The Bum's Top 25 College Basketball Previews For Saturday 02/25/16 !

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Preview: Broncos (16-14) at Gaels (25-3)
Date: February 25, 2017 10:00 PM EDT

No. 20 Saint Mary's does not want to jeopardize its chances of getting an NCAA tournament berth, and Santa Clara wants to achieve its highest West Coast Conference finish in 10 years.

That is what is at stake when the Gaels host Santa Clara Saturday night in the final regular-season game for both teams.

Saint Mary's (25-3, 15-2 WCC) will finish second in the conference no matter what happens Saturday. But a loss to the Broncos (16-14, 10-7) might make the Gaels a little nervous about their postseason status. With a current RPI ranking of 16, and no bad losses, Saint Mary's would seem to be safely into the NCAA tournament regardless of the result Saturday and in next week's WCC tournament in Las Vegas.

But the Gaels had a 26-5 record after losing to Gonzaga in the WCC finals last year, and wound up in the NIT. The difference is that this season Saint Mary's has no losses to teams ranked outside the RPI top 40 and has two wins over teams in the RPI top 40 (Dayton and Nevada). Last season Saint Mary's had no wins over a top-40 team and had two losses to a team (Pepperdine) ranked outside the RPI top 100.

Saint Mary's doesn't want to ruin its resume with a loss to Santa Clara, which has an RPI ranking of 147 as of Friday morning.

Saint Mary's coach Randy Bennett was miffed by the exclusion from the NCAA tournament last year, and is steering clear of predictions this time.

"Our team will be motivated to play Saturday night," Bennett said. "It is against Santa Clara, one of our rivals, and it is senior night. Our guys will be ready to play."

The Gaels are coming off a solid performance in a 78-49 road victory over Pepperdine, as the Gaels shot 52.5 percent from the floor while limiting the Waves to 29.3 percent shooting. A 20-minute interruption in the second half because of a power outage did not bother the Gaels.

Just as important was the fact that Saint Mary's leading scorer and rebounder, Jock Landale, bounced back for a poor game against BYU by scoring 23 points on 10-of-14 shooting while collecting 14 rebounds against Pepperdine.

"I thought we played really well tonight," Bennett said after the game. "I thought Jock played well. We used our size advantage inside and our players did a good job finding him and giving him the ball."

Landale had 20 points and 11 rebounds when Saint Mary's beat Santa Clara 72-59 back on Jan. 28.

The Broncos have played well lately, winning three of their last four games, including a 69-68 victory over Pacific in their final home game on Thursday.

If Santa Clara beats Saint Mary's and Gonzaga defeats BYU in Spokane, Wash., Saturday night, the Broncos would finish tied for third, which would be their best finish since 2006-07.

"What we have been able to do this season as a team has been awesome," said Broncos forward Nate Kratch, who has averaged 20.0 points over the past four games and scored 18 points Thursday.

However, Broncos guard Jared Brownridge, who is the fourth-leading career scorer in WCC history, has hit a bit of slump recently. He still leads the team in scoring at 17.4 points per game, but totaled just 13 points in the past two games combined, making just 4 of 20 shots overall and 2 of 14 3-pointers in the process.

He fouled out with just five points on Thursday, but K.J. Feagin made up for it by scoring 22 points and hitting 6 of 7 shots from long range.

"I just thought I had to step up and fill that void while (Brownridge) was out," Feagin said after the game. "It felt good to produce at the rate I did, and just get the W on senior night.

"This week in practice I've really been feeling good, just shooting the ball. And I had a great warmup today."

The Broncos nearly let a 10-point lead with 6:38 left slip away, but they hung on for the win.

"Well, we made our free throws down the homestretch," first-year Santa Clara coach Herb Sendek said.

It may take more than made free throws to knock off the Gaels on their home court, though.

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Preview: Cougars (20-10) at Bulldogs (29-0)
Date: February 25, 2017 10:15 PM EDT

One more win against BYU on Saturday and top-ranked Gonzaga will go unbeaten in the regular season and head into the postseason bent on capturing the West Coast Conference tournament title next week.

First things first. The Bulldogs (29-0, 17-0 WCC) want to take care of the Cougars, who have upset Gonzaga the last two seasons at the McCarthey Athletic Center in Spokane, Wash. The game, which tips off at 10 p.m. ET, is Senior Night for the Bulldogs, who will honor center Przemek Karnowski and guard Jordan Mathews.

Plenty of emotions will be involved but coach Mark Few is confident his players can handle it given how they have executed to near precision this season despite the chance of losing focus against struggling teams in the WCC.

"It's been like this all year," Few said after the Bulldogs dismantled San Diego in a 96-38 win at San Diego on Thursday night. "We have just not shown up flat or not paid the proper attention to our opponent. It's the best we have ever been since I have been coaching here, as far as night in and night out doing what we have to do.'

No doubt Gonzaga has circled the date to play BYU (20-10, 11-6) to avenge the last two losses at home against the Cougars.

"We want to right that ship," Few said. "BYU is always a well-coached team. They will challenge us."

The Cougars are coming off a dominating win of their own, a 97-78 triumph over host Portland on Thursday. Elijah Bryant recorded a career-high 37 points and 11 rebounds in the victory.

Five BYU players scored in double figures, as was the case for Gonzaga at San Diego. The Cougars recorded a season-high 13 3-pointers, as did the Bulldogs against the Toreros. Bryant had seven of those 3-pointers against Portland.

Filling in for injured forward Yoeli Childs (ankle), sophomore Braiden Shaw made his first career start for BYU and grabbed a career-high 11 rebounds. Eric Mika added 19 points and eight rebounds and Nick Emery had 16 points and made three 3-pointers.

"We needed some momentum for Saturday's game, and I think we got it," Bryant said.

Gonzaga defeated BYU 85-75 last month at Provo, Utah. The 10-point game is a nail-biter for the Bulldogs this season inasmuch as they have won 21 straight games, including all 17 conference games, by double digits with an average margin of 24.9 points.

The 58-point win over San Diego was the largest margin of the season for Gonzaga, which has won games by 47, 46 and 39 points. It is the largest winning margin ever by a No. 1-ranked team on the road. It was only two shy of the school record.

'Our coaches do such a great job preparing us and getting us ready for whatever the team can throw at us, and when we follow the scouting report that we did tonight (against San Diego), I think we're a really good defensive team,' said Bulldogs guard Josh Perkins, who finished with 15 points with all five of his baskets 3-pointers.

