DENVER (AP) — Egor Demin and Richie Saunders led BYU to an 80-71 victory over VCU in the NCAA Tournament on Thursday, giving first-year Cougars coach Kevin Young a better memory of Ball Arena than his last one.
The former Suns assistant watched the Denver Nuggets bounce Phoenix from the playoffs at this arena in 2023, leading Young to say this week that he still has nightmares of Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray.
“I do have the comfort of the familiarity of being in the building. Even though they hurt us oftentimes, I still had a couple big wins in here,” Young said. “Just the familiarity for me was actually something that was kind of calming and soothing.”
It was Saunders (16 points) and Demin (15) who haunted VCU and propelled the sixth-seeded Cougars (25-9) into a Saturday showdown against third-seeded Wisconsin, which handled Montana 85-66 earlier in the day in the East Region.
Fousseyni Traore added 13 points for the Cougars, who were also a No. 6 seed in last year’s tournament when they were upset by 11th-seeded Duquesne 71-67.
“We’re not ready to be done yet," Saunders said. “It means so much that we were able to win, get to this point that we haven’t done before.”
After last year’s upset, Mark Pope departed for Kentucky and Young replaced him, luring Saunders and Dallin Hall back to Provo after both players entered the transfer portal. Young and his staff also brought in Demin and high-impact transfers Keba Keita (Utah) and Mawot Mag (Rutgers).
As Demin, a potential NBA lottery pick, was talking about the win courtside, BYU fans serenaded him with chants of “One more year!”
Zeb Jackson scored a season-high 23 points for the Rams (28-7), who reached the NCAA Tournament for the third time in five years but still haven't had any March Madness success since 2016.
Max Shulga, Joe Bamisile and Jack Clark all added 12 points for the Rams, who boasted their best record in 13 years and were coming off winning the Atlantic 10 regular season and tournament titles.
A win over Wisconsin would give the Cougars their first Sweet 16 appearance since 2011. The catalyst of that team was sharpshooting Jimmer Fredette, who was seated behind BYU’s bench alongside Danny Ainge.
“Those guys are awesome," Young said. “They love BYU. That’s one thing I think that is super unique about BYU. There’s so much passion from our fans, the alumni. It’s something that I knew about just the fans, but I didn’t factor in just all the alumni. So many good athletes that have been through BYU. Danny is a great resource. I pick his brain often. Jimmer is a guy that reached out the second I got the job. To have that support from those types of guys is incredible.”
VCU coach Ryan Odom noted the foul disparity — BYU was 19 for 28 from the line and VCU just 4 of 6 — but he wasn't doing so to complain about any officiating imbalance but rather to highlight how well the Cougars dominated the paint.
“It’s hard to keep up when you’re in that situation,” Odom said. “Not saying anything about fouls/no fouls. It’s just they impose their will on the game and did a nice job.”
Odom declined to comment when asked if he’s had any conversations about the head coaching vacancies at Virginia and Villanova or whether he’d entertain overtures from those schools:
“I’m happy to answer any questions about the game or this team or anything. I’m not going to answer any questions about that, thank you,” he said.
Demin was officially credited with two assists but he has another just before halftime when Jackson's 3-point attempt bounced over the backboard and nestled up against the shot clock. Demin grabbed the ball boy's mop and poked the ball free.
AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here.
BYU forward Richie Saunders (15) drives to the basket past Virginia Commonwealth forwards Jack Clark, back left, and Luke Bamgboye, right, during the second half in the first round of the NCAA college basketball tournament Thursday, March 20, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Brigham Young forward Mawot Mag, left, struggles to control the ball as Virginia Commonwealth forward Luke Bamgboye (9) defends during the second half in the first round of the NCAA college basketball tournament Thursday, March 20, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
BYU forward Mawot Mag (0) collects the ball as Virginia Commonwealth guard Max Shulga (11) defends during the second half in the first round of the NCAA college basketball tournament Thursday, March 20, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Brigham Young center Keba Keita reacts after scoring a basket and drawing a foul against Virginia Commonwealth during the second half in the first round of the NCAA college basketball tournament Thursday, March 20, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
BANGKOK (AP) — A high-rise building under construction in Bangkok collapsed after a 7.7 magnitude earthquake rocked Thailand and neighboring Myanmar midday on Friday, police said, and possible casualties are not yet known.
A dramatic video circulated on social media showed the multi-story building with a crane on top collapsing into a cloud of dust, while onlookers screamed and ran.
Police told The Associated Press they were responding to the scene near Bangkok’s popular Chatuchak Market, and had no immediate information on how many workers were on the site at the time of the collapse.
The midday temblor was followed by a strong 6.4 magnitude aftershock, and people in Bangkok evacuated from their buildings were cautioned to stay outside in case there were more.
