NCAAs Round 1: ‘Teddy Buckets’ shows what’s old is new again

By JIM LITKE
AP Sports Columnist

If the players in this year’s tournament somehow look older, it’s not your eyesight. It’s the new normal. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic that wreaked havoc on college basketball the past three seasons, the NCAA relaxed eligibility and transfer rules and voila! — juniors and seniors are everywhere and playing key roles across the map. And no one played a bigger role than Teddy ‘Buckets’ Allen, who scored 37 points, including the final 15, to lead 12th-seeded New Mexico State — the fifth program Allen has suited up for — to a 70-63 upset of No. 5 Connecticut.