Category Archives: College basketball

UTSA men aim for success with a bigger, more physical team

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Daniel Akitoby. UTSA basketball Rowdy Jam on Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025, at the Convocation Center. - photo by Joe Alexander

Daniel Akitoby, a 6-foot-9, 245-pound forward, comes to UTSA from Morgan State University. – Photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

UTSA coach Austin Claunch is hardly one to dwell on old news, but evidence exists that his first season as head coach of the UTSA Roadrunners wasn’t as disheartening as the record would indicate.

The Roadrunners finished 12-19 overall, and they tied for ninth among 13 teams in the American Conference at 6-12.

But for context, consider that two of his players were lost for the season due to injury and three others left the program prior to the final game for non-injury related reasons.

For most of the last few months, the Roadrunners played with post players that were 6-feet-10 and 6-9.

In the end, they traveled to Frisco for the conference tournament as the 11th seed — with eight on scholarship — and nearly knocked off the sixth-seeded East Carolina Pirates before falling, 70-65.

It was a painful end, though almost fitting, as UTSA was 1-8 in games decided by single digits since the first week of February.

“I think any time you play through the league one time, it’s important,” Claunch said in his office Friday afternoon. “Every league is different. I think this is a physical league. It’s a strong league.

“It’s a relatively athletic league.

“So, with us (recruiting) more size and athleticism (this season), hopefully that can manufacture more wins, by way of getting to the free-throw line more, offensive rebounding better and defensive rebounding better.

“We just need to be a more physical group.”

As anyone who attended the Rowdy Jam event for fans on Thursday night can attest, UTSA is a much bigger team than last year, with taller and longer athletes at every position.

The Roadrunners are set to play their one and only closed scrimmage of the fall on Saturday and then will host Incarnate Word on Oct. 25 in an exhibition.

UTSA’s season opener is Nov. 5 at home against the College of Biblical Studies, a third-year program based in Houston coached by former University of Houston star Michael Young.

Claunch seems pleased with his team’s progress since he welcomed most of the new players to campus in June.

“We’re building our identity on both sides of the ball, what we want to do, how we want to play,” Claunch said. “I think we’re starting to see it a little more. Just getting the shots we want to get offensively, the pace that we want to play, you know, how we want to execute.”

A focus for the Roadrunners during summer workouts centered around defense after last year’s squad finished 12th in the American in points allowed and field goal shooting and 11th in three-point percentage.

“Defensively we’re looking at, obviously, improving from where we were last year, (working on) how we’re going to guard the ball screen,” the coach said. “I just think we got to use our collective length better than we did last year.”

Guard Vasean Allette, a junior transfer from TCU, appears to be the player to watch this season.

“I still really don’t know who’s going to start,” Claunch said. “We’ll look at some different things tomorrow (in the scrimmage). I think we have a really deep team. I think we have to lean into that.

“I think we got to embrace the fact that we’re really deep and understand that that’s going to be a big part of our success.”

UTSA roster

Dorian Hayes 6-5 freshman guard
Kaidon Rayfield 6-8 freshman forward
Austin Nunez 6-2 senior guard
Vasean Allette 6-2 junior point guard
Brent Moss 6-6 junior guard/forward
Pierce Spencer 6-3 graduate guard
Macaleab Rich 6-7 junior guard/forward
Jamir Simpson 6-5 graduate guard
x-LJ Brown 6-2 redshirt senior guard
x-Mo Njie 6-11 graduate center
Daniel Akitoby 6-9 graduate forward
Stanley Borden 7-0 graduate center
Matheo Coffi 6-8 freshman forward
x-Baboucarr Njie 6-6 sophomore forward/guard
x-Jackson Fazande 6-3 redshirt sophomore forward

Dunking and dancing: Roadrunners revel in Rowdy Jam festivities

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Macaleab Rich

UTSA junior Macaleab Rich soars over Coach Austin Claunch in the dunk contest Thursday night at Rowdy Jam. – Photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

The night started with the UTSA band rocking the Convocation Center. It continued with introductions of the men’s and women’s basketball teams, a three-point shooting exhibition and a dunk contest.

It ended with a concert by soulful R&B singer Cupid, The Linedance King, who had hundreds of students, athletes and even a few administrators dancing all together on one end of the court.

