No need to watch the Selection Show since these picks are obviously all going to come true, lol. I would like to take this moment to thank everyone who read my bracketology and listened to my radio spots. This was tons of fun and I'm looking forward to doing it all again next year.
Biggest Win: Providence Over Creighton
AJ Mast/AP
Providence came into this game squarely on the bubble, but came out wearing their dancing shoes by winning the Big East Tournament final against Creighton 65-58. Providence held Creighton to just 17 points in the first half and had a big 23 point, five rebound performance from Bryce Cotton. Providence will likely by a 10 or 11 seed while Creighton is looking solid at the four-line.
Best Game: Iowa State Beats Baylor
Baylor had a masterful run to make the Big XII Tournament final, but could not finish the job against a tough Iowa State team. Iowa State started the game 0 for their first 13 shots from the floor, but hit 24 of their final 35 shots. Iowa State had balanced scoring with five players in double-figures despite the game being a 74-65 affair. Iowa State will rise to the three line while Baylor did enough in the conference tournament to get above the 8-9 matchup.
Bubble Burst: NC State Falls to Duke
NC State gave their at-large tournament bid hopes new life with a win over Syracuse on Friday, but could not get a win over Duke that would have gotten the dance. After a solid first half, NC State could not keep up with Duke. T.J. Warren was the only player that came to play for N.C State with his 21 points and eight rebounds as no other starter had more than six points or four rebounds. NC State will likely be NIT-bound while Duke could still be alive for a one-seed.
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Biggest Win: NC State Over Syracuse
Phil Ellsworth/ESPN Images
NC State avenged a one-point loss they suffered to the Syracuse Orange a few weeks ago with a 66-63 win. The NC State Wolfpack overcame some bad late-game decision thanks to ACC Player of the Year T.J. Warren scoring 28 points. Syracuse dropped their fifth game in their last seven games due to their sub-33 percent shooting performance which was highlighted by senior C.J. Fair going just three of 16 from the floor. Syracuse could have possibly could have gotten a one-seed if they would have won the ACC Tournament, but look poised for the three-line instead.
Best Game: Arkansas State Beast Arkansas Little-Rock in FOUR Overtimes
This game gave the six overtime Syracuse vs Connecticut game a run for it's money with Arkansas State winning this marathon match over Arkansas Little-Rock 116-114. 6 different players fouled out of this game while nine players attempted at least 10 shots each. Both teams shot well at the free-throw line going a combined 67 of 87.
Bubble Burst: Michigan Survives Illinois
This game was Illinois' season in a microcosm. Illinois was down 13 points in the second half and looked to be done-for, but managed to mount a big comeback. Illinois was down 64-63 in the final seconds and had a five-foot unguarded shot to win the game and possibly send them dancing, but missed it to end their run at an NCAA Tournament bid. Illinois won five of seven to end the year after being in last place in the Big Ten, but was too little too late. Michigan kept their hopes of a one-seed alive after starting the season 6-4.
Best Finish: St. Bonaventure Upsets St. Louis
St. Bonaventure has a chance to steal a bid thanks to their 71-68 win at the buzzer. Jordan Gathers, the nephew of Hank Gathers, mustered all his courage made the game winning three. St. Louis is going to the big dance losing four of their last five games.
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Updated 3/14 Prior to 11:00 AM games
Team Going Cold: Iowa
Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette
The Iowa Hawkeyes are officially on the bubble. They close the season losing six of their last seven games including a 67-62 loss to Northwestern. While Iowa should make the NCAA Tournament field, the committee looks heavily at recent games and Iowa has been inconsistent with their 11-12 man rotation. It feels like a decade ago that Iowa was a top-10 team.
Best Game: Kansas Beats Oklahoma State in Overtime
For the third time this season, these two schools played a game that went down to the wire. Kansas managed a 77-70 win while blowing a nine-point halftime lead. Kansas played without Joel Embiid once again and likely will be until the second or third week of the NCAA Tournament if they make it that far. Senior transfer from Memphis Tarik Black filled in well on this occasion though, scoring seven points to go with 12 rebounds. But Andrew Wiggins was the real key for Kansas, scoring 30 points, pulling down eight rebounds, and nabbing three steals while playing all 45 minutes in this game. Oklahoma has done enough to get the tournament seeding back in the eight-nine range while Kansas is showing the committee they can thrive without Embiid.
Biggest Upset: Seton Hall Stuns Villanova
In a game Nostradamus could not have predicted, Seton Hall stunned Villanova 64-63. Seton Hall entered the game 16-16 while Villanova was a projected number-one-seed at 28-3. Seton Hall beat Villanova from the three-points line making eight three's to Villanova's four despite both teams taking the same amount of shots from downtown. Sterling Gibbs hit the game winning step-back shot to stun Villanova to essentially knock them out of a possible one-seed. Don't sleep on Seton Hall, they played well down the stretch and are two wins away from an automatic NCAA Tournament bid.
Bubble Burst: Arkansas Falls to South Carolina
Arkansas will likely be heading to the NIT after falling to South Carolina 71-69. Arkansas looked like they were going to make the NCAA Tournament a few weeks ago after defeating Kentucky for a second time, but losses to Alabama and South Carolina should send them packing.
Elimination Game: Providence Survives St. John's
It looked like Providence was going to coast to a win over St. John's after taking a 17 point lead in the middle of the second half, but held onto dear life for a 79-74 win. Bryce Cotton was in foul trouble for much of the game, but Providence 16 points and 11 rebounds from LaDontae Henton, who played all 40 minutes, and 24 huge points from Josh Fortune. Providence should be dancing if they can hold-off Seton Hall on Friday, but just ask Villanova how easy that is.
Game the Should Have Never Happened: Louisville Clobbers Rutgers by 61
There's nothing to say about this, Rutgers is a skid-mark on the underpants of college basketball. Have fun in the Big Ten next season!
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Beast Game: Colorado Survives USC
Kyle Terada/USA TODAY Sports
The Colorado Buffaloes avoided a bad loss that could have put the NCAA Tournament hopes in-danger with a 59-56 win. Askia Booker willed the Buffaloes to victory with 21 much needed points wit the team getting just two points off the bench and Josh Scott having an off-game. A loss against USC would have been Colorado's fourth in the last five games and would have hurt their resume with Spencer Dinwiddie out for the season.
Lights Out: Georgia Tech vs Boston College
This game was so bad not even God wanted this game to be view. The lights went out for 10 or so minutes to delay while two sub-.500 played a sad contest. The eye-soar unfortunately went to overtime before Georgia Tech won the game 73-70. Georgia Tech is starting to approach the top-125 in the RPI. (woo hoo?)
Toughest Loss: Boston U Falls to American
the Boston University Terriers could not throw a grape in the ocean against American, losing 55-36. Boston shooting 31-percent to American's 56-percent. Boston came into this game shooting around 36.5-percetn from three, but went just 1 of 17 in this game. There is no way any team can win when shooting this bad and that leads to American representing the Patriot League in the NCAA Tournament.
Bubble Burst: Georgetown Loses to DePaul
It looked like Georgetown was going to face Creighton for their NCAA Tournament life on Thursday, but they forgot about DePaul en rote to that match. While D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera and Markel Starks did their job scoring a combined 38 points, but the rest of the team had just 18 in the 60-56 loss. Georgetown falls to 17-14 on the season and essentially eliminates them from the NCAA Tournament despite five wins against the RPI top 50. Have fun at the NIT!
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