Live Updates: U of A Basketball Battles Utah State in March Madness Round of 32 Today

PORTLAND, Ore. & SAN DIEGO—“U of A basketball” fans are riding a double surge of March Madness momentum as both Arkansas and Arizona powered through their NCAA Tournament openers on Thursday and Friday, setting up compelling second-round clashes this weekend. Arkansas Razorbacks: Acuff Jr. and Thomas headline blistering start John Calipari’s No. 4-seed Razorbacks blitzed No. 13 Hawai‘i with an 11–0 opening punch and never trailed, cruising 97-78 at the Moda Center. Freshman guard Darius Acuff Jr. dropped 24 points and seven assists, passing Kareem Reid’s single-season school assist mark (223). Fellow rookie Meleek Thomas added 21 points, eight boards and five dimes, making the duo the first freshmen in program history to each record 20-plus points and five assists in an NCAA game. Forward Trevon Brazile eclipsed 1,000 career Razorback points, while Malique Ewin supplied a 16-12 double-double. The Hogs dished 26 assists—improving to 12-0 when logging 20 or more—and advanced to face Cinderella 12-seed High Point on Saturday. Arizona Wildcats: Depth overwhelms LIU in wire-to-wire win Top-seeded Arizona (33-2) mirrored Arkansas’ fast start, sprinting to a 12–2 edge en route to a 92-58 dismantling of No. 16 LIU at Viejas Arena. Freshman sharpshooter Brayden Burries torched the Sharks for 18 first-half points on 4-of-5 three-point shooting; Koa Peat (15 pts, 7 reb) and Ivan Kharchenkov (14 pts, 10 reb) dominated inside as the Wildcats shot 53.3 % overall and won the glass 52-31. Ten different Wildcats scored, and the bench poured in 29 points, underscoring coach Tommy Lloyd’s enviable depth. Arizona will meet No. 9 Utah State on Sunday for a Sweet 16 berth. Why this matters for “U of A basketball” searchers 1. Dual relevance: Because “U of A” commonly abbreviates both universities, search interest soars whenever either program makes national noise. 2. Star freshmen storyline: Acuff-Thomas and Burries-Peat headline two of the tournament’s most exciting rookie classes, driving clicks from NBA and college hoops audiences alike. 3. Bracket intrigue: A potential Sweet 16 featuring Arkansas vs. Arizona remains mathematically alive—fueling speculative searches and social chatter. Key numbers to know • Arkansas is 6-0 in March and 17-0 under Calipari when tallying 20-plus assists. • Arizona owns a +21.5 average scoring margin this season and has held opponents below 35 % shooting in five straight games. • Combined, the two “U of A” teams are 65-4 in 2025-26, giving the abbreviation a nation-leading .942 win percentage. Looking ahead • Saturday: Arkansas vs. High Point (Portland) – tip time TBA. • Sunday: Arizona vs. Utah State (San Diego) – 4:50 p.m. MST, truTV. With both campuses buzzing and brackets busting, the “U of A basketball” spotlight has never burned brighter. Expect surging ticket demand, skyrocketing merchandise sales and plenty of late-night googling as Razorback and Wildcat faithful eye a potential collision course in the West Regional.