Your 🏀 weekend primer

It's almost time. Friday marks regular-season finales for the Sun Belt and ASUN, and a few others join on Saturday. Postseason basketball is nearing, in all its glory.

Buckle up, and let's get to the news.

1. Illinois overcomes Boo (Buie) for monster rally

It's cliché, but "a tale of two halves" describes what happened in Champaign on Thursday night.

No. 21 Northwestern led 37-19 as Boo Buie outscored Illinois by himself in the first half with 22 points. The Wildcats seemed poised to stay on Purdue's heels in the Big Ten race.

But Terrence Shannon and the Fighting Illini had other plans. They turned up the defensive heat in the second half, forcing anyone but Buie to beat them. He finished with a career-high 35 points but scored just three in the final 12 minutes. Illinois' 22-5 run gave it the lead with just over two minutes left, and it held on for a 66-62 victory.

Shannon finished with 26 points on 8-of-10 shooting (24 in the second half), including 4-of-5 from 3-point range. Most importantly, Northwestern scored just 25 points in the final 20 minutes.

It's hard to get a read on Illinois (19-9, 10-7 in Big Ten). In some games, the Illini are as good as it gets (they've beaten UCLA and Texas), and in some games, they're average as grits. They don't have any bad losses, but they have yet to string together a winning streak of more than four games. Are they a contender or just a good team with flaws?

The same might apply to Northwestern (20-8, 11-6), which nearly got a huge road win. Buie is terrific, but it's hard to trust the rest of the roster. Chase Audige is inconsistent. He had just seven points on 3-of-14 shooting. He hasn't shot better than 50 percent in a game since Jan. 28. The four starters not named Buie combined for 5-of-26 from the field. The Wildcats have the defense and the go-to scorer to make some noise in March, but they need to find that extra scoring punch to make it happen.

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2. NET rankings may decide WCC Tournament 1 seed

One of the most anticipated games of this weekend is No. 12 Gonzaga (24-5, 13-2 in WCC) hosting No. 15 Saint Mary's (25-5, 14-1), with the WCC regular-season title on the line. The Gaels won the first matchup in Moraga in overtime, thanks to some heroic shot-making from freshman Aidan Mahaney.

If Thursday was any indication, both teams are primed and ready for the showdown.

Both built 20-plus point leads in the first 25 minutes en route to easy wins. Gonzaga defeated San Diego, 97-72, behind 22 points and 13 rebounds from Drew Timme. And Saint Mary's handled Pacific, 83-52, thanks to 29 points and seven assists from Logan Johnson.

On the surface, the stakes are clear. If Saint Mary's gets the sweep, they're the outright WCC regular-season champions and the 1-seed in the conference tournament. And if Gonzaga wins, they're tied and share the trophy. But who would be the 1-seed?

The usual tiebreaker is record against opponents at the top of the standings. Both teams lost to the same lone opponent, LMU. The next tiebreaker is NET rankings. On Thursday's update (which will change by the time of publication), Saint Mary's was No. 8, and Gonzaga was No. 10.

Do the Bulldogs need to blow out the Gaels on Saturday to overtake them in the NET? Maybe. But if that happened, and for some reason, it still isn't enough, expect Gonzaga fans to be irate. Either way, it will be an entertaining game, both on the court and on the spreadsheet, in case the Zags win at home. (Saturday, 10 pm ET, ESPN)

Other results to know from Thursday

Penn State 75, Ohio State 71The Nittany Lions (17-11, 8-9 in Big Ten) avoided a road loss, but it wasn't without some last-second drama. Jalen Pickett led Penn State with 23 points. The freshmen (Brice Sensabaugh and Bruce Thornton) played well for Ohio State (11-17, 3-14), combining for 39 points, but this is now nine straight losses for the Buckeyes.

Michigan 58, Rutgers 45In a game with scant offense, Michigan (16-12, 10-7 in Big Ten) made a late run for a much-needed win. The young guards of Dug McDaniel and Kobe Bufkin combined for 30 points in the game, outplaying the veterans for Rutgers (17-11, 9-8).

USC 84, Colorado 65This was a Quad 1 win for USC (20-8, 12-5 in Pac 12), which needed it for its bubble hopes. Boogie Ellis had 21 points, while Reese Dixon-Waters chipped in with 15 off the bench.

No. 4 UCLA 78, Utah 71UCLA (24-4, 15-2 in Pac-12) held on after building a double-digit halftime lead. Veterans Jaime Jaquez and Tyger Campbell led the way, scoring 23 and 18 points, respectively. Shoutout to Mike Saunders, who had a career-high 25 points off the bench for the Utes (17-12, 10-8).

