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The Breakfast Buffet: March Madness Edition

Who’s hungry for college basketball?

Here’s today’s installment of “The Breakfast Buffet”, a daily column that can be found here every single morning getting you caught up to date on everything that’s happened from the day/night before and everything that’s going to happen in the next 24 hours.

Mangia!

Things To Sample

UConn and Duke again meet in a big spot
36 years after Christian Laettner’s buzzer-beater gave the Blue Devils a dramatic win in the Elite Eight in the 1990 NCAA Tournament, these two blue blood programs meet again in what’s unequivocally the best matchup we’ve seen thus far in March Madness. The Huskies also beat Duke in the 1999 national title game and 2004 Final Four. The Transfer Portal and NIL have leveled things out in college basketball, but these two brands have managed to remain a cut above the rest of the sport. Tip off for today’s epic showdown is at 5:05 PM ET on CBS.

Rick Barnes could change the perception of his career with a win over Michigan
That is not hyperbole. Barnes has been one of the most successful coaches of college basketball’s modern era, but he’s not regularly mentioned among the truly elite. That would change if Tennessee can beat the top-seeded Wolverines this afternoon in Chicago. Barnes has only been to the Final Four once during his career and that came 23 years ago when he was at Texas. The Vols have never been to the Final Four in program history. A win today as a major underdog — especially after two back-to-back Elite Eight losses in 2024 and 2025 — would completely change Barnes’ perception forever and also may lead to the type of appreciation that he ultimately deserves for his efforts. Tip off for today’s game is at 2:15 PM ET on CBS.

Arizona’s second half against Purdue was legendary
The Wildcats physically overwhelmed Purdue in the final 20 minutes of Saturday night’s 79-64 win in the Elite Eight in San Jose. After trailing the Boilers by seven at the half, Arizona’s physical defense simply took over as it outscored Purdue 48-26 during the second half. The Wildcats shot 47.0 percent from the field in the victory. It’s the first appearance in the Final Four for this program since 2001 and the first ever appearance in the Final Four for Tommy Lloyd as a head coach. Arizona’s four previous appearances in the Final Four came under Lute Olson.

On The Side

  • Dusty May can be the 18th head coach to lead multiple programs to the Final Four if Michigan beats Tennessee today in Chicago. May previously led Florida Atlantic to the Final Four in 2023.
  • Illinois’ basketball complex in Champaign is just 125 miles away from Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Expect to see a lot of Orange next week at the Final Four.
  • Kelvin Sampson told College Hoops Today on Saturday that he will return as Houston’s head coach next season.
  • Vanderbilt announced on Saturday that Mark Byington has signed a long-term contract extension. The 49-year old Byington has led the Dores to back-to-back appearances in the NCAA Tournament and was expected to be a candidate for the head coaching vacancy at North Carolina.
  • UConn AD David Benedict and UCLA head coach Mick Cronin will join us today between Noon ET and 2 PM ET on CBS Sports Network.

Leftovers