzaga 89-64 to earn a spot in the Sweet 16 -- the first time the Cougars have gotten this far since 1981. They did it behind Jimmer Fredette's 34 points and six assists. Jackson Emery scored 16 points, and Noah Hartsock added 13. The Zags were led by Steven Gray and Elias Harris, who scored 18 points apiece. But with BYU making 14 of their 28 3-point attempts, there was no stopping the Cougars.

Turning point: Gonzaga briefly got the lead down to single digits, but Fredette’s seventh 3-pointer made it 72-55. Hartsock then hit another to push the lead to 20 with 8:17 left, leaving Fredette emotional headed into the timeout.

Key player: Fredette was held without a field goal for nearly the first nine minutes of the game, but he soon began to heat up. He finished 11-for-23 from the field, was perfect at the line and finished with seven 3-pointers.

Key stat: Fredette was 7-of-12 from beyond the arc, taking advantage of whatever defense the Zags were throwing at him, man-to-man or zone. The Zags ran different defenders at Fredette, and it was no use.

Miscellaneous: The Cougars were out-rebounded 36-27 by a bigger Zags team, but still managed to do enough to slow Gonzaga's frontline. Kyle Collinsworth played well and had six points and seven rebounds, and Hartsock was a perfect 5-for-5 from the field.

What’s next: BYU moves on to the Sweet 16 in New Orleans to face Florida, a team the Cougars beat last season in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

DENVER -- Richmond advances to its first Sweet 16 since 1988, beating No. 13 seed Morehead State 65-48. The Spiders were led by forward Justin Harper, who had 19 points and six rebounds. Guard Kevin Anderson had 14 points while center Dan Geriot had 13 points and seven rebounds. Kenneth Faried had 11 points and 13 rebounds, but had trouble facing double-teams in Richmond’s match-up zone.

Turning point: Geriot buried a 3-pointer to extend the lead to 56-43 with 4:30 left, and it signaled the end for Morehead State. The Eagles’ band members who began the game chanting, “We believe,” began chanting “We still believe” after the play.

Key player: Harper, Richmond’s leading scorer, was 9-for-18 from the field and found his shooting touch after struggling against Vanderbilt. At 6-foot-10, Harper is dangerous with his jump shot and kept working when Faried battled with him inside. He came up wincing on one play after Faried blocked his shot in a vicious collision, but Harper came back to score on the ensuing possession.

Key stat: Morehead State point guard Demonte Harper, after hitting the game-winning 3-pointer in an upset against Louisville, was held to four points on 2-for-15 shooting. He missed all six of his 3-point attempts. Despite 11 rebounds and four assists, the senior had a forgettable day.

Miscellaneous: Geriot was wonderful, as he stood tall in the face of Faried in the post and also shot the ball well, finishing 6-for-10 from the field. When the double-team came against Faried, it bothered him and he had trouble at times passing out of it. As a result, Morehead State was never able to find its rhythm on offense.

What’s next: Richmond moves on to the Sweet 16 in San Antonio to face the winner of the Kansas-Illinois game.

No. 13 seed Morehead State (25-9) vs. No. 12 seed Richmond (28-7), 5:15 p.m. ET

How they got here: Both 12th-seeded Richmond and 13th-seeded Morehead State staged comebacks against power-conference teams on Thursday. The Spiders beat Vanderbilt 69-66, with guard Kevin Anderson making big shot after big shot and finishing with 25 points. The Eagles defeated Louisville 62-61, with Demonte Harper making the game-winning 3-pointer and Terrance Hill getting hot from beyond the arc as well, scoring 23 points.

Storyline: One of these two double-digit seeds will get to go to the Sweet 16. Richmond, which has a history of big upsets, now takes on the role of the favorite. The Spiders lost to Saint Mary’s in that position last season and now have a chance to reach the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1988. For Morehead State, it‘s a chance to make history again with its first trip to a regional semifinal. “This game is really important because Coach [Donnie Tyndall] told us we have a chance to make it to the Sweet 16 before the season even started,” Harper said.

Players to watch: Think Tyndall likes his chances with Harper and star forward Kenneth Faried? He called Faried his Gordon Hayward and compared Harper, who has shown his ability to take the last shot, to Shelvin Mack of Butler. For Richmond, Anderson proved himself to be a shot-maker against Vanderbilt. Leading scorer Justin Harper struggled with his shot, and the Spiders could use a big day from their senior.