College of Charleston 83, Towson 75The Cougars, down by 10 points midway through the second half, managed a big rally and remain tied for first in the CAA. Six players had 12-plus points for Charleston (27-3, 15-2 in CAA), including 12 from Pat Robinson. Towson (19-11, 11-6) wasted a career effort from Nicolas Timberlake, whose 34 points led all scorers.

Memphis 83, Wichita State 78In a game they couldn't afford to lose, the shorthanded Tigers (21-7, 11-4 AAC) found a way to get past feisty Wichita State. Kendric Davis looked fairly healthy since his ankle injury, scoring 19 points on 6-of-14 shooting. Deandre Williams had 18 points and nine rebounds.

Charlotte 55, North Texas 49Whatever hopes of an at-large bid North Texas (23-6, 14-4 in CUSA) had is gone, losing to a solid Charlotte team (17-11, 8-9). The Mean Green shot just 39 percent from the field, and the 49ers, led by 14 points from Brice Williams, had just enough offense to get by.

Northern Kentucky 67, Detroit Mercy 64Antoine Davis had 27 points in the loss, right at his D-I leading average of 27.9 ppg. He's scored in double figures in all 141 games that he's played, an NCAA record. And he's just 98 shy of the all-time D-I scoring mark (3,667). He's guaranteed at least two more games and could get one of the bottom two teams in the Horizon League (IUPUI, Green Bay) to try and get an extra game for Detroit (13-17, 9-10 Horizon).

IUPUI 81, Robert Morris 75Just 48 hours after beating the Horizon League's No. 1 team (Youngstown State), RMU (15-16, 10-10 Horizon) lost to the worst team in IUPUI (5-25, 2-17). Kahliel Spear had 27 points to lead all scorers, but DJ Jackson scored 24, including a perfect 10-of-10 from the charity stripe, to ice the game late to give the Jaguars their second win in league play.

Merrimack 70, Central Connecticut 54The good news for the Warriors is that they clinched the Northeast Conference regular-season title thanks to 19 points from Jordan Minor. The bad news is that due to the 4-year transition rule from the NCAA, Merrimack (14-16, 11-4) is ineligible for the NCAA Tournament, even if they win the conference tournament.

Tarleton State 77, Utah Valley 58In one of the more surprising results of the night, Tarleton (15-14, 9-8 in WAC) ran up a 15-point halftime lead on the WAC's top team and easily beat first-place UVU (21-7, 12-3). Freddy Hicks led all scorers with 17 points.

Eastern Washington 89, Weber State 82The Eagles have officially clinched a Big Sky regular-season title, scoring 48 points in the second half after trailing at halftime. Casey Jones led all scorers with 25 points on the night for EWU (22-7, 16-0 in Big Sky). They remain one of two teams without a conference loss on the season, joining Oral Roberts of the Summit League (more on them later in the Daily).

Milwaukee 96, Purdue-Fort Wayne 94All 10 starters scored in double figures, but the standout was BJ Freeman, who got a triple-double (19 pts, 12 rebounds and 11 assists) for Milwaukee (19-10, 13-6 in Horizon), which guaranteed itself a top 4 seed in the Horizon League Tournament.

UC Santa Barbara 78, Long Beach State 73The Gauchos (21-7, 12-5 in Big West) stayed alive in the conference race thanks to a win over a sneaky-good Long Beach State team (15-14, 9-8). All-league guard Ajay Mitchell led all scorers with 28 points for UC Santa Barbara, which is half a game behind UC Riverside for second place.

UC San Diego 99, UC Irvine 91The Anteaters (20-9, 13-4 in Big West) erupted for 62 points in the second half — and somehow, that wasn't enough. UC-San Diego (10-19, 5-12) pulled off one of the biggest shockers in the Big West, with three different players scoring 20-plus points. Irvine still leads the league by half a game with three left to play.

3. Title game races that'll be decided this weekend

ASUN: Kennesaw State and Liberty are 14-3 and tied for first ahead of Friday's regular-season finales. Liberty hosts Queens, which just knocked off Kennesaw State. The Owls are at Central Arkansas, which is 4-13 and second to last in the standings. Kennesaw State holds the tiebreaker for the 1-seed in the ASUN Tournament thanks to a head-to-head win over the Flames.

