NEW YORK — In a season of firsts for Florida Atlantic men’s basketball — first time ranked in the AP Top 25, first Conference USA championship, first NCAA Tournament victories — the Owls added one more on Thursday.

The Boca Raton, Fla., school of more than 30,000 students is going to its first Elite Eight.

Michael Forrest powered an 18-2 stretch in the middle of the second half and ninth-seeded Florida Atlantic took down fourth-seeded Tennessee 62-55 in the East Region semifinals.

The underdog Owls (34-3), in just their second NCAA Tournament in program history, will face third-seeded Kansas State on Saturday at Madison Square Garden for the right to go to the Final Four.

Johnell Davis led all scorers with 15 points for Florida Atlantic, making 9 of 10 at the foul line and adding six rebounds. Nick Boyd had 12 points and eight rebounds, and Forrest put up eight of his 11 during the run that turned the tide in the Owls’ favor.

Jonas Aidoo produced 10 points and seven rebounds for Tennessee (25-11). Josiah-Jordan James had 10 points and six rebounds, and Uros Plavsic scored all eight of his points in the first half.

Tennessee led by five at halftime and Santiago Vescovi buried two 3-pointers early in the second half, but the Volunteers couldn’t extend their edge past seven points.

Davis began the decisive run with a layup. Forrest made a 3-pointer off some quick ball movement, trimming the deficit to one. After Tennessee fouled, Forrest canned another triple to make it 41-39 — the Owls’ first lead since 3-2.

Forrest made a shot high off the glass while hitting the deck. Aidoo committed three fouls (one offensive) during the stretch, and Florida Atlantic’s Alijah Martin sank a wide-open 3-pointer to cause Tennessee coach Rick Barnes to call timeout. The Owls extended their lead to 51-41 by the end of the run.

Consecutive buckets brought Tennessee within six, and James drilled a 3-pointer to cut the deficit to 55-50 with 3:37 left.

With the margin seven points, Boyd missed a 3-point attempt, Davis came up with a crucial offensive rebound and was sent to the foul line with 49 seconds left. Davis effectively iced the game by making both free throws to put the Owls up 61-52.

The Volunteers established an early 17-8 lead. The Owls stayed in the game with a balanced scoring effort, and Boyd trimmed it to 27-22 on a 3-pointer with 2:42 to play in the half. The teams combined to miss their final nine shots of the half from there, with Plavsic’s putback failing to beat the buzzer.

After he scored a career-high-tying 27 points on 10-of-13 shooting in the second round against Duke, Tennessee’s Olivier Nkamhoua was held to six points on 2-of-9 shooting on Thursday. The Volunteers shot just 33.3 percent as a team, compared to the Owls’ 42 percent.

–Adam Zielonka, Field Level Media

Jordan Hawkins poured in 24 points and UConn never trailed while rolling to an easy 88-65 victory over Arkansas on Thursday in the Sweet 16 at Las Vegas.

Adama Sanogo recorded 18 points and eight rebounds for UConn (28-8), which is making its deepest NCAA Tournament run since winning the national title in 2014.

“It’s a great team. It’s a team that has been great pretty much the majority of the year,” UConn coach Dan Hurley said. “We can beat you with dominant centers; we can beat you with all-time great shooting guards. … We’re just a really great team.”

Alex Karaban had 11 points and seven rebounds and Nahiem Alleyne added 10 points as the fourth-seeded Huskies led by as many as 29 points in the West Region semifinal contest.

Anthony Black recorded 20 points and five steals and Ricky Council IV tallied 17 points for eighth-seeded Arkansas (22-14). Nick Smith Jr. added 11 for the Razorbacks, who were looking to reach the Elite Eight for the third straight year.

UConn will face third-seeded Gonzaga in Saturday’s regional final after the Bulldogs edged second-seeded UCLA 79-76 later Thursday. The Huskies have won 12 of their past 14 games.

The blowout was the first NCAA Tournament game ever held in Las Vegas.

The Huskies shot 57.4 percent from the field — including 9 of 20 from 3-point range — and controlled the boards with a 43-31 rebounding edge. UConn had a 42-24 edge in points in the paint while improving to 14-0 this season against teams not in its conference (Big East).