The game against BYU could also be the last home game for junior point guard Nigel Williams-Goss, the potential WCC Player of the Year who could decide to go pro. Williams-Goss scored 33 points for Gonzaga in the first game against BYU.

"Williams-Goss just kind of controlled that game,' BYU coach Dave Rose said. 'He had a pace to him and confidence to him where every time you make a run, he had an answer. He plays at a really comfortable pace for him.

"He's hard to get sped up. Some of the other guys we could speed them a little bit and maybe get a turnover or bad pass or quick shot. He's the one guy that held that thing together and controlled it and made big plays.'

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Saturday's Tip Sheet
February 24, 2017

**UCLA at Arizona**

-- Arizona (26-3 straight up, 14-13-2 against the spread) is in first place in the Pac-12 standings, leading Oregon by one game and UCLA by two. The Wildcats are 15-1 in league play, winning five consecutive games since taking their lone conference loss in blowout fashion at Oregon on Feb. 4.

-- Sean Miller’s team is just 2-4 ATS in its last six games, but it did take the cash in Thursday’s 90-77 win over Southern Cal as a nine-point home favorite. The Wildcats drained 11-of-20 launches from 3-point range (55.0%) led by Allonzo Trier’s four makes on six attempts. Trier scored a game-high 25 points, while Rawle Alkins contributed 12 points, four rebounds, four assists, one steal and one blocked shot in merely 17 minutes of playing time off the bench. Alkins buried all five of his shot attempts, including a pair of long-range jumpers from beyond the arc.

-- Arizona is a No. 2 seed from the Midwest Region in ESPN.com’s latest edition of ‘Bracketology’ from Joe Lunardi. Miller’s squad is No. 8 in the RPI Rankings and No. 4 in the latest poll from the Associated Press. UA has posted a 1-3 record against RPI Top-25 foes, a 6-3 ledger versus the Top 50 and a 12-3 mark against the Top 100. The Wildcats’ only losses have come at Oregon (RPI: 7) and on neutral courts vs. Gonzaga (RPI: 9) and Butler (RPI: 11). They own notable wins at UCLA, at California, at USC and at Stanford, in addition to neutral-court victories over Michigan State and Texas A&M. UA’s best home wins include scalps of Cal, USC, Utah, Stanford and New Mexico.

-- Lauri Markkanen, a six-foot 11-inch freshman, is averaging 15.6 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. He is hitting 49.5 percent of his shots from the field, 45.4 percent of his 3’s and 84.3 percent of his free throws. Trier has now played 10 games after missing 19 due to an NCAA eligibility issue. The sophomore guard is scoring at a 15.0 PPG clip and is pulling down 5.0 rebounds per contest. Alkins (11.3 PPG), Dusan Ristic (11.1 PPG) and Kobi Simmons (10.7 PPG) are also scoring in double figures.

-- Arizona is ranked No. 16 in the nation in 3-point shooting (40.0%) and No. 17 in free-throw percentage (76.7%). The Wildcats are ranked 27th in the county in scoring defense (64.0 PPG) and 22nd at defending the 3-point line (31.0%).

-- Arizona is undefeated in 15 home games with a 5-8 spread record.

-- UCLA (25-3 SU, 14-14 ATS) has won outright in seven of its nine road assignments, but it has limped to a 3-6 spread record.

-- Steve Alford’s team has won six straight games, but it is mired on a 2-6 ATS slump. UCLA won 87-75 at Arizona State on Thursday, but it failed to cover the number as a 13-point road ‘chalk.’ T.J. Leaf paced the winners with 25 points and nine rebounds on 11-of-16 shooting from the field. Aaron Holiday produced 17 points, six assists and four rebounds, while Bryce Alford added 15 points and six assists compared to only one turnover. Ike Anigbogu contributed 12 points, six boards and three blocked shots in 20 minutes of playing time off the bench.

-- Leaf leads the Bruins in scoring (17.0 PPG), rebounding (8.8 RPG) and field-goal percentage (63.2%). Leaf, a freshman who is listed as the No. 13 pick in nbadraft.net’s latest mock, is hitting 47.1 percent of his 3-point attempts. Lonzo Ball, the team’s freshman point guard who was a five-star recruit and is currently projected to go No. 2 in the 2017 NBA Draft at nbadraft.net, leads UCLA in assists (7.5 APG) and steals (1.9 SPG) while averaging 15.0 PPG. Alford (16.2 PPG), a senior who is the son of the head coach, has a 75/31 assists-to-turnovers ratio and is draining 45.5 percent of his shots from downtown. Isaac Hamilton (13.8 PPG), Holiday (13.1 PPG) and Thomas Welsh are also averaging in double figures for the high-scoring Bruins.

-- UCLA is ranked tops in the nation in both scoring (92.1 PPG) and field-goal percentage (53.1%). In addition, the Bruins are fourth in the country in 3-point shooting percentage, burying 41.7 percent of their attempts. Credit Ball for all three of those stats as his speed and dribble penetration draws defenders, creating space for teammates to spot up and await his dishes for open looks.

-- UCLA is No. 5 in the AP poll and No. 17 in the RPI. The Bruins are 2-2 against RPI Top-25 opponents, 4-3 versus the Top 50 and 10-3 against the Top 100. They took their losses at Oregon, at Southern Cal (RPI: 29) and at home vs. Arizona. UCLA has home wins over Cal, Oregon, USC, Michigan and Stanford, in addition to neutral-court triumphs over Nebraska, Texas A&M and Ohio State. The Bruins have road wins at Kentucky and at Utah.

-- When these teams met on Jan. 21 at Pauley Pavilion, Arizona raced out to an 11-point halftime lead and won a 96-85 decision as a 5.5-point road underdog. The 181 combined points soared ‘over’ the 160-point total. Simmons led five Arizona players in double figures with 20 points, six rebounds and five assists compared to just one turnover. Markkanen added 18 points and seven boards, nailing 3-of-4 shots from long distance. Ball scored a game-high 24 points and had eight assists, six rebounds and two steals with only one turnover in the losing effort. Alford finished with 15 points.

-- The underdog owns a remarkable 11-1 spread record in the last 12 head-to-head meetings between these Pac-12 rivals. The ‘over’ has connected at a 13-6 rate in the last 19 encounters at Arizona.

-- Arizona has won outright in four of the last five games in this rivalry, but UCLA owns an 8-2 spread record in the last 10 meetings.