CAA: Both College of Charleston and Hofstra are 15-2 in league play with one game left. The Cougars take on Stony Brook, who is 6-11 in league play, while the Pride faces another 6-11 team in Northeastern. Barring a shocking upset, Hofstra would capture the tiebreaker and the 1-seed due to an 85-81 win over Charleston in their lone matchup.

Conference USA: With North Texas falling, Florida Atlantic has the chance to seize the C-USA regular-season title with a home win Saturday against UTEP. More importantly, they must keep winning and avoid a bad loss to get closer to the at-large bubble picture.

Horizon League: Four teams are still within range of grabbing at least a share of the regular-season title, with Youngstown State and Cleveland State at 14-5, while Milwaukee and Northern Kentucky are one game back at 13-6. The loser of Cleveland State and Milwaukee (Saturday, 8 pm ET) will be eliminated if the Penguins win (at IUPUI, Saturday at 7 pm ET.) NKU plays at Oakland (Saturday at 3 pm ET).

MAAC: Iona had a couple of rough patches early on due to injury, but it remains the team to beat in the MAAC. The Gaels are two games up on Siena and Rider, with a matchup with Siena on Sunday. If Iona wins that contest and Rider loses this weekend, Rick Pitino will have another regular-season title.

Pac-12: UCLA is up two games on Arizona ahead of a matchup next weekend. But if the Bruins beat Colorado on Sunday, and the Wildcats can't beat Arizona State at home, the regular-season title will be decided. This would also impact the 2-seed in the West Region of the NCAA Tournament.

SoCon: Samford (15-2 in league play) has a one-game lead over Furman and UNC Greensboro. It hosts Furman this weekend in the top mid-major matchup. If Samford gets that win, they have the solo title. A loss creates a scenario where the No. 1 seed would be determined by head-to-head results and records against conference teams. If both of those fail, they turn to the NET rankings.

Southland: Texas A&M-Corpus Christi lost on Thursday and is now tied with Northwestern State at 12-4. They play on Saturday, with the winner earning at least a share of the title. If A&M-CC triumphs, it'll be the 1-seed no matter what due to an earlier victory over the Demons.

Sun Belt: Marshall and Southern Miss are 13-4 in league play, with Louisiana just one game behind for Friday's finale. Marshall takes on a 10-7 Old Dominion on the road, Southern Miss is at 6-11 Texas State, while Louisiana host 9-8 South Alabama. And because these teams beat one another, the tiebreakers could get weird if the Cajuns are the lone team that wins.

4. Five champs you might have missed

With 363 D-I teams, you might not catch everything that happens in college hoops. Case in point: Five programs have already clinched their respective regular-season titles and, at worst, a spot in the NIT as an automatic bid. But these teams hope for something bigger.

Here's a closer look at each one.

UNC Asheville Bulldogs, Big SouthThe Bulldogs (23-7, 15-2) have been a perennial Big South contender but couldn't get out of the middle the past four years. And with the favorite for Conference Player of the Year in big man Drew Pember (20.4 ppg and 9.4 rpg), they'll be a dangerous team next month.

Asheville boasts one of the country's more efficient offenses (top-10 in 3-point shooting at 39 percent) and gets to the free-throw line at a high rate. They can be a bit reliant on Pember and the team's other double-digit scorer, Tajion Jones, and have only one top-100 win (UCF), but don't let that fool you. They have the pieces.

Morehead State Eagles, Ohio ValleySans Belmont and Murray State, the OVC has a new regular-season champ for the first time since 2009. And Morehead State (20-10, 13-4) did it without big man Johni Broome (now at Auburn.) In his place has been Alex Gross, a 6-10 and 250-pound beast from Olivet Nazarene (NAIA), averaging 12.0 ppg and 7.2 rpg.

Behind senior guard Mark Freeman (14.8 ppg and 3.7 apg), the Eagles have won 10 out of 11 games and will be the clear favorite in the OVC Tournament. But if they win it, they'll be a 16-seed due to the weakness of the league and their sub-200 NET ranking.

Colgate Raiders, Patriot LeagueUnder coach Matt Langel, the Raiders (22-8, 16-1) are one of the sport's most consistent winners. They've won four of the past five regular-season titles and have earned the Patriot League's last three NCAA tourney bids, including a near-upset of Wisconsin in 2022. With five double-digit scorers — four are seniors — Colgate has balance, experience and a potent offense. Their effective field goal percentage is tops on KenPom, and they lead the nation in 3-point shooting (40.6 percent).