Arkansas shot just 31.7 percent from the field and went 5 of 16 from behind the arc. The Razorbacks had just seven assists to the Huskies’ 22.

UConn led by 17 at halftime and didn’t give the Razorbacks any chance to get back into the game by starting the second half with a 16-4 burst. Hawkins scored the final six to give the Huskies a 62-33 advantage with 15:44 remaining.

“I knew I had to step up my game coming to Las Vegas,” Hawkins said. “I had to play two halves, and that’s what I did.”

Black made a 3-pointer for Arkansas with 13:51 left in the game for his club’s first field goal in 8:09. The trey started a 10-0 run, but UConn countered with an 11-3 push with Hawkins draining two 3-pointers as the Huskies took a 73-46 lead with 10:29 remaining.

UConn had a 22-9 rebounding advantage in the first half while taking a 49-29 lead. Hawkins scored 10 points for the Huskies.

UConn’s lead was just three points after the Razorbacks’ Jordan Walsh made a jumper with 12:04 remaining in the half.

Twenty seconds later, Tristen Newton drained a 3-pointer to start a 14-0 surge. Sanogo capped it with a layup to make it 34-17 with 7:42 remaining.

Makhi Mitchell’s layup 19 seconds later ended an Arkansas scoring drought of 4:41.

The Razorbacks shot just 33.3 percent in the half while UConn made a sizzling 60.7 percent.

–Field Level Media

NEW YORK — Kansas State’s Harlem-raised players reveled in the bright lights of Madison Square Garden. Thanks to them, the Wildcats are heading to the Elite Eight.

Fighting through a second-half ankle injury, Markquis Nowell put up 20 points and an NCAA Tournament-record 19 assists to lead third-seeded Kansas State to a 98-93 overtime victory over seventh-seeded Michigan State on Thursday in East Region action.

Nowell fed Keyontae Johnson (22 points) an alley-oop pass, and Johnson’s two-handed reverse slam pushed the Wildcats ahead 94-92 with 52 seconds left in overtime. Malik Hall got to the line for the Spartans and missed the second of two foul shots.

“We knew how Michigan State plays defense, they play high up. And Keyontae just told me, we got eye contact and he was like lob, lob. I just threw it up and he made a great play,” Nowell said after the game.

On a baseline out-of-bounds play, Nowell hit Ismael Massoud for a corner jumper with 17 seconds left. On the Spartans’ last play, Nowell slapped the ball away from Tyson Walker and added a triumphant layup at the buzzer.

Nowell, Massoud and Nae’Qwan Tomlin all hail from Harlem, the famed neighborhood in Upper Manhattan. Massoud shot 4 of 6 from 3-point range and scored 15 points, and Tomlin added 11 points and seven rebounds for Kansas State (26-9).

“This one was special,” Nowell said. “In front of my hometown, in front of the city that loves me, I can’t even put into words how blessed and grateful I am.”

The Wildcats are headed to their third Elite Eight since 2010. They are one win away from reaching their first Final Four since 1964 and the fifth in program history.

Kansas State will oppose ninth-seeded Florida Atlantic on Saturday after the Owls beat fourth-seeded Tennessee 62-55 late Thursday night.

Wildcats coach Jerome Tang said of his team advancing, “It means I get to spend a few more days with our guys. It’s a huge accomplishment. This thing is hard.”

Cam Carter scored 12 points and David N’Guessan added 11 for the Wildcats.

A.J. Hoggard scored 18 of his game-high 25 points after halftime to lead Michigan State (21-13). Joey Hauser posted 18 points, Walker had 16, Jaden Akins added 14 and Hall had 13.

The second half saw seven ties and 10 lead changes. Tomlin waltzed in for a layup thanks to Michigan State’s defensive miscommunication to make it 77-70 with 4:45 to play.

Massoud’s straightaway 3-pointer, assisted by Nowell, gave the Wildcats an 80-75 lead. Akins hit a corner trey, but Nowell answered with a pull-up jumper.

Hall’s layup cut it to 82-80 with 51 seconds left, and after a stop, the Long Island native Walker got his turn to be the hero by getting a game-tying layup to fall with five seconds left, forcing overtime.

