Sunday Fun-games

Hope you caught your breath Saturday night after the penultimate day of the regular season. Because Sunday immediately picked up with more action-packed college basketball games. Buzzer-beaters, comebacks, first-time tourney berths, the topsy-turvy Big Ten — it had a little bit of everything. 

You know, a lot like the NCAA Tournament, so make sure you're ready for that fun, and join The Field of 68's Bracket Challenge. It's free to join and you could win a share of $1500 in prizes!

Let's get to the news.

1. Packed Sabbath

It's fitting that on the Lord's Day, we witnessed a holy trinity of wild finishes.

Let's start in Memphis. Houston probably could've survived a road loss to the Tigers and stayed on the 1-line. So the Coogs started the contest firing, using a barrage of triples from Marcus Sasser, Tramon Mark and Jamal Shead to build a nine-point lead at the half.

However, Memphis mobilized in the final 20, locking down on defense and controlling the glass. And when Kendric Davis hit a deep transition 3 with 13:33 left in the game, he gave the Tigers their first lead as the crowd erupted like Mount Vesuvius.

From that point, neither team could pull away. The score was tied four times, including another clutch Davis bucket that looked like it would send the game to overtime. Then this happened:

Shead's basket gave Houston the 67-65 win, finishing the regular season with a sterling 29-2 record. Nothing is guaranteed in the Big Dance, but I will almost certainly blind-pick the Coogs to the Final Four when the bracket releases.

Turning to Big Ten country, a pair of games came down to the wire. Both featured big-time comebacks with tournament implications.

Penn State kept its NCAA Tournament hopes alive, defeating Maryland 65-64. After falling behind by 35-19 in the first half and trailing by as many as 15 in the second, Penn State showed impressive resolve. And clutch jumpers. Lots and lots of clutch jumpers. Taylor Funk, Jalen Pickett and Seth Lundy all contributed massive baskets to chip away at Maryland's lead.

Then, with under two seconds, Camren Wynter snatched victory out of the jaws of the Terrapins.

Entering the game, Penn State sat among the last four in or the first four out in most bracketology prognostications. This Q1 win might've been enough to push them solidly into the field.

Michigan, on the other hand, wasn't so lucky.

The Wolverines played well enough to win, especially in the second half. They torched the nets, averaging 1.4 (!!!) points per possession against a typically stout Indiana defense. Thanks to Kobe Bufkin, Jett Howard and Hunter Dickinson, Michigan built a 12-point lead with 13 minutes to play. 

However, at that moment, Trayce Jackson-Davis made his NPOY case. The senior assisted on or scored 17 of Indiana's next 24 points as the Hoosiers went up by one with under three minutes to go. Michigan re-claimed the lead on Kobe Bufkin's free throws and a Hunter Dickinson hook shot, but a Jalen Hood-Schifino 3 forced overtime. IU controlled the extra period, winning 75-73.

The loss effectively extinguished the Wolverines' at-large hopes. This week in Chicago presents an opportunity — but they have to get through a gauntlet to even make the Big Ten championship game. See what our experts think today at 5 pm ET by tuning into Fielding the 68.

2. Three more tickets punched

At least one "UNC" will play in the NCAA TournamentTo all the UNC Asheville fans out there: crack open your favorite Wicked Weed beer and celebrate because your team is dancing for the first time since 2016.

The Bulldogs toppled Campbell, 73-77, in the Big South championship game and secured the auto bid. The win accentuated an incredible rebuilding job by coach Mike Morrell. In just five seasons, he transformed Asheville from a four-win team into a regular-season and conference tournament champion. 

Of course, he had a little help from Drew Pember. The Big South Player of the Year was his usual dominant self, posting a 29-point, eight-rebound and three-block stat line.

And somehow, his play wasn't even the most important for the Bulldogs. That title belongs to Tajion Jones, who scored 19 second-half points (7-of-8 from the field) to erase a 14-point Campbell lead. His timely 3s induced euphoria among the Asheville fans in the stands. 

The Bulldogs project as a 15-seed in our latest Fielding the 68 bracketology. While this will be their fifth program NCAA Tournament appearance, they have yet to win a game. Upsets of the 2-15 variety are rare, but there is an outside shot that this could be Asheville's year.