What to look for: Faried is one of the stars of the tournament so far, and he didn’t even have a great offensive game against Louisville. But Faried is so dominant a rebounder and such an athletic presence in the middle that he impacts the game in so many ways.

“We know he doesn’t give a lot of second shots on the offensive end,” Anderson said of the nation's leading rebounder. “It’s going to be tough to stop him."

Richmond could try containing Faried with the 6-foot-10 Harper, relying on his ability to shoot from long range. But lest we forget: Anderson will be a tough matchup for Morehead State, as well.

No. 11 seed Gonzaga (25-9) vs. No. 3 seed BYU (31-4), approx. 7:45 p.m. ET

How they got here: BYU was the only favorite in Denver that did not get upset in the first day of action, as the Cougars dispatched of Wofford with a 74-66 win. Jimmer Fredette scored 32 points, and he also got help with Charles Abouo, Noah Hartsock and Logan Magnusson scoring 10 points apiece. Gonzaga dominated St. John’s with an 86-71 win in which Marquise Carter scored a career-high 24 points and Steven Gray and Elias Harris also had big nights.

Storyline: Not since Danny Ainge was leading Brigham Young have the Cougars been in the Sweet 16, and now it’s Fredette who will try to take them there 30 years later. BYU has won its first tourney game in each of the past two years, but now wants to make a deeper run. For Gonzaga, the perennial dangerous underdog, the Zags want to continue proving themselves as a team and program to be reckoned with. A win against BYU and the national scoring leader Fredette would be yet another milestone victory.

Players to watch: Again, look for Fredette to carry the scoring load despite the opponent’s best efforts to contain him. And in a game with huge ramifications, expect a big dose of him. But Gonzaga does have the advantage of having 7-foot center Robert Sacre to try to exploit a BYU frontcourt missing the post presence of Brandon Davies. Sacre, after helping the Zags dominate St. John’s on the glass, indicated he was looking forward to the matchup against BYU. “A little bit, but they still have Jimmer,” he said.

What to look for: While limiting the damage Fredette does is a must, this game could come down to how well Gonzaga can exploit its height advantage with Sacre, along with the 6-5 guard Gray and 6-7 forward Harris, who are both dynamic players.

“They’re a very big team,” Fredette said. “They got to the offensive glass very well. They get a lot of second-chance opportunities, which gives them a lot of energy.”

Gonzaga will have to continue to get good guard play as well from Carter and point guard Demetri Goodson in order to slow down Fredette and Jackson Emery.

DENVER -- Steve Lavin momentarily put on his analyst’s cap and gave a glowing review of Gonzaga’s chances in the NCAA tournament after the Zags dominated his St. John’s team throughout an 86-71 second-round win.

“They’re definitely a Final Four-capable team, national championship-potential team,” Lavin said.

Those were the words the former ESPN analyst used to describe a No. 11 seed, one that began the season 4-5 and slogged through the tough part of its difficult nonconference schedule. Gonzaga was even three games out of first place in the WCC at one point.

But expectations are high again now for the Zags, who have won 10 games in a row and are feeling good enough about themselves to say that in their minds, taking down the 6th-seeded Red Storm wasn’t much of an upset.

“If you look at the bracket, yes,” forward Elias Harris said. “If you know us, this was a fair fight. For them, it was not cool to play us.”

Said center Robert Sacre: “I don’t see why it was an upset. I don’t think we get enough credit.”

Yes, the Zags have heard all the talk about them not having played anyone in the one-bid WCC. They simply don’t believe it and try to make their case on the court.

So rather than look at St. John’s as a favorite that needed to be slayed, Gonzaga just went out and thrashed its Big East opponent. With leading rebounder D.J. Kennedy lost for the season, the Red Storm saw the Zags out-rebound them 43-20. In fact, after going up by 11 with 18:59 left, Gonzaga never saw its lead slip under double-digits again.

Marquise Carter was fantastic in his first NCAA tournament game, as the junior college transfer had 24 points, six rebounds and six assists.

Point guard Demetri Goodson played what coach Mark Few called his best game, handling St. John’s press, traps and zone defense. Steven Gray scored 16 points, and Harris added 15.

“I’m tickled pink for these guys,” Few said. “They took the game plan and executed it. “

The Zags might consider itself a young team, but Gray, Harris and Sacre make up a big lineup that is battle-tested from its previous tournament experience, and Few said it helped the Bulldogs against a senior-laden St. John’s team dancing for the first time in nine years.

