ICYMI (post-Super Bowl version)

A special welcome to football fans just now tuning in to college hoops! We have what you need to catch up on the sport, as Selection Sunday is less than a month away.

In this post-Super Bowl edition of the Daily, we'll focus on the season's biggest storylines for the newcomers, complete with some interesting factoids for the die-hards who have been reading since June. And for those interested in an eight-week crash course to prep for the NCAA Tournament, try The Field of 68 Premium, which provides exclusive weekend content and essential NCAA tourney previews.

Let's get to the news.

1. Who will win the Big 12?

We'll start in the nation's best conference, the Big 12, which leads all leagues in KenPom's conference rankings for the third straight season. With eight teams ranked in the top 30 of the NET, close contests characterized the conference for the first month and a half of play.

And now, as teams have settled in, the regular-season title race has become particularly exhilarating.

The reigning champs, Kansas, raced out to a 5-0 start before a three-game skid dampened its hopes. But since a Jan. 23 loss at Baylor, the Jayhawks have come up clutch. They've won four of their past five to get back in the Big 12 title race, including Saturday's 78-55 rout of Oklahoma in Norman. Most noticeably, Kansas has ratcheted up its defense over the past three weeks — during the five-game stretch, it has not surrendered more than 1.05 points per possession in any contest.

Additionally, Bill Self may have found a new interior enforcer in Ernest Udeh.

The 6-11 freshman logged a season-high 17 minutes against the Sooners, logging eight points, two steals and two steals. If he continues to emerge, he will provide a nice foil to 6-7, 225-pound big man KJ Adams.

The lineup versatility will only benefit Kansas as it strives to catch the Big 12 leaders, Texas. Despite their mid-season coaching change, the Longhorns have responded admirably to Gus Fring-dead-ringer Rodney Terry.

The interim frontman has his team competing on both ends of the floor, but it has been most remarkable on the offensive end. Behind Marcus Carr's stellar play, Texas has risen to second in league play (and 11th nationally) in offensive efficiency. The super-duper senior gives Terry an assassin late in the shot clock, and he also plays well off of other stars, like power wing Timmy Allen.

But Carr hasn't been the only contributor in the backcourt: New Mexico State transfer Sir'Jabari Rice might be the country's best sixth man. The 6-4 guard scored 24 points on just six (6!) shots in Saturday's 94-60 dismantling of West Virginia. (Also, his shot fake will shake you out of your Nikes.) Talk about making the most of your minutes.

Finally, Baylor could crash the party, as its 8-4 Big 12 record ties with Kansas for second place. The Bears started 0-3 in conference play but have rattled off nine wins in their past 10 contests — a 72-68 victory at TCU over the weekend the latest triumph. And future pros in their backcourt may give them the best shot at a national title out of the three.

2. Tower(s) of terror

The country's biggest man stands among the sport's biggest storylines — I'm talking about Purdue's Zach Edey, the 7-4 behemoth who has ruled the roost since the season tipped off.

After two years in a supporting role, Edey stepped into the limelight, seizing his opportunity as the Boilermakers' bellwether. The Canadian center increased his minutes share from 49.6 percent in Big Ten play as a sophomore to 80.5 percent this year, and his efficiency stayed at a sky-high level. Take a look at his conference-only numbers from the past two seasons.

Edey is averaging an otherworldly 22.1 points (fifth in D-I) and 13.2 rebounds (second) while shooting 62.6 percent from the field. He has developed into the game's most unstoppable force.

His defensive improvements have been a marvel as well — opponents only attempt 25 percent of their field goals at the rim with him on the court, compared to 33.2 percent when he is off, per Hoop-Explorer. And Edey isn't just altering shots, as his high block percentage (51st in the country) attests.

Sunday's bout with stingy Northwestern marked his latest formidable effort. Although the Wildcats narrowly edged the Boilermakers, Edey still had 24 points, nine rebounds and three blocks. (His three late-game turnovers were his first big blunders of the season.) Thus, the road loss shouldn't bother Purdue fans too much. Despite an unheralded supporting cast, Edey has solidified the Boilermakers into national title contenders.

It might be a "guard's game," but the attention he commands opens up the floor for his teammates to shine.

Two hours south, down I-65, you'll find perhaps the country's second-best player. Indiana's Trayce Jackson-Davis has improved in almost every statistical category in his senior season, as the Hoosiers sit behind only Purdue in the Big Ten standings.

