Kentucky, Arizona, Notre Dame, Wisconsin, Kansas advance in conference tourneys; Bobby Portis Leads Arkansas in SEC

Conference Tournament Highlights and

College Hoops Player of the Day for Friday, April 13, 2015

There was enough college hoops action Friday night to fill up the entire weekend, what with 19 conference tournaments in various stages of elimination. 14 tourneys wrap up on Saturday, plus the Ivy League will decide its representative for the NCAA Championship when Yale meet Harvard in a one-game playoff at 4:00 pm EDT in Philadelphia.

Sunday, five more conferences - American, Atlantic 10, Big Ten, SEC, and Sun Belt - will crown champions, leading up to the selection committee announcements of the at-large bids and overall seedings in the four regions, beginning at 6:00 pm EDT.

Highlights from Friday's games include:

#1 Kentucky advancing to the semi-final in the SEC with a 64-49 win over Florida, where they face Auburn, Saturday, at 1:00 pm EDT.

On the other side of the bracket, Georgia topped South Carolina, 74-62, while Arkansas eliminated Tennessee, 80-72, and will meet the Bulldogs in a semi-final match-up Saturday, at 3:00 pm EDT. In their victory, forward Bobby Portis put up player of the day numbers, scoring a game-high 26 points on 8-for-13 shooting, going 9-for-10 from the foul line, and was the game's top rebounder, with 11. Despite being out-boarded, 41-31, the Razorbacks made up for that deficiency with hounding defense, holding the Vols to just 33% shooting.

A 6'11" sophomore, Portis posted his 12th double double of the season and added a pair of assists, two steals, and a blocked shot. In their only meeting of the season, Arkansas won, 79-75, at Georgia, on January 6.

The ACC has settled on the combatants for their final, as North Carolina ousted top-seeded Virginia, 71-67, and Notre Dame handled #2 seed (and #2 nationally), Duke, 74-64.

The Tar Heels and Irish square off Saturday night, at 8:30 pm EDT.

In the PAC-12, Arizona ousted UCLA, 70-64, advancing to the final, where they will meet Oregon, a 76-64 winner over a resolute Utah squad, 67-64, on Joseph Young's 25 points and buzzer-beating three-pointer. The PAC-12 final is scheduled for 8:00 pm PDT.

The Big Ten semi-finals start at 1:00 pm EDT on Saturday, when Wisconsin battles Purdue, followed by a 3:30 meeting between Michigan State and Maryland.

In the Big 12, #13 Iowa State meets #9 Kansas in the final at 6:00 pm EDT.

CBD's Conference Champion Scoreboard will be updated in Saturday night's post, along with results and highlights.

UCLA Looking for At-Large Bid after Isaac Hamilton's Career High 36 Leads the Bruins past USC

College Hoops Player of the Day for Thursday, March 12, 2015

Arizona is the only team from the PAC-12 that is ranked, but it's a good bet that the conference will send at least four teams to the NCAA tournament, and the UCLA Bruins, by virtue of their 96-70 trouncing of cross-town rival USC in the opening round of the conference tourney, are almost certain to be among that group.

If the Bruins get an at-large bid, they can thank sophomore guard, Isaac Hamilton, who scored a career-high 36 points, going 13-for-17 overall and blistering the nets with a 7-for-9 barrage from beyond the arc.

Hamilton's previous career best was 21 points, against UAB earlier this season, prior to conference play.

The 6'4" LA native averaged 10.1 points per game this season and scored in double figures 19 times prior to his performance against the Trojans.

Hamilton added four rebounds and made two steals for the Bruins, who are 20-12 overall and went 11-7 in the PAC-12.

While there was a slew of games on Thursday, no conference champions were crowned, nor will any be crowned until Saturday, when 15 teams get their tickets punched.

Lafayette Grabs Patriot League Title; Anthony "Cat" Barber Pours in 34 as NC State Eliminates Pitt from ACC Tourney

Conference Champions and College Hoops Player of the Day for Wednesday, March 11, 2015

With the Patriot League tournament complete, there are now 12 teams which have qualified for automatic bids to the NCAA tournament, leaving 20 more to be determined by conference tournament championships, and then 32 at-large bids will be awarded on Sunday, March 15, along with four teams designated as "play-ins" for four games slated for Tuesday and Wednesday, March 17 and 18.

Those play-in teams are matched against seeded squads, making the total of 68 teams selected to take part in the annual March Madness ritual.

