What happened in Thursday and Friday's first round

Our staff picks for No. 6 BYU vs. No. 11 Duquesne:

• Nicole Auerbach: BYU
• John Hollinger: BYU
• Brendan Marks: BYU
• Austin Mock: BYU
• Joe Rexrode: BYU

Bad sight here for Mississippi State, D.J. Jeffries out of the game and limping around gingerly trying to test his foot. Did not see how he hurt it. Spartans by 10 early.

A perfect start for Michigan State in the opening eight minutes. The Spartans lead Mississippi State 18-8 while making 7 of 10 shots (including four 3-pointers), allowing zero offensive rebounds and forcing five turnovers already.

This is a very streaky Michigan State team that often has everything going right or everything going wrong. In the opening stretch of this game, it’s a team playing with confidence. Seeing the ball go through the hoop does wonders.

No. 6 seed, East Region

Opponent, time, TV: Duquesne, 12:40 p.m., truTV

Team in 16 words: If the threes are falling, watch out. If not, BYU won’t be around long.

Record: 23-10 (10-8 Big 12)

Coach: Mark Pope (0-1 in NCAA Tournament)

Player to watch: Jaxson Robinson (Big 12 Sixth Man of the Year)

Numbers:

BetMGM title odds: +6600

Sweet 16 projected chance: 28.5 percent

Final Four projected chance: 3.1 percent

Strengths: No team in the field relies on 3-pointers more than BYU. The Cougars shoot 34.8 percent from deep — right at the national average — but 50.7 percent of their total field-goal attempts come from beyond the arc. All the threes also open up easy shots inside the arc where BYU connects on 58 percent of its twos. The Cougars rank in the top 20 in adjusted efficiency on KenPom, but sometimes fall behind without good shooting. Their best wins include beating Iowa State and Texas at home and at Kansas in late February.

Weaknesses: BYU’s defense only forces turnovers on about 16 percent of opponents’ possessions which is one of the worst rates in the country, and isn’t great at protecting the rim. It’s not a bad defense, but it rarely alters the game. The Cougars will hustle, but that’s about it. The Cougars also don’t get many free throws because they shoot so many threes.

Outlook: BYU spreads out opponents with its 5-out approach. Whether it’s Dallin Hall running the show or Aly Khalifa spotting shooters from the top of the key, BYU’s size helps it spot open shooters over the defense. And when opponents try to limit 3s, BYU will drive to the basket. The Cougars also use 6-foot-6 Fousseyni Traore down low when Khalifa is on the bench, offering more space for those shooters. BYU could make a formidable foe this week. However, a deep run is only possible if the shots are falling.

— Mike Miller

No. 11 seed, East Region

Opponent, time, TV: BYU, 12:40 p.m., truTV

Team in 16 words: Duquesne landed a haymaker on VCU to reach the Dance for the first time since 1977.

Record: 24-11 (10-8 A-10)

Coach: Keith Dambrot (0-3 in NCAA Tournament)

Player to watch: Jimmy Clark III (second-team All-A-10)

Numbers:

BetMGM title odds: +50000

Sweet 16 projected chance: 7.9 percent

Final Four projected chance: 0.4 percent

Strengths: You can’t spell Duquesne without a ‘D,’ which is entirely appropriate. Unshakeable when guarding the basketball, the Dukes locked down the opposition with steady ferocity. Exhibiting shifty hands, they forced a turnover on more than 19 percent of opponent possessions. Their physical on-ball onslaught will frustrate any team with subpar rock handlers.

Weaknesses: At No. 284 nationally in average height, per KenPom, Duquesne is often outmatched against strong interior teams. Unsurprisingly, the Dukes don’t rate very highly in terms of offensive and defensive rebounding. Keith Dambrot’s group also lacks pizzazz offensively. Over the regular season’s final month, they tallied a mediocre 1.07 points per possession, No. 172 nationally during the stretch. Whether scoring inside or out, they’re average, at best.

Outlook: Entering the NCAA Tournament sporting one of the longest active win streaks (eight games) on the collegiate circuit, the Dukes have reached their zenith at the most opportune time. Given their willingness to defend, generally methodical pace and overall experience, they’re somewhat interesting. However, expectations should be tempered. Duquesne recorded zero victories against the tournament at-large field.

— Brad Evans

Michigan State leads Mississippi State 8-4 after four minutes in the battle of MSUs. A good start for the Spartans from 3-point range — they've made two of their first three attempts. The Big Ten MSU doesn't shoot a ton of 3s (30.2 percent of its field goal attempts, 326th nationally, per KenPom). But it does make 3s at a 35.9 percent clip, better than the national average. Mississippi State has three turnovers already. That's one of the Bulldogs' weaknesses offensively.

Mississippi State and Michigan State have tipped off — and 12 hours of basketball have begun.