The high-flying athleticism that distinguished him as an underclassman is still there. But more impressively, TJD has refined himself as a passer. Most teams have no choice but to double him in the post, and he routinely makes them pay. After posting a 13.4 assist rate in Big Ten play last season, Jackson-Davis has nearly doubled that number (26.1 percent.)

In Saturday's 62-61 comeback win at Michigan, TJD posted a 28-point, 9-rebound, 3-assist and 2-block stat line just four days after his history-making night against Rutgers. He's IU's most important player since Victor Oladipo, and he has a chance to become its most beloved of the post-Bobby Knight era. He just has to spur the Hoosiers on a March run.

3. Alabama and the erratic SEC

With Purdue's loss to Northwestern, Alabama will almost certainly occupy the No. 1 spot when the AP Poll drops later today. With a sterling 12-0 record in SEC play, one finds it tough to argue their ranking.

The Crimson Tide play at the second-fastest tempo in the country and rank 24th in 3-point attempt rate and 34th in free-throw rate. With Nate Oats' signature run-and-gun style, Alabama scores in bunches, crushing the spirit of its opponents. (It ranks first in the SEC in adjusted offensive efficiency by a substantial margin.)

But thanks to its stifling defense, it can still rack up wins, even when shots aren't falling. That was the case in its 77-69 win at Auburn. Hear the AFTER DARK crew break it down in more detail:

Perhaps most impressively, Alabama has risen to the top relying on a quartet of freshmen. Brandon Miller garners most of the headlines due to his 6-8 frame and bucket-getting skill set, but Jaden Bradley's playmaking and Noah Clowney's versatile defense have also been essential to the Tide's successes. But pay special attention to first-year wing Rylan Griffen; after seeing increased minutes over the past month, the freshman turned in a breakout performance against the rival Tigers.

With the lead Alabama has built, any SEC challenger will need a rabbit's foot, a horseshoe, a vial of Chupacabra blood — whatever your lucky charm and/or relic of choice — to catch up. Just two weeks ago, Tennessee looked like a worthy contender. However, three losses in its past four games have submarined the Vols' chances at a league title.

Two of the Vols' losses occurred on buzzer beaters — most recently, an 86-85 loss to Missouri in Thompson-Boling Arena. But their defensive slippage (1.12 points per possession surrendered to Vanderbilt, 1.34 to Mizzou) gives the most cause for concern. Their offense is too volatile to maintain a high level of play if the defense cannot suffocate their foes.

4. Atlantic Coast inConsistency

For the second straight season, the advanced metrics have painted a not-so-pretty picture for the ACC.

The bottom of the league is next-level putrid, but most of the teams at the top haven't been world-beaters, either. In particular, the blue bloods on Tobacco Road can't seem to find consistency.

Take Duke, for instance. The Blue Devils' week began with a nightmarish outing at Miami on Monday, then ended in frustration Saturday at Virginia. A blown call on Kyle Filipowski as time expired erased an opportunity for Duke to win at the free-throw line. Then, in overtime, the Hoos pulled away for the 69-62 victory.

A head-scratching, admitted error from the refs notwithstanding, Duke still has issues to iron out. For example, it turned the ball over 22 times vs. Virginia after coughing it up 21 times in Coral Gables. Additionally, Filipowski's production has oscillated between good and bad over the past six weeks. The freshman 7-footer has shot just 41.7 percent from the field since the start of 2023, including an 0-for-6 evening in Charlottesville.

Meanwhile, Duke's counterparts in Chapel Hill have been so confounding that Benoit Blanc couldn't even solve the case. The Tar Heels looked dead during a loss to Wake Forest on Tuesday before turning in their best game of the season in Saturday's 91-71 rout of Clemson. Against the ACC's top defense, North Carolina scored its most points per possession since a Nov. 11 win over Charleston.

Chalk that up to Caleb Love returning to March-of-2022 form. And it wasn't just his offensive fireworks; Love also held Clemson's Chase Hunter to 3-of-16 from the floor.

"(Tar Heels' assistant) Coach (Jeff Lebo) gave me that assignment, and he's always telling me 'stay dialed in,' because I can, you know, sometimes off the ball, I'll get relaxed and take a deep breath," Love told me after the Clemson win. "But I wanted to stay dialed the whole time I was on the floor. I take everything personal, as far as the defensive end, and I'm trying to take that up a notch."