While many post-season tourneys are in early rounds, they will all be completed by Sunday aftenoon, the Big Ten and SEC among those closing out at the last minute. Tonight featured just one tournament final - the Patriot League - and there won't be another until Saturday, March 14, when a slew of 15 conferences will be decided. That includes the Ivy League, which normally is among the first of the conferences to announce a champion, but, because of a tie in the regular season standings between Yale and Harvard, and the fact that the Ivy doesn't hold a post-season tournament, a one-game playoff is scheduled on the 14th.

Saturday will be a huge day of college hoops action, including the finals of the Big 12, Big East, Big Sky, Conference USA, WAC and ACC.

Patriot League
Lafayette 65 American 63 - Two teams that weren't supposed to be in the Patriot League final decided which would represent the conference in the NCAA tournament. Lafayette finished 9-9 in league play, tied for fourth place, while American went 8-10 in conference play, finishing in a three-way tie for sixth place.

After a slow start, Lafayette took a first half lead and held a comfortable lead most of the way, until the Eagles began to surge midway through the second half, closing the gap and eventually grabbing a lead at 55-53 on Marko Vasic's three-point play with 5:14 remaining. That turned out to be the only second half lead for the Eagles as Seth Hinrichs and Zach Rufer hit back-to-back three-pointers for the Leopards.

American closed to within a point, at 61-60, but Nick Linder, who led all scorers with 25 points, scored four straight points on a layup and a pair of free throws. Pee Wee Gardner's three-pointer at the buzzer closed the gap back to two, but it was too late.

Lafayette heads to the tournament with a respectable record of 20-12.

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Player of the day honors go to Anthony "Cat" Barber who tallied a career-high 34 points to lead North Carolina State to an 81-70 victory over Pitt in their opening game of the ACC tournament.

Barber hit nine of 13 shots from the field, including four of five from three-point range, and nailed all 12 of his free throws. Barber also dished out five assists and gathered in three rebounds.

The win improved the Wolfpack's overall record to 20-12 and puts them in a good position to capture a at-large bid on selection Sunday. NC State went 10-8 through the ACC regular season, including a quality win over Duke, one of just three ACC teams to top the Blue Devils.

Conference Championship Scoreboard

Date/Conf. Champ.	Champion (record, defeated, final score)
March 7
Ohio Valley	Belmont (22-10, Murray State, 88-87)
March 8
Big South	Coastal Carolina (24-9, Winthop, 81-70)
Missouri Valley	Northern Iowa (29-3, Illinois, St., 69-60)
Atlantic Sun	North Florida (23-11, USC Upstate, 63-57)
March 9
Colonial	Northeastern (23-11, William & Mary, 73-61)
Metro Atlantic	Manhattan (19-13, Iona, 79-69)
Southern	Wofford (28-6, Furman, 67-64)
March 10
Horizon	Valparaiso (28-5, Green Bay, 54-44)
Northeast	Robert Morris (19-14, St. Francis BRK, 66-63)
Summit League	N. Dakota St. (23-9, S. Dakota St., 57-56)
West Coast	Gonzaga (33-2, BYU, 91-75)
March 11
Patriot League	Lafayette (20-12, American, 65-63)

Valpo, Robert Morris, Gonzaga Head for NCAA Tourney; Lawrence Alexander Leads Bison to Summit League Title

Conference Championships and College Hoops Player of the Day for Tuesday, March 10, 2015

Horizon League
Valparaiso 54 Green Bay 44 - Valparaiso is headed back to the NCAA tournament after taking care of business in the Horizon League championship, downing the Phoenix of Green Bay with a smoldering defensive effort. While the Crusaders shot just 37.5% (18-48), their counterparts from Green Bay hit only 30% of their shots from the field (16-53), including going 2-for-15 from three-point range.

Valparaiso forced 12 turnovers, blocked six shots (five by forward Vashil Fernandez) and snatched up seven steals.

The Crusaders went 13-3 in conference play and are winners of the tournament championship for the second time in three years.

Northeast
Robert Morris 66 St. Francis BRK 63 - Lucky Jones knocked down a pair of free throws with 13 seconds left to play and St. Francis Brooklyn could not respond as tine wore down, sending Robert Morris to the upset win in the Northeast conference championship game and on to the NCAA tournament with the automatic bid.

St. Francis owned the regular season with a 15-3 mark in conference play, but was denied by a gritty effort from the Robert Morris Colonials who were 8-for-16 from beyond the arc. Jones, chipped in 12 points from off the bench, adding to Rodney Prior's team-high 17 points. The Colonials had five players in double figures.

Summit League
North Dakota State 57 South Dakota State 56 - For the second straight season the Bison will represent the Summit League in the NCAA tourney, after edging South Dakota State's Jackrabbits in the conference tournament title game. Summit League player of the year, Lawrence Alexander, pumped in a game-high 25 points, making six of nine from three-point range and scoring 17 of his team's 34 points in the second half.