Our staff picks for the first game of the NCAA Tournament first round:

• Nicole Auerbach: Mississippi State
• John Hollinger: Michigan State
• Brendan Marks: Mississippi State
• Austin Mock: Michigan State
• Joe Rexrode: Mississippi State

There are two Waterford Crystal basketballs, flanked by the 2006 and 2007 NCAA championship trophies, on display at the entrance of Florida’s basketball practice facility. They are conspicuous daily reminders of what the program used to be and what it aspires to be again.

Todd Golden, the 38-year-old coach in his second season guiding the Gators, doesn’t hide from that history. He isn’t intimidated by the massive shadow cast over Billy Donovan Court by its namesake.

“The reason I was so excited about this opportunity is when I was playing in college, Florida was winning those back-to-back championships,” Golden says, “and that tradition is something that really resonated with me. It was always a brand that I had a lot of respect for, so when the opportunity to lead this program presented itself, it was a no-brainer for me. Then getting here and understanding the landscape and where the program was, I thought it was really important for us to tie together the success that Billy had, the way his teams were built and the way they played, with what we want to do.”

So one of his first phone calls was to Donovan, who recommended his next call be to Taurean Green, the starting point guard for both of Florida’s national championship teams. After a 14-year professional playing career, Green had gone to work on Donovan’s Chicago Bulls staff.

“Billy D talked about how important he was to their team and how good a leader he was,” Golden says. So he hired Green as Florida’s director of player development in 2022.

No. 9 seed, West Region

Opponent, time, TV: Mississippi State, 12:15 p.m., CBS

Team in 16 words: Tom Izzo’s inconsistent Spartans show flashes of potential but often come up short in big moments.

Record: 19-14 (10-10 Big Ten)

Coach: Tom Izzo (55-24 in NCAA Tournament, 8 Final Fours, 1 national title)

Player to watch: Tyson Walker (second-team All-Big Ten)

Numbers:

BetMGM title odds: +10000

Sweet 16 projected chance: 28.2 percent

Final Four projected chance: 6.5 percent

Strengths: For all of its flaws, Michigan State has flashes of dominance. Those flashes usually begin in the fastbreak, where the Spartans average 14.3 points per game, the 22nd-best mark in the nation. A.J. Hoggard, Jaden Akins and Tre Holloman are a trio of guards who can create good looks, so long as they take them, while veteran Malik Hall finished the regular season with one of his strongest stretches. The defense holds opponents to 65.9 points per game, yet Michigan State too often needs leading scorer Tyson Walker to put the game away.

Weaknesses: It’s hard to trust this Michigan State team. The Spartans can’t get over shooting troubles and, despite plenty of good looks, average 73.5 points per game (10th in the Big Ten). Their 46.3 percent field goal mark ranks 80th nationally, while their 35.9 mark from 3-point range ranks just outside the top 60. Ball security is another issue and the Spartans must stay out of foul trouble.

Outlook: Michigan State enters the NCAA Tournament on the back of a gritty loss to Purdue in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals — the second time in March the Spartans played the Boilermakers to the end. Resume-building wins against Baylor, Illinois and a pesky Indiana State team show how the pieces can come together with aggressive rebounding and defense. But the X-factor will be whether Michigan State can get more of its shots to go through.

BROOKLYN, N.Y. — Yes, Dusty May sees his name attached to all those open jobs. Louisville. Michigan. West Virginia. (Especially Louisville.)

And it’s been difficult for him, trying to tune a lot of that noise out while preparing for Florida Atlantic’s biggest game of the season: Its NCAA Tournament opener against Northwestern here on Friday. But he knows he’s not alone — and that the extra attention and rampant speculation is coming because he’s done such a good job with his Owls.

It started early, too, because Ohio State opened in mid-February to get the coaching carousel spinning.

“I think a lot of coaches face this — it's not out of the ordinary,” May said Thursday. “It's just happening over a longer period now because jobs come open during the season. So, this began probably a month or so ago. It happened last year earlier in the season. As soon as we had success, our players were coming to me saying, ‘(They) said you're not going to be here next year, my mom said she heard this from the neighbors, from the mailman's neighbor that you're going to be coaching here.’ And every time, you know, we just kind of had a laugh about it and said let's focus on what's important.

“It's the same thing. I try not to get caught up in it. But as a college basketball coach, I talk to a lot of people. I talk to coaches, I talk to recruit, I talk to our signees, so it comes up a lot. It is distracting, but our job is compartmentalize what we are supposed to be doing.

“But I’ll also add on that Instagram is distracting. Twitter is distracting. Having your kids with you watching movies while you are trying to watch film is distracting. We all have a lot of distractions and we all have a job to do and that is to prepare to play our best against Northwestern.”

FAU players said it’s not a concern for them, either. They feel that they can go to May at any point to ask him about rumors — and that they’d get an honest answer.

“If you really know Coach, you don't really pay too much attention to the articles online,” guard Nick Boyd said. “I mean, if it's his last game or whatever, we just want to make it special. So, who cares?”