After it was over, a few of the UTSA athletes applauded the show, which served not only to bring everyone together in a party atmosphere on the floor, but also to break up the routine of preseason practices.

Asked how she thought the fans did in the dance portion of the show, UTSA women’s team center Emilia Dannebauer smiled and said she thought “everyone was amazing.”

Men’s team center Mo Njie said he thinks it was a fun event for everyone, and he hopes the fans continue to come out when the season starts.

Njie has high hopes for the Roadrunners men, especially on the defensive end of the floor.

“We want to be the best defensive team in the nation,” he said.

Adriana Robles. UTSA basketball Rowdy Jam on Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025, at the Convocation Center. - photo by Joe Alexander

Freshman Adriana Robles, enjoying a moment at Rowdy Jam, is competing for playing time at point guard for the defending American Conference regular-season champion UTSA women. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Matheo Coffi. UTSA basketball Rowdy Jam on Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025, at the Convocation Center. - photo by Joe Alexander

Freshman Matheo Coffi. from Strasbourg, France, shows off his hops during the dunk show. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Saher Alizada. UTSA basketball Rowdy Jam on Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025, at the Convocation Center. - photo by Joe Alexander

Saher Alizada is a junior from Montreal, Canada. She’s a transfer from South Plains College. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Mo Njie. UTSA basketball Rowdy Jam on Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025, at the Convocation Center. - photo by Joe Alexander

Six-foot-11 center Mo Njie, a grad student, is one of four returning players for the UTSA men.- Photo by Joe Alexander

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UTSA women are picked second in the American

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Idara Udo. Top-seeded UTSA lost to ninth-seeded Rice 62-58 in the quarterfinals of the American Athletic Conference women's basketball tournament at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth on Monday, March 10, 2025. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA junior Idara Udo is projected as a first-team all-conference player this season, according to the coaches. – File photo by Joe Alexander

The South Florida Bulls are picked to win, and the defending champion UTSA Roadrunners have been pegged for a second-place finish in the American women’s basketball race, according to the conference’s preseason coaches’ poll.

Preseason Coaches’ Poll
1. South Florida (11) 143
2. UTSA (1) 119
3. Rice (1) 113
4. Temple 107
5. Tulane 104
6. North Texas 95
7. East Carolina 82
8. Tulsa 72
9. Memphis 52
10. Charlotte 50
11. UAB 38
12. Wichita State 23
13. Florida Atlantic 16

Preseason projections/individuals
Player of the Year – Carla Brito, Sr., F, South Florida

All-Conference First Team – Dominique Ennis, Sr., G, Rice; Carla Brito, Sr., F, South Florida*; L’or Mputu, Gr., F, South Florida; Kaylah Turner, Jr., G, Temple; Idara Udo, Jr., F, UTSA.

All-Conference Second Team – Aniah Alexis, So., G, Rice; Victoria Flores, Jr., G, Rice; Amira Mabry, Sr., F, Tulane; Kendall Sneed, So., G, Tulane.

UTSA men are pegged for an 11th-place finish in the American

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The UTSA Roadrunners will have something to prove this season in the American Conference men’s basketball race. UTSA was picked 11th out of 13 teams in the American preseason coaches’ poll. Roadrunners guard Vasean Allette, a newcomer at UTSA and a transfer from TCU, is a second-team choice in projections for individual honors.

Memphis, South Florida, Tulane and UAB are the favorites, in that order, according to the poll released Thursday morning.

American preseason coaches’ poll

1. Memphis (11) 143
2. South Florida (2) 128
3. Tulane 122
4. UAB 98
5. Wichita State 93
6. Florida Atlantic 80
7. North Texas 77
8. Tulsa 74
9. Temple 65
10. East Carolina 53
11. UTSA 32
12. Rice 27
13. Charlotte 22

Individual honors/projections

Player of the Year – Rowan Brumbaugh, G, Tulane
Freshman of the Year – Josiah Parker, G, Florida Atlantic

First team – Jordan Riley, Sr., G, East Carolina; Aaron Bradshaw, Jr., F, Memphis; Dug McDaniel, Sr., G, Memphis; Rowan Brumbaugh, R-Jr., G, Tulane*; Kenyon Giles, Sr., G, Wichita State.

