The last regular-season weekend was certainly one to remember, as we got to see the historic and always heated UNC/Duke rivalry, plus other great conference games in Houston/Kansas and Kentucky/Tennessee. To top this all off, four conference championship games took place, giving four teams automatic bids to the NCAA Tournament. These are always special, especially with the quality of championships that there were. This weekend, the one before Selection Sunday, is truly special every year, as the combination of regular-season finales with conference tournaments is unlike any other.
No. 7 North Carolina beats No. 9 Duke at Cameron Indoor, secures outright ACC title
The nation's best rivalry took place for the second time this season, this time at Duke, but with UNC winning again, 84-79. It was a game in which the Tar Heels were in control for the majority of the game, but one where Duke made several comeback attempts. These all failed in the end, as North Carolina took the game and the sweep of the season series.
Cormac Ryan was the star of the show for UNC, scoring 31 points and shooting 6-for-8 from three. For Duke, both Kyle Filipowski and Jared McCain both had great games, with Flip scoring 23 and McCain scoring 19. While both of these performances were very solid, they were overshadowed by Ryan’s career day. It seemed like he was the one making every shot for the Heels, and in a way he was, as several Tar Heels had off games and Ryan stepped up to make the big bucket whenever he needed to. R.J. Davis and Armando Bacot only had nine points apiece, making this performance by Ryan just that much more impactful in the biggest game of the year up to this point.
This game clinched the outright ACC title for the Tar Heels, while also giving them the season sweep over their archrivals, both of which are even sweeter as they accomplished them on Duke’s home floor. Both teams should be high seeds in the NCAA Tournament, so it should be interesting to see how far each team advances in the ACC and NCAA Tournaments.
No. 15 Kentucky wins on the road at No. 4 Tennessee, despite Knecht’s 40 points
Another great rivalry, Kentucky vs. Tennessee, was also renewed on Saturday, with this edition of the game going to the Wildcats, 85-81. This made the season series split between the two rivals, with the first matchup being won by Tennessee, also on the road. Despite the loss here, though, the Vols still won the SEC conference title outright.
Dalton Knecht was sensational in this one, as he normally is, but his performance here was truly great, as he had 40 points, a season high for the potential SEC Player of the Year. Even though the Tennessee star had a game for the ages, the Wildcats still won, and that was because of performances from Reed Sheppard and Antonio Reeve. Both of these stars had 27 points, but it was Sheppard who hit two late 3s to seal the victory for Kentucky. Justin Edwards also had 16 points in a complementary performance, showing it wasn’t just the two big names scoring for the Wildcats.
This was Kentucky’s fifth win in a row, signaling some momentum building in the program as it heads to the SEC Tournament. Many believe this team has the potential to do great things in the postseason if it plays the way it did Sunday, something that Tennessee hopes won't happen as this game was its first in eight games where it didn’t come away with the victory.
No. 1 Houston beats No. 14 Kansas by 30, wins Big 12 outright
Kansas may have taken its first matchup against Houston handily, but this time it was utter domination in favor of the Cougars, as they dismantled the Jayhawks 76-46. This 30-point defeat ended a historically bad Big 12 season for Kansas, and it was almost fitting that it took this bad a loss to a new conference opponent in Houston.
The box score was certainly an interesting one, as Houston’s defense was highlighted in the lack of numbers in Kansas’s stats, with Hunter Dickinson being the only player to score in double figures for KU, scoring just 11 points. Houston, on the other hand, had four players with 10 or more points and four more who contributed at least six. This amount of balance is rare, especially for a team of Houston’s caliber, which shows how unique of a bunch they are. Jamal Shead was probably the most impactful Cougar, with 13 points and eight assists, but it was truly a team effort.
This win wasn’t even necessary for Houston to clinch the Big 12 outright, as Iowa State’s loss took care of it for them, but it was impressive to end the season on such an outstanding performance, on offense and defense. Kansas, on the other hand, is still searching for answers after a very disappointing game and conference season as a whole.
No. 5 Arizona, No. 6 Iowa State, No. 11 Baylor and No. 24 South Florida all go down
As with every weekend, upsets are a focal point and shake up the action. Arizona was one of the teams to lose unexpectedly, as it took the defeat to USC 78-65. This was a huge letdown for the Wildcats, as they are fighting for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament and this loss could hurt their chances. D.J. Rodman and Kobe Johnson both led the Trojans with 19, as they gave this USC group some momentum with the big win, possibly foreshadowing a run in the Pac 12 Tournament.
Iowa State also was upset on Saturday, taking the loss to Kansas State on the road 65-58. The Cyclones will still finish in second in the Big 12, but were hoping for a more promising end to their regular season. Arthur Kaluma and Cam Carter were the stars for the Wildcats, as Kaluma had 23 and Carter scored 21. This win may not get K-State into the NCAA Tournament yet, making some noise in the Big 12 Tournament could get them there.
Baylor was another Big 12 team to go down on the road, losing to Texas Tech 78-68. This one was huge for Big 12 standings, as with the TTU win both the Red Raiders and Bears will get the double-bye in the Big 12 Tournament. Pop Isaacs was the top performer of the game, scoring 20 points and ensuring that the Red Raiders get the upset win over Baylor. Both these teams are safely in the NCAA Tournament and will look to do some damage with the talent seen in this game.
South Florida was the last ranked team to lose on Saturday, going down to Tulsa 76-70. This game most likely ended the Bulls’ at-large hopes, even though they locked up the AAC regular season title. For Tulsa, P.J. Haggerty was the highlight of the game, scoring a whopping 32 points. Tulsa hasn’t made many headlines, so this was the high point of their season, while USF can go home happy with its conference title, while looking ahead to the AAC Tournament.
Morehead State, Longwood, Drake and Stetson win conference tournaments, clinch bids to the NCAA Tournament
NCAA Tournament bid season is here, as the first bid was clinched Saturday by Morehead State, as it beat Little Rock in the Ohio Valley championship 69-55. This is the Eagles’ first tournament appearance since 2021, losing in the first round in that season. Riley Minx was the top scorer for this one, putting up 26 as he willed his MSU team to the conference title and a berth into March Madness.
Longwood also clinched a bid to the Tournament, winning the Big South championship over UNC Asheville in a blowout, 85-59. Despite the Lancers having a losing record in conference play, they got hot at the right time and fought their way to the Big South final, winning it here. It was a great offensive performance with five players in double figures, all contributing to the win that will get Longwood to its first tournament since 2022.
Drake probably had the most thrilling game that got them into the NCAA Tournament, as they beat Indiana State in the Missouri Valley final 84-80. This game was back-and-forth, with ISU mounting an impressive comeback after being down early. It was the Bulldogs, though, who were better in the clutch, with Tucker DeVries, who had an impressive 27 points on the day, hitting several late baskets to secure them the conference title and back-to-back tournament bids. The question now becomes if Indiana State has done enough to earn itself an at-large bid.
Lastly, Stetson secured its first berth to the tournament with a win in the Atlantic Sun championship over Austin Peay 94-91. This was an extremely close, high-scoring affair, with both teams playing at a high level. Its star Jalen Blackmon’s 43 points were the difference, though, as his career performance was just enough to get the Hatters to their first NCAA Tournament since their program became D-1 in 1971.
Elms' Essentials: Week 12
