Saturday's schedule began with the ultimate bubble battle: Villanova at Providence, which pitted a “first four out” team against one clinging to a “last four in” spot. The schedule ended with a Gonzaga team needing a win to secure an at-large bid traveling to face a Saint Mary's team looking to complete an undefeated season in the WCC. In between, there were dozens of games with huge NCAA tournament implications.
After a couple of weeks of debate near the top of the standings, three of the top five teams in this week's AP Poll were on the road, which has been kryptonite for the top 25 teams this season. Were we prepared for another wild day of losses from Final Four contenders? March is here, and the first Saturday of the best month on the calendar did not disappoint.
ESPN's Myron Medcalf, Jeff Borzello and Joe Lunardi break down the big stories from a loaded slate of games.
0:18
Baylor fans erupt over Rayj Dennis' steal and score
Rayj Dennis comes up with the steal and drives to the hoop to score 2 Baylor points.
Myron Medcalf: Right now, Kansas doesn't look like a national title contender. While Kevin McCullar Jr.'s return was positive, just days after Bill Self said he didn't expect the potential All-American to play the rest of this season due to a knee injury, the Jayhawks failed to overcome the The same problems that plagued them in their home loss to BYU on Tuesday. Against Baylor and the Cougars, their half-court offense didn't work when they needed it most. They were out of rhythm on Tuesday and ultimately blew a 12-point lead in the second half. Against the Bears, they turned to hero ball late in an attempt to come back.
These offensive issues have been a growing problem. Hunter Dickinson sometimes settles for tough shots. Freshman Johnny Furphy doesn't always look comfortable. Dajuan Harris Jr., who has more impact as a distributor, sometimes becomes a scorer by default, as he did on key possessions Saturday. It's hard to imagine the Jayhawks getting a chance to cut down the nets in April. Which is a rare thing for a Kansas team. But this group seems to be a step below the real contenders at the moment.
Jeff Borzello: The continued improvement of Yves Missi and the increasing consistency of Ja'Kobe Walter make Baylor's offense one of the most dangerous in the country and a tough exit in the NCAA tournament. Since their three-game losing streak in January (by a combined nine points, it must be said), the Bears have won seven of 10, losing only at Kansas, at BYU and against Houston. They have the best offense in the Big 12, although they don't rely as much on the three-point shot as they did earlier this season, with RayJ Dennis establishing himself as the anchor of this attack.
Entering Saturday, Dennis averaged 13.9 points, 6.3 assists and 2.9 turnovers on 44.3% three-point shooting in Baylor's wins, and 11.4 points, 7.1 assists , 4.5 turnovers on 23.1% three-point shooting in Baylor losses. Against the Jayhawks, he took over late and finished with 19 points, 10 assists and only 3 turnovers.
The impact of Joe Lunardi's bracket: Another gigantic confrontation with no change in the result. That's often the case when the “expected” happens, especially this late in the season with so many other data points in the book. We'll keep both as 3 seeds, although the Bears (No. 10 overall) edge out the Jayhawks (No. 11) in the overall seeding list.
Medical calf: For the second year in a row, Marquette has to endure an injury to Tyler Kolek in March. A year ago, the Golden Eagles lost to Michigan State in the second round of the NCAA tournament, and the star guard was recovering from a thumb injury he had suffered in the first round against Vermont. Now, he is dealing with an oblique injury that forced him to miss this loss. He did not travel with the team and Shaka Smart has not offered any definitive details on his possible return schedule. Oblique injuries are challenging and recoveries vary. If Kolek returns relatively soon and is fully recovered, the Golden Eagles will enter the postseason as a team with Final Four ambitions. If he remains out or returns but is not fully healthy, the Golden Eagles will face an uphill road to competing against the top teams in the NCAA tournament.
Borzello: It's time to start talking about Baylor Scheierman as a potential All-American and Big East Player of the Year candidate. The left-handed all-rounder is playing as well as anyone in the country right now. He entered Saturday averaging 19.2 points, 9.4 rebounds and 4.3 rebounds in 11 games, then finished with 26 points, 16 rebounds and 4 assists against the Golden Eagles. He scored 15 points in the second half, including three 3-pointers in a two-minute span late in the game that helped extend Creighton's lead from two to 12 and secure the victory.
