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NCAA South Regional preview: Nevada vs. Loyola (Ill.); Kentucky vs. Kansas State

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A look at how the teams match up in the NCAA tournament’s South Regional semifinals in Atlanta:

No. 7 Nevada (29-7) vs. No. 11 Loyola (Ill.) (30-5)

Time: 4 p.m. PDT. TV: Channel 2

Update: Nevada rallied from a 14-point second-half deficit to beat Texas 87-83 in overtime in the first round, then overcame a 22-point deficit in the final 11 minutes to stun No. 2 Cincinnati 75-73 in the second round. And yet the Wolf Pack’s story takes a backseat to that of Loyola Chicago’s.

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The Ramblers beat Miami 64-62 on Donte Ingram’s three-point shot just before the buzzer sounded in the first round, then eliminated Tennessee in the second round 63-62 on Clayton Custer’s basket that bounced off the rim and in with 3.6 seconds left. All the while 98-year-old Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt, the team’s chaplain, has become, in her words, an “international” sensation.

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No. 5 Kentucky (26-10) vs. No. 9 Kansas State (24-11)

Time: 6:30 p.m PDT. TV: Channel 2

Update: With the top four seeds in the South eliminated, Kentucky is considered the heavy favorite to reach the Final Four. But coach John Calipari is wary.

“My challenge is making sure these kids don’t drink that poison, that poison being that we have an easy road. There are no easy roads in this tournament. If they drink that poison, we’ll be done Thursday.”

Kentucky again has five freshmen starters, led by Kevin Knox (15.7 points a game) and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (14.4 points, 5.1 assists).

Kansas State coach Bruce Weber is in the Sweet 16 with his third school, having guided Southern Illinois to a regional semifinal in 2002 and Illinois to the national title game in 2005.

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