Michigan started the day atop the school basketball hierarchy, enshrined throughout the March Insanity bracket preview because the No. 1 general seed. By day’s finish, the image appeared a bit of totally different, as No. 3 Duke’s thrilling 68-63 win over the No. 1 Wolverines muddied up the race for the highest spot within the NCAA Match bracket but once more.
No. 4 Arizona threw its title into the hat with a 73-66 win at No. 2 Houston whereas taking part in with out star ahead Koa Peat. The takeaway from these two top-5 battles is that there at the moment are three 25-2 groups from three totally different conferences with impeccable credentials heading into the ultimate week of February.
In case you were not already satisfied, it must be apparent by now that we’re within the midst of an elite common season and headed towards an equally nice postseason.
Consequential outcomes on Saturday weren’t confined to the nation’s most high-profile groups. Vanderbilt landed as a No. 4 seed within the bracket preview and promptly suffered a house loss to Vanderbilt. Kansas, which was a No. 3 seed, took a historic house loss to a mediocre Cincinnati workforce.
Down towards the bubble, outcomes have been arguably much more consequential.
Bracketology: 2026 NCAA Match committee faces challenges with Michigan, Houston, Florida in identical area
David Cobb
Right here is the total rundown of winners and losers from a large day of faculty basketball motion.
Winner: UCLA defeats Illinois with OT buzzer-beater
UCLA labored ridiculously onerous to storm again from a 23-point gap, and Donovan Dent made positive these efforts weren’t in useless. The jet-quick guard zoomed coast-to-coast for the game-winning layup as time expired to assist UCLA beat No. 10 Illinois, 95-94. Dent completed with 14 factors and a whopping 15 dimes. The oft-invisible duo of Eric Dailey Jr. and Xavier Booker rose to the event with 36 monumental factors.
It is the third time that Illinois has misplaced in extra time throughout Huge Ten play. — Isaac Trotter
Winner: Duke takes down No. 1 Michigan
Michigan’s guards completed a mixed 6 of 25 from the ground as No. 1 Michigan misplaced to No. 3 Duke 68-63 because the Wolverines suffered their second lack of the season. If there’s an Achilles’ heel for Michigan, it’s the lack of an murderer within the backcourt. What was much more stunning, nonetheless, is that the towering Wolverines did not match Duke down low. The Blue Devils have been outscored 18-11 in second-chance factors amid a 13-8 deficit on the offensive glass. Consequently, Duke outscored Michigan 34-24 within the paint with Cam Boozer main the cost.
The star freshman completed with 18 factors, 10 rebounds and 7 assists whereas deftly taking part in the ultimate 4:47 with 4 fouls. His versatility was on show as nicely with a clutch late 3-pointer that put the Blue Devils up 64-58 – David Cobb
Winner: Arizona takes management of Huge 12
No. 4 Arizona scored its most important win of the season, taking down No. 2 Houston on the highway 73-66. The 2 groups entered the day tied atop the Huge 12, however the Wildcats, who performed with out star freshman Koa Peat, wrested management of the convention’s regular-season race in emphatic style. They led for practically 37 minutes of sport motion and closed out the signature win by retaining the lead for the ultimate 11 minutes.
With Peat injured, Arizona ahead Ivan Kharchenkov performed a season-high 39 minutes and added 16 factors, 9 rebounds and three assists. Wildcats guard Anthony Dell’Orso additionally chipped in in a giant method, tying a season-high in scoring with 22 factors.
The Wildcats maintain a one-game lead now on Houston within the Huge 12 standings with simply 4 regular-season video games remaining. They’ll probably be favored in every of the 4 video games, and their hardest assessments – vs. No. 8 Kansas subsequent Saturday and at house vs. No. 6 Iowa State the next Monday – are each house video games. – Kyle Boone
Loser: Kansas takes largest house loss beneath Invoice Self
No. 8 Kansas suffered its largest house loss beneath Invoice Self, who started teaching the Jayhawks in 2003 – and its first double-digit house loss vs. an unranked opponent since 1993 – in a shocking 84-68 defeat to Cincinnati on Saturday. The Jayhawks closed as 8.5-point favorites however performed from behind for the ultimate 17-plus minutes of the sport as Cincy turned an in depth sport right into a blowout by out-scoring KU 48-34 within the second half.