If he keeps up these types of performances, UNC can perhaps live up to its preseason hype. But it doesn't get any easier for the Heels going forward. They face Miami tonight before venturing 40 minutes west to NC State on Sunday.

Oddly enough — and this will really shock the football folks — Pitt might be the best bet to win the conference. The Panthers took care of Florida State on Saturday to move to 11-3 and have just one big test (at Miami on Mar. 4) left on their schedule.

5. Other storylines and notable games

The weekend's marquee matchup in the Big East pitted two teams on opposite trajectories: Creighton, winners of seven straight, and UConn, who entered the contest at .500 since the calendar turned to January.

On its home court, Creighton (17-8, 11-3 in Big East) kept the pace slow and turned the game into a defensive grind — and that style favored the Bluejays. Ryan Kalkbrenner may have scored just 12 points, but his late-game steal on an entry pass (his third of the day) helped seal the W. The Bluejays now boast the fifth-longest winning streak in the country (eight) after the 56-53 victory. Meanwhile, UConn (19-7) fell to 8-7 in league play.

Oklahoma State 64, Iowa State 56Make that five straight wins for the 'Pokes (16-9, 7-5 in Big 12), who would find themselves in the NCAA Tournament if it started today. John-Michael Wright's shot-making made the difference in this one, as Iowa State (16-8, 7-5) dropped its fourth loss in five games.

Texas Tech 71, Kansas State 63Talk about a shocker in Lubbock. Kansas State (19-6, 7-5 in Big 12) couldn't overcome a cold night of shooting (6-of-26 from deep) and turnover issues (23.) The Red Raiders (13-12, 2-10) still have a ways to go to salvage the season, but at least they can celebrate a quality win.

UCLA 70, Oregon 63The Ducks' (15-11, 9-6 in Pac-12) tournament hopes took a major hit, as they couldn't hold on against the Bruins (21-4, 12-2.) Jermaine Couisnard hit some big shots in the first half to put Oregon up by as many as eight, but UCLA flipped the script after the intermission.

Stanford 88, Arizona 79Arizona (22-4, 11-4 in Pac-12) couldn't slow down Stanford (11-14, 5-9), as it matched its highest point total this year. Despite the Cardinal's ugly record, it was just a Q2 loss for the Wildcats.

Georgia 75, Kentucky 68Oof. Big Blue Nation had to be hurting after this. Kentucky's (16-9, 7-5 in SEC) momentum screeched to a halt as it dropped its second game of the week to an inferior Georgia team (15-10, 5-7). Five Bulldogs scored at least nine points against the Wildcats.

Gonzaga 88, BYU 81Gonzaga (21-5, 10-2 in WCC) yet again found itself down in the second half to a conference foe — this time at home. Rasir Bolton hit an enormous 3 down the stretch to deliver the dagger to BYU (16-12, 6-7.)

St. John's 73, Providence 68Bryce Hopkins continued his All-Big East caliber year with 29 points, but it wasn't enough for Providence (18-7, 10-4 in Big East) to topple St. John's (15-11, 5-10.) The Johnnies had lost five of six coming into the contest (including a surprising loss at Butler) and got their second big win of the season.

Illinois 69, Rutgers 60Rutgers (16-9, 8-6 in Big Ten) ended its road trip 0-2, falling to an Illinois team (17-7, 8-5) that got solid production along the interior. Coleman Hawkins scored 18 and Dain Dainja chipped in 15, and the Illini out-rebounded the Scarlet Knights by nine.

Vanderbilt 88, Florida 80Don't look now but the 'Dores (13-12, 6-6 in SEC) have won three in a row in conference play for the first time since 2017. Liam Robbins dominated the game with 32 points, nine boards and four blocks, dealing a crushing blow to Florida's (13-12, 6-6) NCAA Tournament hopes.

Norfolk State 76, Maryland Eastern Shore 73Norfolk State (17-7, 6-2 in MEAC) pulled within one game of Howard in the MEAC after its road win over UMES (14-9, 6-2). Joe Bryant hit six triples against the Hawks' dogged defense and ended their seven-game winning streak.

Wake Forest 71, Georgia Tech 70The Demon Deacons (17-9, 9-6 in ACC) averted disaster after trailing Georgia Tech (9-16, 2-13) by five with two minutes left. In the game's final minute, Tyree Appleby drew a foul with Wake down two, drained both free throws, and helped the Deacs escape with a victory.