Dwight Hardy scored 26 points, and Justin Brownlee had 14 for St. John's, but Gonzaga’s rebounding edge was difficult to overcome. The Zags also shot 9-for-15 from beyond the arc, with Gray and Carter doing the most damage. For the game, they shot 53.8 percent from the field.

So while Harris has heard the criticism that the Zags don’t play anyone in the WCC, he said that the team doesn’t really listen to it. Playing with blinders is how Sacre described it.

The Bulldogs have fingers in their ears while the rest of the nation either continues to doubt them or adores their underdog status.

After convincingly beating St. John’s, does the slipper actually still fit for Gonzaga?

DENVER -- The buzz from upset wins by Morehead State and Richmond still lingered when BYU took the court at the Pepsi Center. The Cougars knew all about what had happened earlier in the day and certainly didn’t want it to happen to them.

By the time BYU got done with Wofford, order had been restored. It was business as usual, with Jimmer Fredette scoring 32 points in a 74-66 second-round win on Thursday.

And unlike last season when Fredette’s monster game against Florida gave BYU its first NCAA tournament victory in 17 years, the Cougars hope this is just the start of a march to the Sweet 16.

“Last year was a euphoric atmosphere,” BYU coach Dave Rose said. “Guys were jumping around.

“Guys today were happy with the win and look forward to the next challenge. This team is pretty business-like.”

Wofford actually felt it did a decent job on Fredette, a sign of just how dangerous the nation’s leading scorer is. He was 10-of-25 from the field and only 2-of-9 from beyond the arc, but other players stepped up for BYU.

Charles Abouo scored eight straight points at one point to extend the lead to 14 while Noah Hartsock and Logan Magnusson knocked down two 3-pointers apiece. Fredette finished with seven assists.

“Those assists come to those guys who are ready to make a play.” Rose said. “We had three or four guys able to knock them down.”

Said Fredette: “They were trying to force me left, so I kept going left and went to the basket.”

His passing helped showcase once again that no, the Cougars are not just a one-man team. Abouo, Hartsock and Magnusson scored 10 points apiece, and Kyle Collinsworth collected 11 rebounds. These are players who still have to prove that there’s a successful future after Brandon Davies was lost for the season.

Wofford kept the game close, with Noah Dahlman scoring 22 points, but the No. 14-seeded Terriers didn’t shoot well from the perimeter and couldn’t come up with baskets when they needed them. Jamar Diggs (5-for-14), Cameron Rundles (5-for-14) and Brad Loesing (3-for-10) all struggled.

“Had you told us our team would do a great job on Fredette, I thought we would have won the game,” Wofford coach Mike Young said.

Diggs felt he did a good job on Fredette, but it wasn’t enough. “He’s deceptively quick,” Diggs said. “You look at him and think you’re in front of him, and then he’s by you.”

BYU wasn’t going to suffer an upset, not with Fredette leading the way and not with the team’s complementary players performing their best. After witnessing Louisville and Vanderbilt go through it, the Cougars collectively told themselves the ride wasn’t going to end.

“A lot of the guys saw it and said, ‘Let’s not let that happen to us,’” Magnusson said.

DENVER -- BYU pulled away from a scrappy Wofford team late in the game, 74-66 to advance. The Cougars were led by Jimmer Fredette's 32 points and seven assists, as the national player of the year candidate could not be stopped by the Terriers. Noah Dahlman scored 22 points for Wofford, but the Terriers struggled to get offense out of their backcourt.

Turning point: BYU forward Charles Abouo scored eight straight points in a run that gave the Cougars a 14-point lead with 3:47 left. Wofford had been hanging around up until then, but couldn’t recover after Abouo went to work.

Key player: Fredette was 10-for-25 from the field, and despite struggling from beyond the arc, (2 of 9), he got to the line for 12 free throw attempts.

Key stat: Wofford’s three starting guards -- Jamar Diggs, Cameron Rundles and Brad Loesing -- went a combined 13-for-38 from the field. BYY got a good defensive game from freshman Kyle Collinsworth, who had four steals.

Miscellaneous: BYU once again showed it’s a team of more than just Fredette, and with the win, they won a game without Brandon Davies against a team with Dahlman as an excellent post presence. Abouo and Noah Hartsock had 10 points and five rebounds apiece. James Anderson was saddled with foul trouble and sent to the bench after picking up his third foul on a technical.