Kennesaw State has its first danceIn yet another thriller, Kennesaw State defeated Liberty, 67-66, to earn the program's first NCAA Tournament berth. The Owls capitalized on a frigid night from Darius McGhee (6-of-21 from the field, 0-of-11 from 3) and used strong showings from Terrell Burden and Chris Youngblood to win the ASUN Tournament.

Like Morrell, coach Amir Abdur-Rahim manufactured an unbelievable turnaround. Since moving to Division I in 2006, Kennesaw State had never won more than 14 games in a season. Moreover, in Abdur-Rahim's first year on the job (2019-20), the Owls won one (1!) game. Fast forward three years, and they're 26-8 and working toward a Cinderella run.

(For more on Abdur-Rahim, I highly recommend this feature from Eli Boettger at Heat Check CBB.)

Drake Takes Care of BradleyOne week after losing in Peoria, the Bulldogs exacted revenge and obliterated the Braves, 77-51. The game was never close, as Drake raced out to a 21-7 lead in less than 10 minutes of action.

There's reason to believe Drake's momentum can sustain beyond Arch Madness. The Bulldogs make 36.7 of their 3-point attempts, rank top 60 nationally in effective field goal percentage and boast a top 50 defense. Plus, they also deploy the Mo Valley's best player in Tucker DeVries, who's a legitimate NBA prospect. 

If I was a fan of a 5-seed team, I would be a certified worried boy if they drew Drake as the 12. 

3. Mark Adams suspended ahead of Big 12 Tournament

Yesterday afternoon, Texas Tech announced the suspension of coach Mark Adams following "inappropriate, unacceptable, and racially insensitive" comments directed toward his players. Per the release, Tech's AD found out about the incident earlier in the weekend, then suspended Adams to further investigate his actions.

Jeff Goodman provided a more detailed report on the suspension, complete with quotes from Adams. Per Goodman/Stadium, the coach claims his comments regarding "masters" and "servants" were drawn from Bible passages and misunderstood. Additionally, Adams "[had] not apologized" to the team as of Friday night, which contradicts the university's statement (with the qualifier that he may have done so Saturday or Sunday).

Moreover, the Stadium report cites another cause for suspension: Adams allegedly spat on a player earlier in the season. One source said the coach was unrepentant in the incident, while Adams attributed it to a "bad cough." 

So what does all this mean for his future in Lubbock? Well, the Red Raiders' on-court results (16-15, 5-13 in Big 12) certainly don't do him any favors. And if there is any validity to these accusations — which it sounds like there is — it's reasonable to expect Tech to move on.

Hear the AFTER DARK crew weigh in:

4. Accolades announced for the Big 12 and Big East

The Big 12 and the Big East became the first high-major conferences to release their all-conference teams and awards. 

Can't say I have too many gripes with this list. The surprise was Flagler's unanimous selection — not because of a lack of skill, but because he shares the backcourt with a flashier player in Keyonte George. Although Flagler posted a higher assist number and field goal percentage, I'm shocked that George's highlight-reel plays didn't steal some first-team votes from his teammate.

(You can find the rest of the awards here, including Wilson as POY.)

Six players made the All-Big East First Team, including Tyler Kolek and Bryce Hopkins as unanimous selections.

Again, no major complaints with this list — though John Fanta doesn't understand how one player wasn't a unanimous choice.

Interestingly enough, the most intriguing debate may regard three second-teamers who could've challenged for the first team: Colby Jones from Xavier and Oso Ighodaro and Kam Jones from Marquette. One could argue that Ighodaro or Jones deserved the spot over Sanogo based on team success (and, for Ighodaro, his indispensable role as the playmaking hub for the Golden Eagles.) Still, such is the curse of playing in a really good league. Some players are going to get left off. 

The Big East will announce Player of the Year, Freshman of the Year and other awards on March 8th.

5. Other results to know

Okay, I lied in the first headline. There were a couple more wild finishes on Sunday — and not just in the conference tournament games.

Purdue (26-5, 15-5 in Big Ten) and Illinois (20-11, 11-9) provided another example of the unpredictable Big Ten. The Boilermakers led by as many as 24 in the second half, but a rash of fouls and turnovers almost undid them. Terrence Shannon and Matthew Mayer scored 11 a piece in the game's final 20 minutes as the Illini battled to tie the game with 1:17 remaining.

However, as he has done numerous times this season, Zach Edey delivered in crunch time. The behemoth scored the go-ahead basket on an up-and-under, and Purdue held on for the win, 76-71.