The excellent news for Kansas was that oft-injured guard Darryn Peterson performed 32 minutes, tied for the third-most he is performed in a sport this season. The dangerous information for Kansas is that his 17 factors in that motion have been rendered moot due to an abysmal defensive displaying. KU allowed 12 made 3-pointers from Cincinnati, tied for essentially the most it has allowed in a regulation sport this season, and in addition surrendered 84 factors, tied for the fourth-most allowed in a sport this season.
“We have been simply terrible at present defensively,” KU coach Invoice Self stated. “Their bigs dominated. It was a mixture of defensive rebounding, their guards getting the place they need, and their bigs destroying us.”
Kansas has dropped two of its final three – each by 16 factors – with tilts vs. No. 2 Houston and No. 4 Arizona upcoming over the following week. – Boone
Winner: St. John’s inches nearer to Huge East title
Rick Pitino and his St. John’s Pink Storm scored their thirteenth consecutive win Saturday in resounding style, dominating Creighton 81-52 and inching nearer to their second consecutive Huge East title. The win comes simply days after fellow convention contender UConn fell at house to the identical Bluejays 91-84 in a shocking consequence that has shaken up the Huge East race. It leaves St. John’s one sport up within the league’s regular-season standings with UConn set to face Villanova later Saturday evening. – Boone
Winner: Virginia honors Tony Bennett, beats Miami
Virginia honored former national-title profitable coach Tony Bennett by dedicating the court docket at John Paul Jones Enviornment in his honor earlier than the sport. The No. 14 Cavaliers then adopted by means of by honoring Bennett with an exhilarating 86-83 win over a top quality Miami workforce. It wasn’t a classic defensive effort from the Cavaliers, however they made up for it with six gamers reaching double figures throughout a 12-of-24 capturing effort from past the arc. Jacari White led the best way with 17 factors on 5-of 8 capturing from 3-point vary. – Cobb
Loser: Vanderbilt loses one other heartbreaker
No. 19 Vanderbilt started the day with excellent news, as star guard Duke Miles returned from a six-game harm absence. Simply earlier than tip-off towards rival Tennessee, the Commodores have been additionally included within the March Insanity bracket preview as a No. 4 seed. However by mid-afternoon, the nice vibes had dissipated in a 69-65 loss to the Volunteers. It was solely the newest shut loss for Vandy, which has dropped three of its previous 5 contests by a mixed margin of six factors. At 21-6 and 8-6 within the SEC), Vanderbilt remains to be within the midst of a implausible marketing campaign, however the “what if” moments are beginning to add up. – Cobb
Winner: Texas Tech dominates with out JT Toppin
Enjoying in its first sport with out the companies of All-American ahead JT Toppin, who suffered a torn ACL throughout the workforce’s highway loss Tuesday to Arizona State, No. 13 Texas Tech bounced again with a powerful 100-72 win at house over Kansas State. It is the third-highest scoring sport of the season for the Pink Raiders’ prolific offense, which on Saturday was led by Donovan Atwell (26 factors) and Christian Anderson (21 factors). – Boone
Loser: Ole Miss performs as SEC punching bag (once more)
An more and more misplaced season at Ole Miss took one other ugly flip Saturday because it suffered its largest lack of the season 94-75 to SEC-leading Florida. The loss is the Rebels’ ninth consecutive stumble in SEC play to drop to 3-11 in convention motion after beginning 3-2. – Boone
Winner: Sandfort’s profession day lifts Nebraska previous Penn State
No. 9 Nebraska made fast and straightforward work of Penn State in Pinnacle Financial institution Enviornment due to a career-high in scoring from guard Pryce Sandfort, who had 33 factors in 35 minutes of play. It is Sandfort’s second profession 30+ level scoring outing of his profession however second this season. He did his harm primarily from deep, as he’s wont to do, ending with eight made 3-pointers on 14 makes an attempt.