-- As of late Friday afternoon, several offshore shops had Arizona installed as a 2.5-point home favorite.

-- The ‘under’ is 15-13-1 overall for Arizona, but the ‘over’ is 8-7 in its home contests. With that said, the Wildcats have seen the ‘under’ cash in three of their last four games and six of their last nine (regardless of the venue).

--The ‘over’ is 14-12-2 overall for the Bruins, 4-4-1 in their road outings. However, the ‘under’ has been a winner in four of UCLA’s last five games.

--Tip-off is scheduled for 8:15 p.m. Eastern on ESPN.

**BYU at Gonzaga**

-- As of late Friday afternoon, several spots had Gonzaga (29-0 SU, 20-5-1 ATS) listed as a 20.5-point home favorite.

-- Mark Few’s team is unbeaten in 15 home games with a stellar 10-2 spread record. The Bulldogs are 9-2 ATS in 11 games as double-digit home favorites.

-- Gonzaga is the nation’s only undefeated team and it is in the midst of an 8-1-1 ATS run after taking the money in Thursday’s 96-38 win at San Diego as a 24-point road favorite. Josh Perkins was the catalyst with 15 points, five rebounds and six assists without a turnover. Jordan Mathews also scored 15 points, while Johnathan Williams produced 14 points and 19 rebounds. Nigel Williams-Goss finished with 14 points, six boards and five assists.

-- Williams-Goss, a junior who transferred from Washington, is leading Gonzaga in scoring (16.2 PPG), assists (4.8 APG) and steals (1.7 SPG). Williams, a transfer from Missouri, is averaging 10.0 points and 6.3 rebounds per game while making a team-best 61.3 percent of his attempts from the field. Senior center Przemek Karnowski is averaging 12.5 points and 5.8 rebounds per game.

-- Gonzaga is No. 1 in the nation in the AP poll and No. 9 in the RPI. The Bulldogs are 4-0 against the RPI Top 25, 5-0 versus the Top 50 and 10-0 against the Top 100. They own neutral-court wins over Florida, Iowa St., Arizona and Tennessee. In addition, the ‘Zags swept Saint Mary’s (RPI: 19).

-- BYU (20-10 SU, 11-15-1 ATS) has been an underdog six times this year, limping to a 1-4-1 spread record with one outright victory (at San Francisco). This is the Cougars’ biggest ‘dog spot of the season.

-- Dave Rose’s team is off of Thursday’s 97-78 win at Portland as an 11.5-point road ‘chalk.’ Elijah Bryant erupted for a career-best 39 points and also had six assists and five rebounds. Eric Mika added 19 points, eight rebounds, four assists, two steals and one blocked shot, while Nick Emery finished with 16 points and three steals.

-- BYU is 4-4 SU and 3-5 ATS in eight road assignments.

-- BYU is No. 90 in the RPI, going winless in three games against the Top 25 and four versus the Top 50. The Cougars are 4-6 against the Top 100. They have notable scalps at home over Princeton and CSU Bakersfield, in addition to sweeping San Francisco.

-- Mika leads the Cougars in scoring (19.9 PPG), rebounding (9.3 RPG) and blocked shots (2.0 BPG). T.J. Haws and Emery are averaging 13.8 and 13.1 PPG, respectively. This trio of players played on the same high school team that won four state titles in a row in Utah.

-- BYU’s L.J. Rose tore his meniscus earlier this month and hasn’t played since Feb. 4. Rose, who was averaging 5.5 points, 4.7 assists and 4.6 rebounds per game, remains ‘out’ indefinitely.

-- The ‘over’ is 14-12 overall for Gonzaga, 7-5 in its home contests. The ‘over’ is 5-1 in the Bulldogs’ last six games.

-- The ‘under’ is 15-11-1 overall for the Cougars, but they’ve seen the ‘over’ go 5-3 in their road games.

-- When these teams met at Marriott Center in Provo in front of nearly 19,000 fans on Feb. 2, Gonzaga won an 85-75 decision as a 10-point road favorite. The 160 combined points slithered ‘under’ the 162-point total. Williams-Goss paced the ‘Zags with 33 points, seven rebounds, four assists and three steals. Williams added 12 points, eight boards, two assists, two steals and one block, while Perkins finished with 11 points and four assists without a turnover. For BYU, Haws scored a team-best 29 points. Mika tallied 15 points and 11 rebounds, while Emery scored just two points before fouling out.

-- The ‘under’ is 11-3 in the last 14 head-to-head meetings between these WCC rivals.

-- ESPN2 will have the broadcast at 10:00 p.m. Eastern.

**B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets**

-- Florida will take a nine-game winning streak into Rupp Arena on Saturday for a 2:00 p.m. Eastern tip on CBS. Mike White’s team is 7-2 ATS during its nine-game surge, with the last two victories coming after losing starting center John Egbunu to a season-ending ACL tear. The Gators thumped South Carolina without Egbunu and with Canyon Barry going scoreless. Barry only logged nine minutes of playing time after spraining his ankle last Saturday in a non-covering win at Mississippi St. KeVaughn Allen needed only seven shots from the field to drop a game-high 26 points on the Gamecocks. When UF and UK met in Gainesville earlier this month, Florida dealt out an 88-66 shellacking as a short home ‘chalk.’

-- Kentucky starters Isaiah Briscoe (13.5 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 4.3 APG) and De’Aaron Fox (15.5 PPG, 5.3 APG, 4.2 RPG & 1.5 SPG) were both listed as ‘questionable’ vs. UF with ankle injuries late Friday afternoon. With that said, I’d be shocked if they don’t play.

-- Northeastern senior forward Alex Murphy is ‘out’ Saturday at UNC-Wilmington due to personal reasons. Murphy, who previously played at Duke and Florida, has finally been healthy this year, averaging 14.2 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game.

-- Miami guard JaQuan Newton (15.0 PPG, 3.8 RPG & 3.6 APG) is done serving his three-game suspension and will return for Saturday’s home game vs. Duke. These ACC adversaries will collide at 4:00 p.m. Eastern on CBS.

-- The televised noon Eastern tips include FSU at Clemson (ACC Network), UNC at Pitt (ACC Network), UVA at N.C. State (ESPN), SMU at UConn (CBS), Tulane at Temple (ESPNU) and Wichita State at Missouri State (ESPN2).