Second team – Daimion Collins, R-Sr., F, South Florida; Izaiyah Nelson, Sr., F, South Florida; Vasean Allette, Jr., G, UTSA; Asher Woods, Sr., G, Tulane; David Green, Gr., F, Tulsa.

New-look UTSA women reload after a championship season

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UTSA's Ereauna Hardaway is a senior point guard from Jonesboro, Ark., and North Texas. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA newcomer Ereauna Hardaway is a senior point guard from Jonesboro, Ark. She played three seasons at North Texas, averaging 10 points and 3.5 assists last year as a junior. – Photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

With Jordyn Jenkins and Nina De Leon Negron pursuing professional basketball careers, and with Sidney Love now suiting up for the Texas Tech Red Raiders, the UTSA women are forging ahead without the leadership core that led the team to a school-record 26 wins and a regular-season conference championship last season.

Karen Aston. UTSA beat Florida Atlantic 60-52 on Senior Day to clinch the American Athletic Conference regular-season title on Saturday, March 1, 2025, at the Convocation Center.

Fifth-year UTSA coach Karen Aston signed a contract extension through 2030 after leading the Roadrunners to the American Conference regular-season title. – File photo by Joe Alexander

“We’ll be different,” fifth-year UTSA coach Karen Aston said Wednesday. “We have a different team.” But, that’s not to say the Roadrunners won’t be good again. Far from it.

Nine players return, mixing with six newcomers, on the 15-player roster. The Roadrunners will have some experience to lean on with four seniors, four juniors and four sophomores, including promising returning wing players Mia Hammonds and Damara Allen.

They’ll also have athleticism and length, with four players listed at either 6-foot-4 or 6-3.

Returning starters include center Idara Udo and forward Maya Linton. Forwards Cheyenne Rowe and Nyayongah Gony also figure to be in the rotation, though the multi-skilled, 6-4 Gony is working her way back from a knee injury that limited her to 12 games last season.

Newcomers to watch are senior transfer Ereauna Hardaway and freshman Adriana Robles, who split time at Wednesday’s workout running the team at point guard.

Freshman forward Sema Udo, Idara’s younger sister, is also an athlete that appears to have skills and athleticism to make an immediate contribution.

“I love all the newcomers,” Aston said. “But it is really a meshing process. It’s going to take some time.”

The Roadrunners will face a challenging early schedule. They’ll play four power conference programs, including Texas Tech, Houston, Auburn and Baylor. They’ll also play three teams — Grand Canyon, Baylor and Columbia — that reached the NCAA tournament last year.

UTSA finished 26-5 last season, including 17-1 in the American Conference. The Roadrunners registered a 13-0 record at home. Jenkins was the Player of the Year in the American, while De Leon Negron and Love supplied steady leadership as the starting backcourt.

Taking a 26-3 record into the postseason, the Roadrunners lost to Rice in the American tournament opener and then fell on the road at Gonzaga in the first round of the Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament.

UTSA's Sema Udo is a freshman forward from Plano East High School. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA’s Sema Udo, the younger sister of junior center Idara Udo, is a freshman forward from Plano East High School. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Aston has put her players through three extended practices as they ramp up preparations for the Nov. 6 opener at Texas Tech.

A few injuries and illnesses have held the Roadrunners back recently, the most notable being a lower left leg injury to promising sophomore forward Taylor Ross. Aston said Ross’ availability is expected to be clarified in a few weeks.

Guard Siena Guttadauro is new mother, having given birth to a son, Dante, on July 24. She played in just five games last season before learning that she was pregnant, according to a story by Sean Cartell on the UTSA athletics website.

Aston said it’s good to have the native Californian back on the team but cautioned that “it’ll be awhile” before she is ready to play.

