Sunday’s NCAA Tournament match-ups at CenturyLink Center Omaha have Norfolk State-Florida at 5:10 p.m. and Kansas-Purdue at 7:40 p.m. If you don’t have tickets, both games will be televised on TNT.
Kyle O'Quinn has long been a known commodity in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. Now everybody knows his name.
The 6-foot-10, 240-pound center is the face of the 15th-seeded Norfolk State Spartans, who shocked No. 2 Missouri 86-84 Friday night. Now the question is whether O'Quinn and Norfolk State (26-9) can do it again against the tournament-tested Florida Gators (24-10). The Gators beat Virginia 71-45 Friday afternoon. No 15th seed has ever made it to the round of 16.
O'Quinn said Saturday the Spartans don't want to let Friday's good feeling end. Florida center Patric Young said he likes underdog stories, too, but plans on putting an end to this one.
Kansas coach Bill Self and Purdue's Matt Painter understand the value of defense, particularly this time of year. Particularly when long-shots start toppling Final Four contenders.
The 28-6 Jayhawks and 22-12 Boilermakers each saw Norfolk State's dramatic win over Missouri when the Tigers' inability to get a stop cost them dearly. It gave Self and Painter yet another reason to harp on defense before their teams meet Sunday.
"There are going to be two or three games where your shots don't go in,” said Painter. “It comes down to whether you can still grind it and win those games."
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