Both the Bison and Jackrabbits finished the regular season with 12-4 marks in the conference, so it was only fitting that the game would go down to the wire. North Dakota State kept the 'Rabbits in the game late, twice missing front ends of 1-and-1 free throw situations, but South Dakota's George Marshall and Deondre Parks each misfired on shots that would have won the game in the final seconds.

West Coast
Gonzaga 94 BYU 81 - For the 13th time, the Gonzaga Bulldogs are champions of the West Coast confrence, easily disposing of the BYU Cougars, despite a game-high 28 points by the Cougars' Kyle Collinsworth.

The win ran the Zags' record to 32-2 overall, after going 17-1 in conference play, avenging their loss to the Cougars duing the regular season. Their only other loss was a 66-63 OT setback at Arizona back on December 6. Once a so-called "Cinderella" team, Gonzaga has evolved into a national contender and could easily be the #1 seed in the West Region when the selection committee announced the seedings this Sunday.

Conference Championship Scoreboard

Date/Conf. Champ.	Champion (record, defeated, final score)
March 7
Ohio Valley	Belmont (22-10, Murray State, 88-87)
March 8
Big South	Coastal Carolina (24-9, Winthop, 81-70)
Missouri Valley	Northern Iowa (29-3, Illinois, St., 69-60)
Atlantic Sun	North Florida (23-11, USC Upstate, 63-57)
March 9
Colonial	Northeastern (23-11, William & Mary, 73-61)
Metro Atlantic	Manhattan (19-13, Iona, 79-69)
Southern	Wofford (28-6, Furman, 67-64)
March 10
Horizon	Valparaiso (28-5, Green Bay, 54-44)
Northeast	Robert Morris (19-14, St. Francis BRK, 66-63)
Summit League	N. Dakota St. (23-9, S. Dakota St., 57-56)
West Coast	Gonzaga (33-2, BYU, 91-75)
March 11
Patriot League
March 14
America East
ACC
Big 12
Big East
Big Sky
Big West
Conference USA
Ivy*
Mid-American
Mid-Eastern
Mountain West
PAC-12
Southland
Southwest Athletic
Western Athletic
March 15
American
Atlantic 10
Big Ten
SEC
Sun Belt

Northeastern, Wofford Head for the Big Dance; Emmy Andujar, Ashton Pankey Power Manhattan to MAAC Title

Conference Championships and College Hoops Player of the Day for Monday, March 9, 2015

Colonial
Northeastern 71 William & Mary 62 - The Northeastern Huskies are back in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1991 after taking out William & Mary in the final of the Colonial tournament. Quincy Ford paced all scorers with 22 points, contributing four boards, three blocks and a pair of assists.

The Huskies were 23-11 for the season with a 12-6 conference mark.

Southern
Wofford 67 Furman 64 - In a game that was hotly contested from start to finish, the Wofford Terriers finally shook free of the Palladins of Furman to capture the Southern tourney title and a trip to the NCAAs. The Terriers put four players into double figures, topped by forward Lee Skinner's 17 points.

For the second straight year, Woffard will represent the Southern conference in the national championship tourney.

Metro Atlantic
Manhattan 79 Iona 69 - for the third straight season, the Manhattan Jaspers and Iona Gaels met for the MAAC tournament championship, and for the second year in a row, it was the Jaspers who got the better of it, as a couple of boys from the Bronx - Ashton Pankey and Emmy Andujar - dominated the interior and led their team to victory.

Pankey finished with 21 points and 10 rebounds, while Andujar contributed 18 points and 11 boards. The two forwards helped Manhattan out-rebound the Gaels, 41-33, and provided heady defense throughout. Pankey had a pair of blocked shots. Andujar had two steals.

The game was close until the final stages, when it was tied at 60-60, with 7:01 to play. Manhattan used a 13-4 run over the next 3:56 to establish an unassailable lead.

NOTE: ESPN's Joe Lunardi had Iona penciled in as a #12 seed out of the MAAC, so, ya know, screw Joe Lunardi and his "bracketology." Remember, analyst starts with "anal."