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Saturday's Upsets to Watch
February 24, 2017

There may not be a better day to get on board with multiple upsets in college basketball then this Saturday. There are 11 ranked teams alone that are on the road facing unranked rivals, while other big games like Florida/Kentucky, Creighton/Villanova, and UCLA/Arizona all are ranked vs ranked contests.

But it's the list of those 11 teams going into hostile territory expecting to come out on top where bettors should be able to find value and cash a few upset tickets with home underdogs.

The list of those games is too long to go into all of them in-depth, but it starts with five games at 12 pm EST as #19 Florida State is in Clemson, a struggling #18 Virginia team is at NC State, #8 UNC visits Pittsburgh, #17 SMU visits UConn, and #25 Wichita State takes on Missouri State. With the ranked teams likely to get the majority of support no matter the spread in those games, bettors could be fighting an extreme uphill battle the rest of the day.

Out of the gate, #18 Virginia is likely going to be the first team bettors will look to go against as their offense is absolutely awful and it's hurt them tremendously in losing four in a row. NC State is still on the floor with a lame-duck HC though and if you are going to look at them as a betting option, it's probably best to jump on the Wolfpack as soon as the number comes out as it's likely to receive some steam.

Of the other contests mentioned, Clemson, Missouri State and Connecticut all were blown out in the first meeting with there respective foes and would love to get some revenge and build their tournament resume's this late in the year.

Missouri State lost by 18 in their first meeting with Wichita State, Clemson fell by 48 (including allowing 109 to FSU), and UConn lost by 20. We could see plenty of value in the lines - especially with Clemson – given those lopsided results and I wouldn't hesitate in grabbing the points with any one of those projected three home underdogs.

As the day goes on, we've got #12 West Virginia at TCU, #14 Purdue at Michigan, #10 Duke at Miami, #9 Baylor at Iowa State, #6 Oregon at Stanford, and #3 Kansas at Texas. All are high profile matchups and should provide plenty of interest from the betting masses.

Duke is coming off a dramatic loss to Syracuse earlier this week and that may be a tough situation to go against the Blue Devils off a loss. Duke beat Miami by 12 about a month ago and combine that result with Duke off a loss and Miami's 13-2 SU record at home, the point spread there should be rather tight.

All the other contests have various pro's and cons in regards to looking for upsets, and it will be interesting to see just what numbers come out on these games. But there is no question about it, there will be a lot of fans of these 11 ranked programs that should be on high alert on Saturday. So if you are Florida State, Wichita State, Virginia, North Carolina, SMU, West Virginia, Purdue, Duke, Baylor, Oregon or Kansas, you'd better be on upset alert on Saturday, and bettors better be aware of all the potential profits that exist on ATS or ML bets here.

Chances are all 11 of them aren't going to win outright and if you can be lucky, or smart enough to back the right home teams, Saturday CBB betting could turn out to be very profitable.

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Pitt seniors look to go out on high note
February 24, 2017

PITTSBURGH (AP) The four players tasked with overseeing a transition they never asked for and never saw coming can't quite explain what went wrong.

It wasn't, Pittsburgh seniors Jamel Artis, Mike Young, Sheldon Jeter and Chris Jones insist, longtime head coach Jamie Dixon's abrupt departure for TCU last spring or Kevin Stallings' inelegant arrival a couple of weeks later. It wasn't, they believe, the lack of a true point guard or ACC-ready big man. It wasn't any sense of doubt about their ability, or Stallings' for that matter.

''I look at those as kind of excuses,'' Young said. ''You've got to be able to get it done. In my career we've always had a good team, camaraderie and chemistry. We haven't been able to get over that hump.''

One that looks as daunting as ever for the Panthers (15-13, 4-11 ACC) as the seniors prepare to say goodbye to the Petersen Events Center on Saturday when No. 8 North Carolina (24-5, 12-3) visits.

Any semblance of a chance for an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament evaporated in the final minutes against Wake Forest on Wednesday, when a 19-point lead turned into a 63-59 loss.

The team that once flew so high in the Big East is struggling in the nation's toughest conference. It's not the going away party any of the seniors envisioned.

''It hasn't been a smooth ride,'' Young said.

Yet the four players who will be walk onto the court with family members on Saturday, shake hands with Stallings and wave one last time to the Oakland Zoo aren't ready to bail following a season of unmet expecations, much of them out of the core four's control. No group in the ACC has been asked to do so much to cover so many holes.

Artis slid from forward to point guard because Dixon failed to recruit an experienced and capable ball handler following James Robinson's graduation. The 6-foot-7 Jeter is one of the shortest power forwards in the country, though it hasn't stopped him from leading the Panthers in rebounds, blocks and steals. Young was a double-double machine as a sophomore and junior and worked hard last summer to stretch his game offensively, becoming a competent 3-point shooter in the process.

When it became apparent Pitt needed Young down low, the kid who watched the Panthers more than hold their own in the Big East while growing up just down the Monongahela River from the school's Oakland campus dutifully accepted the reassignment. Young practically willed the Panthers out of an eight-game freefall despite spending a month in a protective mask after fracturing the orbital bone in his right eye.

Asked how he wants to be remembered and Young - the seventh-leading scorer in school history - says simply ''a Pitt legend.'' Only he understands that reaching such a lofty status requires something besides performing with stoic efficiency. You need to win, and Young understands Pitt hasn't done it nearly enough.

If Young's being honest, it's the close calls and not the blowouts that hurt the most. Pitt is just 1-6 in ACC games decided by five points or less. Flip that number and the Panthers are in the thick of the NCAA race. Only they're not, and the inability to close out tight games at times has shaken their confidence.

''You have moments where you think about things, you doubt things,'' Young said. ''I think that's with all people. That's just human.''

Don't confuse introspection with resignation. The Panthers and their coach stress they have not given up. Last Saturday Pitt responded to a home loss to Virginia Tech by blowing past No. 17 Florida State in the second half. A week later they'll be asked to bounce back one more time.

Maybe things haven't turned out the way Young, Artis, Jeter and Jones planned. All year they've walked by a large banner outside the Pete trumpeting the home schedule, silently crossing out each game as it passed. There are no more after Saturday afternoon. There's also nothing left to lose.

''These next three games,'' Jeter said, ''the resiliency we'll show will have an impact on what our legacies are going to be.''

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Wichita State rolling and eyeing NCAAs
February 24, 2017

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) Fred VanVleet and Ron Baker only seemed as if they were at Wichita State forever.

