Double date

Even in a wild, unpredictable season, it's a pleasure to watch and write about college basketball. But sometimes, I can't shake what's going on in the world around us, so apologies if today's Daily seems a bit ... off.

Let's get to the news.

1. Providence with another divine finish

Apparently, the day doesn't matter. St. Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, Providence finds a way, no matter the occasion.

Devin Carter scored a career-high 25 points as the No. 24 Friars (19-7, 11-4 in Big East) outlasted No. 18 Creighton, 94-86, in double overtime on Tuesday night in a game that featured 20 lead changes and 17 ties. The Bluejays had a chance to win at the end of regulation and the end of the first OT and missed both shots.

Hey, there's a reason we sell so many of these shirts.

"That was one of the best college basketball games this season," Friars coach Ed Cooley said. "With double overtime and two ranked teams, it was a very competitive game. This is becoming one of the hardest buildings in the country to play in."

No kidding. The reigning Big East champs are 14-0 at the Dunk AMP this season and are 9-1 in the past 10 games that went to OT, including another double OT win earlier this season against Marquette. Now, they're tied with Creighton (17-9, 11-4) for third place in the Big East standings.

“It was a great college basketball game if you didn’t care who won. It had to be a lot of fun to watch,” Creighton coach Greg McDermott said.

The Jays had won eight in a row entering the game but had twice as many turnovers as Providence and were just 29 percent from deep. They seemed to just run out of gas in the second OT as all five starters played at least 45 minutes.

"We haven't had a team do that to us in a long time where we really didn’t have any answers," McDermott said.

Hear the AFTER DARK crew further analyze the game below:

2. Gradey Dick shoots Kansas into tie atop Big 12

The Oklahoma State crowd repeatedly jeered Kansas freshman Gradey Dick Tuesday night.

So he repeatedly made shots. A lot of them.

Dick scored a career-high 26 points, including a halftime buzzer-beater that gave the Jayhawks a lead it would never relinquish in their 87-76 win. Kansas (21-5, 9-4 in Big 12) is now tied with Baylor and Texas atop the Big 12.

“I love it,” Dick said afterward. “I love it. I kind of like being, you know, the hated one going into (visiting arenas). And they were doing their little chants. But it definitely fuels the fire, for sure."

Kansas stoked that fire throughout the second half with Dick's shooting, five steals (11 overall) and offensive rebounds that extended possessions and staved off any Oklahoma State rallies. The Cowboys (16-10, 7-6) had won five straight but couldn't consistently get defensive stops — an odd sight for one of the sport's elite defensive teams.

They did have some success inside with forward Kalib Boone (27 points) and early on with guard Bryce Thompson (17 points) hitting mid-range jumpers. But they couldn't answer the Jayhawks down the stretch.

Not that it'll get any easier. The Cowboys play at TCU and West Virginia in their next two games, while Kansas hosts Baylor on Saturday. How will the Bears fare at Allen Fieldhouse? Here's a plug for The Field of 68 Premium, which will have a deep dive on the Bears. Subscribe to it here.

3. A nifty Lion

Jalen Pickett's all-around excellence this season hasn't gone unnoticed. But his performance Tuesday night will bring any doubters around.

The senior guard dropped a career-high 41 points in a 93-81 win over Illinois (17-8, 8-6 in Big Ten), making 15-of-20 shots, and becoming the first Penn State player to surpass 40 points since 1961. Oh, he also joined the 2,000-career point club and added eight assists for good measure. He's also the only active D-I player with 2,000 points, 600 rebounds and 700 assists.

Seems pretty good.

Also pretty good? Penn State (15-11, 6-9) ended a four-game skid and kept their slim hopes for an at-large bid alive. They'll be favored to win three of their final five games.

Other results to know:

Oklahoma 79, Kansas State 65The Sooners (13-13, 3-10 in Big 12) ended a seven-game conference skid behind Grant Sherfield's 22 points and six assists. Coach Porter Moser "thought Grant had his best floor game since he’s worn a Sooner uniform," and handed K-State (19-7, 7-6) its fourth loss in its last five games.

Syracuse 75, NC State 72All five starters hit double figures for the Orange (16-10, 9-6 in ACC), who won their third in a row. The Wolfpack (20-7, 10-6) got a triple-double from Jarkel Joiner (15 points, 11 assists, 10 rebounds) but were just 9-of-34 (27 percent) from beyond the arc and have lost two of three heading into Sunday's showdown at UNC. More interesting is that things got a little weird in the handshake line afterward between Jim Boeheim and Kevin Keatts.

