No. 1 UConn and No. 3 Houston made the NCAA Match choice committee look sensible by eviscerating high quality foes on Saturday within the hours after touchdown as projected No. 1 seeds within the NCAA March Insanity Males’s Bracket Preview on CBS. However not each staff named within the committee’s mock bracket train fared as properly after incomes recognition as one of many prime 16 groups.
Simply ask No. 2 seed Marquette. (Though, uh, I might advise doing so at your individual peril. The Golden Eagles did not have an excellent time on the street vs. No. 1 UConn. In any respect. Perhaps give them some area.)
After all, not each staff within the prime 16 went on the street to face a top-five foe, so it wasn’t all doom and gloom after incomes flowers earlier within the day. The No. 1 seeds that performed (Houston, UConn, Arizona) all gained. So did all of the No. 3 seeds (Baylor, Iowa State, Alabama and Duke.) And each non-Marquette No. 2 seed (UNC, Tennessee and Kansas) additionally gained.
Past that issues went a bit sideways. With a number of the shakier groups who earned projected No. 4 seeds, two of them — Wisconsin and Auburn — suffered losses. So along with the carnage that comes with ranked groups stumbling there opened a path for extra motion with Choice Sunday one month out. Issues may change in that span, and if Saturday is any indication, issues doubtless will change. School hoops is nothing if not unpredictable.
So to run via all of the insanity we skilled from a full Saturday slate we have compiled a helpful checklist of winners and losers beneath to scroll via to assist catch you up on a busy slate.
Loser: Auburn misfires in loss to Kentucky
In a 70-59 house loss to No. 22 Kentucky, No. 13 Auburn shot 17-of-55 from the ground (30.9%), which marked its lowest house field-goal share in eight years. The Tigers had the identical quantity of assists (11) as turnovers and by no means led. Auburn may’ve moved into second place within the SEC standings behind No. 15 Alabama due to No 11 South Carolina’s loss earlier within the day, however could not convert. The letdown comes hours after the Tigers have been named the No. 13 total seed within the early bracket reveal. — Salerno
Winner: UConn wagon retains rolling
The one matchup of the day between top-five opponents wound up being one of many largest snoozers of the weekend. No. 1 UConn stuffed No. 4 Marquette in a locker and threw away the keys early in what amounted to a 40-minute celebration for Huskies followers. UConn gained 81-53, which marked the most important margin of victory ever in a top-five convention matchup because the starting of the AP Prime 25 ballot (which, by the way in which, celebrated its seventy fifth anniversary earlier this 12 months). Woof. It wasn’t even a foul loss for Marquette. It was simply an old style butt whooping from UConn. There is no such thing as a doubt about the place the perfect staff in faculty basketball resides: it’s in Storrs, Connecticut. — Kyle Boone
No. 11 South Carolina falling at house to a .500 LSU staff is itself a shocking end result.
No. 11 South Carolina blowing a 16-point second-half lead at house and shedding by one? Now that’s genuinely beautiful.