The pair of guards led the Shockers to the Final Four. They put together an undefeated regular season and helped earn the team a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. They led the program to heights folks in southeastern Kansas hadn't known since the 1960s, when Wichita State was a household name.

No wonder their graduation sent expectations for the program plummeting.

Yet if there's one thing fiery coach Gregg Marshall's team relishes, it's playing with a chip on its shoulder. So when pundits pegged the Shockers for a massive rebuilding effort this season, they responded by compiling a 26-4 record, and can clinch a share of the Missouri Valley title on Saturday.

''A lot of people doubted us coming in,'' said Markis McDuffie, last year's conference freshman of the year, ''but we just continue to grind and get better every day.''

''Grind'' is a good word to describe the Shockers' season. They lost close games to Louisville and Michigan State early on, dropped a game to likely NCAA Tournament team Oklahoma State and lost to Illinois State for their only league defeat. Throw in the already low expectations, and the Shockers have spent most of the year grinding away beneath the national radar.

It wasn't until this week that they finally broke into the Top 25.

At No. 25.

But they validated their ranking Wednesday night, when they ran roughshod over Evansville in a 109-83 victory. It was the third time this season the Shockers have eclipsed the 100-point mark, their most since Xavier McDaniel's teams had four of them during the 1982-83 season - which is all-the-more impressive when you consider the hallmark of Marshall's teams tends to be suffocating defense.

Oh, the Shockers can play defense, too. Just ask LSU, which managed 47 points against them in a blowout loss. But the Tigers shouldn't feel bad, considering six other teams have failed to score 50 in a game against Wichita State. One of them didn't even reach 40.

So how have the Shockers managed to defy so many expectations, despite VanVleet earning paychecks from the Toronto Raptors and Baker playing for the New York Knicks these days?

Start at the top: Marshall has proven to be one of the best in the business. The school's winningest coach led Winthrop to seven NCAA Tournaments and has the Shockers headed for their sixth straight.

Not surprisingly, his name is already surfacing for high-major jobs. That seems to happen every year.

Then consider the talent on the roster: McDuffie is a 6-foot-8 forward already generating some NBA interest, freshman point guard Landry Shamet could start for most high-major programs, Shaq Morris and Darral Willis Jr. provide some beef in the paint, and sharpshooting guard Connor Frankamp has finally hit his stride after transferring from Kansas and sitting out.

Finally, consider the fact that Wichita State may be the deepest team in the country. Ten players average at least 10 minutes a game, and nine of those average at least five points. It also means the Shockers can slap on full-court pressure and crank up their stingy defense without having to worry about wearing anybody out.

''We all kind of have a chip in our shoulder,'' said Shamet, who grew up in the Kansas City area but spurned interest from bigger-name programs to head south on I-35. ''We blew some opportunities early in the season, so we found ourselves outside the Top 25. But everybody in our locker room knows we're an NCAA Tournament team. The fact that's it's a conversation about whether or not we should be in ...''

At that, Shamet lets his voice trail off.

Yes, there is a very real conversation going on about whether the Shockers deserve to be in the field of 68 next month. And the reason isn't entirely their fault.

When they built their schedule, they couldn't predict the Spartans would struggle through injuries in a down year for coach Tom Izzo's bunch. Or that Oklahoma would go 9-18 in a major rebuilding year. Or that the Missouri Valley would be worse than usual.

But the result has been a strength-of-schedule below 200 nationally, few marquee wins to dazzle the NCAA selection committee and an RPI figure that is hardly representative of their play.

They pass the eye test. They might not pass the written test.

The Shockers finish their regular season at Missouri State on Saturday, then head to the Missouri Valley tournament next week in St. Louis. Win it and they don't have to worry, lose along the way and they will have an uncomfortable week waiting for Selection Sunday.

''The only thing I can say to anyone who doesn't think we're an NCAA Tournament team is they don't watch enough basketball,'' Marshall said. ''All you have to do is watch our team.''

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Kansas G charged with misdemeanor
February 24, 2017

Kansas freshman guard Josh Jackson was charged with one count of misdemeanor criminal damage to property, Douglas County District Attorney Charles Branson announced Friday.

The charge is related to an incident in the early hours of Dec. 9, when Jackson allegedly damaged the car of Jayhawks women's basketball player McKenzie Calvert.

Jackson is averaging 16.5 points and 7.1 rebounds and is one of two finalists for the Wooden Award, which goes to the nation's top player. He is expected to apply for the NBA draft after the season and figures to be among the first five selections.

The incident occurred outside a bar named the Yacht Club in Lawrence, Kan. Witnesses identified Jackson as the person who kicked the driver's side door and rear taillight of Calvert's car.

According to a police report, Calvert and Kansas men's player Lagerald Vick had a disagreement shortly before 2 a.m. and Calvert tossed a drink into Vick's face. Jackson followed Calvert to her car and an argument ensued. Calvert got in her car and Jackson began kicking the vehicle.

Calvert and Vick have a history. A school investigation found that Vick "likely committed domestic violence" against a female student multiple times in 2015. That student was later identified as Calvert, according to the Kansas City Star.

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SMU winning without Larry Brown
February 24, 2017

DALLAS (AP) Larry Brown can't imagine that any coach is doing a better job this season than Tim Jankovich is with short-handed SMU.

''Oh, it's remarkable,'' Brown said.

While it has taken a while for most people to notice, the 17th-ranked Mustangs are doing quite well after the sudden and somewhat unexpected departure last summer of Brown, the Hall of Fame coach who two years ago took SMU to its first NCAA Tournament since 1993. He left after a contract dispute.

''Just a good group of guys and I think now that they've been through a lot, and they've been together through so much, it has really resulted in what you're seeing on the court,'' SMU athletic director Rick Hart said.

The Mustangs (24-4), one of the nation's top defensive teams allowing 59 points a game, went into this weekend with 20 wins in their 21 games since November and a share of the American Athletic Conference lead.

''I don't want to say they've exceeded expectations because we always think big,'' said Jankovich, who then went on to describe his team as ''pretty amazing.''

If not for NCAA sanctions that included a one-year postseason ban, SMU would have been back in the NCAA Tournament last year after winning 25 games in the senior season for two-time American Athletic Conference player of the year Nic Moore and AAC top sixth man Markus Kennedy.

With those key seniors and Brown gone, SMU is limited this season because of the NCAA penalties - down at times to only six available scholarship players. But those sanctions, related to a September 2015 ruling against Brown involving a case of academic fraud , won't keep the Mustangs out of another NCAA Tournament.

