theScore runs down the top storylines and developments from Saturday's biggest NCAA Tournament games and what it all could mean moving forward.
Houston's never-ending effort
A key component of Houston's success under Kelvin Sampson has been its offensive rebounding. It entered Saturday's second-round clash against Gonzaga tied for 17th in offensive rebound percentage (36.5%) and tied for 22nd in total offensive boards (436). Three different Cougars were tallying multiple offensive rebounds per contest, and Joseph Tugler's 13.9% offensive rebound percentage was the fourth-best mark in the Big 12.
Houston's second effort on the offensive glass was the difference in a tilt that went down to the wire. The Cougars continuously got themselves extra possessions and made Gonzaga pay for failing to control the glass. Sampson's group had 13 offensive boards that led to 20 second-chance points. Tugler tied a career high with six offensive rebounds, while J'Wan Roberts had an additional four. Mylik Wilson's offensive board with 52 seconds remaining prevented Gonzaga from breaking out in transition and cutting the deficit to a one-possession game.
The Bulldogs boast the NCAA's second-highest offense and were always going to find ways to manufacture points despite Houston's elite defense. The Cougars' offensive rebounding was perhaps the best way to slow Gonzaga down as it limited possessions and gave Houston more opportunities to set up its stingy half-court defense.
Arkansas, Calipari out-Pitino St. John's
John Calipari faced Rick Pitino for the fifth time in NCAA Tournament history Saturday, and the team that emerged victorious was the one that was more relentless on offense and played stifling defense. Congratulations, St. John's, right? Not quite. While that sounds like the perfect recipe for success for a Pitino-coached team, it was actually No. 10 Arkansas that delivered the upset, ousting the West's No. 2 seed.
Arkansas' defense was brilliant throughout, holding Big East player of the year RJ Luis to just nine points on 3-of-17 shooting. His struggles actually forced Pitino to sit him for significant stretches of play. That - combined with a very heavy whistle from the officials - resulted in Pitino adjusting his rotations on the fly. The changes didn't generate any offense, and St. John's shot a dismal 28% overall. That low number now drops teams to 3-63 in the last 20 years of the NCAA Tournament when failing to shoot 30% from deep.
Make no mistake, it wasn't a pretty showing on offense for the Razorbacks, either. The SEC program hit just 2-of-19 triples. But Calipari shifted the focus to attacking the basket, and that led to Arkansas scoring 46 points in the paint - the most St. John's allowed all year.
Calipari's 16th trip to the Sweet 16 might be one of his most surprising, as it's the first time he's held a double-digit seed in 24 tournament appearances. However, he seems to have his squad peaking at the right time - a dangerous sight for the rest of the West Region.
Tennessee uses death by 3-pointer
Let's just get this out of the way now: if Tennessee is going to shoot like it did against UCLA, the Volunteers are gonna be a problem for the rest of the Sweet 16 teams. As is usually the case under Rick Barnes, Tennessee shines without the ball, imposing its will on the opponent as KenPom's third-best defense in the country. That was expected to be a strength Saturday night, and that proved true with the Bruins scoring just 58 points.
What wasn't expected was the slow death by 3-pointer that the Volunteers would inflict on UCLA throughout the contest. Tennessee entered as the 166th-ranked 3-point shooting team in the country at 34%. Led by Chaz Lanier, the Volunteers lit up the Bruins at a remarkable 11-of-22 shooting performance from deep. Included in that was Lanier's 4-for-5 performance to set the new Tennessee record for most triples in a season.
Electric BYU ends Big Ten's perfect run
BYU did what 10 other programs had failed to do thus far in the 2025 NCAA Tournament: beat a team from the Big Ten. All it took was a ridiculous shooting performance to build a lead and a last-second defensive stop to ensure an epic collapse didn't bring down the Cougars.
The Cougars raced out to a lead in the opening half by running wild on the Badgers defense, torching the nets on 43% shooting from deep. Turns out, every one of those triples would be needed because John Tonje had big plans in the second half. The Wisconsin star poured in 37 points and gave the fans what they had been waiting for all tournament: a dramatic finish with a potential buzzer-beater.
In a game essentially void of defense for 39:50, a stop in the dying seconds ended up being the difference with Tonje swarmed and forced into an airball to secure the BYU win.
