Kansas, N. Carolina, Virginia Advance at NCAA

Kansas earned the top overall seed for the NCAA tournament without getting much of anything from Svi Mykhailiuk.

If the Ukranian guard steps up, look out.Mykhailiuk scored a career-high 23 points on 9-of-11 shooting and Perry Ellis had 21, leading the Jayhawks to a 105-79 victory over Austin Peay on Thursday.

Landen Lucas added 16 points for the Jayhawks (31-4), who will face Connecticut on Saturday with a chance to return to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2013.

"We played pretty well in stretches. Didn't guard as well as we needed to guard to have a chance to advance past Saturday," Kansas coach Bill Self said. "So we've got to tighten that up. I do like how our bench played."

Kansas, the No. 1 seed in the South Region, jumped ahead by 20 by halftime and cruised to its 10th straight win in an NCAA tournament opener.

North Carolina 83, Florida Gulf Coast 67

When North Carolina is playing its best, it's a team that can score, defend and rebound at a rate worthy of its No. 1 NCAA tournament seed.

Fortunately for the Tar Heels, that group showed up at the second half to avoid one of those never-has-happened moments that live on in March lore.

Brice Johnson scored 18 points and North Carolina needed an overwhelming second-half start to put away 16th-seeded Florida Gulf Coast 83-67 in Thursday's first round after leading by just one at half.

"We definitely come out frustrated," Johnson said. "We've got to come with a burning fire in our bellies and say, `Hey we can play a lot better than what we did."

The problem for UNC was the team that started the game looked nothing like the group that cut down the nets at last week's Atlantic Coast Conference tournament. Instead, the Tar Heels (29-6) revisited tendencies that have hurt them over the better part of the last two seasons -- namely, iffy defense and lacking an intense edge.

The Eagles (21-14) were more than happy to take advantage before the East Region's top seed dominated the opening 10 minutes of the second half, running off a 20-3 burst by controlling the boards and locking down defensively to build a 20-point lead.

Virginia 81, Hampton 45

Virginia sure got a scare in its NCAA Tournament opener. Not from Hampton -- but from coach Tony Bennett.

The top-seeded Cavaliers beat 16th-seeded Hampton 81-45 on Thursday in the first round of the Midwest Regional after Bennett collapsed in the final seconds of the first half.

Saying he felt sick earlier in the week, Bennett blamed his collapse on dehydration.

"I've had more Powerade than I've ever had in my life right now," Bennett quipped.

Anthony Gill scored 19 points, London Perrantes had 12 points and Malcolm Brogdon finished with 11 for the top-seeded Cavaliers (28-6).

They shot 55 percent, hit 12 3-pointers -- their most since November -- and put this one well out of reach with a 20-3 run late in the first half. That had them well on their way to advancing to face ninth-seeded Butler (22-10) on Saturday.

South Region

AT DES MOINES

1. Kansas 105, 16. Austin Peay 79

9. Connecticut 74, 8. Colorado 67

SATURDAY (CBS)

1. Kansas (31-4) vs. 9. Connecticut (25-10), 6:45 p.m.

AT SPOKANE - FRIDAY (TBS)

5. Maryland (25-8) vs. 12. South Dakota State (26-7), 3:30 p.m.

4. California (23-10) vs. 13. Hawaii (27-5), 1 p.m.

AT PROVIDENCE

11. Wichita State 65, 6. Arizona 55

3. Miami (Fla.) 79, 14. Buffalo 72

SATURDAY (CBS)

3. Miami (Fla.) (26-7) vs. 11 Wichita State (26-8), 11:10 a.m.

AT BROOKLYN - FRIDAY (truTV)

7. Iowa (21-10) vs. 10. Temple (21-11), 2:10 p.m.

2. Villanova (29-5) vs. 15. UNC Asheville (22-11), 11:40 a.m.

 
West Region

AT SPOKANE - FRIDAY (truTV)

1. Oregon (28-6) vs. 16. Holy Cross (15-19), 6:27 p.m.

8. St. Joseph's (27-7) vs. 9. Cincinnati (22-10), 8:57 p.m.

AT PROVIDENCE

12. Yale 79, 5. Baylor 75

4. Duke 93, 13. UNC Wilmington 85

SATURDAY (CBS)

4. Duke (24-10) vs. 12. Yale (23-6), 1:40 p.m.

AT OKLAHOMA CITY - FRIDAY (TBS)

6. Texas (20-12) vs. 11. Northern Iowa (22-12), 8:50 p.m.

3. Texas A&M (26-8) vs. 14. Green Bay (23-12), 6:20 p.m.

AT OKLAHOMA CITY - FRIDAY (TNT)