''We just looked at this season as an opportunity to, not necessarily get back on the map, but just to get what we owe ourselves,'' sophomore guard Jarrey Foster said. ''We owe ourselves a lot, just how much we've been through.''

The Mustangs were 20-4 before finally breaking into the AP Top 25 for the first time this season on Feb. 6. They then avenged a January road loss with a home win over Cincinnati, and moved up again in the poll after consecutive victories in games they trailed by double digits before halftime.

Jankovich was SMU's associate head coach the past four seasons. He was also head coach-in-waiting, a title he didn't particularly like, but a necessity to leave a head coaching job at Illinois State for a spot on Brown's staff.

''They're two totally different coaches. When they were coaching together, they found a way to come together and use their coaching styles together,'' Foster said. ''We (now) play a little bit more loose.''

Sophomore guard Shake Milton said Jankovich lets the Mustangs push the ball more and shoot more - especially 3-pointers, averaging seven more attempts a game than the past three seasons - but the coach demands the same kind of focus on defense and rebounding as Brown did.

Milton, Foster, seniors Sterling Brown and Ben Moore, and former Duke transfer Semi Ojeleye all play more than 32 minutes per game as starters. Ben Emelogu, a transfer from Virginia Tech, averages more than 21 minutes and was the only sub used the past four games except for a walk-on senior being in for less than a minute just before halftime one game.

''They've been one of the hardest-working teams I've been around,'' said Jankovich, who was 104-64 at Illinois State from 2007-12 after serving as an assistant for Bill Self at Illinois (2002-03) and Kansas (2003-07). ''They've been one of the most mature and focused groups.''

SMU started this season with 10 scholarship players, three under the NCAA limit. That included a transfer from Arkansas sitting out this season, and two freshmen from Australia who left the team after only 10 games. Another scholarship freshman has dealt with concussion symptoms much of this month.

Even though the Mustangs still have to give up a total of four more scholarships over the next two seasons, Jankovich feels great about the program's future. There are six expected returning scholarship players, plus four recruits already signed for next season.

''Of course, I wish we didn't have the sanctions that we have and the limitations, but you know what, we're not going to use this as an excuse,'' he said. ''We've just learned to deal with the hand that we're dealt.''

Brown, the only coach to win both NBA and NCAA titles, won nearly 1,600 games in a coaching career that spanned more than four decades and included a record nine NBA jobs and three college stops. The last for the 76-year-old coach was at SMU, where Jankovich and the Mustangs keep winning.

''It's the greatest thing ever,'' Brown said. ''They've been through hell with the sanctions, the injuries, and yet they kept getting better.''

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Vols' Bowden likely 'out' for Saturday
February 24, 2017

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) Tennessee coach Rick Barnes says guard Jordan Bowden has ''a little bout of pneumonia'' and likely will miss a second straight game Saturday at South Carolina.

Barnes said Friday that Tennessee is ''not counting on him playing at all'' against South Carolina.

Bowden's illness prevented him from playing Wednesday in a 67-56 loss to Vanderbilt as Tennessee recorded its lowest point total and field-goal percentage of the season. He played only one minute in a 90-70 victory over Missouri on Saturday and hasn't appeared in a game since.

The 6-foot-3 freshman has made 26 starts for Tennessee this season. He is averaging 8.1 points, 2.9 rebounds and 22.6 minutes.

Tennessee (15-13, 7-8) has lost three of its last four games. South Carolina (20-8, 10-5) has dropped three straight.

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No. 19 Florida State looks to fix struggles in road games
February 24, 2017

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) If Florida State wants to get one of the top four seeds in the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament, the Seminoles must quickly cure their road woes.

The 19th-ranked Seminoles play their next two games on the road, where they are 2-5 in league play and have dropped five of their last six. They play at Clemson on Saturday and at No. 10 Duke on Tuesday.

Florida State (22-6) enters the weekend in a four-way tie for No. 21 Notre Dame, seventh-ranked Louisville and the Blue Devils. They each are 10-5 in the conference and two games behind No. 8 North Carolina, but the Seminoles are currently the second seed because of their 3-1 record over the other tied teams.

The top four seeds earn a double-bye for the ACC Tournament, which begins on March 7 at the Barclay's Center in Brooklyn.

''There's no question we want the double bye, but the only way is not wish for it ... go take it,'' coach Leonard Hamilton said. ''It starts by taking care of business on Saturday.''

The Seminoles, who have trailed at halftime in every road game, opened ACC road play with a 60-58 victory at No. 18 Virginia on Dec. 31. All of the road losses have been by 12 points or more and they have trailed by 15 or more at some point.

Florida State leads the conference in field goal percentage, shooting 49 percent. But on the road they have shot over 50 percent just once and are at 42.2 percent on the season.

Hamilton liked what he saw in Monday's 104-72 win over Boston College and hopes that performance can carry over to the next two games. He wants to see his team attack the paint more often in order to get open passes to the perimeter and more touches for his post players. He has also been stressing being more efficient in their half-court offense.

''We can't be coming down and passing only once or twice against a team in their best defensive look,'' Hamilton said. ''Most times when we have spread the floor and moved the ball we have been effective.''

Saturday's game also should be a good test for FSU after it dominated Clemson by 48 points (109-61) on Feb. 5. The Tigers (14-13, 4-11) have their last three games at home and are trying to get a postseason berth.

Senior forward Jarquez Smith said he expects that Clemson ''is going to come out with a grudge'' and that the Seminoles have to play as relaxed as they do at home.

''I think these next two games are going to really helps us because it will test where we are physically and mentally,'' guard Xavier Rathan-Mayes said. ''We are really meshing as a team at the right time. We need to get a couple wins in order to go into the postseason on a high note.''

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Izzo's Spartans still shoring up NCAA
February 24, 2017

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) Michigan State and Tom Izzo have repeatedly made March the Spartans' month with strong finishes and Final Four runs. The Spartans are having a tougher time locking down their NCAA Tournament spot and building late-season momentum this time around.

Michigan State (17-11, 9-6 Big Ten) has won five of seven but likely still has work ahead to ensure a Big Ten-record 20th straight NCAA trip.

''I just plan on us figuring out a way,'' Izzo said this week. ''If I'm talking about it, there's five other Big Ten teams talking about it, there's four or five ACC teams, there's three or four SEC teams. I mean, there are so many teams that are 6-8 to 8-6 around the country that everybody's in the same boat.''