Who's In? Conference Champions

Date/Conf. Champ.	Champion (record, defeated, final score)
March 7
Ohio Valley	Belmont (22-10, Murray State, 88-87)
March 8
Big South	Coastal Carolina (24-9, Winthop, 81-70)
Missouri Valley	Northern Iowa (29-3, Illinois, St., 69-60)
Atlantic Sun	North Florida (23-11, USC Upstate, 63-57)
March 9
Colonial	Northeastern (23-11, William & Mary, 73-61)
Metro Atlantic	Manhattan (19-13, Iona, 79-69)
Southern	Wofford (28-6, Furman, 67-64)
March 10
Horizon
Northeast
Summit League
West Coast
March 11
Patriot League
March 14
America East
ACC
Big 12
Big East
Big Sky
Big West
Conference USA
Ivy*
Mid-American
Mid-Eastern
Mountain West
PAC-12
Southland
Southwest Athletic
Western Athletic
March 15
American
Atlantic 10
Big Ten
SEC
Sun Belt

Seth Tuttle Leads Northern Iowa to MVC Title; Coastal Carolina, North Florida also in Tourney

Conference Championship Results and College Hoops Player of the Day for Sunday, March 8, 2015
Big South
Coastal Carolina 81 Winthrop 70 - Led by Warren Gillis' 22 points, the Chanticleers punched their ticket to the NCAA tournament winning the Big South tourney with a convincing, 81-70, victory over Winthrop. Gillis added six assists and three rebounds. Coastal Carolina hit 42% from three-point range, making nine of 22 attempts.

Missouri Valley
Northern Iowa 69 Illinois St. 60 - The Northern Iowa Panthers knew they would be in for a tussle, as the Redbirds of Illinois State had already knocked off Wichita State in the semi-final on Saturday, but they failed to respond until the second half, as the two teams went to the locker rooms with Illinois State ahead by a healthy, 36-22, score.

The Panthers came out flying in the second half, however, going on a 25-4 run to open the second twenty minutes, eventually taking the lead at 41-40, and expanding it to 47-40 before the Redbirds were able to respond. Illinois State re-tied the game with a 7-0 run, but Northern Iowa showed their class and poise down the stretch, outscoring their opponents 22-13 for the win.

Nate Buss and Seth Tuttle each paced the Panthers with 15 points, but Tuttle contributed nine rebounds, three assists and a steal.

Atlantic Sun
North Florida 63 South Carolina Upstate 57 - The Ospreys of North Florida will be dancing for the first time in March, after capturing the Atlantic Sun title game with a 63-57 win over a resolute squad from South Carolina Upstate. Trailing 34-25 at the half, USC Upstate rallied and made a game of it, but in the end the Ospreys were too much and too generous with each other, sharing 11 assists. North Florida's Demarcus Daniels led all scorers with 22 points.

Conference Tournament Scoreboard (updated as results arrive)

Date/Conference	Champion (record, defeated, final score)
March 7
Ohio Valley	Belmont (22-10, Murray State, 88-87)
March 8
Big South	Coastal Carolina (24-9, Winthop, 81-70)
Missouri Valley	Northern Iowa (29-3, Illinois, St., 69-60)
Atlantic Sun	North Florida (23-11, USC Upstate, 63-57)
March 9
Colonial
Metro Atlantic
Southern
March 10
Horizon
Northeast
Summit League
West Coast
March 11
Patriot League
March 14
America East
ACC
Big 12
Big East
Big Sky
Big West
Conference USA
Ivy*
Mid-American
Mid-Eastern
Mountain West
PAC-12
Southland
Southwest Athletic
Western Athletic
March 15
American
Atlantic 10
Big Ten
SEC
Sun Belt

* No tourney, Playoff game: Harvard v. Yale, March 14

Craig Bradshaw's 25 Points Propels Belmont to Ohio Valley Tourney Victory, Advance to the Dance; Yale Falls Short in Ivy

College Hoops Player of the Day for Saturday, March 7, 2015

What a weekend of college hoops!

Only one of two potential dance tickets were punched on Saturday, and the fancy stepping will be done by the Belmont Bruins, who shocked the Murray State Racers in a shoot-out for the Ohio Valley Conference tournament title with an 88-87 thriller, earning themselves a trip to the NCAA championship tournament.

Craig Bradshaw led the Bruins with 25 points on 10-for-17 shooting, including five threes.

The game saw multiple ties and lead changes and a plethora of big plays and three pointers. The top two scoring teams in the conference combined for 26 bombs from beyond the arc.

It was the second time in three seasons that Belmont has knocked off the Racers in the conference tourney final.

Murray State went 16-0 through the regular season Ohio Valley schedule, but were tripped up by a perennial tournament-tested team.

It will be up to the selection committee to determine whether the Racers' record of 27-5 - and, prior to Saturday's defeat, a string of 25 straight wins - is worthy enough for inclusion into the NCAA tournament field. Selection Sunday is March 15.

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After winning at Harvard, 62-52, Friday night, all the Yale Bulldogs had to do was win at Dartmouth and a ticket to the NCAA tournament would be in their hands.

