'Not in any trouble'

Tuesday was an interesting day in college basketball on and off the court. On the hardwood, four ranked matchups in the Big 12, Big East and SEC occurred. Besides those games, more news broke surrounding the shooting that led to former Crimson Tide basketball player Darius Miles's arrest.

So let's start there, with Mike Miller providing the summary.

1. Brandon Miller 'not in any trouble' amid new details of Jamea Harris killing

Alabama's star freshman Brandon Miller brought the gun that was used in the killing of Jamea Harris, Tuscaloosa police said Tuesday.

Miller's former teammate, Darius Miles, texted Miller to bring the gun to where he and another man, Michael Davis, were waiting on Jan. 15. Police say Miller transported the gun and that his windshield was later struck twice by gunfire in the shooting. Police said teammate Jaden Bradley also was at the scene. Miles and Davis are both charged with capital murder.

Tuscaloosa chief deputy D.A. Paula Whitney told AL.com that "there's nothing we could charge with [Miller] according to the law. 

Crimson Tide coach Nate Oats says Miller "is not in any trouble."

"We've known the situation since [it happened],” Oats told AL.com. "We’ve been fully cooperating with law enforcement the entire time. The whole situation is sad. The team closed practice with a prayer for the situation today, knowing that we had this trial today. We think of Jamea and her family, Kaine. Really think about her son, Kaine, that was left behind. So it’s sad.

"We knew about that. Can’t control everything anybody does outside of practice. Nobody knew that was going to happen. College kids are out, Brandon hasn’t been in any type of trouble nor is he in any type of trouble in this case. Wrong spot at the wrong time."

Oats received backlash on Twitter and other outlets for his comment, and later issued a statement where he said he regretted his phrasing in that last sentence. 

Miller leads No. 2 Alabama in points (18.7 per game) and rebounding (8 per game). Bradley (7.9 ppg, 3.5 apg) has started 18 games for the Tide since Nimari Burnett's injury earlier this season. But with these police statements, there will be pressure to have both players not participate with the team. That's a decision Oats and the school officials will have to consider going forward.

It's not a straightforward decision, as Matt McCall and LaVall Jordan explained. If the Oats and officials have "known the situation" since it occurred, then it likely wasn't Oats' decision alone to have both players continue playing. 

How the school proceeds will be a major factor in the rest of Alabama's season.-Mike Miller

2. How sweep it is

Kansas State's impressive season continued on Tuesday night when it completed a season sweep of No. 9 Baylor — something it hadn't done since 2018-19 when it won a share of the Big 12 regular-season title.

For Jerome Tang, a sweep must feel both gratifying and odd. Tang spent 19 seasons on Scott Drew’s staff as the top assistant, helping elevate the program to national relevance. Tuesday's win cements what we already know: Kansas State can make a run in March, led by All-American candidate Keyontae Johnson, who scored a game-high 25 points in the 75-65 win.

Let's take a moment to on Johnson, perhaps the most inspiring story of the season. Two years ago, it seemed like he'd never play again. Now, he's one of the best players in the Big 12, the sport's best league. That's worth repeating every time K-State plays.

No. 14 K-State (21-7, 9-6 in Big 12) limited Baylor's explosive offense by keying on Adam Flagler (six points on 1-of-13 shooting with two turnovers) and forcing the Bears into mistakes (13 total turnovers) and used an 18-4 run midway through the second half to put the game away.

Baylor (20-8, 9-6) is dangerous when its guards are clicking, but it looked a little disengaged at times, only a few days after blowing a double-digit halftime lead to Kansas. The game leaves both teams tied for second, two games behind Kansas and Texas.

The Bears host surging Texas on Saturday. Kansas State will play Oklahoma State in Stillwater on Saturday.

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3. Rundown of the ranked showdowns 

Kansas State-Baylor was one of four matchups between ranked teams on Tuesday, and all but one ended up being tight games. Let's go through them.

