Miami’s Brown out against Loyola
Miami sophomore guard Bruce Brown Jr.’ s injured left foot suddenly is healing faster than expected.
Coach Jim Larranaga said Tuesday that Brown won’t play in the Hurricanes’ first- round NCAA Tournament game Thursday against Loyola in Dallas, but he will be in uniform. After initially saying Brown likely would miss the rest of the season, Larranaga didn’t rule him out for the rest of the tourney.
Brown has missed 11 games but received medical clearance Monday to remove his walking boot and rejoin the Hurricanes at practice. What are the chances he’ll play again this season?
‘‘ The first thing is, we’ve got to play well enough to win the game [ Thursday],’’ Larranaga said. ‘‘ After that, you make decisions one day at a time.’’
Brown, who was averaging 11.4 points, 7.1 rebounds and four assists when he got hurt, is considered a potential first- round pick in the NBA Draft in June. He had surgery Feb. 1, and Miami is 7- 4without him.
Virginia loses sixthman
Top- ranked Virginia, the No. 1 seed in the South Regional, will be without swingman De’Andre Hunter for the NCAA Tournament because of a broken left wrist.
The Cavaliers announced Hunter suffered the injury during the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament but didn’t say how. He will have surgery Monday and miss 10 to 12 weeks.
Hunter, the ACC’s sixth man of the year, sat out as a redshirt last season but made an immediate impact once he joined Virginia’s lineup. He averaged 9.2 points and 3.5 rebounds, reached double figures in points 16 times and led the Cavaliers in scoring six times.
NotreDame 84, Hampton 63
Martinas Geben scored 18 points and T. J. Gibbs 17, Bonzie Colson added 14 points and 12 rebounds and the Irish ( 21- 14) held the Pirates ( 19- 16) to 30 percent shooting en route to a first- round victory in the National Invitation Tournament in South Bend, Indiana.
St. Bonaventure 65, UCLA 58
Courtney Stockard scored 26 points, Jaylen Adams made a jumper and three free throws in the last minute and the Bonnies ( 26- 7) earned their first NCAA Tournament victory in 48 years by fighting off the Bruins ( 21- 12) in the First Four in Dayton, Ohio.
Radford 71, LIU Brooklyn 61
Travis Fields Jr. and Ed Polite Jr. each scored 13 points, Carlik Jones added 12 points and 10 rebounds and the Highlanders ( 23- 12) earned their first victory in three trips to the NCAA Tournament by defeating the Blackbirds ( 18- 17) in the First Four in Dayton, Ohio.