Just one week into March, madness in college basketball has already begun . Several regular season-finales games involving top 25 teams ended on last-second baskets.
Duke sweeps regular season series with North Carolina, finishes regular season No. 2
A highly competitive game between rivals Duke and North Carolina lived up to the hype once again. The Blue Devils’ 84-77 victory completed their season sweep of the Tar Heels—Duke’s second in the last three years. Tyus Jones had another strong performance in a big game, with a career-high 24 points along with seven assists and six rebounds. Jones’ backcourt mate, Quinn Cook, also contributed 20 points.
The win capped off another successful week for the Blue Devils, who previously defeated Wake Forest 94-51, have not lost since Jan. 28 and moved up to No. 2 in the AP Poll this week thanks to Louisville's win against Virginia. The Tar Heels held fast at the No. 19 this week and closed the season by losing six of their final 10 games. Duke seems locked for a No. 1 seed thanks to its impressive resume barring a few miraculous occurrences during championship week.
Then-No. 16 Louisville edges out No. 3 Virginia
A last-second Louisville jumper gave the Cavaliers their first road loss of the season. Without one of its best scorers in Justin Anderson, Virginia trailed nearly the entire game. With 5:51 to play, Louisville held a 52-44 lead against the Cavaliers. However, Virginia overcame the eight-point deficit and took a 57-56 lead with 16 seconds remaining after Malcolm Brogdon hit his fourth three-pointer of the second half. An unexpected option then won the game for the Cardinals. Mangok Mathiang—who only had one field goal since Jan. 31—drained a 15-foot jumper with 2.7 seconds left on the clock.
The win was huge for Louisville. The Cardinals clinched the fourth-seed and two byes in the ACC tournament. The Cardinals also did not drop in the AP Poll despite their loss to Notre Dame earlier in the week. Virginia fell one spot to No. 3 this week but like Duke is still expected to be a one-seed in the NCAA tournament unless something very unexpected happens.
Kentucky finishes regular season unbeaten
Although Kentucky’s 67-50 win over Florida was no shock, John Calipari’s squad has now etched itself in history. The Wildcats became the first power conference team since Indiana in the 1975-76 campaign to remain undefeated after regular season play.
Tuesday, Kentucky encountered its toughest test of the season against Georgia in Athens, Ga. After trailing by six with 4:55 to go --the Wildcats’ largest second-half deficit of the season, Kentucky rallied and put away the Bulldogs 72-64. Karl-Anthony Towns and Aaron Harrison led the Wildcats on a pivotal 14-0 run to regain control of the game with 2:53 left. Four days later, Kentucky once again found itself tested against the Gators. Florida only trailed by three at the half. However, the Wildcats relied on their pesky defense and 46 points off the bench to stomp the Gators.
Regardless of how Kentucky performs in the SEC tournament this week, the Wildcats will almost certainly be the top overall seed for the NCAA tournament after finishing the season as the unanimous No. 1 team in the country.
No. 15 Oklahoma holds off No. 9 Kansas’ late comeback
A Buddy Hield tip-in for Oklahoma with 0.2 seconds left capped off a dramatic finish to the Sooner-Jayhawk showdown Saturday. Throughout the majority of the second half, Oklahoma held a slight lead against Kansas. With 29 seconds left in regulation, a pair of free throws by Isaiah Cousins extended the Sooners’ advantage to 71-66. However, Kansas—which rallied from 18 down to defeat West Virginia earlier in the week—was set on another comeback victory.
Seven straight free throws by Frank Mason III—three of which came after he was fouled shooting a desperation three-pointer—and a Oklahoma turnover helped the Jayhawks tie the Sooners at 73 with five seconds left in regulation. Oklahoma guard Jordan Woodard then went coast to coast, only to miss a lay-up to win the game. But Hield, the soon-to-be-named Big 12 Player of the Year, was there for the put-back to give the Sooners a 75-73 win.
The loss also significantly hurts the Jayhawks chances for a top seed in the NCAA tournament. Prior to the defeat, a Duke or Villanova loss would have given Kansas—with the No 2. Rating Percentage Index (RPI) in the country somewhat of an argument for a top seed despite its six losses. No. 5 Arizona and No. 6 Wisconsin now have significantly better resumes than the Jayhawks despite the toughness of the Big 12, as seven losses would be far too many for a No. 1 seed regardless of what occurs this week.
Belmont gives then-No. 25 Murray State first loss since November
The championship of the Ohio Valley Conference tournament between Belmont and Murray State also had a crazy ending. The last 14:30 of regulation consisted of many lead changes and ties. With 1:29 remaining, a layup by Craig Bradshaw gave Belmont an 85-82 advantage. Murray State then took an 87-85 lead after Cameron Payne’s three-pointer and pair of free throws with 21 seconds left. However, with 3.2 seconds left, Taylor Barnette drained a fade-away three-ball to clinch the Bruins’ tournament title and give the Racers their first loss since Nov. 29.
The win secured Belmont an automatic NCAA tournament birth and dropped Murray State out of the top 25. Despite the Racers’ 25-game winning streak prior to the loss, their chances for a bid to the NCAA tournament are in question. A weak strength of schedule and five losses to subpar opponents could possible doom Murray State, as teams around the country continue to keep their eye on the bubble.
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