The Spartans - with seven Final Fours under Izzo, most recently in 2015 - started with a No. 12 preseason ranking in the Top 25 despite significant personnel losses that included national player of the year Denzel Valentine. But they fell out before December while playing a crushing schedule that included losses to Arizona, Kentucky, Baylor in the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament and Duke.

Michigan State also lost twice to 14th-ranked Big Ten leader Purdue, and lost at home in December to a Northeastern team that sits at No. 131 in the RPI.

Michigan State is No. 43 in the RPI and No. 52 in KenPom rankings after Thursday's win against Nebraska. The Spartans were slotted as No. 10 seeds in recent ESPN, CBSsports.com and USA Today projections, putting them at the back end of at-large bid candidates.

Michigan State hosts No. 16 Wisconsin on Sunday then visits Illinois and No. 24 Maryland before playing in the Big Ten Tournament. The Spartans will also have the challenge of playing without senior guard Eron Harris after losing him to a knee injury.

''I think there's going to be a lot of things that happening in these last two weeks,'' Izzo said. ''We've just got to take care of as much of our business as we can and see where that takes us.''

ON THE RISE

Dayton: The Flyers (22-5, 13-2 Atlantic 10) entered Friday's game at Davidson with seven straight wins since falling at VCU. Dayton is 10-4 against RPI top-100 teams and sits at No. 24 in the RPI.

Middle Tennessee: The Blue Raiders (24-4, 14-1 Conference USA) have lost once since Dec. 21 and are 32nd in the RPI with wins against Southeastern Conference teams Vanderbilt and Mississippi. The goal now is to continue bolstering the resume so a stumble in the league tournament doesn't end their NCAA hopes.

Minnesota: The Gophers (21-7, 9-6) looked like a lost cause with five straight losses to end January, but they've won six straight since - including 89-75 at No. 24 Maryland on Wednesday. They also sit at No. 15 in the RPI a year after an eight-win season.

Syracuse: Just when the Orange was drifting into higher-risk category, John Gillon banked in a 3-pointer to beat No. 10 Duke on Wednesday. Syracuse (17-12, 9-7 ACC) had lost three straight games but now has three home wins against top-10 teams (Florida State and Virginia were the others) despite a No. 76 RPI. Winning Sunday at No. 7 Louisville couldn't hurt.

FADING HOPES

Alabama: The Crimson Tide (16-11, 9-6 Southeastern Conference) hurt themselves with Thursday's 60-55 home loss to Georgia. They've lost four of seven in February, with two wins coming against LSU and Missouri teams that are a combined 3-27 in the SEC.

TCU. The Horned Frogs (17-11, 6-9 Big 12) have lost eight of 11, though first-year coach Jamie Dixon deserves credit for getting a long-struggling program in the discussion for its first NCAA bid since 1998.

Utah. The Utes (18-10, 9-7 Pac-12) have lost four of seven, including Sunday's loss to an Oregon State team that was 0-14 in league. The Utes - 84th in RPI - are 1-9 against RPI top-100 teams.

Wake Forest. The Demon Deacons (16-12, 7-9 ACC) pass the eye test as a tournament team behind sophomore big man John Collins, an ACC player of the year candidate. But they lack a top-shelf win to put them comfortably over the line - and they're running out of time to get it. The Demon Deacons (40th in RPI, 33rd in KenPom) are 1-9 against RPI top-50 teams entering next week's visit from No. 7 Louisville.

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UNCW coach says focus on NCAA tourney
February 24, 2017

Kevin Keatts is focused on helping UNC Wilmington earn another shot in the NCAA Tournament - not on any other jobs.

The Seahawks' third-year coach says it is ''flattering'' to hear his name mentioned for higher-profile openings but says he's mentally ''locked in'' to leading UNCW to another Colonial Athletic Association Tournament title, getting back into the field of 68 and pulling some upsets.

Winning two straight CAA coach of the year awards, and being in position for a third, has made Keatts a hot commodity - especially with an opening a few hours up the road at North Carolina State, which fired Mark Gottfried last week.

''Obviously, with having success, your name's going to be mentioned a lot of places, and that's flattering,'' Keatts said. ''In our third year, we've had more success than most, but for me, I've been locked in to these guys and really enjoying my team. I love what Wilmington has to offer.''

And not just because there's a beach nearby.

UNC Wilmington (25-5, 14-3) has already wrapped up the No. 1 seed in the CAA Tournament that begins next week in Charleston, South Carolina, and can break the school record for victories in a season with a win over Northeastern on Saturday in the regular season finale.

Keatts knows UNC Wilmington probably has to win the tournament to earn a second straight NCAA bid. The Seahawks claimed the league's automatic berth last year - their first since 2006 - but lost to Duke in the first round of the West Regional as a No. 13 seed.

And while they weren't satisfied with any moral victories, they learned an important lesson from that eight-point loss.

''Everyone realizes - and more importantly, our guys realize - after that Duke game that we can literally play with anybody in the country,'' Keatts said. ''We have confidence. Our guys believe in themselves.''

The Seahawks are winning with the same formula - and many of the same players - as in 2016. They run the same uptempo full court press, lead the league in scoring at 85 points per game, a six-point improvement, and are tops in the conference in 3-pointers, steals, turnover margin and, perhaps most importantly, assist-to-turnover ratio.

''We really share the basketball, and a lot of that comes from being familiar with the guys that you're playing with,'' Keatts said.

Four players average at least 10 points, led by sophomore C.J. Brice (17 ppg) and Chris Flemmings (16 ppg), a transfer from Division II Barton who was the team's top scorer last year. Six players on the roster began their college careers elsewhere, including graduate transfer Ambrose Mosley (Old Dominion) and returning guard Denzel Ingram (Charlotte).

''I've seen a change in them as far as maturity, and really, when you look at it, they feel like they're going to win every game, no matter what the situation is,'' Keatts said. ''Their confidence level is high because it's almost like we've been in this situation before.''

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Przemek Karnowski steadying presence for top-ranked Gonzaga
February 24, 2017

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) When No. 1 Gonzaga tries to complete an undefeated regular season on Saturday, perhaps no player will be more valuable than center Przemek Karnowski.

The 7-foot-1, 300-pound senior is a nearly unstoppable force from close range. He is averaging 12.8 points per game, second on the team, and leads the West Coast Conference with a 68 percent shooting percentage in league play. He adds 5.8 rebounds and a couple of assists per game.

