SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Cincinnati has made a name for itself with a stifling defense, turning every opponent’s possession into a grind. A little known fact outside of the American Athletic Conference: The Bearcats can play some offense, too.

Jen Hansel was on her way to Amsterdam from her home in Denver when she found herself stuck in the Salt Lake City airport for a seven-hour layover. So she made a quick detour to the Vivint Smart Home Arena.

Northwestern’s offense revolves around guard Bryant McIntosh (14.7 points per game) and wings Scottie Lindsey (14.2) and Vic Law (12.1). Law is listed as a 6-foot-7 forward but he’s the Wildcats’ best spot-up 3-point shooter. McIntosh made 41 3s but with just 31-percent accuracy.

Grayson Allen had 21 points off five 3-pointers, Jayson Tatum had 18 points and 12 rebounds, and second-seeded Duke continued its perfect postseason with an 87-65 victory over Troy in the NCAA Tournament on Friday night to start the East Region.

Frank Mason III scored 22 points and had eight assists as top-seeded Kansas won its opening game of the NCAA Tournament for an 11th straight year with a 100-62 victory over UC Davis on Friday night.

The text showed up on Przemek Karnowski’s phone on Thursday. “Hey, I don’t know who to root for?” The author: Dr. John Shuster, the orthopaedic spine surgeon who performed Karnowski’s disc surgery on Dec. 31, 2016. The rub: Shuster earned his Bachelor of Science in Engineering from Northwestern in 1987.

The top-seeded Zags (33-1) are essentially considering it as a road game Saturday when they face No. 8 Northwestern (24-11) with a trip to the NCAA Sweet 16 on the line.

In a Northwestern locker room aswirl in joy and delirium on Thursday night, a reporter approached Wildcat sub Gavin Skelly at his locker. Skelly flashed a big grin and patted the empty seat next to him. “Pull up a chair,” he said.

When asked to compare Gonzaga’s Przemek Karnowki and a player of similarly sizable stature from the Big Ten, Northwestern forward Derek Pardon described Karnowski as “heavyset.”