Duke 68, Notre Dame 64There was a notable figure on hand to watch Mike Brey's final game at Cameron.

Brey, who was a Coach K assistant for eight years, watched as the Irish cut a 14-point lead to just two points in the final seconds but couldn't finish the rally. Kyle Filipowski led the Blue Devils (18-8, 9-6 in ACC) with 22 points.

Pitt 77, Boston College 58Blake Hinson scored 21 points, leading the Panthers (19-7, 12-3 in ACC) to its fifth straight win and a half-game lead over Virginia in the conference standings. Pitt hit 11 3-pointers and held the Eagles to just 33.9 percent from the field.

Seton Hall 76, Georgetown 68Al-Amir Dawes scored 20 points as the Pirates (16-11, 9-7 in Big East) now have a chance for an at-large bid with a strong close to the season. They're at UConn on Saturday, then have home games against Xavier and Nova before ending at Providence.

Auburn 89, Missouri 56In what coach Bruce Pearl called "a must-win for us" the Tigers did that, and a lot more. Johni Broome scored 20 points, and KD Johnson added 15 as Auburn (18-8, 8-5 in SEC) snapped a three-game skid and handed Missouri (19-7, 7-6) its biggest loss of the season.

Nebraska 82, Rutgers 72It wasn't that long ago the Scarlet Knights (16-10, 8-7 in Big Ten) were second in the conference standings. Now, they're feeling some bubble pressure after their third-straight loss and one of their worst defensive performances of the season. Keisei Tominaga (22 points) remains one of the league's most dangerous scorers.

Wisconsin 64, Michigan 59Connor Essegian scored 23 points as the Badgers (15-10, 7-8 in Big Ten) held off Michigan (14-12, 8-7) despite missing their final 14 shots. They didn't make a field goal with 10:45 remaining in the game. (Not a typo.)

Wyoming 70, New Mexico 56The Lobos (19-7, 6-7 in MWC) played without guard Jaelen House for the second-straight game, and it may have doomed their NCAA Tournament hopes. Losses to Air Force and at home to Wyoming will be killers on the tourney profile.

Kent State 82, Western Michigan 58; Toledo 89, Miami (Ohio) 71The Golden Flashes (21-5, 11-2 in MAC) got 21 points from VonCameron Davis and maintained a tie with Toledo atop the conference. Setric Millner Jr. scored 19 points as the Rockets (20-6, 11-2) had no trouble in their win. Expect this league to come down to the regular-season finale.

Southern Illinois 66, Valparaiso 62Ben Krikke and Kobe King combined for 48 points, but the rest of the Beacons (11-17, 5-12 in MVC) had just 14, as the Salukis (20-8, 12-5) stayed on the heels of Bradley and Drake in the league race. They both have games tonight.

4. The Nick Smith conundrum

When Arkansas freshman Nick Smith — a likely NBA Draft lottery pick — played Saturday, it might've been the most low-key return of the season. Part of that is because the Hogs (17-8, 6-6 in SEC) lost at home to Miss State. That downplayed any fanfare.

But the other part is because Smith looked like a guy who hadn't played since Dec. 17 because of a lingering knee issue. And that's the biggest issue with Smith going forward.

How much should Arkansas play him?

The easy answer is as much as possible. Basic rule of thumb: You have a future lottery pick on your roster, you play him. The more nuanced answer is you adjust depending on how he's playing. Arkansas coach Eric Musselman knows his team has established roles. Introducing a variable at this stage of the season (especially a rusty one; Smith was 2-of-7 from the field, scoring just five points in 17 minutes).

"How minutes, roles, how that gets defined is going to be based on how guys are playing and how the team is playing," Musselman said. "We knew that any time a player comes back there’s an adjustment for not just the player that’s been sitting out but for the other guys as well. So you know, I mean, not a lot of teams are making that adjustment this late in the year and obviously, we are. So hopefully we’ll play better than we did against Mississippi State."

Arkansas is on the right side of the NCAA Tournament bubble, so there's room for error. But it's not like the Hogs' remaining six regular-season games are a breeze: tonight at A&M (9 pm ET, ESPN2), home vs. Florida and Georgia, then at Bama and Tennessee before closing at home against Kentucky.

Smith will be on the court. Arkansas needs his ball-handling and playmaking ability. How quickly he gets into game shape will decide how it finishes the season, though.

