Big East, SEC Pack Punch: Feb. 27 College Hoops Notes

Five games involved teams ranked in the Top 25, all of which won over unranked opponents.

#6 Kansas 75 Iowa St. 64
Jayhawks put it all together in this road rout. Darrell Arthur led the scoring parade with 19 points in 31 minutes. Brandon Rush and Mario Chalmers each hit 3-4 three-pointers and scored 15. Kansas held a 43-30 rebounding edge. Jayhawks appear ready to avenge their loss to K-State, when the Wildcats come calling on Saturday.

Tulsa 67 #2 Memphis 82
A total breeze for the Tigers, but that's what happens when you hit 13-25 from beyond the arc.

Minnesota 53 #16 Purdue 65
Boilermakers continue to play great defense and hit perimeter shots, though being outrebounded 43-29 is a cause for concern. Purdue forced 20 turnovers, which somewhat balances things out.

GA Tech 58 #7 Duke 71
Blue Devils hit only 2 of 15 3-pointers, but still breezed as the Yellow jackets couldn't handle the pressure, turning the ball over 20 times.

St. John's 52 #11 Georgetown 64
Smothering the Johnnies isn't saying much. Roy Hibbert's 17 points, 3 rebounds and 4 fouls speaks volumes about this team's readiness for serious competition. Three rebounds? Come on.

Key games from around the nation:

Cincinnati 67 Pittsburgh 73
A much-needed win for the Panthers, but how far can Sam Young and DeJuan Blair (20 and 18 points, respectively) take them? Big rebounding edge (37-25) to the Bearcats, but Pitt won it at the free throw line. These two now tied in the Big east standings at 8-7.

West Virginia 85 DePaul 73
Nice win for the Mountaineers, who have won 4 of their last 5. The offense continues to click. They hit 53% overall and 77% from the foul line, which bodes well for the immediate future. Saturday's game at UConn ought to be a beauty. Big East is still wide open, with 9 teams vying for 7, maybe 8 tickets to the big dance. Mountaineers got a leg up with this win, making them 9-6, in sixth place.

Clemson 79 Miami (FL) 69
A key win for the Tigers, now 8-5 in the ACC and a cinch to make the field of 65. Tough loss for Miami, after winning four straight, they drop to 6-7 in the conference, but close out the regular season with Virginia and BC at home, then Florida St., away. Still hope for the Hurricanes.

Texas Tech 54 Texas A&M 98
Blowout win for the Aggies keeps them in the chase, but they've dropped out of the Top 25 and are just 7-6 in the Big 12. This ended a 3-game skid for A&M, which scored 56 1st-half points and cruised from there.

Oklahoma 45 Nebraska 63
Cornhuskers are red-hot, having won three straight, improving to 6-7 in the conference. Oklahoma St., Texas and Colorado close out the season. will 8-8 in the Big 12 translate to a dance pass? Depends on how the 'Huskers do in the Big 12 tourney. Stay tuned.

In the SEC, Florida won at Georgia, 77-64, improving to 8-5, 21-7. Defending champs look good to return to the NCAA tournament. Mississippi St. turned back Auburn, 89-78, making the Bulldogs 11-3 and clinching at least a tie for the SEC West title. Punch their ticket. Tough road for the Razorbacks, losing at Alabama, 59-56. Arkansas is now 7-6 in conference and on the outside looking in, because Kentucky dumped Mississippi, 58-54, making the Wildcats 10-3 in the SEC East and good enough to meet the committee's approval.

Catch all the college hoops action and key analysis at College Basketball Daily