Setting up a super Saturday

If conference tournaments are an indicator for how the NCAA Tournament will shake out … get ready for a wild ride. There have been 16 No. 1 conference tourney seeds that have lost thus far (15 total lost last year). And we have two days remaining.

Let's get to Friday’s news.

1. Everyone’s chasing the Big 3

Reminder when filling out your bracket: No team’s ever won it all after losing their conference tournament opener. Duke, Kansas and Creighton were joined by Tennessee, Kentucky and Alabama in that group on Friday.

Know who’s not included? The Big 3 of Houston, UConn and Purdue. Those three just keep winning.

No. 1 Houston used a monster second half — with starting forward J’Wan Roberts on the bench — to hammer Texas Tech, 82-59, and advance to the Big 12 title game. LJ Cryer hit six 3-pointers and scored 20 points, while Emanuel Sharp added 17.

Roberts injured his shin just seven minutes into the game and did not play. It didn’t matter.

“I don't get why you need to talk about it, you know? We have a chance to put five on the floor, have a sub or two — keep playing,” coach Kelvin Sampson said. “What's the worst that can happen to you? You lose and they put you in jail?"

Houston’s already without three key role players. But its won 11 straight and could be the No. 1 overall seed on Monday.

No. 3 Purdue wasn’t quite as impressive in its 67-62 win over Michigan State. Sure, Zach Edey did his thing — 29 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assists — but point guard Braden Smith left with an injury to his right calf.

Smith did return, but guard Lance Jones did most of the primary ball-handling duties. How he looks vs. Wisconsin in the Big Ten semifinals today will be crucial.

And UConn? It simply logged a wildly entertaining 95-90 win over St. John’s in the Big East semifinals. And no, it wasn’t just entertaining because of Dan Hurley’s interaction with a fan.

The Huskies got 25 points and nine assists from Tristen Newton, while Cam Spencer added 20 points and nine assists. They’re the second pair of teammates to log 20+ points and 9+ assists in the last decade. Now they get to face Marquette for the third time this season with a big goal ahead: Their first Big East Tournament title since 2011.

“We're going to treat it like it’s the Super Bowl,” Hurley said.

“We've been (trying) all year to win multiple championships, and this is one of the stops,” Newton added.

If their offense keeps this up — they hit 63% of their shots on Friday, and scored 1.39 points per possession — that goal will be a cinch.

(I say all this knowing full well that North Carolina won its 8th straight game on Friday, beating Pitt 72-65. RJ Davis had 25 points. The Heels (27-6) are the other No. 1 seed, but haven’t separated themselves from the rest of the field like those other three.)

2. Pour one out for the favorites

Houston, UConn and Purdue won, but it’s been a rough week for top seeds in conference tournaments.

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