The Gamecocks’ mid-week loss to Auburn turns this loss into an official skid for the once-surging South Carolina staff. The 40-point loss at Auburn was a troublesome one to tackle the chin, however blowing a 16-point lead at house whereas permitting LSU to hit six consecutive area objectives to finish the sport could be much more demoralizing. This staff can nonetheless win the SEC, however two powerful losses within the span of 4 days would possibly imply it will have to take action with a wounded ego. — Boone
Winner: TCU’s Nelson hits game-winner
TCU guard Jameer Nelson Jr. spent almost the whole second half working within the shadows as Micah Peavy, Emmanuel Miller and Xavier Cork led the Horned Frogs again from a 49-41 deficit at Kansas State. However when the sport was on the road, Nelson delivered. The 6-foot-1 guard hoisted a contested 3-pointer over the outstretched arms of Ok-State’s Cam Carter. The hopeful heave hit nothing however web with 1.1 seconds remaining to carry TCU to a 75-72 victory. It was Nelson’s solely made basket of the second half, and it could not have come at a greater time. — David Cobb
Loser: Wake Forest nonetheless winless in Quad 1
Wake Forest entered the day at No. 37 within the NET, No. 28 in KenPom and No. 4 within the ACC standings. However regardless of its comparatively sturdy standing in varied measures of success, it was among the many “First 4 Out” of Jerry Palm’s NCAA Match Bracketology on account of its lack of a Quad 1 win. A recreation at Virginia introduced the proper alternative for the Demon Deacons to rectify that, but it surely wasn’t meant to be. Cam Hildreth missed a possible game-tying jumper on the buzzer to go away Wake Forest on the improper finish of a 49-47 ACC battle. Wake Forest is now 0-5 in Quad 1 alternatives, and the alternatives are working skinny. Video games in opposition to Duke, Virginia Tech and Clemson over the common season’s closing three weeks might be Quad 1 alternatives, and will probably be crucial that the Demon Deacons recover from the hump in a few them. — Cobb
Winner: Duke’s McCain units data in win over Florida State
Have your self a day, Mr. McCain. The Duke star freshman broke this system file for many 3-pointers made by a first-year participant with eight and tied Zion Williamson for probably the most factors scored by a freshman with 35. McCain linked on 8 of 11 makes an attempt from past the arc and helped Duke win its fourth straight recreation in a 76-67 win over Florida State. The Blue Devils nonetheless management their very own future to win the ACC regular-season title and McCain is a serious motive why. — Cameron Salerno
Loser: Bubbles get cloudier in Texas
Texas and Texas A&M every entered the day as No. 10 seeds within the projected NCAA Match area however have been nonetheless thought of “on the bubble” by CBS Sports activities Bracketology Knowledgeable Jerry Palm. Neither did something to assist their trigger. The Aggies fell 100-75 at No. 15 Alabama whereas the Longhorns misplaced 82-61 at Houston. It was probably the most lopsided lack of the season for the Aggies and tied for probably the most lopsided lack of the season by the Longhorns. Only a week in the past, it appeared just like the Aggies have been on the appropriate path with an 85-69 win over Tennessee. However after shedding at lowly Vanderbilt on Tuesday and getting torched by the Crimson Tide, they must sweat it out within the days main as much as Choice Sunday. Equally, Texas has now misplaced 4 of its final six to fall to 5-7 in Massive 12 play with street video games in opposition to No. 6 Kansas, Texas Tech and No. 12 Baylor nonetheless on the schedule. — Cobb
Loser: Indiana State goes 0-2 as a Prime 25 staff
No. 23 Indiana State has misplaced its final three video games as a ranked staff. The latest defeat got here on Saturday to Southern Illinois in a 74-69 loss on the street. The Sycamores fell earlier this week to Illinois State 80-67 as a 17.5-point favourite simply someday after getting into the Related Press Prime 25 ballot for the primary time since 1979 — the identical 12 months they misplaced to Magic Johnson and Michigan State within the nationwide title recreation. The Sycamores are actually approaching harmful territory due to the losses this week to unranked opponents. Indiana State will doubtless must win the Missouri Valley Convention Match with the intention to advance to the NCAA Match. — Salerno
Winner: Massive 12 frontrunners
The highest of the Massive 12 standings earlier than Saturday regarded the identical after Saturday’s festivities as No. 10 Iowa State and No. 3 Houston held serve at house vs. Texas Tech and Texas, respectively, to enhance to 9-3 in convention play. The wins stored the 2 Massive 12 frontrunners tied atop the standings even with the chasing Kansas Jayhawks and Baylor Bears sneaking out street wins, and so they assured us one heckuva matchup Monday with the Cyclones touring to Houston to tackle the Cougars. — Boone