The win gave Nebraska its twenty third win of the season – tying for its second-most in a single-season in program historical past. – Boone
Loser: USC’s loss to Oregon pricey to Trojans
USC main scorer Chad Baker-Mazara returned from a three-game absence as a consequence of a knee pressure, however the Trojans suffered a devastating 71-70 house loss to Oregon anyway. The Trojans led by six with 1:10 remaining earlier than a shocking late collapse that might hang-out them on Choice Sunday. USC entered the day as a No. 10 seed in CBS Sports activities Bracketology, however a drop is probably going in retailer after an inexplicable stumble towards a Geese squad that’s simply 10-17 (3-13 Huge Ten). – Cobb
Winner: Georgia trending up after beating Texas
Georgia entered the day because the final No. 9 seed in CBS Sports activities Bracketology, which is not a secure place to be this time of 12 months. However the Bulldogs capped off an enormous week by beating Texas 91-80. With a Tuesday victory at Kentucky additionally in hand, UGA (19-8, 7-7 SEC) is as soon as once more trending towards making back-to-back NCAA Match appearances for the primary time since 2001 and 2002. There’s work nonetheless to be achieved, however Mike White’s membership has rediscovered itself after dropping 5 of six video games in league play over the tip of January and starting of February. – Cobb
Loser: Clemson is cratering after loss to FSU
This Clemson workforce is beginning to resemble the 2023 workforce that began 18-4 earlier than falling aside and lacking the NCAA Match. After struggling a 70-65 house loss towards Florida State, the Tigers have dropped 4 straight and are sitting at 20-8 (10-5 ACC) with video games towards Louisville and North Carolina up subsequent. Clemson entered the day as a No. 8 seed in CBS Sports activities Bracketology, however its margin for error is quickly diminishing. If the slide continues towards the Cardinals and Tar Heels, the ACC Match may very well be very uncomfortable. – Cobb
Winner: Calipari closing in on 900 victories
Arkansas coach John Calipari led his No. 20 Arkansas workforce to a 94-86 win at house over Missouri to safe his thirty first season with 20 or extra wins and within the course of reached 897 profession wins. He’s now three wins shy of becoming a member of the unique 900 membership, which is occupied by solely 5 coaches: Mike Krzyzewski (1,202), Jim Boeheim (1,116), Rick Pitino (906) and Bob Knight (902). – Boone
Loser: Washington faceplants to kiss at-large hopes goodbye
Washington‘s slim margin of error utterly evaporated in Saturday’s 64-60 loss to lowly Maryland. Washington had one of many prime NIL budgets in final spring’s portal cycle, and it’s going through the music that with out profitable the Huge Ten Match, it won’t make the NCAA Match. Hannes Steinbach continued his stellar freshman season with 14 factors on 7-for-8 capturing, however the Huskies shot simply 5 for 22 from downtown and acquired out-rebounded by a baker’s dozen. Not nice. —Isaac Trotter
Winner: Cincinnati will get off the mat
Wes Miller apologized to Cincinnati’s house trustworthy after a dreadful meltdown loss to West Virginia on Feb. 5, and his Bearcats bunch has reeled off a four-game profitable streak, punctuated by a shocking 84-68 win over No. 8 Kansas in entrance of a shocked Allen Fieldhouse crowd. Cincinnati’s offseason visions got here to life. Huge man Moustapha Thiam was dominant, scoring 28 factors and ripping down eight rebounds on his birthday. Baba Miller added 18 factors, eight assists and 7 boards.
“This group’s been fairly persistently resilient, which is why I really feel a lot pleasure they get to have a second like this tonight,” Miller stated.
Cincinnati (15-12, 7-7 Huge 12) isn’t removed from preventing its method again towards the bubble. Tuesday’s highway conflict with JT Toppin-less Texas Tech is big – Trotter
Winner: UConn bounces again with highway win over Villanova
Three days after getting torched by Creighton, UConn’s protection had a revival. The No. 5 Huskies held Villanova to only 5 made buckets within the first quarter-hour of regulation within the second half and ran away with a 73-63 highway victory. UConn performed 9 gamers. All 9 of them scored at the very least 4 factors, led by a dozen from captain Alex Karaban. 15-1 St. John’s vs. 15-2 UConn on Wednesday for Huge East supremacy. — Trotter
Winner: Colorado State sends San Diego State careening towards the chop line
Jase Butler and Carey Sales space mixed for 47 factors to assist short-handed Colorado State knock off San Diego State 84-73. It is a large loss for SDSU’s quest to win the Mountain West. The Aztecs at the moment are a full two video games behind Utah State within the loss column.
This one additionally featured among the finest baptisms of the season, courtesy of the high-flying Sales space. — Trotter