5. Something's gotta give

Three weeks ago, Iowa State and TCU were both in the thick of the Big 12 race and coming off big wins.

As they prepare for tonight's game at Iowa State, things have turned.

The Cyclones (16-8, 7-5 in Big 12) have lost four of five games, including a rare home setback to Oklahoma State over the weekend. TCU (17-8, 6-6) has lost three in a row and four of five. But this is the Big 12. Wild things happen.

“You look at every team in this league and at some point, you’d say there’s some slippage,” Iowa State coach T.J. Otzelberger said Tuesday. “Everybody has had it happen. Baylor lost three in a row. Kansas lost three in a row. Those teams could end up being one-seeds in the NCAA tournament."

The good news for the Horned Frogs is they may get some key pieces back. Preseason Big 12 POY Mike Miles Jr. and center Eddie Lampkin Jr. both practiced on Tuesday as full participants and could play. The bad news is the whole roster being ready seems unlikely with guard Damion Baugh nursing a lower-body injury.

As for Iowa State, it's optimistic about a return to form, particularly on defense. The Cyclones seemed hesitant against the Cowboys, possibly because they were worried about getting into foul trouble. But Otzelberger wants his team to be physical, which will be essential against a long, athletic team that wants to push the pace like TCU.

The winner gets to breathe easy for a few days. The loser will know another Quad 1 opportunity is around the corner. Life in the Big 12.

New Mexico State fires Greg Heiar

This was only a matter of time.

To recap Heiar's tenure, which started on March 27, 2022:

• One of his players killed a student at New Mexico

• Three other players hazed a younger teammate multiple times

• The program was shut down on Monday

Oh, and the Aggies weren't good, going 2-16 in WAC play. It'll be fascinating how the school proceeds with the men's hoops program. The school says it'll evaluate the rest of the coaching staff after further investigation.

The biggest test yet

Alabama's No 1 in the AP poll for the first time in 20 years. Nothing like a trip to Tennessee to see how it plays as the top dog. And before you scoff (looking at you, Goodman), a reminder about what the Crimson Tide (22-3, 12-0 in SEC) will face. The Vols (19-6, 8-4) boast the No. 1 rated defense on KenPom, allowing only 86.6 points per 100 possessions. Teams only make 24 percent of their 3s, and shoot just 35.5 percent overall. That works out to 56.3 ppg. During SEC play, they're allowing 58.6 ppg, ad 90.2 points per 100 possessions. Plus, when you have a team that's coming off back-to-back losses on buzzer beaters, one would think they're due.

However, Bama brings in the most efficient offense (116 points per 100) and the most efficient defense (87.2 points per 100) during conference play. More concerning? Tennessee may be without Josiah-Jordan James and Julian Phillips. The only thing I know for sure? I ain't betting on this one. (7 pm ET, ESPN2)

Other games to watch (All times ET)

• Xavier (19-6, 11-3 in Big East) at Marquette (20-6, 12-3), 7 pm (CBS Sports Network)

• Kentucky (16-9, 7-5 in SEC) at Miss State (17-8, 5-7), 8:30 pm (SEC Network)

• Indiana (18-7, 9-5 in Big Ten) at Northwestern (18-7, 9-5), 9 pm (Big Ten Network)

• Boise State (19-6, 9-3 in MWC) at Colorado State (11-4, 3-9), 10 pm (FS1)

• Oregon (15-11, 9-6 in Pac-12) at Washington (13-13, 5-10), 11 pm (ESPNU)

Boring, but awesome

If there's a meat and potatoes program in college hoops that always provides a hearty performance without many surprises game after game, it's Houston. The Cougars routinely beat down opponents through their style of play — which might make them a little underappreciated come March.

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Links as you hold out hope that Idris Elba will still be the next James Bond.

• When UC Santa Barbara plays UC Irvine in a Big West showdown tonight, the Gauchos won't have big man Andrew Kelly because of his role in an on-court fight over the weekend.

• Albany AD Mark Benson is no longer a defendant in a suit brought by former player Luke Fizulich against coach Dwayne Killings. Fizulich alleges Killings threw him against a locker and hit him in the face.

• How would an expanded NCAA tourney field affect small schools?

• Zacharie Perrin made his Illinois debut on Jan. 19. He's now leaving the program.

• New NCAA President Charlie Baker won't work in Indianapolis, but maintain his Massachusetts residence and mostly be in DC.

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