7. Oregon State (19-12) vs. 10. VCU (24-10), 12:30 p.m.

2. Oklahoma (25-7) vs. 15. CSU Bakersfield (24-8), 3 p.m.

 
East Region

AT RALEIGH

1. North Carolina 83, 16. Florida Gulf Coast 67

9. Providence 70, 8. USC 69

SATURDAY (TBS)

1. North Carolina (29-6) vs. 9. Providence (24-10), 8:40 p.m.

AT DES MOINES

5. Indiana 99, 12. Chattanooga 74

4. Kentucky 85, 13. Stony Brook 57

SATURDAY (CBS)

4. Kentucky (27-8) vs. 5. Indiana (26-7), 4:15 p.m.

AT BROOKLYN - FRIDAY (CBS)

6. Notre Dame (21-11) vs. 11. Michigan (23-12), 8:40 p.m.

3. West Virginia (26-8) vs. 14. Stephen F. Austin (27-5), 6:10 p.m.

AT ST. LOUIS - FRIDAY (TNT)

7. Wisconsin (20-12) vs. 10. Pittsburgh (21-11), 5:50 p.m.

2. Xavier (27-5) vs. 15. Weber State (26-8), 8:20 p.m.

 
Midwest Region

AT RALEIGH

1. Virginia 81, 16. Hampton 45

9. Butler 71, 9. Texas Tech 61

SATURDAY (TBS)

1. Virginia (27-7) vs. 9. Butler (22-10), 6:10 p.m.

AT DENVER

12. Little Rock 85, 5. Purdue 83 (2OT)

4. Iowa State 94, 13. Iona 81

SATURDAY (TNT)

4. Iowa State (22-11) vs. 12. Arkansas-Little Rock (30-4), 5:10 p.m.

AT DENVER

11. Gonzaga 68, 6. Seton Hall 52

3. Utah 80, 14. Fresno State 69

SATURDAY (TNT)

3. Utah (27-8) vs. 11. Gonzaga (27-7), 7:40 p.m.

AT ST. LOUIS - FRIDAY (CBS)

7. Dayton (25-7) vs. 10. Syracuse (19-13), 11:15 a.m.

2. Michigan State (29-5) vs. 15. Middle Tennessee (24-9), 1:45 p.m.
 
Friday (1st Round)

11:15 a.m.: 7. Dayton (25-7) vs. 10. Syracuse (19-13), CBS

11:40 a.m.: 2. Villanova (29-5) vs. 15. UNC Asheville (22-11), truTV

12:30 p.m.: 7. Oregon State (19-12) vs. 10. VCU (24-10), TNT

1 p.m.: 4. California (23-10) vs. 13. Hawaii (27-5), TBS

1:45 p.m.: 2. Michigan State (29-5) vs. 15. Middle Tennessee (24-9), CBS

2:10 p.m.: 7. Iowa (21-10) vs. 10. Temple (21-11), truTV

3 p.m.: 2. Oklahoma (25-7) vs. 15. CSU Bakersfield (24-8), TNT

3:30 p.m.: 5. Maryland (25-8) vs. 12. South Dakota State (26-7), TBS

5:50 p.m.: 7. Wisconsin (20-12) vs. 10. Pittsburgh (21-11), TNT

6:10 p.m.: 3. West Virginia (26-8) vs. 14. Stephen F. Austin (27-5), CBS

6:20 p.m.: 3. Texas A&M (26-8) vs. 14. Green Bay (23-12), TBS

6:27 p.m.: 1. Oregon (28-6) vs. 16. Holy Cross/Southern, truTV

8:20 p.m.: 2. Xavier (27-5) vs. 15. Weber State (26-8), TNT

8:40 p.m.: 6. Notre Dame (21-11) vs. 11. Michigan (23-12) CBS

8:50 p.m. 6. Texas (20-12) vs. 11. Northern Iowa (22-12), TBS

8:57 p.m.: 8. St. Joseph's (27-7) vs. 9. Cincinnati (22-10), truTV

Saturday (2nd Round)

11:10 a.m.: 3. Miami (Fla.) (26-7) vs. 11 Wichita State (26-8), CBS

1:40 p.m.: 4. Duke (24-10) vs. 12. Yale (23-6), CBS

4:15 p.m.: 4. Kentucky (27-8) vs. 5. Indiana (26-7), CBS

5:10 p.m.: 4. Iowa State (22-11) vs. 12. Arkansas-Little Rock (30-4), TNT

6:10 p.m.: 1. Virginia (27-7) vs. 9. Butler (22-10), TBS

6:45 p.m.: 1. Kansas (31-4) vs. 9. Connecticut (25-10), CBS

7:40 p.m.: 3. Utah (27-8) vs. 11. Gonzaga (27-7), TNT

8:40 p.m.: 1. North Carolina (29-6) vs. 9. Providence (24-10), TBS