Dave Preston is an AP voter. Read his ballots here.
As we get deeper into conference championship week, we move away from one-bid leagues holding their tournaments to the power conference schools near the bubble getting very nervous with ever-changing status.
Schools like Indiana and Texas start to scoreboard-watch while making the case to anyone who will listen (including themselves) how they should have an at-large berth.
Virginia Tech needed two or three wins at the ACC Tournament to help its case and didn’t get even one. VCU is on the right side of the cutline now, but a loss tomorrow in the Atlantic 10 quarterfinals would all but move the Rams to the wrong side of the bubble. And while some schools are talking resume, more than a few are just trying to keep playing for one more day this week.
Georgetown (15-17) wins its first Big East Tournament game since 2021 (when the Hoyas won four games in four days for their most recent tournament title) despite shooting just 21% from 3-point range. But the point guard tandem of Malik Mack and Jeremiah Williams combined to produce 33 points and the Hoyas dominated the glass, outrebounding DePaul by 12.
Maryland (12-21) grabbed an 11-point lead in the first half of their Big Ten second-round game with Iowa and was clinging to a 34-30 advantage right after intermission. That’s when the Terps fell into a funk: 0 for 5 with five turnovers over six minutes of game time as the Hawkeyes went on a 21-0 run (shooting 6 of 8 and 5 of 6 from the 3-point line in that stretch) to pull ahead and away 75-64. It didn’t help that Andre Mills was held to 1 of 13 shooting, nor the 16 turnovers that led to 21 Iowa points. Coach Buzz Williams will have a full offseason to mine the transfer portal to complement a strong recruiting class.
Richmond (15-17) also saw the tide turn after taking a halftime lead, slipping to Loyola Chicago 75-67. March can make no sense whatsoever sometimes. Joshua Ola-Joseph is simply meant to post a career high 26 points on 7 of 8 shooting. The Spiders regroup and run things back this fall under coach Chris Mooney’s 22nd season.
Bids awarded last night
Southland: McNeese (28-5) never trailed and led Stephen F. Austin by as many as 24 before posting a 76-59 triumph. The Cowboys reach the NCAA Tournament for the second straight year, having blasted Clemson last year in the first round as a No. 12 seed under then-coach Will Wade. Now, Bill Armstrong has them back.
Patriot: Lehigh beats Boston University 74-60, holding the Terriers to 1 for 16 from 3-point range and limiting BU’s hero from the two previous games Chance Gladden to 4 of 13 shooting with three turnovers. The Mountain Hawks’ last berth in the Big Dance was in 2012 when they upset Duke as a No. 15 seed before falling to Xavier in the Round of 32, although the bigger upset that day was Blue Devils coach Mike Krzyzewski allowing himself to be interviewed going into halftime.
Big Sky: Idaho (21-14) wraps up “Starch Madness” by topping Montana 77-66 behind 23 points from Isaiah Brickner (not the best basketball name). The Vandals make their first trip to the NCAA Tournament since 1990, when as the No. 13 seed they fell to Louisville in the First Round.
Bid Break: After the slow drip of 16 bids awarded over the last five days, we shut the faucet until Saturday when 11 schools will punch their tournament tickets before the final five conferences hold their championship games Sunday, including all of the power and mid-major leagues.
Thursday’s games involving locals
Atlantic 10 Second Round: George Washington (20-11) vs. Fordham (17-14), 11:30 a.m., USA.
This has become a March tradition, with these two schools now meeting for the fifth time in nine A10 Tournaments (they’ve also played three regular season March games in that span). GW lost the regular season meeting in Foggy Bottom 79-65, getting outrebounded by 18 while the Rams turned 13 Revolutionary turnovers into 18 points. But this time they’ll have their big man Rafael Castro available.
ACC Quarterfinals: No. 10 Virginia (27-4) vs. NC State (20-12), noon, ESPN.
Blame the powers that be who wanted Duke and North Carolina (No. 1 and No. 4 seeds) in the evening window for the flip-flop of bracket halves. The Wolfpack lead the conference in 3-point shooting while the Cavaliers are second best (behind Duke) at defending the three; in the two games the teams played UVa held State to 26% from outside the arc and 32% overall. But weird things happen in North Carolina in March … especially in the early afternoon.
Atlantic 10 Second Round: George Mason (23-8) vs. St. Bonaventure (16-16), 2 p.m., USA.
The Patriots took both regular season meetings, although they’ll be hard-pressed to contain Bonnies big man Frank Mitchell (20 points and 11 rebounds against Mason this season). There’s also the motivation for sending longtime coach Mark Schmidt out properly.
Big East Quarterfinals: Georgetown (15-17) vs. Villanova (24-7), 9:30 p.m., FS1.
The Hoyas are fresh from their first BET win since they won four games in four days to take the title in 2021. The Wildcats have done a great job finding their proper level this winter: coach Kevin Willard’s team is 0-4 against nationally ranked UConn & St. John’s, 15-1 against conference foes without winning records. That includes a sweep of Georgetown.
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