Portland State 88, Northern Arizona 86In the Big Sky world, Portland State (11-15, 5-8) nailed one of the most insane buzzer-beaters you'll see all year.

Northern Arizona's tough season continued, as it lost its fifth one-possession conference game (7-20, 3-11.)

Milwaukee 80, Oakland 77Milwaukee (18-8, 12-4 in Horizon) bounced back from its loss over Green Bay to move into a first-place tie with Youngstown State in the Horizon. The two will square off this Thursday.

Colgate 76, Bucknell 56The Raiders (19-8, 13-1 in Patriots) clinched at least a share of the conference crown and can clinch it outright with a win Wednesday against Army. It would be their four title in the last five seasons. Tucker Richardson led Colgate with 19 points, while Keegan Records at 17.

Utah Valley 90, Southern Utah 83Le'Tre Douthard scored 31 points as the Wolverines (20-6, 11-2 in WAC) outran the Thunderbirds (17-9, 9-4) for a key win in the WAC title race. Next up for Utah Valley is a game at second-place Seattle U on Saturday. A win there would essentially lock up the regular-season crown.

New Mexico State's season is done

On Friday, New Mexico State announced its halting of men's basketball activities in the wake of an investigation of hazing allegations within the program. Two days later, the university shut the season down. Additionally, the entire coaching staff, including first-year head coach Greg Heiar, has been issued administrative leave amid other serious accusations.

This isn't the first controversy in the NMSU program this season. In December, Aggies forward Mike Peake was suspended for his involvement in an altercation that resulted in the shooting and death of a student at the University of New Mexico.

Two months later, the hazing allegations are bad enough the administration said enough is enough. Jeff Goodman shared more insight on Saturday's AFTER DARK.

Team of the week: Northwestern Wildcats

Northwestern followed up its road win at Ohio State with a victory over No. 1 Purdue in Evanston (its first win over a No. 1 in program history.) The Wildcats' defense harassed the Boilers' guards all afternoon, and Chase Audige hit the go-ahead 3 with under two minutes to go in the game. Boo Buie was also excellent, scoring 26 points and dishing three assists.

Player of the week: Antoine Davis, Detroit Mercy

Two games, two forty-burgers for Davis this week. The 6-1 guard scored 41 in the Titans' close loss to Milwaukee on Thursday, then turned in a 42-point outing in a win at Green Bay on Saturday.

Weekend warrior: Le'Tre Darthard, Utah Valley

The Wolverines sit alone at the top of the WAC, thanks in part to Darthard's brilliance in Saturday's win over Southern Utah. The 6-4 guard poured in 31 points, hitting 16 of his whopping 17 free throw attempts.

Keeping the heel on the gas

After snapping its three-game losing streak against Clemson, can North Carolina (16-9, 8-6 in ACC) continue its momentum against Miami (20-5, 11-4)? The 'Canes boast the country's ninth-most efficient offense, predicated on the hot shooting of Isaiah Wong and Nijel Pack. But Pittsburgh and Duke are the only teams to leave Chapel Hill with wins over the past two seasons. Don't be surprised to see the Heels feed Armando Bacot early and often with hopes of exposing Miami's size disadvantage. (7 pm ET, ESPN)

Other games to watch:

• West Virginia (15-10, 4-8 in Big 12), at Baylor (19-6, 8-4), 9 pm (ESPN2)

• Texas Tech (13-12, 2-10), at Texas (20-5, 9-3), 9 pm (ESPN)

Sleeper title contenders

Purdue, Alabama and Houston are the easy choices when it comes to picking a team to win the 2023 NCAA Tournament. But who are the other teams that could cut down the nets? John Fanta lists his tier of teams who could win, including some sleepers you shouldn't overlook.

Subscribe to The Field of 68 AFTER DARK on YouTube and click here subscribe to the AFTER DARK podcast.

Links to click as you search the sky for more UFOs

• A brawl broke out in the UC Davis-UC Santa Barbara game on Saturday.

• Texas' Timmy Allen celebrated Valentine's Day early with a young fan.

• ACC commissioner Jim Phillips sent out an email asking the league's coaches not to call out the refs. That aged like milk.

• New Mexico State's Kyle Feit entered the transfer portal.

• UT Arlington fired coach Greg Young.

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