Championship Saturday in school basketball delivered the products with 11 convention tournaments winding to a detailed because the countdown till Choice Sunday got here to a dramatic finish. Automated bids flew off the cabinets across the nation, and the general Bracketology image continued to evolve.
Two of the day’s largest losers had been Houston and UConn. Each squandered golden alternatives to stake their declare for the ultimate No. 1 seed within the NCAA Event by shedding of their respective convention match title video games. The Cougars fell 79-74 to Arizona within the Large 12 championship, whereas UConn was not aggressive in a 72-52 loss to St. John’s within the Large East title recreation.
In consequence, Florida will head into Choice Sunday projected to be the fourth No. 1 seed in CBS Sports activities Bracketology. The Gators entered the day with the nation’s second-longest profitable streak at 12 video games, however turned in maybe their worst effort of the season in a 91-74 loss to Vanderbilt. The Commodores will probably be in search of their first SEC Event title since 2012 on Sunday in opposition to Arkansas, whereas the Gators will probably be left to attend and see in the event that they did sufficient to land on the highest line of the bracket when the sphere of 68 is revealed.
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Whereas a couple of extra convention match title video games nonetheless await on Sunday, 99% of the precincts are reporting by way of the information that may underpin the choice committee’s selections. Here’s a glimpse at a few of the prime winners and losers from a consequential Saturday.
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Winner: Duke maintains edge for No. 1 general seed
Duke edged Virginia 74-70 in an exhilarating ACC Event title recreation. The win may very well be sufficient to earn the Blue Devils the No. 1 general seed within the NCAA Event, because the Blue Devils will retain the highest spot in CBS Sports activities Bracketology getting into Choice Sunday. Arizona and Michigan are persevering with to offer a powerful push in opposition to the Blue Devils for that distinction, however Duke by no means flinched within the ACC Event — even whereas enjoying with out a pair of starters.
Whereas the committee may select to dock Duke for a possible season-ending harm to beginning guard Caleb Foster, the emergence of Cayden Boozer helped soften the blow of Foster’s absence for the Blue Devils within the ACC Event. Boozer scored 16 factors in opposition to Virginia, and Isaiah Evans scored 20 because the duo helped atone for an uncharacteristically inefficient efficiency from Naismith Award frontrunner Cameron Boozer. – David Cobb
Winner: Atlantic 10’s best-case state of affairs may very well be actuality
The Atlantic 10 may very well be a three-bid league, which might be a best-case final result for the convention and a nightmare state of affairs for non-A10 bubble groups. The imaginative and prescient got here one step nearer to actuality on Saturday when Saint Louis misplaced to Dayton within the semifinals and VCU beat Saint Joseph’s.&. Had the Billikens received the A10 Event and had VCU misplaced to St. Joe’s, the A10 would have been a one-bid league. But when Dayton beats VCU within the title recreation on Sunday, the Rams will nonetheless have an honest at-large case together with Saint Louis. In that state of affairs, the Flyers could be a bid thief.
In the event you do not need to see struggling high-major applications get at-large bids, you have to be rooting for Dayton. There isn’t any assure VCU will get in with a loss. But when that is the best way it goes, the A10 will probably be a three-bid league for the primary time since 2018. – Cobb
Loser: Mountain West’s worst-case state of affairs may very well be a actuality
It is an reverse vibe on the other coast. San Diego State has underperformed by each metric this season, and it’ll not have a snug Choice Sunday after a 73-62 loss to Utah State within the Mountain West Event championship recreation. San Diego State had 14 pricey giveaways within the loss.
The Aztecs are proper on the minimize line in each metric. San Diego State sits simply contained in the top-50 in Wins Above Bubble. It is simply inside the highest 50 in predictive metrics like Bart Torvik. It’s the first staff out in CBS Sports activities’ newest bracketology replace. There’s a actual likelihood that Utah State is the one Mountain West participant within the NCAA Event. That hasn’t occurred for the league since 2017. – Isaac Trotter
Winner: Bubble groups who flopped
Texas moist the mattress in its SEC Event opener. SMU flunked its massive ACC Event take a look at in opposition to Louisville. Missouri could not recover from the hump in its SEC Event opener.
However all three of these groups are respiratory a smidge simpler tonight after Utah State did not gift-wrap a bid to a bid-stealer within the Mountain West and the Ole Miss miracle run within the SEC Event was minimize quick by Arkansas. That may very well be the distinction between Sunday or a horrible one. – Trotter
Winner: St. John’s exhibits simply how a lot progress it is made
St. John’s was embarrassed by UConn in a 32-point beatdown on Feb. 25. Simply 17 days later, the Johnnies flipped the script by pancaking UConn, 72-52.
It was an unequivocal splattering, and it got here with the Large East Event title on the road.
St. John’s is anticipated to remain on the No. 5 line, nevertheless it does present the progress that this group has made. Bryce Hopkins is enjoying his greatest basketball on the largest second. He delivered 18 factors, 5 rebounds and two dimes. Dillon Mitchell was the second-most disruptive participant on the ground, totaling 9 factors, 9 boards, three dimes, two steals and a block. Oh, and Zuby Ejiofor did Zuby Ejiofor issues with 18 factors, 9 rebounds, seven blocks, three steals and two assists.
