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The Latest on the NCAA Tournament regional finals between Oregon and Oklahoma in Anaheim, California, and Kansas and Villanova in Louisville, Kentucky (all times Eastern):
7:54 p.m.
Oklahoma has cooled off some, but Oregon has barely been able to make a dent in the Sooners' lead. Oklahoma leads 68-53 with under eight minutes left.
Buddy Hield of Oklahoma has become the first player with at least 100 points and 15 3s made before Final Four since Stephen Curry of Davidson in 2008.
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7:49 p.m.
Kansas players and coach Bill Self have arrived at the KFC Yum! Center for Saturday night's South Region final against No. 2 Villanova.
Dressed in T-shirts that read ''Made for March,'' the top-seeded Jayhawks immediately walked from the bus to the floor and began warming up. They are 3-2 all-time against Villanova, though the Wildcats won the last meeting between the teams during the 2013 Battle 4 Atlantis in the Bahamas.
Tipoff is set for 8:49 p.m. ET
- Gary B. Graves, reporting from Louisville.
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7:42 p.m.
Midway through the second half, Buddy Hield is still putting on a show in Anaheim. The Oklahoma star has six 3-pointers and 26 points, including nine in the second half. Oregon has looked more cohesive after the break, but still trails 61-47 with 11:45 to play.
At least Oregon shot-blocker Jordan Bell got some laughs when he jumped up to reject two 3-point shots by Hield during a dead ball after a whistle. That's about it for trying to stop Hield.
- Greg Beacham reporting from Anaheim, California
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7:33 p.m.
More of the same for the Sooners in the second half against Oregon. Buddy Hield is now 10 for 13 from the field and 6 for 8 from 3 -point range. The Ducks simply cannot keep up.
The Sooners are up 59-44 with 13:37 left.
Oklahoma is looking for its first trip to the Final Four since 2002, and fifth overall.
The Ducks are trying to get to the Final Four for the first time since the first NCAA Tournament in 1939, but it is looking bleak.
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7:05 p.m.
Oklahoma is off to an awesome start in the West Region final, leading top-seeded Oregon 48-30 at halftime. Buddy Hield hit his fifth 3-pointer from 3 steps behind the line with 4 seconds to play, capping a spectacular 17-point performance by the Sooners' biggest star. Oklahoma also outrebounded Oregon 23-10 and scored 15 second-chance points. Elgin Cook is singlehandedly keeping Oregon in the game with 16 points, but his teammates are a combined 5 for 16 from the field for 14 points. If Dillon Brooks and the Ducks don't get rolling out of the break, the Sooners will be headed to their fifth Final Four.
- Greg Beacham reporting from Anaheim, California
7:02 p.m.
Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim on his sense of humor: ''I am really fairly humorous and witty, but I guess I haven't convinced too many people of that.''
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7:00
There was a time when Tony Bennett thought the odds of him becoming a coach were about as long as a half-court fling.
Now he has Virginia in the Elite Eight against Syracuse on Sunday. Win that game and he his dad Dick join the Thompsons at Georgetown as the only father-son combination to lead teams to Final Fours, according to STATS.
''I haven't really thought about that, a father and son both getting to coach in it,'' Tony Bennett said. ''But if we're fortunate enough to get there, we'll have some good conversations.''
Tony Bennett played for his dad at Wisconsin-Green Bay and spent three seasons with the Charlotte Hornets before injuries derailed his NBA career. He wound up as a player-coach in New Zealand, and with his dad nearing retirement, he joined the staff at Wisconsin as a volunteer manager for the 1999-2000 Final Four season.
''I said, `Hey, this is pretty fun, this is pretty easy, get to the Final Four in your first crack at it. I think I might like to do this,'' Tony Bennett said. ''I was bit at that point, like wow, I saw that magical run, I saw the excitement. And again, for me the most gratifying thing was to see my father reach what was a dream of his, and that was the best. When you see people you love achieve a desire like that, that's as good as it gets.
''That was special, and yeah, that would be great, I guess, to join him.''
- Andrew Seligman reporting from Chicago.
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6:48 p.m.