Nebraska 81, Iowa 77Iowa's defense looked especially porous, as Nebraska (16-15, 9-11 in Big Ten) averaged 1.23 points per possession. This Huskers team ranks just 146th nationally in offensive efficiency, per KenPom. Not what the Hawkeyes (19-12, 11-9) want heading into the postseason. Nebraska, on the other hand, has won five of its past six and could spoil some hopes in the Big Ten Tournament. 

Northwestern 65, Rutgers 53What a season for Chris Collins and Northwestern (21-10, 12-8 in Big Ten). After being picked last in the Big Ten preseason poll, the Wildcats finished second in the league. Boo Buie again set the tone for the team, scoring all 14 of his points in the second half. Meanwhile, Rutgers (18-13, 10-10) has cratered, losing six of its past eight games. It desperately needs a couple of wins in the conference tourney to regain momentum.

Tulane 83, Temple 82Jalen Cook contributed 24 points on 10-of-16 shooting, but it was RJ McGee who won the game for the Green Wave (19-10, 12-6 in AAC.) The junior wing hit the game-winning free throws to defeat Temple (16-15, 10-8) and give Ron Hunter his 500th career win.

Northern Arizona 81, Eastern Washington 80A stunner in the Big Sky tournament! The top-seeded Eagles (22-10) hadn't even lost a conference game until Feb. 25. And now, thanks to Oakland Fort's heroics, the favorites are headed home early.

Fort finished with 15 off the bench, while Xavier Fuller lead Northern Arizona (11-22) with 16 points.

More conference tournament results:

• Big Sky (quarterfinals): Montana State 84, Northern Colorado 73

• CAA (quarterfinals): Charleston 74, Stony Brook 52; Hofstra 94, William & Mary 46; Towson 86, Delaware 60; UNC Wilmington 73, Drexel 68

• Patriot (semifinals): Colgate 97, Army 74; Lafayette 84, American 76 (OT)

• Sun Belt (semifinals): South Alabama 75, James Madison 66; Louisiana 64, Texas State 58

• SoCon (semifinals): Chattanooga 74, Wofford 62; Furman 83, Western Carolina 80 (OT)

• Southland (1st round): McNeese State 79, Texas A&M Commerce 78; New Orleans 90, Houston Christian 69

• Summit (quarterfinals): St. Thomas 67, Western Illinois 60; North Dakota State 70, South Dakota 68

Can CofC go 3-for-3?

Charleston has a chance at an at-large bid. But something tells me Pat Kelsey's squad doesn't want to leave its fate to the committee. However, to reach the CAA Championship game, it must go through Towson. Now, the Cougars have already thwarted the Tigers twice — but beating them a third time will be no easy feat. Towson finished the season top-5 in the CAA in offensive and defensive efficiency. It has a wing who can cause matchup issues in Cameron Holden and a sweet shooting guard in Nicolas Timberlake. Plus, after holding second-half leads in both losses to Charleston, Towson knows it has the chops to emerge victorious. (8:30 pm ET, CBS Sports Network)

Other games to watch (all times ET):

• Sun Belt Finals: (8) South Alabama vs. (2) Louisiana, 7 pm, ESPN2

• SoCon Finals: (7) Chattanooga vs. (1) Furman, 7 pm, ESPN

• CAA Semifinals: (4) UNC Wilmington vs. (1) Hofstra, 6 pm, CBSSN

• Horizon Semifinals: (4) Northern Kentucky vs. (1) Youngstown State, 7 pm, ESPNU

• Horizon Semifinals: (3) Cleveland State vs. (2) Milwaukee, 9:30 pm, ESPN2

• WCC Semifinals: (5) BYU vs. (1) Saint Mary's, 9 pm, ESPN

• WCC Semifinals: (6) San Francisco vs. (2) Gonzaga, 11:30 pm, ESPN

The two title favorites?

UCLA's been the sneaky national title pick for a few weeks. But with Jaylen Clark's injury, can the Bruins still be considered among the favorites? And what about the defending champs? The AFTER DARK crew weighs in.

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

Links to click as you make plans to see Creed III (in case your team doesn't make the tournament)

• UCLA is awaiting the MRI results of star wing Jaylen Clark, who left Saturday's win against Arizona with a leg injury.

• The WCC hired Stu Jackson as its new commissioner. Jackson previously worked in leadership for the Big East.

• Xavier's Zach Freemantle is out for the rest of the year.

• Austin Peay moved on from Nate James after two seasons.

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