Last weekend, a question that was already highly debated among coaches, media and fans was litigated once again after Duke's Kyle Filipowski suffered in injury when Wake Forest students stormed the court after a win over No. 8 Duke.
In addition to that, last weekend provided games in which underdogs upset ranked opponents, which spiced up the NCAA tournament picture. Here's everything you need to know from last weekend's men's basketball slate.
Wake Forest upsets No. 8 Duke, but the court storm was the bigger story
While the bigger story came after the game, this matchup was a very entertaining one. It was a back-and-forth game and Wake Forest guard Hunter Sallis had an incredible performance. He scored 29 points and he only missed two of his 13 shots all game. Three more Demon Deacons scored in double figures, too. That led to an upset victory for Wake Forest, 83-79.
This win really helped the Demon Deacons’ NCAA tournament resume, given that it qualified as a Quad 1 win and could prove to be pivotal on Selection Sunday. In the excitement of the win, Wake Forest fans stormed the court, which led to a major controversy. Filipowski, Duke's star, rolled his ankle as the fans rushed the court.
His injury reignited a frequent debate about whether court storming should be allowed.
Filipowski was the Blue Devils' leading scorer for the game with 17 points. However, his performance, and the game itself, was overshadowed by the backlash as Duke coach Jon Scheyer and many media personalities called for the end of court storming.
No. 2 Houston holds on in overtime at No. 11 Baylor
Houston won on the road in overtime against the Bears 82-76 in one of the better games of the season. Baylor rallied to make a comeback and forward Yves Missi missed a free throw attempt with roughly four seconds left in regulation, which sent the game to overtime. In overtime, Houston made the most of the opportunity and its defense was dominant in the extra period.
Houston's Emmanuel Sharp led the team in scoring with 18 points while his teammates J’Wan Roberts and L.J. Cryer scored 17 and 15 points, respectively.
Baylor's Ja’Kobe Walter and RayJ Dennis had 23 and 21 points, respectively. The duo showcased in a losing effort how effective of a one-two punch they can be. However, the Bears' bench players scored only two points.
Baylor's 76 points represented the second-most points Houston has allowed all season, behind only the 78 points Kansas scored in a 13-point win earlier this month. However, the Cougars' defense stepped up when it mattered in overtime. Baylor scored just seven points in the final five minutes.
Houston's defense has propelled the Cougars to a projected No. 1 seed and the top of the Big 12 standings.
No. 17 Kentucky beats No. 13 Alabama in a game featuring 212 combined points
Another highly entertaining, ranked matchup happened in Rupp Arena between Kentucky and Alabama. The game's combined 212 points made it one of the highest-scoring games of the season.
For Kentucky, Justin Edwards had 28 points, Antonio Reeves had 24, Zvonomir Ivisic had 18 and Rob Dillingham scored 16. Edwards’s game was particularly impressive, as he didn't miss a shot in his 10 attempts from the field, including four threes.
Alabama's Rylan Griffen and Marks Sears each scored 21 points but that wasn’t enough to beat the Wildcats.
The Tide is still in the thick of the SEC regular-season title race and it's still slated to get a strong seed in the NCAA tournament, but defensive performances like this could hurt the team down the stretch.
No. 10 North Carolina and No 20. South Carolina win on the road
While Kentucky and Alabama combined for more than 200 points, North Carolina and Virginia combined for less than 100 points as the Tar Heels won a defensive battle on the road, 54-44. This game was classic Virginia basketball but the Tar Heels beat them at it, playing incredible defense while controlling the game offensively.
Cormac Ryan was the leading scorer for North Carolina with 18 points. An interesting statistical performance from the North Carolina offense was that guard R.J. Davis scored 12 points despite making just one field goal. Virginia had just two players in double figures. Jordan Minor was the team's leading scorer with 12 points. With the win, North Carolina maintained its lead atop the ACC standings.
South Carolina also got a good road win over Ole Miss, 72-59. The Gamecocks had recently struggled amid a good season overall and this win got them back on track as they contend for the SEC regular-season title.
South Carolina's B.J. Mack was the leading scorer for the game with 17 points and Zachary Davis had 14. Ole Miss wasn’t great offensively. Leading scorer Moussa Cisse had just 12 points. The loss for Ole Miss may have ended the Rebels' chances at an at-large berth to the NCAA tournament.
Four top-25 teams lose in upsets
There was a big upset on Sunday as St. John’s beat Creighton 80-66. Creighton guard Trey Alexander had 31 points for the Bluejays, while Daniss Jenkins scored 27 for the Red Storm. Creighton managed just two bench points, which proved to be a deciding factor.
UNLV handed Colorado State an upset loss, 66-60. Colorado State standout Isaiah Stevens had another great game, scoring 18 points, but UNLV's Dedan Thomas Jr. outscored him with 23 points. This was the Rams’ third loss in four games, which puts their NCAA tournament hopes into question, while UNLV may now be in the tournament conversation.
Washington State, which was coming off of a great win over Arizona, had a letdown game at Arizona State. Washington State looked like a contender for the Pac-12 title but this game proved otherwise. Jose Perez was the star for Arizona State, scoring 16 points.
Kansas State beat BYU 84-74, reflective of how the Cougars have been up and down all season. Kansas State forward Arthur Kaluma put on a show, scoring 28 points and grabbing 10 rebounds for a double-double. This could be a momentum boost for the Wildcats, which were struggling before this game.