Yet a year ago, Karnowski's career was in jeopardy because of bulging discs in his back.

''When you consider that this time last year we didn't know if he would play basketball ever again,'' coach Mark Few said. ''We didn't know if he was going to walk normal or function normal, because his back was so bad.''

''It's a great story of redemption,'' Few said. ''A great story of just hanging with it and it couldn't have happened to a better guy.''

No player has won more games in a Gonzaga uniform than the fifth-year senior from Poland. He is 129-13 heading into Saturday's season finale against BYU.

Karnowski is threatening former Duke player Shane Battier's Division I record of 133 career wins. That will require Gonzaga to win games in the West Coast Conference and NCAA tournaments.

Shouldn't be a problem.

The Zags have won the WCC title and advanced to the NCAA Tournament all five of his seasons.

''This program is about winning,'' said Karnowski, whose first name is pronounced ''Pshimik'' and who goes by ''Shem.'' ''That's really important.''

Gonzaga (29-0, 17-0 West Coast) is seeking to become the first team since Kentucky in 2014-15 to go undefeated in the regular season.

The Zags got here by having one of the nation's top offenses, averaging 85 points per game, and they can score from anywhere on the floor.

Karnowski is lethal in front of the basket, scoring on a variety of post shots, hook shots and short jumpers.

He is there when the Bulldogs absolutely need a basket. Karnowski scored 15 points in the first half against No. 20 Saint Mary's on Feb. 11 and 13 points in the first half against San Francisco on Feb. 16 to spark the Zags to victory in a couple of key games where the team had trouble getting started.

''Best center in the country, it's as simple as that,'' leading scorer Nigel Williams-Goss said. ''When you play him one-on-one, I don't think anyone in the country can guard him.''

Front court mate Johnathan Williams said Karnowski is an intelligent player.

''He's a great passer,'' Williams said. ''He makes the right reads. He's easy to play with.''

Gonzaga assistant coach Tommy Lloyd discovered Karnowski when he was scouting guard Kevin Pangos in Europe. The center narrowed his choices to California and Gonzaga, and reunited with Pangos as a member of the Zags.

As a freshman in 2012-13, he played behind lottery pick Kelly Olynyk, getting into 34 games. That was the first and only other season in which the Bulldogs reached No. 1 in the AP Top 25 .

He started as a sophomore and junior. Big things were expected his fourth year but he fell hard in practice and five games into last season he had to quit because of bulging discs.

It wasn't certain he would be able to return from surgery.

''I couldn't bend. I couldn't lift,'' said Karnowski, who lost nearly 50 pounds after surgery.

But his recovery was smoother than expected. ''I play with no pain,'' Karnowski said.

He flirted with turning pro, but decided to return for a final season when the NCAA granted him a medical redshirt.

He is thriving this year as part of an efficient front court in which he shares time with Johnathan Williams, Zach Collins and Killian Tillie.

''He's playing the best basketball of his career right now,'' Few said.

Certainly there are detractors who don't buy Gonzaga's gaudy record, who note the team plays in the relatively weak WCC.

''Yeah, people are going to talk,'' Karnowski said. ''We are winning right now and they still talk bad. I don't really listen to that.''

Karnowski acknowledged this season has exceeded his expectations.

''I didn't think we would be undefeated, to be honest,'' he said. ''I'm happy I didn't walk last year.''

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Arrest warrant issued for Creighton PG
February 24, 2017

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) An arrest warrant has been issued in Omaha for Creighton basketball player Maurice Watson Jr.

The Douglas County warrant filed Thursday lists a felony count of forcible sexual assault. An Omaha police incident report says a 19-year-old woman told investigators that Watson had nonconsensual sexual intercourse with her early in the morning Feb. 4. A police spokeswoman would not say Friday whether Watson has been taken into custody.

Online court records don't have the name of an attorney who could comment on Watson's behalf. Attempts to reach Watson to comment Friday were unsuccessful.

The university announced Wednesday that Watson had been suspended from all athletic-related activities since Feb. 13. The 23-year-old senior point guard suffered a season-ending knee injury last month.

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No. 10 Duke's visit to Miami headlines weekend in ACC play
February 24, 2017

A look at the upcoming week around the Atlantic Coast Conference:

GAME OF THE WEEKEND: No. 10 Duke at Miami. The Blue Devils (22-6, 10-5) had won eight straight games before Wednesday's loss at Syracuse. The Hurricanes (19-8, 9-6) are coming off a win at Virginia to bolster their NCAA Tournament hopes, while both teams are battling to secure at least one of the top four seeds for the ACC Tournament and the double-round bye that comes with it. ''During this time you're going to face teams that just inherently should be hungrier than you,'' Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said of playing late-season games against bubble teams, ''and then you have to try to be as hungry. And that's a challenge.''

LOOKING AHEAD: There are three key games to start the final week of the regular season. First is No. 8 North Carolina's Monday visit to No. 18 Virginia for the teams' second meeting in 10 days. That same night, Miami visits Virginia Tech in a matchup of teams chasing NCAA bids. Then, No. 19 Florida State visits Duke on Tuesday.

PLAYER TO WATCH: North Carolina's Justin Jackson has improved his outside shot, and that's made him a candidate for league player of the year. The 6-foot-8 junior is averaging 18.7 points entering Saturday's game at Pittsburgh. Jackson had shot just 30 percent from 3-point range through his first two seasons, but he's developed into a top-tier perimeter scorer for the Tar Heels while shooting nearly 40 percent on 3s this year.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS: No. 18 Virginia's offense is struggling badly. The Cavaliers managed 144 points in losses to Duke, North Carolina and Miami for the program's lowest three-game total in a season since December 1951, according to ESPN Stats & Info. Virginia shot 32 percent in those games and made just 10 of 52 3-pointers (19 percent), a big reason why the Cavaliers have their first four-game skid since coach Tony Bennett's first season in 2009-10 entering Saturday's game at North Carolina State.

ON THE WOMEN'S SIDE: The final weekend of the regular season is here, and No. 5 Notre Dame can wrap up yet another title. The Fighting Irish (26-3, 14-1), who beat Boston College on Thursday, host No. 8 Florida State in a game that will determine the top seed in the ACC Tournament. The Seminoles (25-4, 13-2) are coming off Thursday's home win against Pittsburgh. Notre Dame is trying to become the second team to win four straight ACC regular-season and tournament titles, joining Duke (2001-04).