“All of a sudden the whole building began to move, immediately there was screaming and a lot of panic,” said Fraser Morton, a tourist from Scotland, who was in one of Bangkok's many malls shopping for camera equipment.
“I just started walking calmly at first but then the building started really moving, yeah, a lot of screaming, a lot of panic, people running the wrong way down the escalators, lots of banging and crashing inside the mall.”
Like thousands of others in downtown Bangkok, Morton sought refuge in Benjasiri Park — away from the tall buildings all around.
“I got outside and then looked up at the building and the whole building was moving, dust and debris, it was pretty intense,” he said. “Lots of chaos.”
The U.S. Geological Survey and Germany’s GFZ center for geosciences said the earthquake was a shallow 10 kilometers (6.2 miles), with an epicenter in Myanmar, according to preliminary reports.
In Mandalay, the country’s second-largest city and close to the epicenter, the earthquake damaged part of the former royal palace and buildings, according to videos and photos released on Facebook social media.
While the area is prone to earthquakes, it is generally sparsely populated, and most houses are low-rise structures.
In the Sagaing region just southwest of Mandalay, a 90-year-old bridge collapsed, and some sections of the highway connecting Mandalay and Myanmar’s largest city, Yangon, were also damaged.
Residents in Yangon rushed out of their homes when the quake struck. There were no immediate reports of injuries or deaths.
In the capital Naypyitaw, the quake damaged religious shrines, sending parts toppling to the ground, and some homes.
In Bangkok, alarms went off in buildings as the earthquake hit around 1:30 p.m., and startled residents were evacuated down staircases of high-rise condominiums and hotels.
The greater Bangkok area is home to more than 17 million people, many of whom live in high-rise apartments.
Water from high-rise rooftop pools sloshed over the side as they shook, and debris fell from many buildings as the long-lasting earthquake rattled the city.
“I have experienced earthquakes twice before in Myanmar, but that was only one second, one big bang, but here it went on for at least, I’d say, a minute,” said Zsuzsanna Vari-Kovacs, a Hungarian resident of Bangkok, who had just finished eating at a restaurant when the quake hit.
“My husband was in a high-rise, I think that’s even worse.”
Thailand’s Department of Disaster Prevention said the quake was felt in almost all regions of the country.
Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra called an emergency meeting to assess the impact of the quake.
Adam Schreck, Haruka Naga, Jerry Harmer and Penny Wong contributed to this report.
Rescuers carry an injured from the site of a high-rise building under construction that collapsed after a 7.7 magnitude earthquake in Bangkok, Thailand, Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)
Rescuers work at the site of a high-rise building under construction that collapsed after a 7.7 magnitude earthquake in Bangkok, Thailand, Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)
Damaged pagodas are seen after an earthquake, Friday, March 28, 2025 in Naypyitaw, Myanmar. (AP Photo/Aung Shine Oo)
Rescuers work at the site of a high-rise building under construction that collapsed after a 7.7 magnitude earthquake in Bangkok, Thailand, Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)
Rescuers carry an injured from the site of a high-rise building under construction that collapsed after a 7.7 magnitude earthquake in Bangkok, Thailand, Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)
People seek shelter in Bangkok's Benjasiri Park after an earthquake shook nearby high-rises on Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Adam Schreck)
Workers at the Ikea in a nearby high-rise shopping mall and others seek shelter in Bangkok's Benjasiri Park after an earthquake on Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Adam Schreck)
People who evacuated from buildings following earthquake in Bangkok, Thailand, Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Chutima Lalit)
Rescuers work at the site of a high-rise building under construction that collapsed after a 7.7 magnitude earthquake in Bangkok, Thailand, Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)
Children walk near a damaged monastery compound after an earthquake, Friday, March 28, 2025 in Naypyitaw, Myanmar. (AP Photo/Aung Shine Oo)
A damaged monastery is seen after an earthquake, Friday, March 28, 2025 in Naypyitaw, Myanmar. (AP Photo/Aung Shine Oo)
Damaged pagodas are seen after an earthquake, Friday, March 28, 2025 in Naypyitaw, Myanmar. (AP Photo/Aung Shine Oo)
A Buddhist monk walks near a damaged building at a monastery compound after an earthquake, Friday, March 28, 2025 in Naypyitaw, Myanmar. (AP Photo/Aung Shine Oo)
Damaged pagodas are seen after an earthquake, Friday, March 28, 2025 in Naypyitaw, Myanmar. (AP Photo/Aung Shine Oo)
Residents of a high-rise condo building wait outside after an earthquake in Bangkok, Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Christie Hampton)
People who evacuated from buildings following earthquake in Bangkok, Thailand, Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Chutima Lalit)
People who evacuated from buildings following earthquake in Bangkok, Thailand, Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Chutima Lalit)
People who evacuated from buildings following earthquake in Bangkok, Thailand, Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Chutima Lalit)