What’s next: BYU moves on to play the winner of tonight’s St. John’s-Gonzaga game, and the Cougars are one win away from their first Sweet 16 appearance in 30 years.

DENVER -- Richmond guard Kevin Anderson insists he’s 6-feet tall while wearing shoes and that he modeled his game off an Allen Iverson highlights DVD his mother purchased for him as a child.

Fittingly, as the Spiders' program continued their giant-slaying ways with a 69-66 win against fifth-seeded Vanderbilt in their second-round NCAA tournament game on Thursday, the senior was at the forefront for hitting big shot after big shot.

He scored 16 of his game-high 25 points in the second half, getting hot from beyond the arc and then hitting a fadeaway over 6-foot-11 Festus Ezeli with 18.9 seconds left.

“I can’t go for a regular layup,” Anderson said. “They’re probably going to get a block. I had to shoot my floaters that have been effective throughout the season for me.

“They’re just floaters, regular floaters.”

Behind Anderson’s playmaking ability and low turnover count (one of Richmond’s three), the Spiders now have a chance to reach the Sweet 16 with a win against 13-seed Morehead State on Saturday.

For Vanderbilt, the loss was crushing. The Commodores became the first program in NCAA tournament history to lose in three consecutive round of 64 games as a No. 5 seed or better.

Last season, it was Murray State that sunk them at the buzzer. This year, coach Kevin Stallings was left conceding that his team “tightened up” toward the end of the game.

“As hard as we talked and as much as we talked about having a relaxed, confident attitude about us, you could tell we tightened up on a couple free throws,” he said. “But it’s the nature of this tournament. That’s why it’s exciting. There’s a lot of pressure and a lot of tension.”

Anderson reveled in it. Richmond trailed by 11 in the first half and by nine in the second half before the barrage of 3-pointers.

After Justin Harper made one, Anderson hit the next three to cap off a 12-0 run that gave the Spiders a three-point lead. Even with 6-foot-7 Jeffery Taylor defending him, Anderson crossed him over and faked him out on one play with three minutes left before hitting a leaner while being fouled.

“They just got hot,” Vanderbilt guard John Jenkins said. “We tried our best to contest shots, but they jumped up and made ‘em. I know we had a couple contested shots, but they kept knocking ‘em down, knocking ‘em down.”

Ezeli and Jenkins led Vanderbilt with 21 points apiece, but Taylor was held to four points on 1-for-10 shooting.

The Spiders got a big lift from their bench, including Darrius Garrett coming up with five blocks and five rebounds. Their bench outscored Vanderbilt’s 23-4, with Francis Martel (12 points, five rebounds) and Cedrick Lindsay (seven points, three assists) also making key contributions.

Anderson said it’s been nice having his teammates pick him up at times when last season’s A-10 player of the year struggled with his shot.

“It’s hard when you don’t have good games and you’re expected to have good games,” Anderson said. “That’s really tough.”

It was the complete opposite against Vandy. When Rod Odom’s contested 3-pointer wasn’t close at the buzzer, Anderson could only think about the Sweet 16 possibility.

“We don’t want to be one-and-done,” he said.

DENVER -- Richmond’s Kevin Anderson scored 25 points and had four assists to lead the No. 12-seeded Spiders to a 69-66 upset win against Vanderbilt. His fadeaway with 18.9 seconds left gave Richmond a three-point lead. Rod Odom's 3-point attempt at the buzzer wasn’t close as Vanderbilt lost for the third time in four years in its first game of the NCAA tournament. John Jenkins and Festus Ezeli led the Commodores with 21 points apiece.

Turning point: Anderson hit an amazing shot with 3:01 left, crossing over Jeffery Taylor and then shot faking him the other way to hit a leaner as he was being fouled. Anderson missed the ensuing free throw, but the shot extended the lead to three and gave everyone the idea that he was not going to be stopped.

Key player: It’s Anderson, of course. Besides the 25 points, he committed only one turnover and shot 4-for-9 from 3-point range.

Key stat: Richmond finished the game with only three turnovers, running its Princeton-style offense. Vanderbilt had only seven turnovers, but it was tough to match up against Richmond’s efficiency.

