Texas Tech took down No. 4 Baylor on Monday 84-78.
Here's what you need to know in college hoops for Valentine's Day, Tuesday, Feb. 14.
Gonzaga, Villanova and Kansas stayed 1-2-3 when the AP Top 25 was released on Monday afternoon. But by Monday night -- as Kansas was flirting with a second straight Allen Fieldhouse flop -- we once again were reminded of a college basketball truism: Nothing is guaranteed. Nothing. Ever.
Well ... unless you're talking about the UConn women.
In case you missed it
• First, let's give it up to that UConn women's team, which pushed its college basketball record winning streak to an even 100 on Monday with a hard-fought 66-55 victory over South Carolina. How hard-fought? During the first 99 games of the streak, UConn beat its opponents by an average of almost 39 points per game. So an 11-point win for the Huskies is a practical nail-biter. Still, as always, it's another UConn win.
• Speaking of giving it up: West Virginia did Monday, in the yackiest of ways, to Kansas. The Mountaineers were up by 14 points with 2:43 left and seven with 52 seconds remaining, but the Jayhawks stormed back to tie the score at 71 and force overtime. The Jayhawks turned the tables with some late-game trapping, then ripped off the first eight points in OT to win 84-80, avoiding a second straight loss at Allen Fieldhouse. Meanwhile, the Jayhawks fans broke the record for loudest crowd roar at indoor sporting event.
• No. 8 Louisville tried to give one away to Syracuse at the Carrier Dome, coughing up a seven-point lead with a little over two minutes to play. The Cardinals righted themselves in OT, though, walking out with a 76-72 win. Syracuse, trying to make its NCAA tournament case, was 8-for-33 on 3-pointers.
• Oh, Baylor: seeded No. 3 in an early tournament look by the selection committee on Saturday, losers to unranked Texas Tech on Monday. No. 4 in the polls for now, the Bears get rejuvenated Kansas on Saturday.
• Monday's scoreboards: Men | Women
What to watch today
• Tennessee tries Tuesday to do something the Volunteers haven't done since 1998-99: beat Kentucky twice in a season (7 ET, ESPN).
• More biggies tonight: No. 15 Florida at Auburn, Rutgers at No. 16 Purdue and No. 25 Notre Dame at Boston College.
Social moment of the day
Louisville occasionally has the poise of a pack of squirrels. But they do bring it every night, as Pitino has said. Impressive OT regroup.
— Pat Forde (@YahooForde) February 14, 2017
Bracket tip: Seeding the Final Four
No. 1 seeds make it to the Final Four more than any other seed. If you don't know that, you might as well make your bracket picks this March with a blindfold and a dart.
If you must take a chance on a longshot making the Final Four -- not smart, but we get it -- take this tidbit: As many 8 seeds have made a title game since 1985 (3) as 4 or 5 seeds. You can mine for more bracket data on how seeds perform in the Final Four here.
Sign up for the Bracket Challenge Game | More Bracket Tips
We dig the big man
Our weekly Naismith Watch, tracking the contenders for the Atlanta Tipoff Club's Naismith Trophy, has a new leader. You can argue the rankings if you want. (That's half the fun.) You probably don't want to beef with this dude, though.
Purdue's Caleb Swanigan, 6-foot-9 and 250 pounds of double-double dominance, is averaging 19 points and 12.8 rebounds a game, which is impressive enough. The sophomore also is shooting better than 48 percent on his 3-pointers. How do you handle that? Answer: You don't. You just give it up to the big man.
Check out the Naismith Watch from NCAA.com's Brian Mull.
Mark your calendar
Selection Sunday: March 12
Final Four: April 1-3