St. John’s was the extra related staff. St. John’s was the extra athletic staff. And the controversy is over: St. John’s is the Large East’s greatest staff, even when it will not get a greater seed than Dan Hurley’s Huskies on Choice Sunday. – Trotter
Loser: Florida misses out on SEC Event title repeat
One of many largest storylines getting into the weekend was who could be the ultimate No. 1 seed in a race that included Florida, Duke, Michigan and Arizona. The latter three are properly on their option to being on the highest line on Choice Sunday. However there’s debate about who the ultimate No. 1 seed will probably be. Florida was within the driver’s seat to be that staff earlier than struggling a loss in opposition to Vanderbilt within the SEC semifinals. The Gators nonetheless have a case for being the ultimate No. 1 seed, however it is going to be an uphill battle. – Cameron Salerno
Winner: Arkansas stops Ole Miss from being a bid thief
Followers of groups on the bubble breathed a sigh of aid when the buzzer sounded within the SEC Event semifinal conflict between Ole Miss and Arkansas. Ole Miss, the SEC’s No. 15 seed, was on a exceptional run after profitable three video games in three days to achieve the semifinals. After all, the Rebels haven’t any at-large case, so the one approach Chris Beard’s staff may get in was by profitable the convention title.
That did not occur. The Rebels pushed the Razorbacks into extra time behind a scoring surge from AJ Storr, however Arkansas escaped with a 93-90 win. Had the Rebels gone all the best way, it will’ve gone down as one of many best and impossible convention runs in latest reminiscence. Alas, bubble groups have one much less staff to fret about. – Salerno
Winner: Fran McCaffery is one win away
Former Iowa coach Fran McCaffery did not keep out of the sport for lengthy after his 15-year run with the Hawkeyes ended after final season. He instantly landed the job at Penn, his alma mater, and he is received the Quakers one win away from going to the Large Dance for the primary time since 2018. Penn outlasted Harvard 62-60 in an extra time thriller throughout the Ivy League semifinals on Saturday. The Quakers must slay a powerful Yale staff on Sunday, however an computerized bid to the Large Dance is inside attain. – Cobb
Winner: The Yax Assault delivers his signature second
Yaxel Lendeborg has mentioned repeatedly that coming to Michigan has led to “one of the best 12 months of his life.” He punctuated a particular season with a game-winning triple with 0.3 seconds left to push Michigan previous rough-and-tumble Wisconsin and into the Large Ten Event championship recreation. – Trotter
Winner: UCLA will get promising harm information
UCLA star ahead Tyler Bilodeau (knee) and guard Donovan Dent (calf) will probably be good to go for subsequent week’s NCAA Event, regardless that they had been sidelined in UCLA’s tight loss to Purdue within the Large Ten Event semifinals. Bilodeau and Dent had been each held out for precautionary causes and instructed reporters that they anticipate to play subsequent week. It is a promising improvement for a Bruins squad that has reworked right into a top-five offense since January 1. – Trotter
Loser: A enjoyable Tulsa season crashes to a halt
Among the finest seasons in Tulsa historical past will finish with out an NCAA Event look. The Golden Hurricanes fell to Wichita State, 81-68, within the American semifinals. A primary-half shoulder harm to star ahead David Inexperienced and foul hassle for fellow massive man Tyler Behrend proved an excessive amount of to beat. – Trotter
Loser: UConn squanders its likelihood to earn No. 1 seed
UConn entered Saturday night in a chief place to safe a No. 1 seed after Florida misplaced to Vanderbilt and Houston misplaced to Arizona. The Huskies did not reap the benefits of the chance, and it may cost a little them on Choice Sunday. In our newest Bracketology projections at CBS Sports activities, UConn will fall to a No. 2 seed. Actually, UConn could be behind Houston for the highest No. 2 seed so far as official seeding goes. – Salerno
Winner: Scary South Florida appears mighty spectacular
Joseph Pinion and Wes Enis drained a mixed 10 triples and completed with 24 apiece to steer South Florida into the AAC Event championship recreation with an 86-64 romp over Charlotte. Stud massive man Izaiyah Nelson added 16 factors and eight rebounds.
There is a ton of noise round coach Bryan Hodgson’s future. Each Windfall a and Syracuse are actually prepping to make main affords, however Hodgson has a staff that may do main injury in March. The red-hot, dynamic Bulls have now received 10 in a row and have not misplaced since January. They’re 40 minutes away from punching their ticket, however Wichita State’s flamethrower Kenyon Giles will not go down with out unloading the clip. – Trotter
Winner: Two-bid MAC? Two-bid MAC!
Akron erased a 12-point gap and Shammah Scott delivered the game-winning 3-pointer with six seconds left to ship the Zips previous Toledo, 79-76, and into the NCAA Event.
Akron is in. Miami College appears poised to be in. Meaning we’re on the verge of a two-bid MAC for the primary time since 1999.
Scott’s game-winner was one thing you simply must see. Ice. Chilly. — Trotter