UTSA roster

x-Sema Udo, 6-0 freshman forward
Siena Guttadauro, 5-6 redshirt junior guard
x-Ereauna Hardaway, 5-8 senior point guard
x-Saher Alizada, 5-10 junior point guard
Damara Allen, 5-10 sophomore guard
Mia Hammonds, 6-3 sophomore guard
Nyayongah Gony, 6-4 redshirt senior forward
x-Sanaa Bean, 6-3 freshman forward
x-Jayda Holiman, 5-6 junior point guard
Taylor Ross, 6-1 sophomore forward
x-Adriana Robles, 5-5 freshman point guard
Maya Linton, 5-11 senior guard
Cheyenne Rowe, 6-2 senior forward
Idara Udo, 6-1 junior forward
Emilia Dannebaurer, 6-4 sophomore forward/center

x-newcomers

Notable

The UTSA women will participate in Rowdy Jam on Oct. 16 at the Convocation Center. It’ll be the fans’ first opportunity to see the UTSA women and men on the court.

The event starts at 7 p.m. and is free and open to the public. Cupid, the Linedance King is scheduled to perform.

On Oct. 25, the women will host Texas A&M-International in an exhibition, followed on the same day by the men against Incarnate Word. The women’s game is set for 1 p.m., followed by the men at 3:30.

The season opener for the women is set for Nov. 6 at Texas Tech. Love, a three-year UTSA starter, transferred to play for the Big 12 Red Raiders last summer.

UTSA had four guards transfer out of the program, including Love, Aysia Proctor (to North Texas), Alexis Parker (to Lamar) and Emma Lucio (Southeastern Louisiana).

UTSA's Adriana Robles is a freshman point guard from Arecibob, Puerto Rico, and Fossil Ridge High School. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Freshman Adriana Robles has played internationally for her native Puerto Rico and emerged as a standout at Fort Worth’s Fossil Ridge High School. – Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA men’s basketball looking forward to a new season

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Baboucarr Njie. UTSA beat Rice 84-56 in American Athletic Conference men's basketball on Sunday, March 2, 2025, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Forward Baboucarr Njie emerged as a pleasant surprise last year for the Roadrunners, playing in 24 games and starting two as a freshman. – File photo by Joe Alexander

With 11 newcomers on the roster, UTSA men’s basketball is working toward a new season under second-year coach Austin Claunch.

The Roadrunners, hoping to bounce back from a 12-19 season a year ago, hosted the media Thursday for an afternoon workout at the Convocation Center.

Coach Austin Claunch at UTSA men's basketball practice at the Convocation Center on Thursday, Oct. 2, 2025. - photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA coach Austin Claunch. – photo by Joe Alexander

Among the new faces this season, four played last year for Power Four programs, including guards Vasean Allette from TCU and Austin Nunez from Arizona State, along with guard-forward Macaleab Rich from Kansas State and Stanley Borden from Duke.

Allette averaged 11.4 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.3 steals with the Horned Frogs. Nunez, who played at Wagner High School in San Antonio, has spent time at Arizona State, Ole Miss and Arizona State again in his college career.

Returning players include brothers Mo and Baboucarr Njie. Also returning are LJ Brown and Jackson Fazande.

UTSA will host Rowdy Jam at the Convo on Oct. 16 to introduce both the men’s and women’s teams to the fans.

The event starts at 7 p.m. and is free and open to the public. Cupid, the Linedance King is scheduled to perform.

Moving forward, UTSA women and men’s teams will play exhibitions at the Convo on Oct. 25. The women will take on Texas A&M-San Antonio at 1 p.m., followed by the men against Incarnate Word at 3:30 p.m.

NCAA Division I teams open the regular season on Nov. 3, but the early portion of the UTSA men’s schedule hasn’t been announced.

Claunch’s program has announced road dates against three Power Four conference teams, including games at Alabama on Dec. 7, at Colorado on Dec. 13 and at USC on Dec. 17.

The American Conference opener is set for Dec. 31 at Florida Atlantic, with the trip continuing at Temple on Jan. 3.

UTSA will tip off the conference slate at home on Jan. 7 against Charlotte and on Jan. 10 against Tulane.

The conference tournament will be played in Birmingham, Ala., with games set for March 11-15.