Despite shooting 62 percent in the first half against the Big Green, the Bulldogs turned the ball over 11 times and could only claim a one-point lead, at the break, 30-29. Their struggles continued in the second half, unable to pull away, and eventually losing on a last-second layup by Gabas Maldunas, resulting in a 59-58 Dartmouth, which forces a playoff game between the two top teams in the conference, Harvard and Yale.

Harvard ran their record to 11-3 in the conference with a 72-62 win over Brown

The playoff game will be played on Saturday, March 14 at Penn, a neutral site in Philadelphia. The winner gets the automatic bid. Harvard has won or tied for the Ivy League title five years running.

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Saturday Hoops Highlights:

Kentucky completed a perfect regular season with a routine, 67-50, victory over an out-gunned Florida Gators team. The win was the 31st straight for the Wildcats and completed an 18-0 mark in the SEC. Next up for the Wildcats is the SEC Tournament which begins Wednesday, March 11, in Nshville, TN.

#16 Louisville topped #2 Virginia, 59-57, handing the Cavaliers just their second loss of the season. Both teams are looking forward to the ACC tournament, starting on Tuesday, March 10, at Greensboro, NC.

Led by Tyus Jones' 25 points and eight assists, Duke dominated the second half - scoring 53 points - to defeat the North Carolina Tar Heels for the second time this season, 84-77.

Eighth-ranked Wichita State was unceremoniously bounced from the Missouri Valley conference tournament in a 65-62 win by Illinois State, leaving the tourney title wide open for Northern Iowa, an easy, 63-49 victor over Loyola (IL). The Redbirds (21-11, 11-7 MVC) could steal a bid with a win over Northern Iowa in the final, slated for Sunday at 2:05 pm ET.

With one conference tourney complete (Ohio Valley) and the Ivy to be determined by a playoff game next Saturday, that leaves 30 conference tournaments to be decided over the next eight days and nights, resulting in a total of 32 automatic bids to the NCAA tournament. College Basketball Daily will feature expanded coverage as the hoops bonanza goes ballistic.

Jarvis Williams, Cameron Payne Lead Murray State past Morehead State, into Ohio Valley Final

College Hoops Player of the Day for Friday, March 6, 2015

The Ohio Valley conference flies under the radar most of the season, until some team in March has to come up against the likes of Murray State, which went through the conference schedule like a well-sharpened blade, going 16-0 to capture the regular season title.

Friday night found the Racers in a struggle with Morehead State, eventually prevailing in the semi-final game at Nashville, 80-77.

The inside-outside combination of Jarvis Williams and Cameron Payne proved critical throughout the contest and down the stretch, securing the win and an advance to the final, against Belmont, which barely escaped with a 53-52 win over Eastern Kentucky in the other semi-final.

Williams scored 23 points and ripped down 10 boards, while Payne led all scorers with 25 and rounded out his game with four rebounds, four assists, three steals and a pair of blocked shots.

In the final minutes of the game both players came to the fore. With a dunk at 1:45, Williams tied the game at 75, and Payne's three-pointer at 0:56 put the Racers up, 78-77. T.J. Sapp canned a pair of free throws as the Eagles could not produce another score.

Murray State will have to rest up quickly if they plan on securing their ticket to the Big Dance. The final against Belmont is scheduled for Saturday night at 7:00 pm.

Other than Kentucky, no team in the country has more consecutive wins than the 25th-ranked Eagles, currently holding at 25 straight.

Utah's Late Surge Secures Win at Washington State; Delon Wright Has 18 Points, 8 Boards, and 8 Assists

College Hoops Player of the Day for Thursday, March 5, 2015

While Wisconsin was wrapping up the Big Ten title and Arizona did the same in the PAC-12, #13 Utah continued to roll along, breaking open a tight contest with a late second half surge en route to a 67-59 decision at Washington State.

Delon Wright, who was on the floor for all but one minute of the game, had one of his best all-around performances, scoring 18 points on 4-for-6 shooting and an 8-for-8 effort from the foul line. In addition, the 6'5' senior from Los Angeles whipped eight assists, hauled in eight rebounds, blocked two shots, and registered a steal.

The Utes and Cougars were tied at 23-all at the break, but Utah fell behind by as many as eight points in the second half and didn't take the lead for good until Brandon Taylor's 3-pointer with 4:57 left. Down the stretch, Wright canned six straight free throws to keep Washington State at Bay.

Utah improved to 23-6 overall, 13-4 in the conference. The Utes close out the regular season Saturday at Washington.