Nowell went down with the ankle injury early in the second half and had to be helped off by two assistants. In the 2:21 of game time Nowell missed while getting his ankle treated, the Spartans shot 4-for-5 from the field to take a 55-52 lead on Hoggard’s three-point play.

On his first possession back, Nowell had to chuck up a game-tying 3-pointer with two seconds left on the shot clock, and he banked it in before limping down the court.

“I just wanted to do it for my teammates, man. I love being out there with these guys. I wasn’t going to let a little injury like this that happens on the basketball court all the time to stop me from playing in the Sweet 16 and advancing to the Elite Eight.”

Carter’s triple with 15 seconds left cemented the Wildcats’ 43-38 lead at halftime. Nowell had 10 assists in the first half alone.

–By Adam Zielonka, Field Level Media

Michigan freshman guard Jett Howard announced Thursday that he is entering the NBA draft.

The son of coach Juwan Howard averaged 14.2 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 29 games this season. He was a third-team All-Big Ten selection.

“Being a Wolverine has been the honor of a lifetime,” Howard said in his announcement on Twitter. “I apologize for not getting the job done this year with my brothers, but best believe we tried.

“… My dreams aren’t possible without the support of my friends and family. After deep thought and careful consideration, I will be declaring for the 2023 NBA Draft.”

?? Roster News ??

G Jett Howard will be forgoing his remaining eligibility and entering the 2023 NBA Draft.#GoBlue ?? #ProBlue pic.twitter.com/LXWXyvl6Jt

— Michigan Men's Basketball (@umichbball) March 23, 2023

Howard also singled out his father, the former Fab Five star at Michigan who enjoyed a long NBA career before becoming a coach.

“Coach Howard: You gave me the blueprint while allowing me to be me. You instilled tough love,” Jett Howard said. “You demanded my best and didn’t go for anything less, which helped me grow on and off the court. The time we shared together will be forever cherished. Thank you, Dad.”

Jett Howard injured both ankles at separate times during the season. He said he recently saw a specialist and is rehabbing both ankles.

Howard is expected to be selected in the middle of the first round of the 2023 draft.

Michigan was a disappointing 18-16 this season.

–Field Level Media

Houston star guard Marcus Sasser pronounced himself as 90 percent recovered from his groin injury on Thursday, one day before the top-seeded Cougars face fifth-seeded Miami in the Sweet 16 at Kansas City, Mo.

Point guard Jamal Shead (knee) also confirmed he is ready to play in the Midwest Region semifinal.

Sasser has been dealing with the injury since being hurt during a victory over Cincinnati in the American Athletic Conference tournament semifinals on March 11. He missed the AAC title game loss to Memphis and reinjured the groin during a first-round NCAA Tournament triumph over Northern Kentucky.

Last Saturday, Sasser played well against Auburn and had 22 points and five 3-pointers in the Cougars’ 81-64 victory. The groin has continued to improve this week.

“I’ve just been doing a good job getting treatment, massages, stretches,” said Sasser, who averages a team-best 16.9 points per game. “I’d say I’ll probably be around 90 percent by Friday, so I’ve been getting healthy.”

Shead hurt his knee against Northern Kentucky and had 10 points and five assists in the victory over Auburn. But he was just 2-of-8 shooting and missed all four of his 3-point attempts.

“Mine was just a bang-up (play),” Shead said. “So I’m back to 100 percent in just these couple of days to recover. I’m back to being pretty good.”

Shead averages 10.4 points and a team-best 5.4 assists.

Houston (33-3) is two wins away from getting to play in the Final Four in its hometown. But Cougars coach Kelvin Sampson refuses to look past the next 40 minutes.

“If we play good tomorrow, we’ve got a chance to win,” Sampson said. “If we don’t, we’ll go home, and that’s just the way it is. Hasn’t changed since this tournament started. That’s why you don’t ever prepare for next week. You prepare for it logistically, but these games are hard to win, man.”

Miami (27-7) has reached the Sweet 16 in consecutive seasons for the first time in program history. Also impressive is that the Hurricanes have advanced at least this far four times since 2013.