Miscellaneous: Richmond managed to come back from an 11-point first-half deficit. The Spiders managed to survive at the end even after Anderson and Darrius Garrett missed critical free throws in the last five seconds of the game. Vanderbilt had 2.5 seconds to attempt a final shot, but Odom had trouble going over the 6-foot-10 Harper.

What’s next: Richmond moves on to face Morehead State for the right for one of these Cinderellas to go to the Sweet 16.

DENVER -- Morehead State coach Donnie Tyndall was having trouble sleeping at 2:30 a.m. when he made the decision. If the Eagles had the ball on the final possession against Louisville, they were going to go for the win.

Faced with that scenario, the way Demonte Harper heard Tyndall telling that story in the huddle before the biggest shot of his life, there was no way he wasn’t going to take the 3-pointer confidently.

Harper buried the shot at the top of the key with 4.2 seconds left and Kenneth Faried blocked Mike Marra’s jump shot attempt on the other end at the buzzer to lift No. 13-seeded Morehead State to a 62-61 win on Thursday in the second round of the NCAA tournament, easily the most significant victory in the program’s history.

A senior who experienced a loss to in-state power Louisville two years ago when the Eagles were a No. 16 seed and the Cardinals had future NBA players all over the floor, Harper saw his shot to make his coach’s vision come true.

“Coach said, ‘I dreamed about this last night. I know exactly where I'm going to. I'm going to put it right in your hands, Demonte. I don't want you to drive it to the hole. I want you to pull up and win the game off a 3-pointer. I want you to pull up and win the game.’”

The Cardinals used a 9-0 run to take a four-point lead with 1:20 left and the hopes of an upset started to wane. But despite a tough day on offense for Faried (finished with 12 points on 4-of-17 shooting), Morehead State -- which trailed by eight at one point -- delivered the ball to its dreadlocked big man in the post, and he came through with two subsequent free throws to cut the lead.

With Louisville leading scorer Preston Knowles knocked out of the game in the second half with a sprained foot, it was left to Elisha Justice in crunch time. The freshman had hit a 3-pointer to give Louisville the lead with 2:13 left, but missed the front end of a one-and-one after Faried’s free throws gave MSU the ball with 23.8 seconds left.

Harper unleashed his dagger, beating Peyton Siva with a crossover and burying the shot. Faried blocked Marra’s attempt at the other end, and the school’s cheerleaders rushed the court to celebrate. In Tyndall’s new reality, he approached a cheering section and repeatedly pumped his fists as his face reddened.

“We played for 40 minutes, and that’s what it takes to beat a team like Louisville,” Tyndall said.

Morehead State surprised UL by racing off to a 7-0 lead, using a swarming defense to get the Cardinals out of sorts and force them into 10 of their 16 turnovers in the first half. The Eagles’ Terrance Hill buried a 3-pointer at the halftime buzzer to leave the two teams tied at 33, and it was a sign of things to come.

Hill scored 13 second-half points, repeatedly hitting 3-pointers to bring the Eagles back and keep them within a reasonable distance. Chris Smith led Louisville with 17 points, but it wasn’t nearly enough.

“I could live with losing last year. They were much better, Cal,” Louisville coach Rick Pitino said, referring to last season's first-round loss to Pac-10 champion California. “This is a tough one to lose. This is a tough one.”

Pitino’s team surprisingly tied for a third-place finish in the Big East in the face of injuries and without returning a single starter. But with Faried gathering 17 rebounds, it was apparent the Cardinals missed leading rebounder Rakeem Buckles despite a solid game from Terrence Jennings, who blocked four shots and had eight rebounds.

“We are what we are,” Pitino said. “We’re just too small, and unfortunately it hurt us on the backboard.”

And it was Faried, the nation’s leading rebounder, who made his 6-foot-8 presence felt at the end of the game. Marra pulled up for a shot, and Faried threw his arms up and said he got all ball.

“This is a dream,” Faried said. “Did we just beat Louisville?”

DENVER -- Morehead State pulled off the stunner against Louisville, winning 62-61 in such an upset that the cheerleaders stormed the court and coach Donnie Tyndall pumped his fists at the crowd. Demonte Harper hit the game-winning 3-pointer with 4.2 seconds left, and Kenneth Faried blocked a potential Mike Marra game-winning attempt at the buzzer. Terrance Hill led Morehead State with 23 points, hitting five 3-pointers.