D'Angelo Russell Scores 28 as Thad Matta Ties Buckeye Win Record

College Hoops Player of the Day for Wednesday, March 4, 2015

Head coach Thad Matta ties a Buckeye record with his 297th win, as Ohio State improved to 22-8 (11-6 Big Ten) with a 77-67 win at Penn State.

In 11 seasons as the Ohio State coach, Matta has posted just 91 losses. Three short of 300, he's tied currently with Fred Taylor as the all-time win leader at the school. On Sunday, the Buckeyes face off with Wisconsin; a win over the Badgers would be Matta's 400th career victory. He also won 24 games at Butler and 78 at Xavier.

Matta's Ohio State teams have averaged 26.9 victories per season.

Freshman D'Angelo Russell led all scorers with 28 points for the Buckeyes, adding six boards, three assists and three thefts. Russell was 8-for-16 from the field, hitting on five of eight from beyond the arc.

Karl-Anthony Towns Leads Kentucky to 30-0 in 72-64 Win at Georgia

College Hoops Player of the Day for Tuesday, March 3, 2015

Kentucky deserves a load of credit in its run to 30-0, as there have not been many walk-over games throughout their run in the SEC.

Tuesday night's trip to Athens, Georgia was certainly no exception, as the Bulldogs battled with all their might in an to topple the #1 ranked team in the nation.

While Georgia led much of the game, the Wildcats, having gotten used to coming from behind in the second half of games, surged in the contest's later stages, coming away with win #30, a 72-64 victory.

Trailing by nine points with nine minutes left to play, Andrew Harrison's three-pointer sparked the long run back to parity, which occurred with 3:54 left to play, when brother Aaron Harrison dropped in a shot jumper to tie the game at 62-all.

From there, the Wildcats held Georgia to just one field goal, while scoring 10 points for the win.

Forward Karl-Anthony Towns led the way for Kentucky with 19 points on 8 for 12 shooting and seven rebounds.

Despite being out-rebounded, 41-38 and shooting only 39.7%, the Wildcats relied on ball control (just three turnovers) and defense, forcing 11 turnovers with four blocked shots and five steals.

Iowa State Rips Oklahoma with Second Half Surge Keyed by Georges Niang

College Hoops Player of the Day for Monday, March 2, 2015

Charles Dickens might have enjoyed this.

"It was the best of halves; it was the worst of halves."

Oklahoma stormed to a 37-18 lead at half time of their game at Iowa State, but the Cyclones got their second wind - ad more - in the final twenty minutes, blitzing the Sooners, 59-33 in the second stanza, for the eventual, 77-70, victory.

Georges Niang scored 20 of his 23 points to lead Iowa State to a tie for second place in the Big 12 with Oklahoma. The outcome of the game left the two teams with identical, 11-6, conference marks. Niang was 8-for-14 from the field, including 2-for-3 from beyond the arc and a 5-for-5 level from the foul line. He also accounted for 8 boards, four assists and a steal.

Oklahoma's Buddy Hield led all scorers with 26 points.

The Sooners travel to Kansas to meet the #9 Jayhawks in their final regular season game on March 7. Kansas currently holds first place in the conference with a 12-4 record.

Iowa State closes out their regular season at TCU on Saturday.

Frank Kaminsky's 31 Points Powers Wisconsin past Michigan State to Share of Big Ten Crown

College Hoops Player of the Day for Sunday, March 1, 2015

It's no secret that the Wisconsin Badgers are odds-on to win the regular season title in the Big Ten. Sunday's 68-61 win over a struggling Michigan State squad earned the Badgers a share of the title, with remaining games on the road, at Minnesota and Ohio State. A win in either of those, or a loss by Maryland, would secure the championship.

Frank Kominsky's 31 points and eight rebounds helped secure the win over Michigan State. Kaminsky, widely regarded as a bona fide player of the year candidate, added two assists, three steals and three blocked shots, an impressive performance as the Badgers regained their winning ways after last week's 59-53 loss at Maryland, which snapped a ten-game winning streak.

The victory moved #5 Wisconsin to 26-3 overall with a 14-2 mark in conference play. The Spartans fell to 19-10 with a 10-6 mark in the Big Ten, a precarious position for a perennial NCAA tourney participant.

Conference tournaments commence within days, though the Big Ten will be one of the later affairs, beginning mid-next week.

Selection Sunday is just two weeks off, on March 15.

Perry Ellis Leads #8 Jayhawks over Longhorns, Maintains 1st Place in Big 12

College Hoops Player of the Day for Saturday, February 28, 2015

While Buddy Hield's double-double (21 pts., 13 rebs.) was leading Oklahoma to a 67-60 home win over TCU, the Kansas Jaywahks tightened their grip on the top spot in the Big 12 with a 69-64, come-from-behind win over visiting Texas.