“I think, if you didn’t know that we were one of the 16 teams to make a run to the Sweet 16 four out of the last 10 years, you would not have guessed us until maybe you got to guess 100,” said Miami coach Jim Larranaga, who is in his 12th season at the school. “Everybody has looked at the University of Miami as a football program, as a football school, and there’s a good reason for that.

“Our football program has won five national championships. And even those who follow baseball know we’ve won four national championships in baseball. But our basketball program has really been elevated over the last 12 years. … So we’re very, very pleased with the company we’re keeping.”

The Hurricanes will soon learn the status of guard Wooga Poplar, who averages 8.4 points per game. Poplar injured his back during Sunday’s second-round win over Indiana.

“Today’s the first chance he had to go up and down since our game against Indiana,” Larranaga said Thursday. “So he looked good to me. I’ll talk to my trainer, and he’ll give me an indication of whether Wooga’s ready to go tomorrow. If he’s ready to go, he’ll be in the starting lineup as always.”

–Field Level Media

Utah guard and team third-leading scorer Lazar Stefanovic has entered the transfer portal.

At 6-feet-7, Stefanovic averaged 10.3 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 32 games (15 starts) for the Utes this season. He started 18 of 31 games as a freshman in 2021-22.

Utah finished with a 17-15 record and 10-10 mark in the Pac-12, good for seventh place in 2022-23.

Stefanovic has career averages of 8.9 points and 2.9 rebounds.

–Field Level Media

LOUISVILLE — A Kentucky kid by way of Indiana, Mitch Henderson was on his campus visit to Princeton in 1992 when Christian Laettner’s legendary turnaround jumper beat the buzzer and the Wildcats.

Then a Lexington resident transplanted from Vincennes, Ind., Henderson already knew a thing or two about beating Kentucky.

“I went to Rick Pitino’s basketball camp when I was a freshman and sophomore. He would play one-on-one with all the campers and talk so much trash,” Henderson said Thursday, recounting a childhood upbringing all about basketball. “If you beat him — he was really good, he was probably in his late 30s at the time. He had to score three points. And all you had to do was stop him and score once and then you got a shirt that says, “I beat Rick Pitino in one-on-one,” and I got one of those shirts.”

If he was an underdog then, the 47-year-old Henderson must be now. The No. 15 Princeton Tigers are in Kentucky needing to double their two wins in the 2023 NCAA Tournament to reach the Final Four in Houston. First up is No. 6 Creighton on Friday night.

Henderson and his family arrived in Kentucky in 1990, coinciding with Pitino and Kentucky’s rise as national title contenders. The coaching staff at the time included assistant coaches Tubby Smith and Ralph Willard. And then there was the Tates Creek Junior High hoops squad. Henderson and his teammates were oblivious to the path they were taking, but it’s hard to resist the irony in retrospect.

“My junior high basketball team was me, Kevin Willard, and G.G. Smith, who are all Division I head coaches, at Tates Creek Junior High. How about that?,” Henderson recalled Thursday, just up the road from Lexington and Tates Creek.

Kevin Willard is Maryland’s head coach, G.G. Smith (Tubby Smith’s son) coached at High Point until he was let go in March and Henderson didn’t even mention another TCJH product: current Western Kentucky coach Darrin Horn was there, too.

Henderson and Willard’s brother, Keith, were key players on a state runner-up in Kentucky and he was drafted by the New York Yankees as an outfielder in the 29th round of the 1991 draft. Instead, Henderson stayed with hoops.

And it doesn’t seem like that long ago to Henderson when he was dropped off at Princeton, where one in five students participate in athletic programs, and felt first-hand the magic of March Madness. Henderson was a guard for the No. 13-seeded Tigers when they upset No. 4 seed UCLA 43-41 in the 1996 NCAA Tournament.

He was an assistant for Princeton coach Bill Carmody from 2000-2011 and now his close up has blended nostalgia with the sense of pride and lasting accomplishment with a new brood of Tigers.

“We followed Saint Peter’s run last year very closely. I just think that each team has, like, a special life to live in the tournament,” Henderson said. “You’re lucky and fortunate if you get a chance — I’ve seen it on the other side as a coach and watched teams forever, but this is — it’s amazing and hard to put into words what it feels like on this end.”

–By Jeff Reynolds, Field Level Media