The Cougars are now off to the Sweet 16 with scoreboards everywhere terrified BYU's opponent will be Alabama. Should the Crimson Tide beat Saint Mary's on Sunday, the Sweet 16 contest would feature two of the nation's top offensive units.
Purdue squashes McNeese's aura
Turns out, aura can only deliver one win in the NCAA Tournament.
No. 12 McNeese State and the viral-sensation student manager Amir Khan were one of the biggest stories in Thursday's opening-round action with an upset of No. 5 Clemson. Khan became an instant celebrity, inking multiple endorsement deals - yes, a manager with endorsement deals - prior to Saturday's game against No. 4 Purdue.
It certainly looked as if the Cowboys' minds were still focused on their newfound fame instead of the opponent, as the Boilermakers dominated from the jump. An 18-point halftime lead, thanks to a staggering 22-12 advantage on the glass, essentially ended any upset hopes before the teams hit the locker room. McNeese simply couldn't get anything going against the defense, shooting 2-of-12 from deep and making just eight total field goals in the frame. The Boilermakers' physicality was likely something McNeese hadn't seen often in the mid-major ranks.
While they performed significantly better in the second, the substantial lead was too much to overcome. The Cowboys' run, and time under head coach Will Wade, came to an end. Wade is reportedly taking the NC State job.
As for Purdue, Trey Kaufman-Renn owned the paint with 22 points and 15 rebounds in the win. The bracket is now opening up incredibly well for last year's national finalist to make a return trip. While No. 1 Houston or No. 8 Gonzaga will be a formidable opponent in the Sweet 16, the game will be played in Indianapolis - less than 80 miles from the Purdue campus.
Pettiford continues to shine
Tahaad Pettiford's developed a reputation of a big-game player during his brief collegiate career. The freshman guard had 21 points in a neutral-site win over Houston earlier this season and 20 in a narrow defeat to Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium. He tallied 16 points, five boards, and five assists against Alabama State in his NCAA Tournament debut. So naturally it was Pettiford who rose to the occasion once again with Auburn down two at the half to Crieghton and in need of a spark.
Pettiford delivered with 23 points, six boards, and three assists in 32 minutes. His scoring output was the most ever by a Tigers player off the bench in an NCAA Tournament game. He had 16 points in the second half and went 7-of-8 from the charity stripe.
Pettiford had all the elements of his game working against the Bluejays. He was creating space from defenders on step-backs, pulling up at the elbow, splitting the defense on traps, and showing his soft touch on floaters. Pettiford's play was enormous with Wooden Award candidate Johni Broome having an off shooting night.
Pick your poison with Texas Tech
It's unclear whether Grant McCasland operates under the K.I.S.S. principle (keep it simple, stupid), but through two games of the NCAA Tournament it certainly looks that way. Texas Tech's coach completely flipped the script on the offensive game plan from Thursday to Saturday and has the Red Raiders off to the Sweet 16 as a result.
The plan on Thursday: Go bombs away on UNC Wilmington from deep - a team that ranks 191st in the nation in 3-point defense. That saw Texas Tech shoot a school record 46 triples en route to a 10-point win. A change was needed for Saturday's contest against stingy No. 11 Drake, as the Bulldogs perimeter defense is among the best in the tournament. The Red Raiders hoisted only 14 triples as a result, instead attacking the basket relentlessly to the tune of a whopping 50 points in the paint.
A second comfortable win for the Big 12 club sets up a date with Arkansas in the Sweet 16. The Razorbacks are fresh off a defensive masterclass to oust No. 2 St. John's and have the size to bother JT Toppin down low. It will be fascinating to see how McCasland attacks their defense, but the opening week's performance is probably a good indicator the Red Raiders should feel good about their chances.
Michigan duo leads 2nd-half rally
Michigan stormed back in the second half versus Texas A&M, erasing a 10-point deficit to secure its eighth Sweet 16 appearance since 2013. Ohio State transfer Roddy Gayle Jr. came up big off the bench, exploding for 21 of his season-high 26 points over the final 20 minutes. He had a stretch of 11 consecutive points for the Wolverines to put his team up for good.
Vlad Goldin then took the baton from Gayle, scoring Michigan's next eight points. The big man was decisive in helping Michigan win the battle on the glass against the country's top offensive rebounding team. He kept the Aggies' bevy of rebounders at bay, registering a game-high 12 boards, including seven defensive rebounds.