Junior Perry Ellis kept the Jayhawks' a game ahead of the Sooners in the standings with a double-double of his own, scoring 28 points with 13 boards. Ellis wasn't especially sharp, but he kept shooting, hitting 9 of 21 shots from the field, and canned 10 of 12 free throws.

Ellis matched his season high in rebounds while setting a new season-high in scoring. He also blocked three shots and dished an assist in 38 minutes of playing time.

Kansas still has its hands full in its quest for the perennial Big 12 title. They face #20 West Virginia at home on March 3, and finish up the regular season at Oklahoma on March 7. The Jayhawks were upset, 62-61, by the Mountaineers back on February 16 and have a win in hand over Oklahoma, defeating the Sooners, 85-78, January 19.

Kansas stands at 12-4 in the conference. Oklahoma has a mark of 11-5. West Virginia, Baylor and Iowa State are tied for third place at 10-6, so the conference title remains largely up for grabs, setting the stage for one of the more contentious Big 12 tournaments in years.

On Justin Sears' 28 and 12, Yale Pummels Princeton, Ties Harvard in Ivy; Showdown Looms

College Hoops Player of the Day for Friday, February 27, 2015

Justin Sears has been getting it done for the Bulldogs all season long, and on Friday night equalled a career-high with 28 points on 11 of 15 shooting in Yale's 81-60 victory over visiting Princeton.

Playing all but two minutes, Sears hauled in 12 boards, had two assists, two blocked shots and three steals. His 6-for-8 effort from the foul line included the only two misses from the stripe for the Bulldogs, which canned 26 of 28 free throws as a team.

The victory put Yale at 9-2 on the season, tying them with Harvard for the top spot in the Ivy league. The winner of the Ivy gets an automatic invitation to the NCAA tourney, so the March 6 meeting (next Friday night) between the Crimson and the Bulldogs at Harvard will likely determine the Ivy's representative.

Yale will be looking to avenge a 52-50 loss to Harvard, handed to them on their home court back on February 7. Sears had one of his worst games of the season in that contest, scoring just nine points on 2-for-7 shooting.

NOTES: Some big-time games are on the slate for Saturday. Take a look at these treats (all times Eastern):

• Noon: Michigan at (14) Maryland (ESPN)
• 2:00 pm: (15) North Carolina at Miami (CBS)
• 2:00 pm: (10) Northern Iowa at (11) Wichita St. (ESPN)
• 4:00 pm: (18) Arkansas at (1) Kentucky (CBS)
• 4:00 pm: Virginia Tech at (2) Virginia
• 4:00 pm: (20) West Virginia at (19) Baylor

Wofford Wraps Up Southern with 76-72 Win over Mercer; Spencer Collins Splashes in 26

College Hoops Player of the Day for Thursday, February 26, 2015

With their 76-72 victory at Mercer, the Wofford Terriers captured the Southern conference title and secured the top seed in the upcoming conference tournament.

Spencer Collins led the way with a season-high 26 points, topping all scorers with 7-for-11 shooting, including four of six on three-pointers. The 6'4" junior guard from Easley, SC also canned eight of nine from the foul line.

Wofford was 24-for-44 from the field (54.5%) and nailed nine of 18 from three-point range.

The Southern crown is the third for the 24-6 Terriers, who improved to 15-2 in conference play. They close out the regular season on Saturday at Furman, in Greenville, SC.

Xavier Rathan-Mayes Goes for 35, But Seminoles Fall Short; Hopeful Hurricanes

College Hoops Player of the Day for Wednesday, February 25, 2015

In a heroic effort, freshman guard, Xavier Rathan-Mayes, scored 30 points in the final 4:38, but the Florida State Seminoles still fell to Miami, 81-77.

Rathan-Mayes scored 26 straight points for the Seminoles without missing a shot, as they rallied furiously against the 'Canes. The freshman was 8-for-10 in the final five minutes, pumping in six threes. He finished with 35 points, tying his career high.

Florida State's loss, their second straight, left them with a record of 15-14 (7-9 in the ACC) and more than likely out of the NCAA tournament. The Seminoles lost to Virginia, 51-41, on Sunday.

For Miami, hopes for an at-large invitation still seem a possibility, with their third win in their last four games. The Hurricanes stand at 18-10, with an 8-7 mark in the conference. Their remaining schedule has them hosting North Carolina on Saturday, then they take to the road for their final two, at Pitt (March 4) and Virginia Tech, March 7. Wins in two of three would - considering a good showing in the ACC tournament - give them a fighting chance at a bid.