Turning point: Louisville leading scorer Preston Knowles left the game for good with 8:51 left, apparently due to a sprained left ankle. He had his shoes off and left the court in crutches. The Cardinals missed him, especially since it was freshman Elisha Justice who was left on the court and missed on the front end of a one-and-one to give Harper the chance for the game winner.

Key player: Hill was money from beyond the arc, tying his season high with five 3-pointers in six attempts. He also had eight rebounds and three steals, going 6-for-9 from the field overall.

Key stat: Faried went 4-for-17 from the floor, but made his presence felt with 17 rebounds. The nation’s leading rebounder used a couple of those boards to kick out for 3-pointers.

Miscellaneous: Terrence Jennings did a fine job guarding Faried, holding him to four field goals. He also had two straight buckets down the stretch and gave the Cardinals a four-point lead with a dunk with just over a minute left. Peyton Siva played with such heart down the stretch, dishing the ball off to Jennings for easy baskets.

What’s next: Morehead State moves on for a chance to play in the winner of the Vanderbilt-Richmond game.

DENVER -- Here’s a look at the evening games taking place at the Pepsi Center in Denver:

BYU (30-4) vs. Wofford (21-12), 7:15 p.m. ET

How they got here: Senior Jimmer Fredette led BYU to a co-Mountain West Conference regular-season title, led the country in scoring and had a national player of the year-type season. The Cougars took a gut punch when leading rebounded Brandon Davies was suspended for the season after an honor code violation, but have had five games to rework their offense. Wofford split its regular-season SoCon title with College of Charleston and then beat its rival in the conference tournament championship game.

Storyline: BYU is on a mission to reach its first Sweet 16 since Danny Ainge led the Cougars to the Elite Eight in 1981.They finally have another program-changing player in Fredette and there is an urgency to capitalize on his talents while they have him. The Davies suspension hurt the team, and it will be interesting to see if struggles in the paint cost the Cougars. Wofford, which nearly upset Wisconsin in the opening round last season, wants to spoil BYU’s fun and has the personnel to do it with a strong post presence in Noah Dahlman.

Players to watch: Fredette, averaging 28.5 points per game, is expected to carry the scoring load but the Cougars will need contributions from others. Jackson Emery is solid as Fredette’s backcourt sidekick, and the big men -- Kyle Collinsworth, Noah Hartsock and James Anderson -- will have to step up in place of Davies. “I think that’s a mistake people make is it’s Jimmer, Jimmer, Jimmer,“ Wofford coach Mike Young said. For the Terriers, Jamar Diggs is the top defender who will be the primary player on Fredette with Cameron Rundles providing help. The Terriers will look to feed the post, where Dahlman is a dangerous scorer who averages 20 points per game.

What to look for: If Fredette goes off, it’s going to be a long night for Wofford. If the Terriers can contain him and exploit the interior with Dahlman, they have a chance even as the Cougars try to go up and down the floor.

“We know they’re a great team, very efficient,” Emery said. “We’re going to have to really run and play hard because that’s the way we like to play. That’s the style we feel most comfortable at.”

St. John’s (21-11) vs. Gonzaga (24-9), 9:45 p.m. ET

How they got here: In his first year at St. John's, head coach Steve Lavin turned around a program by using a senior-laden roster and finished tied for third in the Big East. The Red Storm earned their at-large bid by notching wins against Duke, Georgetown, Notre Dame, Connecticut and Villanova. Gonzaga began its season 4-5 and struggled to handle a brutal stretch in their non-conference schedule. But the Bulldogs bounced back to share the West Coast Conference regular-season title and win the conference tournament.

Storyline: St. John’s is making its first NCAA tournament appearance since 2002, and winning a tournament game would mean a lot to the nine seniors on the team. “My first three years here, we haven’t really done so well,” guard Malik Boothe said. “Turning it all the way around our senior year makes it all the more special for us.” A win for a tournament-tested Gonzaga team would also mean a lot considering the team at one point was a full three games out of first place in the WCC.

Players to watch: With St. John’s losing D.J. Kennedy for the rest of the season with an ACL injury, Sean Evans and freshman Dwayne Polee Jr. have to step up. The Red Storm can also relay on Dwight Hardy to get to the rim and Justin Brownlee to score and rebound. Gonzaga relies on a trio of players -- Steven Gray, Robert Sacre and Elias Harris -- for a balanced scoring attack. Also look out for young players like Sam Dower, Marquise Carter and David Stockton, the son of Hall of Famer John Stockton, to make key contributions.