Guard Tucker Richardson (14.3 ppg and 5.3 apg) is the star, while Oliver Lynch-Daniels (12.0 ppg) can't be left alone outside; he makes 51 percent of his 3s and shoots five a game. This team already has one win over a power conference opponent (80-68 vs. Syracuse) and will be a trendy pick in March if they claim the automatic bid.

Oral Roberts Golden Eagles, Summit LeagueOral Roberts (25-4, 17-0) is running away with its league and is one of two remaining teams yet to lose a conference game. It has one of the nation's top scorers in Max Abmas (22.8 ppg), who has four games of at least 30 points this season. The Eagles have a top-5 scoring offense, but the defense is what's different this season. Led by 7-3 center Connor Vanover, they block shots (he's second nationally with 3.4 bpg), giving their interior defense an edge.

Oral Roberts made the Sweet 16 in 2021 as a 15-seed, thanks to Abmas and Texas Tech forward Kevin Obanor. But its balance means they may be in an even better position to advance this time around if they make it. And if they do, they'll likely be the pick as a 12-5 upset.

Vermont Catamounts, America EastAfter starting 2-7 (2-2 in league play), Vermont (18-10, 12-2) has won 10 straight games. Not sure we'd expect anything else from the kings of America East. The Catamounts are one of the sport's oldest teams; its top six scorers are all seniors or super seniors. One includes Dylan Penn, a Bellarmine transfer, averaging 12.5 ppg on 52 percent shooting.

The Catamounts' experience and consistency under coach John Becker remain impressive. They're seeking back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances but might find themselves as a 15-seed if they make it. Still, this program has historically been a thorn in the sides of first-round opponents and has the experience to make things interesting yet again.

5. It's now or never

The term "must win" gets thrown around a lot. This isn't one of those times.

With just 2 to 3 more games remaining in the regular season, it's time for bubble teams to get meaningful Ws or face the daunting prospect of win-or-go-home outcomes of conference tournaments. To that end, here are five squads that must emerge victorious this weekend.

And if you need more, be sure to watch Fielding the 68, our bracketology show, today at 5 pm ET.

North Carolina: Home against VirginiaAfter rallying past Notre Dame on Wednesday, the Tar Heels (17-11, 9-8 in ACC) take on Virginia, as good of a chance for the Heels to get it together as any other. The Cavaliers (21-5, 13-4) lost to Boston College on Wednesday and haven't looked good in weeks. (The Hoos won the earlier game in Charlottesville, but Armando Bacot exited that contest a minute in due to an ankle injury.)

UNC is desperate for a Quad 1 win. Yes, a Quad 1 win. Any Quad 1 win will do. Despite decent metrics (45th in KenPom, 48th in the NET), it needs multiple Quad 1 wins before the ACC Tournament to feel OK about its at-large chances. Right now, it's possible that UNC would be the first preseason No. 1 team to miss the NCAA Tournament. (Sat, 6 pm ET, ESPN)

Texas Tech: Home against TCUDespite an 0-8 in Big 12 play, Texas Tech (16-12, 5-10) has won six of its past eight games and is riding a four-game hot streak. It's got four Quad 1 wins, but its three remaining games are all chances to add to that tally. Saturday's game (Noon ET, ESPN2) is a great opportunity to inch toward seven conference wins, a number that was good enough for Iowa State last season.

The Horned Frogs (18-10, 7-8) are vulnerable, having lost six of the past eight games. Four came when star guard Mike Miles was injured, so they're now healthy but not yet rolling. When they beat Texas Tech on Dec. 31, Tech center Fardaws Aimaq did not play, which might be the difference this time.

Michigan: Home against WisconsinAfter Thursday's road triumph at Rutgers, Michigan's slim at-large hopes stayed alive. The Wolverines are 3-10 against Quad 1 opponents, but a Quad 2 game (for now) vs. the Badgers can help boost their metrics even more.

A case can be made that it's also a "must-win" game for Wisconsin, who is also on the cut-line. But the team that has to seize this matchup is the Wolverines because following this one are two road games at Illinois and Indiana. (2 pm ET, CBS)

New Mexico: Home against San Diego StateIt's tough to be a Lobo right now. They started 14-0, and were 18-2 on Jan. 20. Now they've lost six of eight, the latest at Boise State. That Quad 1 opportunity got away, but another awaits on Saturday at home against the Aztecs. (10 pm ET, CBSSN)

San Diego State has been as good as advertised, first in the standings and ranked in the Top 25. (Subscribe to The Field of 68 Premium for an in-depth look at SDSU.) But as the Lobos already know, the Aztecs can be beaten. New Mexico thrashed them at their place earlier in the season, 76-67. Jaelen House had 29 points in that game, and after missing the past few games due to injury, he will suit up for this matchup.