UTSA men’s team roster:

Dorian Hayes 6-5 freshman guard
Kaidon Rayfield 6-8 freshman forward
Austin Nunez 6-2 senior guard
Vasean Allette 6-2 junior point guard
Brent Moss 6-6 junior guard/forward
Pierce Spencer 6-3 graduate guard
Macaleab Rich 6-7 junior guard/forward
Jamir Simpson 6-5 graduate guard
x-LJ Brown 6-2 redshirt senior guard
x-Mo Njie 6-11 graduate center
Daniel Akitoby 6-9 graduate forward
Stanley Borden 7-0 graduate center
Matheo Coffi 6-8 freshman forward
x-Baboucarr Njie 6-6 sophomore forward/guard
x-Jackson Fazande 6-3 redshirt sophomore forward

x-returning players

UTSA’s Aston receives contract extension through 2029-30

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UTSA women’s basketball coach Karen Aston has received a five-year contract extension through the 2029-30 season.

Aston’s extension will start at $375,000 in 2025-26. From there, it will increase to $385,000 in ’26-27 and to $415,000 for the final three seasons through ’29-30. The contract runs through March 31, 2030, according to UTSA.

After starting at UTSA in 2021-22, Aston inherited a team that had won only two games at 2-18. In her tenure, she has improved the program gradually, building to last year’s run to the American Athletic Conference regular-season title.

The Roadrunners, led by forward Jordyn Jenkins, reached the WBIT national postseason tournament and finished 26-5.

UTSA’s Aston ‘grateful’ for the opportunity to play in the WBIT

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

UTSA women’s basketball coach Karen Aston on Monday acknowledged the disappointment of coming up short in the team’s quest to reach the NCAA tournament, but she said she feels “extremely blessed and pleased we’re still playing.”

Karen Aston. The UTSA women's basketball teams celebrates at the Convocation Center after winning the 2024-25 American Athletic Conference regular-season title on Saturday, March 1, 2025. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Coach Karen Aston Roadrunners will take a 26-4 record into a first-round WBIT game Thursday at Gonzaga. – File photo by Joe Alexander

The Roadrunners will play in the 32-team Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament, opening on the road Thursday against the Gonzaga Bulldogs in Spokane, Wash. Tipoff is at 8 p.m. Central time.

It’s the second straight season that the Roadrunners have reached a national postseason tournament after last year’s squad competed in the WNIT.

“The fact that we were able to take another step this year and elevate the tournament that we’re playing in is a huge accomplishment for this program, in a short period of time,” said Aston, who is in her fourth season at UTSA. “So, just thankful (for the opportunity). I could say a lot of things about disappointment (and) all of those things of not making the (NCAA) tournament. But at the end of the day you wake up and you’re grateful for what you have and to still be playing.”

Last year, UTSA played at home in the WNIT’s opening round and knocked off Northern Colorado for the first national tournament victory in school history. The Roadrunners lost in the second round in a road game at Wyoming.

UTSA bid for three home games in this year but was dispatched to play in the state of Washington against the Bulldogs, who were co-champions (at 22-10, 17-3) of the West Coast Conference. In the WBIT, teams were seeded 1-4 in each of four quadrants of the bracket. The Bulldogs drew a No. 4 seed. The Roadrunners (26-4, 17-1) were not seeded after winning the American Athletic Conference regular-season title outright.

Both Gonzaga and UTSA went 0-1 in the respective conference tournaments, with the Bulldogs losing to Oregon State in the WCC semifinals and the Roadrunners falling to Rice in the AAC quarterfinals.

Asked how she felt about being slotted into the WBIT bracket, Aston said, “I feel good about the team. You know, I don’t have any qualms about us going on the road. Obviously, like you said, we went 17-1. We have the ability to have some road toughness about us, or we wouldn’t have accomplished what we did. So I feel very confident in that. You know, very disappointed that we’re not hosting for our players, our staff, all the people that made our home environment really special, that we could go undefeated (at home).

“Not sure I have an answer for why we’re not hosting when you look at four or five teams that are that are that we have a better NET (ranking and) we won our league. But as I told our players, everything doesn’t always end up the way you expect it to or want it to. And you have to respond to that. And that’s a life lesson and a life skill that comes in pretty handy along your way.”

The Roadrunners have experienced two major disappointments over the past week — first, losing in the AAC tournament and then, second, gathering on Sunday to get confirmation that they would not, after all, be playing in the NCAA tournament. Even for a team as talented as the Roadrunners, it may be a challenge for them to re-set and prepare for the WBIT in the wake of all the emotion.

