The last Saturday before conference tournaments get going was just like so many that came before it this season: full of important and unpredictable results. But there was also something different: history.
Kansas did what at times this season seemed unthinkable, as they clinched at least a share of their 14th straight Big 12 regular season title. That is the longest streak of conference titles in NCAA history. That game, more than any other, was going to define today, at least until news broke about Arizona and head coach Sean Miller late Friday night. An even better note: if Kansas beats Oklahoma State next Saturday in their regular season finale, the Jayhawks will complete another season under Bill Self where they have not been swept by a Big 12 opponent.
A number of conferences ended their regular season on Saturday, and some results stood out for those implications.
For the last time this season, here are notes from some of the day’s games.
Kansas 74, Texas Tech 72: Devonte’ Graham was incredible in this game, hitting big shot after big shot and being the picture of the Jayhawks’ winning DNA. Mentioning that he scored 26 points seems to greatly understate what he did. He probably won Big 12 Player of the Year with his play in this one.
TCU 82, Baylor 72: Give the Horned Frogs credit for continuing to compete despite a number of tough losses that could have added up in a bad way. They’re 8-8 in Big 12 play now, and this win came over a Baylor team that had caught fire.
Oklahoma 86, Kansas State 77: The Sooners can finally put their 0-for-February in the rearview mirror in a game where Trae Young looked more like the Trae Young of the first couple of months of the season and his support cast looked more like they did at that time as well.
Texas 65, Oklahoma State 64: Texas needed this one badly, but there is still work to be done. For now, they live to see another day at least.
Virginia 66, Pittsburgh 37: Unlike in the Big 12 or SEC, there is a wide gulf between the top and bottom teams in the ACC, as evidenced here. The Cavaliers’ defense is so good, and the Panthers are so inexperienced, Pittsburgh scored just seven points in the first half on 1-22 shooting.
Duke 60, Syracuse 44: Marvin Bagley III returns, and Duke continues to win, this time in very convincing fashion over the fading Orange.
Clemson 75, Georgia Tech 67: The Tigers needed to stop the bleeding, and did just that at a good time. They still have two more games to get squared away for the ACC Tournament and then the NCAA.
Louisville 75, Virginia Tech 68: A solid road win for Louisville, who had lost two straight and five out of seven and thus needed to stop the bleeding.
Miami 79, Boston College 78: The Hurricanes needed this to keep their at-large hopes alive, and it was Lonnie Walker IV to the rescue in the final seconds.
Florida 72, Auburn 66: At this point, it’s okay to wonder which Florida team will show up on a given night. The Gators can either be very good, like in this one, or ordinary, as they have looked a few times too many this season.
Kentucky 88, Missouri 66: Yes, it was at Rupp Arena, and it won’t go down as a bad loss for the Tigers, but a blowout is still surprising.
Georgia 93, LSU 82: The Bulldogs still have life as far as the NCAA Tournament goes, as this is a better win than you think even though it came in Athens. They might be playing their best basketball at the right time.
Texas A&M 89, Vanderbilt 81: The Aggies needed this at least to avoid a bad loss at the very least, although Vanderbilt’s RPI has been on the rise of late.
Arkansas 76, Alabama 73: A nice road win for the Razorbacks, who have suddenly won five out of six, against the struggling Crimson Tide, which has now lost three straight.
Mississippi State 72, South Carolina 68 (OT): The Bulldogs get another good win, while the Gamecocks’ flagging at-large candidacy takes another hit.
Oregon 98, Arizona 93 (OT): We can talk about Sean Miller not being on the bench, or Deandre Ayton and/or the Wildcats being distracted. The reality is that Ayton played a terrific game (a double-double in the first half en route to 28 points, 18 rebounds and four blocks), the Wildcats had a lead, then in overtime had a chance that got derailed in part from a dumb technical foul by Rawle Alkins. Clinching at least a share of the Pac-12 regular season title will have to wait.
USC 74, Utah 58: The Trojans keep their at-large candidacy alive, while basically eliminating Utah as any remote hope the Utes had probably hinged on not losing at home like this.
Oregon State 79, Arizona State 75: It wasn’t a good trip to Oregon for the Sun Devils, who have lost three straight after winning three in a row and now must win out just to finish .500 in Pac-12 play.
Gonzaga 79, BYU 65: Ho hum. Another regular season title for Gonzaga, this time an outright one as they finish a game ahead of Saint Mary’s.
Creighton 89, Villanova 83 (OT): A big win for the Bluejays as they took over in the extra session, and the Wildcats now need help to win another Big East regular season title.
Providence 74, Georgetown 69: A good bounce-back win for the Friars on the road, and it’s the eighth straight time they have knocked off Georgetown.
Wichita State 84, SMU 78: The Shockers still have a chance to win the American Athletic Conference regular season title, as they still have to play Cincinnati at home.
Michigan 85, Maryland 61: The Terrapins’ NCAA at-large hopes were very slim coming in, but it’s safe to say at this point that they’ll need to at least do serious damage in the Big Ten Tournament. More than likely, they need to win it and snag the automatic bid.
St. Bonaventure 68, VCU 63: An impressive road win even though VCU is down this year, it keeps the Bonnies’ winning streak going at ten in a row and keeps some slim hope of an NCAA at-large bid alive.
Northeastern 81, Elon 59: With William & Mary beating College of Charleston in overtime, the Huskies join the Cougars as co-champions in the CAA, though the Cougars will be the top seed in next week’s tournament.
Western Kentucky 88, Old Dominion 66: This was never much of a ballgame as the Hilltoppers ran out to a 16-point halftime lead en route to a surprise romp that gives them sole possession of second place behind Middle Tennessee in Conference USA.
Evansville 75, Southern Illinois 44: The Salukis were chasing Loyola for the top spot in the Missouri Valley, so this blowout was quite a surprise.
Penn 74, Harvard 71: Penn takes over sole possession of first place in the Ivy League with a week to go. It puts them in the driver’s seat to get the automatic NIT bid and, more importantly, the top seed in the league tournament.
Belmont 84, Tennessee State 59: An impressive finish to the regular season, but not quite enough for the top spot in the Ohio Valley, because…
Murray State 73, Austin Peay 64: It became a waiting game of sorts, as this game was delayed for more than three hours due to a leaky roof from a storm in the area. The Racers rallied from a 14-point halftime deficit by making 15 of their first 18 shots in the latter frame, and claim the conference title outright.
Bethune-Cookman 121, Savannah State 92: A first-place showdown in the MEAC goes a bit differently than one might have hoped. The Wildcats scored at least 60 point in both halves of this one.
Montana 90, Montana State 63: The Grizzlies clinch at least a share of the Big Sky regular season title by blowing out their arch rivals. Not a bad night at the office.
Idaho 68, Weber State 62: The Vandals helped Montana, as they moved into a second-place tie with the Wildcats with this road win.
Mount St. Mary’s 73, Wagner 62: While the Seahawks are still regular season champions, it’s a solid win for the Mountaineers in what could be a Northeast Conference championship game preview.
Arkansas-Pine Bluff 75, Grambling 66: This road win makes the SWAC a little more interesting with a week to go, as the Golden Lions come within a half game (one in the loss column) of the conference-leading Tigers.
