
Here's what you need to know in college hoops for Friday, Feb. 24.
The absolute chaos of Wednesday night proved difficult to duplicate on Thursday, which made for a welcome breather of sorts. (Well, maybe not for Wisconsin.) This weekend, though, we ratchet up into full Madness mode.
In case you missed it
• No. 16 Wisconsin continues to struggle on the road, falling to Ohio State in Columbus 83-73 on Thursday. Five of the Badgers' six losses this year have come away from home — not a good sign heading into the postseason.
• No. 15 Cincinnati had no problem at home, handling Memphis 87-74. Perhaps the highlight of the night came from Cincinnati's Gary Clark, who threw down a one-handed, and-one alley-oop.
• Gonzaga is still unbeaten. The No. 1 Zags dismantled San Diego, 96-38, to go to 29-0. They wrap up their regular season at home Saturday against BYU and play their first game in the West Coast Conference tournament on March 4.
What to watch this weekend
• No ranked teams are playing tonight, though some big-win NCAA tournament hopefuls -- including Valparaiso (23-6), Oakland (22-7), Akron (22-6) and Dayton (22-5) -- are going at it. If you're looking for the big guys, this weekend has plenty in store.
SATURDAY
• No. 4 Arizona vs. No. 5 UCLA: A top 5 matchup with high stakes. The Bruins are out for revenge after falling to Arizona 96-85 on Jan. 21. (8:15 ET, ESPN)
• No. 2 Villanova vs. No. 23 Creighton: Both teams are coming off of upset losses, but don't have too high hopes for the Bluejays. Villanova hasn't lost back-to-back games since Mar. 22, 2013. (3 ET, FOX)
• No. 9 Baylor vs. Iowa State: Baylor took home a win in the first matchup, 65-63, but Iowa State has won five of its last six. (4 ET, ESPN)
• No. 10 Duke vs. Miami: The Blue Devils would like to forget their last game (one that ended on a banked-in, game-winning buzzer beater at Syracuse). Miami already has two wins against ranked opponents. (4 ET, CBS)
• No. 11 Kentucky vs. No. 13 Florida: In one of the top games of the week, this matchup might decide the SEC. (2 ET, CBS)
SUNDAY
• No. 7 Louisville vs. Syracuse: The Cards look to rebound after a poor showing at North Carolina, while Syracuse still has dreams of a tournament invite. (2 ET, CBS)
• Georgia Tech at No. 21 Notre Dame: The Yellow Jackets, still scrambling for an invite of their own, won the first meeting on a last-second layin in Atlanta. The Irish want revenge. (6:30 ET, ESPU)
• No. 22 Butler vs. Xavier: The Bulldogs just pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the year by knocking off Villanova 74-66 to complete a season sweep of the Wildcats. Can they keep it going against Xavier, which has lost four in a row? (3:30, FS1)
Full Friday schedule | Saturday | Sunday
Social moment of the day
Michigan State's 88-72 win over Nebraska might not look that exciting on paper, but the Spartans had two insane highlights:
Michigan State guard Cassius Winston drills the half-court buzzer beater! pic.twitter.com/nHjURA1agD
— SI College Hoops (@si_ncaabb) February 24, 2017
Just when you think you've seen it all from @MilesBridges01, @cassiuswinston goes and lobs it off the glass. https://t.co/fRLdptF2Wf
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) February 24, 2017
Sheeeesh.
So many points
We are in the midst of a revolution in college basketball.
This season, 82 teams boast an adjusted offensive rating -- that is, points scored every 100 possessions -- of 110 or higher, a far cry from the early and mid-2000s, when fewer than half thar many teams scored at such a hefty clip.
NCAA.com's Joe Boozell breaks down the recent scoring boom in college basketball.
Bracket tip of the day: Know your 16 seed
If there's one absolute certainty in picking your bracket, it's probably this: never, ever go with a 16 seed.
It's a well-known fact that the 16 seed has never won a game in 128 tries. But just how close have they been? And is there a chance this could be the year they break the spell? Maybe?More from NCAA.com's Daniel Wilco.
Sign up for the Bracket Challenge Game | More Bracket Tips
Mark your calendar
Selection Sunday: March 12
First Four in Dayton: March 14, 15
First Thursday of the NCAA Tournament: March 16
Final Four in Phoenix: April 1-3