FAU is back in the NCAA Tournament for a second consecutive season, following the Owls’ remarkable run to the Final Four a season ago. May, 47, is 126-68 at FAU over five seasons.

No. 8 seed, West Region

Opponent, time, TV: Michigan State, 12:15 p.m., CBS

Team in 16 words: When you’ve got a guard and a big like the Bulldogs have, you’ve got a chance.

Record: 21-13 (8-10 SEC)

Coach: Chris Jans (1-4 in NCAA Tournament)

Player to watch: Josh Hubbard (second-team All-SEC)

Numbers:

BetMGM title odds: +10000

Sweet 16 projected chance: 11.2 percent

Final Four projected chance: 1.6 percent

Strengths: The Bulldogs defend at a high level, top 25 in the nation in defensive efficiency, and they have length and depth. Offensively, this team has solid numbers and is middling in terms of tempo. It all revolves around senior big man Tolu Smith — a powerful 6-foot-11, 245-pound player who demands double teams — and freshman sensation Josh Hubbard. He’s only 5-foot-10, but he's a solid 190 pounds and a shooter with limitless range and no fear. When he’s chased off the 3-point line, he goes for crafty mid-range shots. Those two players drive everything.

Weaknesses: If an opponent has a big man with the size and quickness to wall off Smith and make him shoot over the top, the Bulldogs can get into a rut. Mississippi State shoots poorly from long range as a team, and while supporting players such as Cameron Matthews, Dashawn Davis and D.J. Jeffries can score, the only consistent producers are Smith and Hubbard. Too many non-shooters sometimes take jump shots, and the Bulldogs can be faulty at the foul line as they only make 67 percent as a team.

Outlook: Under coach Chris Jans, Mississippi State should make a regular appearance in the NCAA Tournament — after the program failed to earn bids in 12 of the 13 seasons before he arrived. This team is good enough to open with a victory and earn a shot at one of the tournament’s big boys. Smith and Hubbard average 33 points a game combined, and if they can push that to the 40-45 range with smart offensive play from teammates, they can make things interesting against anyone.

East: UConn

West: Arizona

South: Kentucky

Midwest: Purdue

Championship: Purdue over UConn

I’m not changing from my preseason pick, because Purdue hasn’t given me any reason to change. True, those guards weren’t at their best against Wisconsin, but that’s the exception, not the rule, and I think they’ll get a good start in the NCAA Tournament and get rolling. Purdue 2024 is Virginia 2019. The Boilers will be challenged by Tennessee in the Elite Eight, and Auburn is a very tempting choice to upset UConn in the Sweet 16. Kentucky could be an early flameout, but we’ve seen enough stretches of decent defense from the Cats lately that I believe the most talented perimeter group in the nation will take them to Arizona. Speaking of Arizona, look for those Wildcats to beat North Carolina to earn a de facto Final Four home game.

When Fred Hoiberg left a front-office job with the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2010 to coach Iowa State, he was ahead of his time chasing transfers to build a roster. Hoiberg was also ahead of the curve when he landed his biggest transfer prize: Royce White.

White was built like an NFL tight end — 6-foot-8, 250 pounds — but he thought the game like a point guard. Back then, transfers had to sit out a season, and during that sit-out year Iowa State’s coaches met regularly to try to figure out the best way to utilize someone so big with incredible ball skills.

Hoiberg settled on an untraditional role: His center would play point guard.

“We just put the ball in his hands and got our shooters in split actions — and all those guys could shoot — and that’s what Royce did best was his passing,” Hoiberg says. “So that was kind of the first really exclusive five-out (offense) in college.”

Hoiberg, now coaching Nebraska, is back in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2015. The common thread between all five of his tournament appearances is playing through a big man like White, who called himself a hybrid. Nebraska’s current big man Rienk Mast is in the mold of Georges Niang, Hoiberg’s second star point-center at Iowa State, in that both can dribble, pass and shoot.

And just like with the transfer portal, Hoiberg is no longer an outlier in playing through what’s become known as a playmaking center. That prototype is populating college rosters at a rate higher than ever before in the game’s history and has been steadily increasing in recent years. In this year’s NCAA Tournament, playmaking fives are all over the bracket. From true point centers like Marquette’s Oso Ighodaro to stretch fives who can also facilitate like Duke’s Kyle Filipowski to slo-mo pass-first bigs like BYU’s Aly Khalifa, you can find some version of a playmaking five on nearly half the tourney rosters.

College coaches have figured out that the easiest way to run efficient offense is five-out attacks. Ideally with centers who can shoot. And if they cannot shoot, they can at least be the trigger man and pull the opposing big away from the paint by facilitating from the perimeter.

In much the same way that Steph Curry influenced a generation of guards by shooting a higher frequency of 3-pointers and from further out, Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic is now the most dominant and entertaining player on the planet, and he’s made passing cool for big men.

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