Frank Mason III had 23 points in his final game at Allen Fieldhouse
Here's what you need to know in college hoops for Tuesday, Feb. 28.
Another week, another top 5 upset. This time it was UNC's turn to fall ... though that game was almost outdone by a near-upset at Kansas on senior night.
Turns out one top 5 team falling was all the chaos we were allotted to start the week ...
In case you missed it
• Newly-minted No. 1 Kansas trailed by 12 in the second half against unranked Oklahoma at home, but pulled off a 31-9 run to take the lead and close out the game for a 73-63 win.
• No. 23 Virginia got revenge on No. 5 UNC, pulling off the 53-43 upset in Charlottesville. No North Carolina team had scored fewer points under Roy Williams. The loss came just nine days after the Tar Heels held the Cavaliers to 41 points in a 24-point blowout in Chapel Hill. With a win, UNC would have clinched sole possession of the ACC regular-season title, but that task will now come down to Saturday's matchup with Duke.
• No. 11 Baylor took down No. 10 West Virginia 71-62 at home. The Bears trailed by eight with nine minutes left, then held the Mountaineers to a single basket over the next six-plus minutes to avenge its season-worst 89-68 loss on Jan. 10. The Bears’ comeback marked just their second win in five games.
What to watch today
• No. 15 Florida State (23-6) vs. No. 17 Duke (22-7) (7 ET, ESPN2). FSU, Louisville and Notre Dame are all in the hunt for a share of the ACC regular-season crown. To get it, they all need to win their final two games and have UNC lose to Duke on Saturday. The Tar Heels can clinch sole possession of the title with a win Saturday against Duke in the Tobacco Road Rivalry.
• No. 9 Kentucky (24-5) vs. Vanderbilt (16-13) (9 ET, ESPN). Vanderbilt lost to Kentucky, 87-81, on Jan. 10 as part of a 1-4 start in SEC play but has gone 8-3 to get back into consideration for an NCAA tournament spot. A win over the Wildcats would be the Commodores’ fifth straight and their third in four matchups with ranked opponents.
• No. 24 Iowa State (19-9) vs. Oklahoma State (20-9) (7 ET, ESPN). The Cowboys stormed past Texas Tech on Saturday for their fifth straight victory and 10th in the last 11 outings. The Cyclones also have won five straight and hold a two-game lead over the Cowboys after Saturday’s three-point upset of No. 9 Baylor.
Social moment of the day
Yeah, Kansas may have won, but they also had this blooper:
... Yikes. #SCNotTop10 pic.twitter.com/IFJr3jCzIh
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) February 28, 2017
Conference tourneys galore
Conference tournaments (and an opportunity to win an automatic NCAA tournament bid) began Monday. See the full conference tournament schedule and keep track of automatic qualifiers here.
Naismith Watch
The people responsible for selecting this season’s Naismith Trophy award winner might not agree on who should receive the award. What they can agree on, however, is the tightness of the race. The Watch submitted its list of 10 semifinalists to the Atlanta Tipoff Club last Friday — and by the end of play Saturday wished it could change a name or position or both.
The top five is (somewhat) clear. The order is not. At all. NCAA.com's Brian Mull goes into detail here.
Bracket tip of the day: Picking your bracket based on ... team color
Since the NCAA tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985, 290 schools have played in at least one game.
| MARCH MADNESS SHOP |
|---|
 |
For those who choose to ignore history and offiensive efficiency and home vs. road splits, instead going for a particular uniform shade, NCAA.com's Daniel Wilco breaks it down in this edition of the Bracket Beat.
By the way, the Bracket Challenge Game went live yesterday. You can start setting up your groups here.
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