Buddy Hield is putting on a show in Orange County. The two-time Big 12 player of the year has 14 points in the first 15 1/2 minutes against Oregon in the West Region final, including four 3-pointers. His fourth put the Sooners up 37-21 with 4:27 to play and forced Oregon to call another timeout. The Ducks' top scorer, Dillon Brooks, has two points on 1-for-3 shooting, including a badly missed 3-pointer.
- Greg Beacham reporting from Anaheim, California
6:37 p.m.
Oklahoma is getting good work done on the offensive boards, and that's why the Sooners are off to a 24-13 lead. Their sixth offensive rebound in the first 12 minutes led to Jordan Woodard's 3-pointer, Oklahoma's fourth of the game. Oregon coach Dana Altman's clipboard hit the floor hard before the Ducks' huddle at the TV timeout.
- Greg Beacham reporting from Anaheim, California
6:20 p.m.
Honda Center is almost full for the afternoon tipoff between Oklahoma and Oregon, with Ducks fans slightly outnumbering the Oklahoma fans, who are still representing very well in Orange County.
Buddy Hield has his third 3-pointer and the Sooners are up 17-12 with 13:21 left.
--Greg Beacham reporting from Anaheim, California.
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6:18 p.m.
Player of the year candidate Buddy Hield is on the board. The Oklahoma star made two 3s in the first three minutes, and then added a putback. The Sooners are up 12-7 on top-seeded Oregon with 15:34 left.
Hield leads the nation in 3-pointerts made per game with just under four.
Another pretty good shooter is at the game: Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant.
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6:06 p.m.
The only NCAA tournament meeting between Oregon and Oklahoma came in 1939, the first NCAA Tournament. The Ducks beat the Sooners in their first and only Final Four appearance.
Buddy Hield, Isaiah Cousins, Jordan Woodard and Ryan Spangler did not start that game for Oklahoma though it might seem they have been together that long. Saturday night's West Regional final against Oregon marks the 104th straight game that foursome as started for the Sooners.
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5:51 p.m.
According to Las Vegas odds makers, North Carolina is the favorite to win the NCAA Tournament heading into the Elite Eight. The Tar Heels, the top seed in the East, are 3-to-1.
Kansas, No. 1 in the South, is the second choice at 4-to-1, and then comes Midwest top seed Virginia at 5-to-1.
Notably, Oklahoma is 6-to-1 and Villanova is 8-to-1. Both are two seeds, with better odds than Oregon. The top seed in the West is 10-to-1. The Ducks and Sooners are scheduled to tip off at 6:09 p.m. ET.
Syracuse, the lowest seed left at No. 10 in the Midwest, is 25-to-1.
Notre Dame, which faces North Carolina on Sunday is 50-to-1 to win it all.
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The Final Four could end up all 1s.
The Elite Eight begins out West, with top-seeded Oregon trying to become the first of four one seeds to make the Final Four. The Ducks face player of the year candidate Buddy Hield and No. 2 Oklahoma in Anaheim, California. Oregon has not been to a Final Four since winning the first NCAA Tournament in 1939.
The first game of the night is scheduled to tip off at 6:09 p.m.
The nightcap is another 1 vs 2 matchup, with maybe the most impressive teams of the tournament so far. Top overall seed Kansas and second-seeded Villanova play in the South regional final at Louisville, Kentucky.
The winners are off to Houston for next week's Final Four.
On Sunday, two more one seeds - North Carolina and Virginia - will play. The only time all one seeds played in the Final Four was 2008
The Final Four could end up all 1s.
The Elite Eight begins out West, with top-seeded Oregon trying to become the first of four one seeds to make the Final Four. The Ducks face player of the year candidate Buddy Hield and No. 2 Oklahoma in Anaheim, California. Oregon has not been to a Final Four since winning the first NCAA Tournament in 1939.
The first game of the night is scheduled to tip off at 6:09 p.m.
The nightcap is another 1 vs 2 matchup, with maybe the most impressive teams of the tournament so far. Top overall seed Kansas and second-seeded Villanova play in the South regional final at Louisville, Kentucky.
The winners are off to Houston for next week's Final Four.
On Sunday, two more one seeds - North Carolina and Virginia - will play. The only time all one seeds played in the Final Four was 2008.
