The state of males’s hoops after Baylor-Kansas, Gonzaga-Kentucky and bubble video games

After final weekend’s quartet of marquee top-10 matchups, this Saturday was extra about groups on both facet of the NCAA event cutline needing to make the most of résumé-boosting alternatives. Six top-10 groups confronted unranked groups on the highway — environments the place highly-ranked groups have persistently struggled all season. This group does not embrace the likes of Marquette, which was internet hosting a St. John’s workforce in want of a win, or Kentucky, which was at house in opposition to a determined Gonzaga squad. Michigan State, Colorado, Cincinnati, Florida have been additionally all in want of a victory to spice up their NCAA event hopes. Who may shut the deal and get a win?

With only one month left within the common season, bubble groups are working out of time to choose up wins that may matter on Choice Sunday. Saturday offered some readability, and ESPN’s Myron Medcalf, Jeff Borzello and Joe Lunardi accordingly have some ideas.

Medcalf: Baylor’s challenges at Allen Fieldhouse proceed. The Bears at the moment are 1-18 of their final 19 video games at Kansas. And so they had by no means had a greater likelihood to steal a victory over Invoice Self in a hostile venue. No Kevin McCullar Jr. on account of harm. Dajuan Harris Jr. injured his ankle late within the recreation. As an alternative of including a signature win to spice up their event seed, the Bears could not cease the shorthanded Jayhawks.

The sport additionally highlighted the Huge 12’s superiority. Three of the 4 groups that joined the league this season — Houston, BYU and Cincinnati — are all top-35 on KenPom. The fourth (UCF) has wins over Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas. Ten groups general on this convention are top-40 within the NET rankings.

On this league, workforce like Baylor — one in all America’s most offensively environment friendly groups, first within the nation in 3-point capturing, although subpar defensively — may win a league title with a run down the stretch, or finish the season in the course of the pack. Or worse. The competitors is that robust.

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No. 13 Baylor misses two tying 3-pointers in closing seconds vs. No. 4 Kansas

Baylor misses two open game-tying 3-pointers as they fall 64-61 to Kansas.

Borzello: On the one hand, Kansas beating a top-15 workforce with out McCullar Jr., with Harris Jr. banged-up late and with Hunter Dickinson sidelined with foul hassle and struggling for lengthy stretches of the sport is flat-out spectacular. The Jayhawks scored 17 factors off 21 turnovers and bought a pair huge photographs from Nicolas Timberlake — which is a good signal shifting ahead.

But it surely wasn’t all constructive. That Baylor struggled to make photographs from the perimeter, coughed it up 21 occasions and nonetheless had probabilities to ship the sport to extra time late was stunning. And the best way Kansas defended Baylor within the remaining two possessions, when Jayden Nunn and Ja’Kobe Walter bought extensive open 3s, is not going to make Invoice Self blissful.

Maybe most regarding, although, was Harris’ late harm. He completed the sport, however we’ll should control it this coming week.

Lunardi’s bracket impression: We name this a “establishment” recreation, the place the end result was basically chalk. When that occurs, particularly this late within the season, there’s little or no motion from a single consequence. Kansas got here into the sport as a 2-seed, No. 8 general, and stays precisely that. Baylor entered as a 4-seed, No. 14 general, and drops solely to No. 15 (behind Duke) as a still-solid No. 3 seed.

Medcalf: After rising from a double-digit halftime deficit with a second-half run, Kentucky ended Saturday’s loss with one other curious determination: what gave the impression to be a designed lob from Reed Sheppard to Adou Thiero, which was intercepted by Ben Gregg. That wasn’t Kentucky’s solely missed alternative this recreation although. There have been missed defensive assignments. A key offensive rebound late within the recreation that Gonzaga snatched up just because Kentucky did not play with a way of urgency.

It simply doesn’t seem to be John Calipari and his gamers are on the identical web page. Sure, the Wildcats — who’re 2-4 of their final six video games and have not gained a recreation in opposition to a top-30 KenPom workforce since January 6 in opposition to Florida — are taking part in a number of the worst protection amongst Energy 5 groups. However the disconnect goes past that. A workforce stuffed with NBA prospects has been outworked by opponents who lack that expertise. They’re in a free fall, and it is unclear how they are going to cease it.