Dez Wells Flashes, Melo Trimble Finishes as Maryland Socks Wisconsin; Stamps Tourney Ticket

College Hoops Player of the Day for Tuesday, February 24, 2012

The Maryland Terrapins, already a sure bet to make the NCAA Tournament as a high seed with their 22-5 record going into their home game against the Wisconsin Badgers, upped their profile at an opportune time with a signature 59-52 victory at the XFINITY Center in College Park, Maryland.

Dez Wells kept the pressure on the #5 Badgers throughout, scoring a game-high 26 points on 9-for-17 shooting, adding a perfect s7-for-7 from the foul line with seven rebounds and four assists. Freshman sensation, Melo Trimble, scored the Terps' final six points to close out the Badgers, leaders of the Big Ten conference. Trimble finished with 16 points, four boards and a pair of assists.

Maryland took an early 8-7 lead and expanded it to 11 points, the margin by which they led at the half, 31-20.

The win was the fourth straight for the Terrapins, who improved to 11-4 in the conference, good for second place behind the 13-2 Badgers, who lost for the first time in their last 11 games. Ironically, the last time the Badgers faced defeat, it was at Rutgers, who, like the Terrapins, are in their initial season as a member of the Big Ten.

Trimble and Wells were the only Maryland players in double figures. Frank Kaminsky led the Badgers with 18 points.

Maryland shot 48% from the field, compared to Wisconsin's sub-par 38.5%. The Terps also had the edge at the foul line, where they were 9-for-11. Wisconsin was an uncharacteristic 7-for-12 from the stripe.

Shabazz Napier Leads Connecticut to 2nd NCAA Title in Four Years, Drops Kentucky, 60-54

College Hoops Player of the Day for Monday, April 7, 2014

Shabazz Napier scored a game-high 22 points and was named tournament Most Outstanding Player, leading the Connecticut Huskies to the Men's Basketball Championship with a 60-54 victory over the youthful Kentucky Wildcats.

Kentucky, down as many as 15 points in the first half, closed the gap to within one, but never led in the game.

Napier was 8-for-16 overall, hitting four of six from three-point land and 2-for-2 from the stripe. He added three rebounds and three steals, dominating the Kentucky backcourt of freshmen guards, Aaron and Andrew Harrison who were a combined 6-for-16 and committed seven turnovers.

The real star of the game, however, was the rim, whenever Kentucky was shooting free throws, because that was the decisive statistic of the game. While the Huskies were 10-for-10 at the foul line, the Wildcats were a woeful 13-for-24, a miserable 54%, many of their misses coming in key situations.

Thus, the national championship belongs to Connecticut for the second time in four years. Napier and fellow senior, Niels Giffey, were a part of both championship teams.

The tournament is over and so its this blog, ending seven years of collage hoops coverage. It's on to other pursuits for me. I'll be the guy in the bleachers with a cold beer and the St. Louis Cardinals baseball cap.

-- Fearless Rick

Shabazz Napier Leads Huskies to Final Four; Kentucky Also Advances

College Hoops Player of the Day for Sunday, March 30, 2014

As he's been doing for the better part of the season, Shabazz Napier put the UConn Huskies on his back and mushed his team to another important victory, this one over the Michigan State Spartans for a trip to the Final Four in Dallas with a 60-54 victory.

With a game-high 25 points, Napier scored the key buckets and made big plays in the final minutes to lead his squad to their biggest win of the year and a rematch with the Florida Gators in a national semi-final on Saturday.

Napier was just 6-for-14 from the field, but that included a 4-for-9 mark from three point range and perfection at the foul line where he made all nine of his free throws. The senior point guard also grabbed six rebounds and dished out four assists.

Up 51-49 with under two minutes to play, Napier put the Huskies - the 11 seed in the East region - up by four with a short jumper and, after Michigan State's Adreian Payne scored a pair of free throws, Napier was fouled attempting a three-pointer with 30 seconds to go and calmly stepped to the line and sank all three foul shots for a five point UConn lead.

Michigan State missed a three-point attempt and Napier fed Phillip Nolan for a dunk with 15 seconds left which sealed the victory.

The Huskies will face Florida on Saturday, meeting the Gators for the first time since December 2 when they beat the Gators, 65-64. Since then, Florida has run off 30 straight wins and enter the Final Four as the #1 seed from the South region.

The last spot in the Final Four was completed in rousing fashion late Saturday afternoon as Kentucky upset Michigan in the Midwest region final, 75-72. Kentucky, the #8 seed in the region got a clutch performance from Aaron Harrison, who hit four three-pointers in the final eight minutes, the last one coming with just three seconds in the game, breaking a 72-all tie and sending the Wildcats to a Final Four meeting with Wisconsin.