Penn State: Home against Rutgers After avoiding disaster at Ohio State, the Nittany Lions have countered a four-game losing skid that dropped them out of the projected field with three straight wins. But they still have work to do, taking on a Rutgers squad that has been sliding of late but still has that signature victory over Purdue to keep itself in the field.

Right now, Rutgers is a Quad 1 game at home for Penn State. The Nittany Lions scored just 45 points in a 20-point blowout defeat to the Scarlet Knights last time. Will their offense be able to make adjustments this time around? (6:30 pm ET, Big Ten Network)

Top-10 teams, Baylor and Texas have battle of backcourts

In last week's bracket reveal, Texas and Baylor were projected as 2-seeds, and considering the collective strength of the Big 12, both have a shot at potentially being a 1-seed come Selection Sunday. But Baylor (20-6, 9-6 in Big 12) has lost two straight, while Texas (22-6, 11-4) is tied with Kansas atop the standings. The Longhorns won the first meeting in Austin, 76-71, behind 21 points off the bench from Sir'Jabari Rice. Can Keyonte George and Baylor get revenge in Waco? (2 pm, ESPN)

Other games to watch (All times ET)

Saturday

• Creighton (18-10, 12-5 Big East) at Villanova (14-14, 8-9), Noon (FOX)

• Oklahoma (13-15, 3-12 Big 12) at Iowa State (17-10, 8-7) Noon (ESPNU)

• Clemson (20-8, 12-5 ACC) at NC State (22-7, 12-6), Noon (ACC Network)

• Michigan State (17-10, 9-7 Big Ten) at Iowa (17-11, 9-8), Noon (ESPN)

• Arkansas (19-9, 8-7 SEC) at Alabama (24-4, 14-1), 2 pm (ESPN2)

• Arizona State (19-9, 10-7 Pac 12) at Arizona (24-4, 13-4 ), 2 pm (CBS)

• Kansas State (21-7, 9-6 Big 12) at Oklahoma State (16-12, 7-8), 2 pm (ESPNU)

• Texas A&M (21-7, 13-2 SEC) at Mississippi State (18-10, 6-9), 3:30 pm (SEC Network)

• West Virginia (16-12, 5-10 Big 12) at Kansas (23-5, 11-4), 4 pm (ESPN)

• Auburn (19-9, 9-6 SEC) at Kentucky (19-9, 10-5), 4 pm (CBS)

• Syracuse (16-12, 9-8 ACC) at Pittsburgh (20-8, 13-4), 5 pm (ACC Network)

• Indiana (19-9, 10-7 Big Ten) at Purdue (24-4, 13-4), 7:30 pm (FOX)

• Virginia Tech (16-12, 6-11 ACC) at Duke (20-8, 11-6), 8 pm (ESPN)

Sunday

• Northwestern (20-8, 11-6 Big Ten) at Maryland (19-9, 10-7), Noon (Big Ten Network)

• Cincinnati (19-10, 10-6 AAC) at Memphis (21-7, 11-4), 2 pm (ESPN2)

• Drake (24-6, 15-4 MVC) at Bradley (22-8, 15-4), 4 pm (ESPN2)

Cronin, Capel not happy with a lack of respect

Coaches have sounded off on a lack of respect lately for both their teams and leagues, with Mick Cronin of UCLA not happy with where the Bruins stand after that bracket reveal, while Jeff Capel of Pittsburgh wants better coverage of the ACC from the network.

Do they have a point? Check out what Goodman and Hummel have to say in their latest podcast episode.

Links as you learn how to play the national anthem on guitar for your own Senior Night.

• ESPN's Jeff Borzello has a detailed look at what to expect in the upcoming coaching carousel.

• Memphis guard Keonte Kennedy is out until at least the AAC Tournament with a broken hand.

• Seniors Gideon George and Rudi Williams look back on their careers at BYU.

• Belmont joins Gonzaga and Kansas as only teams to win 20+ games last 13 seasons.

Thanks for reading The Field of 68 Daily! If you have a news tip or feedback, email us at [email protected].

Sign up for The Field of 68 Premium. Coming this weekend: A deep-dive into San Diego State and the Mountain West's prospects in March, plus a deep dive into Saturday's results.

And don't forget to listen to The Field of 68 AFTER DARK every night at 11 pm ET on Sirius XM radio, or watch it on YouTube and Twitter.