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Ben Gregg’s steal secures Gonzaga’s win over Kentucky

Ben Gregg rises and steals the rock to safe Gonzaga’s upset over Kentucky.

Borzello: Gonzaga all of the sudden has NCAA event life. The Zags’ postseason hopes basically hinged on Saturday’s recreation, as they have been and not using a Quadrant 1 win all season, and this was one in all their final probabilities to get one. They nonetheless must care for WCC enterprise — and the regular-season finale at Saint Mary’s looms giant — however Mark Few’s workforce now at the very least has a sensible likelihood shifting ahead.

How did Gonzaga do it on Saturday? They bought again to fundamentals and easily dominated the paint. Graham Ike, Anton Watson, Braden Huff and Gregg mixed for 66 factors, and Ryan Nembhard stayed in assault mode within the pick-and-roll. The Zags have struggled from the perimeter all season, however did not attempt to beat Kentucky from 3; they as a substitute discovered a weak spot and continued to use it.

Lunardi’s bracket impression: The knee-jerk response will probably be to place Gonzaga instantly into the projected NCAA area. Not so quick, say the bracketologists. This win undoubtedly provides the Zags life as an at-large candidate, however there’s a lot extra work to do, contemplating how missing their profile was heading into Rupp Area. We’ll transfer the Bulldogs comfortably into “Subsequent 4 Out” territory, inside vary of “First 4 Out,” however needing to run the desk within the WCC — together with a win at Saint Mary’s on Mar. 2 — to have any respiration room within the convention event.

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Collin Murray-Boyles throws down huge dunk vs. Vanderbilt Commodores

Collin Murray-Boyles throws down huge dunk vs. Vanderbilt Commodores

Fast hits

South Carolina’s younger star

The Gamecocks emerged from a sloppy first half to beat Vanderbilt by double digits (75-60) and lengthen their successful streak to seven forward of a tricky matchup at Auburn. Throughout that stretch, three totally different gamers have led the Gamecocks in scoring. Lamont Paris all the time preaches about SC’s worth as a workforce; that is the way it’s gained this season.

However freshman Collin Murray-Boyles — who was out for the primary month of the season with mononucleosis — has emerged a younger star. Towards the Commodores he completed with 31 factors (14-for-17), seven rebounds, two assists, a steal and a block. He’s simply the third South Carolina participant to attain 30 factors with an 80% capturing clip within the final 25 seasons, per ESPN Stats & Information. It was additionally the third consecutive recreation the place he was his workforce’s main scorer. South Carolina is simply taking part in for its seed at this level, however Murray-Boyles is rising into a wonderful younger expertise who has raised SC’s postseason ceiling — and his personal. –Medcalf

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Auburn Tigers vs. Florida Gators: Recreation Highlights

Auburn Tigers vs. Florida Gators: Recreation Highlights

Bubble hopes keep alive

Whereas the Zags holding their at-large hopes alive obtained probably the most headlines, two different groups that entered Saturday in want of a résumé enhance added marquee victories: Michigan State over Illinois, and Florida over Auburn. The Spartans have been on the correct facet of the bubble getting into the day, however had simply misplaced at Minnesota and wanted to bounce again. And Tom Izzo’s seniors stepped up: A.J. Hoggard (23 factors), Malik Corridor (22 factors), Tyson Walker (19 factors).

In the meantime, Florida beat Auburn by 16 in a recreation that wasn’t almost that shut. The Gators led by as many as 29 factors and did not make a shot for the ultimate 9 minutes. They’ve now gained 5 of six — together with victories over Mississippi State, Kentucky and, now, the Tigers. –Borzello

Huge East makes strikes

My eye was largely on the Huge East bubble heading into Saturday’s play and the video games didn’t disappoint. Butler affirmed its at-large standing with a hard-fought win over Windfall, whereas the Friars, Xavier and St. John’s all misplaced probabilities to maneuver up or into the projected NCAA area. The convention has nonetheless one other big-time bubble recreation on Sunday as Villanova hosts Seton Corridor: The Wildcats are a number of wins away from a return to the sphere, whereas the “final workforce in” Pirates are only a single loss away from dropping out. –Lunardi