Impact of the Lunardi bracket: There are no changes for either team regarding this result. Marquette remains in the bottom half of the 2 seeds (No. 7 overall) and Creighton is right on the fence of a 3 or 4 seed. I'll keep the Bluejays as third (No. 12 overall), but with Kentucky looming awfully close in the rearview mirror.
0:40
Mashack does it all for Tennessee with a 3 and a steal that leads to and-1
Jahmai Mashack hits a triple, then gets a steal that leads to Jonas Aidoo and-1.
Medical calf: With his team trailing by three with 44 seconds left, Mark Sears launched a hurried, errant 3-pointer that bounced off the rim and cost Alabama a chance to tie the game. Nate Oats' team didn't need a 3, but if the plan was to throw one there, the Crimson Tide needed a better look. And that's the problem with this talented team, which had the most efficient offense in the country entering Saturday. The Tide can put up ridiculously impressive numbers, and they can also stymie themselves in their own way, giving up 85 points or more in seven of their eight losses.
Alabama played better than Tennessee in several stretches. He forced Dalton Knecht to a 5-for-14 effort. He orchestrated a 12-0 run to end the first half and take the lead. And then he missed 11 of 12 shots after halftime. Come March, we all know Alabama can challenge any team in America with its elite offense. But the question remains: for how long? Good basketball for 40 minutes could help Alabama reach the Final Four. Good basketball in spurts? That version of Alabama is no guarantee of making it to the second weekend.
Borzello: We knew Tennessee's defense was elite; We knew he could go toe-to-toe with Alabama's elite offense (because they already beat the Tide this season by 20). But could I travel to Tuscaloosa? She did it. The Tide shot just 9 of 37 from 3 and only made two shots behind the arc in the second half. But perhaps the most important development Saturday night was that UT kept pace with Alabama's offense without Dalton Knecht scoring 40. The All-American dealt with foul trouble and was held to 13 points on 14 shots. But Zakai Zeigler made shots, Jahmai Mashack made shots and Josiah-Jordan James was productive. Rick Barnes has options.
Impact of the Lunardi bracket: Tennessee stays alive for the No. 1 seed with a big win in Tuscaloosa, but Arizona didn't do the Vols any favors by defeating Oregon to stay in front and maintain the top-ranked spot. The Vols, and anyone chasing Arizona, will need the Wildcats to lose at some point to move up. Meanwhile, Alabama sits solidly at No. 4 (No. 14 overall), but has fallen behind Kentucky (No. 13) on the seeding list.
long time to come Five years ago, then-Wisconsin assistant coach Howard Moore's life changed when he and his family were involved in an accident with a wrong-way driver. His wife, his daughter and the driver of the other vehicle died. Moore suffered serious, career-altering injuries. His son also suffered minor injuries. A moment we have been waiting for almost five years… Welcome home, Howard Moore ❤️pic.twitter.com/JEV6j5ieDX – Wisconsin Basketball (@BadgerMBB) March 2, 2024 On Saturday, Moore made his first public appearance since the accident during the Badgers' home matchup against Illinois. The school also announced that it had decided to name its basketball offices after Moore. Forget basketball. It was good to see Moore on Saturday. Congratulations to Wisconsin for honoring him the way he did. — Medcalf Kentucky's Freshman Lineup John Calipari replaced Justin Edwards at the 5:42 mark of the second half against Arkansas, a change that put five freshmen on the court for the Wildcats. They didn't make another substitution for the rest of the game, as the all-freshman team outscored the Razorbacks by 12 the rest of the game. I don't expect Calipari to use that lineup too often, but it's a great sign for the Wildcats that Zvonimir Ivisic is becoming a factor and Edwards' two-way influence is growing. Plus, the momentum (they trailed a mediocre Arkansas team well into the second half) didn't seem too big for the young quintet. –Borzello The Big East Roller Coaster The biggest “bubble game” of the day, so to speak, was Villanova's double-digit win at Providence. The Wildcats are now the last team in our projected NCAA field, while the Friars are the first team out. Incredibly, the teams directly on either side of those two also reside in the Big East: Seton Hall (second-to-last team in) and St. John's (second team out). The Big East roller coaster is just beginning and won't stop until it reaches Madison Square Garden. — Lunardiquick hits