What to look for: St. John’s has been battle-tested in the Big East. It’ll be interesting to see how it’s up-and-down style works against a Gonzaga team that can play in the half court and get out in transition.

“We don’t want to get in an up-and-down match where we’re making silly turnovers, doing thing out of character,” Gray said. “It’s going to be really interesting to see who can control the tempo.”

DENVER -- Here's a look at the afternoon games taking place at the Pepsi Center in Denver.

Louisville (25-9) vs. Morehead State (24-8), 1:40 p.m. ET

How they got here: Louisville didn’t need a year to rebuild after all. Even after entering the season without a returning starter and going through their share of injuries, the Cardinals still managed to tie for third in the Big East and reach the conference tournament championship game before falling to Connecticut. Morehead State won the Ohio Valley Conference tournament and is on a roll heading into the NCAA tournament. Since back-to-back losses to Eastern Illinois and Eastern Kentucky, the Eagles have won 12 of 13.

Storyline: The two Kentucky schools separated by a two-hour drive know each other very well, especially since Morehead State put a scare into Louisville for a while when the Cardinals were a No. 1 seed in 2009. The Eagles only trailed by two points at halftime but ultimately lost by 20. MSU seniors Kenneth Faried and Demonte Harper used the game as a learning experience. “Now it’s totally different for us because we’ve grown physically and mentally,” Harper said.

Players to watch: Preston Knowles (14.8 ppg) and Peyton Siva (5.3 apg) help make up a dynamic backcourt for Louisville that spreads the ball around in the team’s guard-oriented offense. Since losing Rakeem Buckles for the season, the Cardinals have relied on Terrence Jennings for rebounding. Morehead State has the nation’s rebounding leader in Faried, the OVC player of the year for the past two seasons. He averages 17.6 points per game, and the Eagles also get scoring out of Harper (16 ppg).

What to look for: Louisville knows the key is to contain Faried, who not only leads the nation in rebounding (14.5 rpg), but also in field goal percentage (64 percent).

“You don’t see a Dennis Rodman come along anymore, a Dennis Rodman with a jump shot, because this man has a jump shot,” Louisville coach Rick Pitino said of Faried.

Given the history between the two teams and the respect the Cardinals are showing, Faried won’t take them by surprise. Look for Knowles and Siva to be aggressive from the opening tip in order to protect against the upset possibility.

Vanderbilt (23-10) vs. Richmond (27-7), 4:10 p.m. ET

How they got here: Vanderbilt finished tied for third in the SEC East and recorded its signature win in November, going to Puerto Rico and beating North Carolina. The Commodores also scored a nice nonconference win at home against Saint Mary’s and in league play beat Kentucky and swept Georgia. Richmond enters the tournament on fire, having won seven straight games, including the A-10 tournament. The Spiders went an impressive 13-3 in conference play and also have a win against Purdue.

Storyline: Vanderbilt is hoping to avoid a third straight opening-round upset loss in the NCAA tournament, having fallen to Siena in 2008 and Murray State at the buzzer last season. Meanwhile, Richmond has a long history of staging upsets in the tournament -- and at the same time want to shake the “giant killer” label and earn more respect. “We are trying to shake the giant-killer thing, the mentality out of the Richmond program, because we’ve done a lot of great things since we’ve been here,” guard Kevin Anderson said.

Players to watch: Vanderbilt guard John Jenkins led the SEC in scoring (19.5 ppg) and is dealing with turf toe that forced him to miss an opening-round conference tournament game against LSU last week. Commodores forward Jeffery Taylor is a top-flight athlete who played his best basketball late in the season. Richmond’s Justin Harper is a sight to see, as a 6-foot-10 forward who shoots 46.5 percent from 3-point range and averages 17.9 points per game. Anderson, last season’s A-10 player of the year, has found his stroke again after going through some midseason shooting woes.

What to look for: Vanderbilt wants to use its athleticism with Jenkins and Taylor to run Richmond off the floor, even as the Spiders try to slow down the Commodores with a matchup zone.

“We’re going to try to push the tempo,” Taylor said. “We like to run. We like to push the ball and get shots early on the shot clock.”

Richmond runs a Princeton-style offense, but it’s a version that is relatively fast-paced and relies on transition, so look for Anderson to play a key role. Harper is a matchup nightmare and can be tough to defend.

ESPN.com's Diamond Leung previews Thursday's four games in Denver.