Winner: Kansas takes care of enterprise on the street
No. 6 Kansas has developed a status of being top-of-the-line house groups and one of many worst street groups this season — it was 1-5 away from Allen Fieldhouse in its final six video games getting into Saturday — however the Jayhawks took care of enterprise with a large street win over No. 25 Oklahoma to remain within the Massive 12 hunt. KU remains to be on the chase wanting up at Iowa State and Houston, but it surely lives to maintain its hunt alive with an important street win at a time it desperately wanted one. With ailing star Kevin McCullar Jr. reentering the lineup, the Massive 12 race may get juicy within the stretch run of the common season. — Boone
Loser: Wisconsin’s struggles proceed
No. 20 Wisconsin acquired the good thing about the doubt from the NCAA Match choice committee and landed as a No. 4 seed within the Bracket Preview. However the constructive vibes did not carry over to the court docket because the Badgers dropped their fifth recreation of their final six tries, falling 88-86 at Iowa in additional time. The Badgers led by 13 within the first half and held a three-point lead in additional time. However Tony Perkins slipped in a dagger with this late bucket that lifted the Hawkeyes to victory. — Cobb
Winner: North Carolina’s Bacot is on a tear
Armando Bacot posted his fifth consecutive double-double as No. 7 North Carolina cruised to a 96-81 win over Virginia Tech. Bacot completed with 25 factors and 12 rebounds on 11 of 16 capturing in the newest instance of how the fifth-year star is elevating his recreation because the season’s stretch run arrives. The Tar Heels have been treading water for just a few weeks, however Bacot’s current tear presents a hulking motive for optimism that UNC can win the ACC title in any case. — Cobb
Among the many first groups unnoticed within the bracket reveal have been No. 16 Dayton and No. 17 Creighton; each landed simply exterior the choice committee’s breakdown of the highest 16 groups. Following the snubs, each went out and made their circumstances with wins. The Bluejays turned a 35-34 halftime deficit right into a 79-57 win at Butler behind 57.1% capturing within the second half because of Baylor Scheierman and Ryan Kalkbrenner. The duo mixed for 48 factors, together with 28 within the second half, as Creighton gained its third straight. Dayton wasn’t fairly as spectacular in a 78-70 win over Fordham, however star ahead DaRon Holmes II was spectacular. The All-American candidate scored 29 factors on 10 of 13 capturing and pulled down 10 rebounds. — Cobb
Detroit Mercy took care of enterprise at house this week and scooted previous IUPUI to get its first win of the season, leaving Mississippi Valley State as the one winless staff within the sport getting into the weekend. That didn’t change Saturday. With its probability to equal the Titans within the win column, MVSU failed in spectacular trend with an 80-57 street street loss to Alabama A&M to maneuver to 0-25 on the season. The Delta Devils will doubtless be underdogs in every of their remaining six regular-season video games. — Boone
Loser: BYU takes dangerous street loss
It is laborious to win within the Massive 12 and even more durable to take action on the street, however No. 19 BYU’s 93-83 loss at Oklahoma State would possibly take the cake as probably the most confounding of the day that was. The Cougars have been favored by 7.5 factors and wound up shedding by 10 to an OSU staff that, even with the win, ranks exterior the top-100 at KenPom and sits on the backside of the Massive 12 standings. Yuck, Cougars. Yuck. — Boone
Loser: Indiana State goes 0-2 as Prime 25 staff
Indiana State has misplaced its final three video games as a ranked staff. The latest defeat got here on Saturday to Southern Illinois in a 74-69 loss on the street. The Sycamores fell earlier this week to Illinois State 80-67 as a 17.5-point favourite simply someday after getting into the Related Press Prime 25 ballot for the primary time since 1979 — the identical 12 months they misplaced to Magic Johnson and Michigan State within the nationwide title recreation. The Sycamores are actually approaching harmful territory due to the losses this week to unranked opponents. Indiana State will doubtless must win the Missouri Valley Convention outright with the intention to safe a bid to the NCAA Match. — Salerno
Loser: Auburn has brickfest in loss to Kentucky
Within the 70-59 loss to Kentucky, Auburn shot 17-of-55 from the ground (30.9%), which marked its lowest house field-goal share in eight years. The Tigers had the identical quantity of assists (11) as turnovers and by no means led. Auburn may’ve moved into second place within the SEC standings behind Alabama due to South Carolina’s loss earlier within the day, however could not convert. The letdown comes hours after the Tigers have been named the No. 13 total seed within the early bracket reveal. — Salerno