No. 10 Marquette 73, No. 19 Creighton 71Give it up for Shaka Smart. In just his second season at Marquette, he’s two wins from clinching the outright Big East regular-season title after a win against Creighton.

Point guard Tyler Kolek delivered in the big moment, hitting go-ahead shots on two separate occasions; the second one was the eventual game-winner in a wild finish in Omaha. He finished with 18 points and continues to make an All-American case despite stats that don't jump off the page (11.9 ppg, 7.6 apg). Most notably, he's the engine for the Golden Eagles' offense and the primary reason they're 22-6 overall and 14-3 in the Big East. 

No. 10 Marquette's in good shape to win that title, too. It'll be favored in all three of its remaining games: vs. DePaul, at Butler and vs. St John's.

Creighton (18-10, 12-5) had overcome a 10-point deficit in the second half, but its offense struggled down the stretch. It shot just 42 percent in the final 20 minutes and had nine turnovers in that half. Still, despite a home loss, my concern level about Creighton is low. I would take Creighton's starting five over most in college basketball. They were just beaten by an elite Marquette team. That's all.

No. 8 Texas 72, No. 23 Iowa State 54The Longhorns (22-6, 11-4 in Big 12) didn't leave much doubt in Austin. Texas led by double digits barely 10 minutes into the game and was up by 18 at the break before cruising for the second half.

Texas did it with defense. Iowa State was 20-of-47 (42 percent) from the field and just 4-of-19 (21 percent) beyond the arc. Guards Marcus Carr and Sir'Jabari Rice each had 15, while Tyrese Hunter added 13. The Horns are tied with Kansas atop the Big 12 and face a gauntlet to close their season: at Baylor, at TCU and home against Kansas on March 4. If they earn a share of the regular-season crown, they'll have earned it. 

Iowa State (17-10, 8-7) missed sharpshooter Caleb Grill (out for the second straight game with a back issue.) The Clones have lost four of their past five games but will return home hoping to change the recent rough patch with games against West Virginia and Oklahoma.

Let’s move to another defensive game …

No. 25 Texas A&M 68, No. 11 Tennessee 63This was a bruiser. Some might even call it ugly. But call it a winner for A&M.

Wade Taylor IV scored 25 points, including 16 from the free-throw line as the Aggies (21-7, 13-2 in SEC) won their sixth in a row. They're off to their best SEC start since joining the conference 10 years ago.

“I thought that the fight and the togetherness and the spirit that they competed with … was as good as I’ve ever seen," coach Buzz Williams said.

The end was a fight. Two A&M free throws gave it a three-point lead with 46 seconds left, which preceded a few wild possessions where both teams had turnovers. The Vols (20-8, 9-6) cut it to 1 with 25 seconds left and stole the ensuing in-bounds pass but gave it right back. Taylor pushed the lead back to 3 with free throws, and the Vols missed a 3.

Tennessee's in a free fall, losers of four of its past five.

4. Take bow, Michigan State, plus Tuesday recaps

Sometimes, things are bigger than sports.

Michigan State took the Breslin Center court for the first time since the campus shooting in East Lansing last week and delivered one of its best wins of the season, beating No. 17 Indiana, 80-65. 

“It was definitely emotional," guard Tyson Walker said. “Everybody was involved in some way because everybody’s on campus. So, it was definitely good to go out there and play well for everybody."

Walker scored 23 points for the Spartans (17-10, 9-7 in Big Ten), who have won three of four. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Indiana (19-9, 19-7) couldn't match Michigan State's emotion.

Pittsburgh 76, Georgia Tech 68The Panthers (20-8, 13-4 in ACC) are just 0.5 game back of Miami and Virginia for first place. Four Panthers reached double figures led by 22 points from veteran guard Nelly Cummings. Props to Georgia Tech (11-17, 3-14) for keeping the Panthers within arms length for all 40 minutes. 

No. 13 Miami 76, Virginia Tech 70The Hurricanes (23-5, 14-4 in ACC) outlasted Virginia Tech (16-12, 6-1 in ACC) and stayed in the mix for first place in the ACC. Isaiah Wong struggled offensively, but Norchad Omier had a nice serving of glass for dinner, with 14 rebounds to go with his 17 points.