“You have to dig into your competitive juices a little bit,” Aston said. “And I think for our program, every single step that we take — I mean, we got a postseason win last year. This is a very, very competitive tournament. There are multiple teams that should have played in the NCAA that are in this tournament. So there’s a ton that we’re playing for. We’re graduating two players (in Jordyn Jenkins and Nine De Leon Negron). So, what are the rest of them learning in this experience of what it feels like to be continuing to play in March.

“Like I told them, some people are done two weeks ago and (are) on the beach somewhere. For us to understand what it feels like to continue to grind and prepare and take care of your bodies and stay in the gym, like, all of those are learning experiences for young players. And if you’ve got six or seven, or five or six, or whatever we had, who had never even experienced what a Selection Show was, then there’s a lot of learning still ahead for our group.”

Correction: A previous version of this story misstated the start time of UTSA’s game at Gonzaga. Tipoff is at 8 p.m. Central time on Thursday.

UTSA women will travel to play Gonzaga in the Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament

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UTSA will play on the road against the Gonzaga Bulldogs Thursday night in the first round of the Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament.

The NCAA-sponsored tournament is in its second season of existence. Officials announced its 32-team field Sunday night and paired UTSA (26-4) against Gonzaga (22-10) as one of 16 first-round matchups.

The NCAA field of 68 was announced earlier Sunday night. As expected, UTSA did not get an invitation to play in the most prestigious of the tournaments in women’s college basketball. The WBIT is next, followed by the Women’s National Invitation Tournament, or WNIT. UTSA reached the second round of the WNIT last season.

This year, the Roadrunners went 26-3 in the regular season and 17-1 to win the American Athletic Conference, only to fall to the Rice Owls, 62-58, in the first round of the conference tournament.

UTSA likely needed to sweep three games at the AAC tournament to earn a bid into the NCAA field.

Going into its second year, the WBIT is owned and funded by the NCAA, and the first four teams out of the NCAA DI women’s basketball tournament — as determined by the DI women’s basketball selection committee — receive an automatic bid into the WBIT and also receive the first four seeds.

Regular-season champions of DI conferences not otherwise selected for the NCAA DI women’s basketball tournament also automatically qualify (if eligible and not reclassifying institutions). The remaining field is made up of at-large teams chosen by the WBIT selection committee.

In the WBIT, UTSA will need to win five games to win the title. All first-round games are Thursday night. The second round is a week from today, on March 23, followed by the third round on March 27.

If a team wins three games, it would move on to Indianapolis for the semifinals on March 31. The tournament finals are set for April 2. Semifinals and finals will be played at historic Hinkle Fieldhouse on the Butler University campus.

Texas sneaks in to the field of 68, joining Houston, Texas Tech, Texas A&M and Baylor in the NCAA men’s tournament

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Five teams from the state of Texas have made the 68-team NCAA men’s basketball tournament field. The biggest surprise was the 15-loss Texas Longhorns, who will play in the Midwest Region in a First Four, or, a round of 68 game, against Xavier (Ohio) on Wednesday night in Dayton, Ohio.

The Longhorns (19-15) are one of a record 14 teams from the Southeastern Conference to make the NCAA field.

Xavier (21-11) is a Big East team based in Cincinnati, Ohio, meaning the Musketeers will only need to travel about 48 miles to the game site at the Dayton Arena. The winner will advance to round of 64 on Friday against Illinois in Milwaukee.

Games involving Texas teams on Thursday will be:

*Big 12 regular season and tournament champion Houston (30-4) against SIU Edwardsville (22-11) at Wichita, Kan., in the Midwest region. The winner would get either Gonzaga or Georgia in the Round of 32;
*Texas Tech (25-8) against the University of North Carolina at Wilmington (27-7), also at Wichita, in the West. The winner would draw either Missouri or Drake in the Round of 32;
*Texas A&M (22-10) against Drake (22-7) at Denver, in the South. The winner would play either Michigan or UC San Diego in the Round of 32.

Games involving Texas teams on Friday will be:

*Baylor (19-14) against Mississippi State (21-12) at Raleigh, N.C. in the East. The winner would advance to play either top-seeded Duke or 16 seeds American or Mount St. Mary’s.