Mar 10, 2026; Charlotte, NC, USA; Stanford Cardinal guard Ebuka Okorie (1) on the court docket within the second half at Spectrum Heart. Obligatory Credit score: Bob Donnan-Imagn Photos Senior-dominated West Virginia and freshman-led Stanford go head-to-head Thursday night time when the School Basketball Crown Match continues in Las Vegas with its second day of quarterfinal matchups.
The second-year occasion pitting groups from the Southeastern Convention, Massive 12, Massive Ten and Massive East will proceed Saturday in Las Vegas with the semifinals, the place the West Virginia-Stanford survivor will meet the winner of the Thursday second quarterfinal between Rutgers and Creighton.
The nationally televised finals are set for Sunday afternoon, with the winner assured $300,000 in title, picture and likeness cash.
When final seen on March 11, West Virginia (18-14) was alternating losses and wins over its ultimate 5 video games, capped by a 68-48 drubbing by the hands of BYU within the Mountaineers’ opening recreation of the Massive 12 Convention event.
Mountaineers coach Ross Hodge labeled the lengthy layoff an “pleasurable expertise,” particularly for his 5 key seniors — Honor Huff, Brenen Lorient, Treysen Eaglestaff, Probability Moore and Jasper Floyd — who would possibly in any other case have already gone their separate methods in pursuing future basketball goals.
“Anytime you get to proceed to play, it is laborious to not reap the benefits of these alternatives,” Hodge stated this week. “When you’ve got a bunch that legitimately desires to maintain enjoying and will get alternatives to be collectively, I’ve all the time been of the mindset that you’ll want to honor that and have an appreciation stage.”
Stanford (20-12) had a four-game successful streak snapped in its most up-to-date outing, a 64-63 loss to Pittsburgh within the opening spherical of the Atlantic Coast Convention event on March 10.
Accepting a bid to the Crown event permits Stanford followers no less than another likelihood to see prized freshman Ebuka Okorie, an All-ACC first-team choice who had averaged 27.3 factors over the ultimate eight video games of the convention common season earlier than he was restricted to only 14 factors by Pittsburgh.
Stanford coach Kyle Smith realizes his star can have choices within the offseason.
“I am prayerful,” Smith stated this week. “I do assume it’ll be us or the NBA, and I help no matter Ebuka chooses.”
–Discipline Degree Media