Texas Tech 74, Oklahoma 63Texas Tech (16-12, 5-10 in Big 12 ) extended its winning streak to four games — and have enhanced its NCAA Tournament hopes from a long shot to a possibility. Fardaws Aimaq scored 19 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. Oklahoma (13-15, 3-12) would probably have 17 or 18 wins, but it’s a hard-knock life in the Big 12. 

Villanova 64, No. 16 Xavier 63Winning at Xavier (20-8, 12-5, in Big East) means you don’t want to count out the Wildcats (14-14, 8-9) in the Big East Tournament. Justin Moore tore his Achilles 11 months ago in the NCAA Tournament — and looks back in his groove with 25 points on 10-13 shooting.

Missouri 66, Mississippi State 64Missouri improves to 20-8, 8-7 in SEC play thanks to Nick Honor’s overtime heroics. As for Mississippi State (18-10, 6-9), losing a Quad 1 game is a missed opportunity for a team who was on the outside looking in entering Tuesday.

Arkansas 97, Georgia 65We finally got a glimpse of what Arkansas (19-9, 8-7 in SEC) looks like with a (mostly) healthy Nick Smith Jr. He scored 26 points on 9-of-14 shooting in a blowout win over Georgia (16-12, 6-9). If Smith finally found his form after a barrage of injuries, Arkansas can make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament.

Utah State 65, Wyoming 55The Aggies (22-7, 11-4 in MWC) stay in the Big Dance conversation with a road win over Wyoming (8-19, 3-12), who played without coach Jeff Linder; he missed the game to be with his ailing father. Steven Ashworth led the Aggies with 19 points.

Ball State 82, Kent State 70A 50-point second-half outburst from Ball State (20-8, 11-4 in MAC) lifted the Cardinals past Kent State (22-6, 12-3.) Sophomore wing Jaylin Sellars scored 22 points in Ball State’s victory. What a sensational job by Michael Lewis to turn around a 14-win team to a 20-win team in one season.

Robert Morris 83, Youngstown State 64Robert Morris (15-15, 10-9 in Horizon) followed up its win over Milwaukee on Saturday with a resounding victory over Youngstown State (22-8, 14-5). The loss for Youngstown State drops their first-place lead to half a game, with Cleveland State slowly creeping in on first place. Nineteen points from Josh Corbin led the way for Robert Morris.

5. Lafayette coach Mike Jordan placed on leave

Lafayette announced Tuesday that coach Mike Jordan would be placed on paid leave while they investigate a complaint.

Jordan replaced program legend Fran O’Hanlon, who retired from coaching after 27 years with the Leopards. The Leopards have struggled in Jordan's first season, sitting at 9-20 overall and 7-9 in Patriot league action.

What's in Storrs for tonight

UConn's run the gamut this season. The Huskies (20-7, 9-7 in Big East) played better than anyone else in November and early December then lost five of six in January. However, they have since bounced back, winning four of the past five games heading into tonight's home game against Providence. Similarly, the Friars (20-7, 12-4) have won two of their past three contests, while scoring at least 85 points in the two wins. Tonight should be an incredible watch. (6:30 pm ET, FS1)

What else to watch (All times ET)

• Kentucky (18-9, 9-5 in SEC) at Florida (14-13, 7-7 in SEC), 7 pm (ESPN)

• Marshall (23-6, 12-4 in Sun Belt) at James Madison (20-9, 11-5), 7 pm (ESPN+)

Mountain top

Want to trigger an ACC fan? Tell them the Mountain West is a better basketball conference this season. That's a fun bar argument (if you don't believe the numbers), but the better question is how many teams will the league get into the NCAA Tournament? And will any of them win a game?

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Links as you Google Section 230.

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• Here's a thorny issue to wade into: How Title IX would affect college athletics if athletes were designated as employees.

• Oral Roberts' stellar season also is bringing out the home fans in record numbers.

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