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By Justin Haberstroh | @JustinHaberstr1 Sports Capital Journalism Program INDIANAPOLIS – Purdue coach Matt Painter knows how impressive it is to take a team to the NCAA tournament after coaching it for one season. The second-round matchup for the top-seeded Boilermakers, eighth-seeded Utah State, is not one Purdue is taking lightly. Utah State’s head coach …

By Jaela Johnson | @jae_jamirah Sports Capital Journalism Program INDIANAPOLIS – The Utah State Aggies, a team that returned zero points from its roster last season, won its first NCAA tournament game in 23 years, defeating TCU, 88-72, late Friday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The Aggies (28-6) ended the school’s 10-game tournament losing streak through …

By Justin Haberstroh | @JustinHaberstr1 Sports Capital Journalism Program INDIANAPOLIS – The top-seeded Purdue Boilermakers had taken control of their first-round game against Grambling State. Zach Edey, Purdue’s 7-foot-4 center, collected a rebound, pivoted clockwise, held the ball above his head and delivered a one-hop pass that found sophomore guard Braden Smith in stride at …

By Jaela Johnson | @jae_jamirah Sports Capital Journalism Program INDIANAPOLIS— Tad Boyle, the coach of the Colorado Buffaloes, watched his team trade baskets with the Florida Gators at such a rapid rate that with 20 minutes left in one of their seasons, he had this thought: “’If we don’t start guarding better, we’ve got to …

By Justin Haberstroh | @JustinHaberstr1 Sports Capital Journalism Program INDIANAPOLIS – For the first time since February 28, when Tyler Kolek suffered a grade two oblique strain that turned the All-American guard into a spectator and temporarily changed the direction of Marquette’s season, the Golden Eagles were complete. Kolek scored 10 of his 18 points …

By Jaela Johnson | @jae_jamirah Sports Capital Journalism Program INDIANAPOLIS—Utah State is entering the NCAA tournament crushing records and making history, coming off its first outright Mountain West Conference regular-season championship championship. The eighth-seeded Aggies (27-6) are looking to push that momentum into their game Friday against TCU. TCU (21-12) is one of a conference …

By Justin Haberstroh | @JustinHaberstr1 Sports Capital Journalism Program INDIANAPOLIS – One year ago, the Purdue Boilermakers were in this same spot — a one seed playing a 16 seed at the start of the NCAA tournament — and the results of that loss to FDU are still a constant reminder. Purdue’s Zach Edey, the …

By Justin Haberstroh | @JustinHaberstr1 Sports Capital Journalism Program INDIANAPOLIS – With his team’s third straight NCAA tournament appearance starting Friday afternoon, Marquette All-American guard Tyler Kolek has fought through an oblique injury to rejoin his team for the first-round South region game against Western Kentucky. “I’ve been practicing this whole week,” Kolek said at …

By Jaela Johnson | @jae_Jamirah Sports Capital Journalism Program INDIANPOLIS — The process to become great and leave a legacy takes time, faith, and patience. Near the end of his 40th season as the coach of Oakland men’s basketball, the most seasons with his current school in Division I, Greg Kampe thought about how lucky …

By Madie Chandler | @madie_chandler Sports Capital Journalism Program INDIANAPOLIS — Earl Walton, an NCAA official, hustled over to the Oakland bench, demanding a towel to wipe up a slick spot of the floor when, breaking a relative silence, an Oakland fan from behind the bench said, “Yeah, use it to wipe your glasses off!” …