The Latest on the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament, with games Friday night in Philadelphia and Chicago (all times Eastern):
7:15 p.m.
All that red in the stands and all those Iowa State fans who made the drive to Chicago from Ames don't seem to be bothering Virginia. The Cavaliers were out to a 12-2 lead in front of a partisan crowd at United Center in the Midwest Region.
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7:08 p.m.
Philadelphia 76ers general manager Sam Hinkie sat on press row and watched Notre Dame warm up before it played Wisconsin in the East Regional semifinal.
It's a home game for Hinkie, the Sixers play at the Wells Fargo Center.
One potential prospect Hinkie may have kept an eye on - Irish guard Demetrius Jackson. Jackson, who averages 15.5 points, is a projected late first-round pick in the NBA draft. With nine wins, the NBA-worst Sixers could have as many as four first-round picks, depending on how some other teams fare.
The 76ers and Flyers got to keep their championship banners and retired numbers in the rafters. But banners for the Arena Football League's Philadelphia Soul, Bruce Springsteen and Billy Joel were wrapped up and hidden from view. La Salle, the host school, had school banners in the rafters.
About 30 miles from campus, some local fans even made signs for Villanova. One read, ''V! Go Cats!'' The Wildcats, who play some games at the Wells Fargo Center, play Kansas on Saturday in the Elite Eight. - Dan Gelston reporting from Philadelphia.
7:02 p.m.
Looks and SOUNDS like Iowa State will have a distinct home-court advantage for its Sweet 16 game against top-seeded Virginia.
The stands behind the Cyclones' bench were filled with fans dressed in red and gold, and they were loud when their favorite team entered and left the court. Virginia also had a solid showing, but it didn't appear to measure up to the Iowa State representation.
Virginia being the No. 1 seed in the Midwest seemed a little odd on selection Sunday. So why again was Kansas placed in the South and Louisville and Virginia in the Midwest? - Jay Cohen reporting from Chicago.
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6:30 p.m.
The second-round of the Sweet 16 is about 40 minutes away and here's hoping it's better than Thursday's games, when each was decided by a double-digit margin.
The action starts in Chicago with a contrast in styles in the Midwest region. Top-seeded Virginia, which plays at a methodical pace, faces No. 4 Iowa State, which likes to run.
In Philadelphia, No. 6 seed Notre Dame faces seventh-seeded Wisconsin in the East Region. Both teams got here with last-second, game-winning shots.
The second game in Chicago is No. 10 Syracuse against No. 11 Gonzaga, the closest thing the Sweet 16 has to underdog teams.
The main event in Philadelphia is top-seeded North Carolina against No. 5 seed Indiana. Ten national titles between the Tar Heels and Hoosiers
