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A big-time performance — or a key injury — can be the difference for teams eyeing a spot in March Madness.
With the final weeks of the NCAA hoops regular season upon us, it’s now crunch time.
Final Four hopefuls, potential Cinderella squads, and bubble teams are gearing up for a sprint to the finish.
Keeping track of notable injuries, news and happenings across men’s and women’s college basketball.
Feb. 27
Billy Gillispie update
Tarleton State coach Billy Gillispie, who has been away from the bench for more than a month because of medical issues, won’t return next season, the school announced Friday. Glenn Cyprien was named acting head coach on Jan. 30, about two weeks after Gillispie stepped away.
The 66-year-old Gillispie told The Dallas Morning News earlier this month he was dealing with heart and blood-pressure issues that have plagued him for years. The former Kentucky coach had a kidney transplant in 2018, but told the newspaper his kidney was fine.
Feb. 18
Toppin was doing his usual work in the paint Tuesday night, pouring in buckets and grabbing rebounds against Arizona State in a tough road environment. Then, late in the second half, the junior forward drove to the basket before going down in a heap, holding his right leg. Toppin stayed down for a few minutes before needing assistance to gingerly limp off the court. The school announced on Feb. 18 that Toppin suffered a torn ACL, ending his season.
Toppin finished with 20 points, eight rebounds, four assists and four blocks, and the Red Raiders were obviously shaken when he left the floor. He sat on the bench for a brief period before going back to the locker room.
Texas Tech was trailing 61-56 at the time of the injury and fell behind 67-56 over the next few minutes. The Red Raiders regrouped and pulled to 70-67 in the final seconds, but Christian Anderson turned the ball over, costing them a chance to tie the game with a 3-pointer.
Lavin is out as the Toreros’ head coach after three-plus seasons, per multiple reports. In four combined seasons, San Diego went 46-79 under Lavin, including 11-17 this season. He had previous head-coaching stints at UCLA and St. John’s.
Feb. 17
Arizona announced that star forward Peat has a muscle strain in his lower leg. Peat will miss the Wildcats’ next two games against BYU on Feb. 18 and Houston on Feb. 21. Peat injured himself during the Wildcats’ loss to Texas Tech on Valentine’s Day. The freshman is averaging 13.8 points and 5.4 rebounds per game.
Feb. 16
Huff will miss the remainder of the 2025-26 regular-season because of a left knee injury sustained in practice on Jan. 14. He was given an original timeline of 4-to-8 weeks, which meant there was a chance he’d return before the end of the regular season. However, on Feb. 16, Bulldogs coach Mark Few said that his return will likely be at least eight weeks, meaning he won’t return until after the West Coast Conference Tournament concludes.
Feb. 15
K-State fired Tang on Sunday “for cause,” per the athletic department, citing Tang’s “public comments and conduct, in addition to the program’s overall direction.”
Moreso, athletic director Gene Taylor filed this statement as a reason to fire Tang for cause:
“There’s language in his contract that addresses certain things that can potentially bring embarrassment,” Taylor said. “Basically, his comments about the student-athletes and the negative reaction to those comments from a lot of sources, both nationally and locally, is where I thought we needed to make the decision.”
After K-State’s 91-62 loss to Cincinnati on Feb. 11, Tang said his players “do not deserve to wear this uniform.”
“There will be very few of them in it next year,” Tang added. “I’m embarrassed for the university, and I’m embarrassed for our fans, our student section. It is just ridiculous. We’ve got practice at 6 a.m. tomorrow morning, and we will get this thing right. I have no answer and no words. … Right now, I’m like pissed.”
Tang defended those comments in a statement. “I am deeply disappointed with the university’s decision and strongly disagree with the characterization of my termination,” he wrote. “I have always acted with integrity and faithfully fulfilled my responsibilities as head coach.”
Tang coached at K-State for the better part of four seasons. He led the Wildcats to the Elite Eight in 2023, his first season. Following that year, Kansas State rewarded him with a seven-year contract extension, starting with a $3.6 million base salary, including a $100,000 increase each year, and an $18.7 million buyout. The Wildcats were 10-15 overall at the time of Tang’s for-cause firing.
Feb. 14
BYU forward Richie Saunders sustains season-ending injury
Saunders sustained a torn ACL during the Cougars’ win against Colorado on Valentine’s Day. The injury effectively ends the senior’s college basketball career. He has played all four seasons at BYU and leads the team with 64 made 3-point shots this season. The Cougars had dropped four of their past five games previous to a 90-86 overtime victory against Colorado. They had also lost senior guard Dawson Baker to a season-ending ACL injury earlier this season. Saunders’ injury is another obstacle contributing to BYU’s dwindling national championship chances.
The UNC forward sustained a fractured left hand during the team’s loss to Miami (Fla.) on Feb. 10. The freshman star leads UNC in scoring (19.8 points per game) and rebounding (9.4 per game). He had 23 points in the team’s win against Duke on Feb. 7. Wilson’s timeline to return is unclear, but there’s optimism he’ll be back before the ACC Tournament.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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