ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Teams chasing a college basketball title are contending with an unexpected wrinkle that’s making last-minute travel plans difficult — a fierce storm bearing down on the Northeast that’s expected to dump up to two feet of snow in some places and create blizzard-like conditions.
Villanova the top overall seeds in the men’s NCAA Tournament plays Thursday night in Buffalo. It left Philadelphia on Monday to get ahead of a storm that’s projected to last three days. The defending champion Wildcats had an abbreviated press availability with coach Jay Wright, but no player interviews were granted as the team rushed to its flight.
U.S. airlines had already begun canceling flights. Tracking service FlightAware.com said that more than 1,100 flights on Monday and more than 2,800 on Tuesday had been canceled.
UConn, the top team in women’s basketball, is expected to host first- and second-round tournament games this weekend in Connecticut.
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