Sunday’s college basketball led a bit of everything, as the regular season came to an end, the middle of the big conference tournaments was fueled and the big conference tournament brackets tightened. With buzzers, emotional moments in the old days and a bit of controversy as part of the action, it was a reminder that March is in full force.
Only one game had two ranked teams, but that made a big contribution when no. 5 Iowa picked up No. 25 Wisconsin 77-73 in the final season for both. Although the referees stole part of the spotlight – in the second half 24 offenses were called – one performance stood out above the rest.
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The lead, Luka Garza, handled the national player of the year, finishing in his last game at Carver-Hawkeye Arena with 21 points and 16 rebounds. The effort helped Iowa (20-7, 14-6 Big Ten) solidify its place as a projected No. 2 series in the NCAA Tournament in Jerry Palm’s Bracketology entry to the Big Ten Tournament.
It also made what happened after the game all the more appropriate. More on this in just a second as we begin to dissect the winners and losers of an important day in the college hoops
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The Hawkeyes announced Sunday that they have Garza’s no. 55 will retire in an appropriate tribute to the country’s leading scorer and Iowa’s leading scorer. The ceremony after the game was a reminder of the beauty of university basketball. There is some skepticism about how Garza’s game will translate to the NBA. But where he becomes an All-Star or struggles to keep a professional roster, he will always be a legend in Iowa, and no one will ever wear his uniform again.
Garza was not the only player in an elite team to enjoy a historic moment on the senior day on Sunday. Baylor keeper MaCio Teague set a Big 12 record with ten three-pointers, while beating the No. 1 seed. 3 Bears led to a 88-73 victory at no. 18 Texas Tech during his last game at the Ferrell Center. Teague finished with 35 points, including 26 in the second half, as he propelled the Bears – a projected No. 1 series for the NCAA Tournament – into the post-season.
Loser: Memphis’ big hope is snatched away
Memphis, according to Palm, competed in the NCAA Tournament at 9 in Houston on Sunday, but needed a win over the Cougars to keep their hopes of a big bid. The dreams of dance brutally shook away when the Tramon Mark of Houston sat in a controversial triangle at the buzzer to lift the Cougars to a 67-64 victory. The result probably means Memphis will have to win the AAC tournament to make it to the Big Dance.
Winner: Loyola Chicago wen Arch Madness
The Ramblers are back to the NCAA Tournament as the automatic qualifying game from the Missouri Valley Conference after beating Drake 75-65 in the MVC Tournament. Cameron Krutwig and Braden Norris led Loyola Chicago by 20 points each. If Krutwig’s name sounds familiar, it should. He was a major contributor to the 2018 Final Four team as a freshman, and this team looks very good to be able to progress in the NCAA Tournament again. Palm projected the Ramblers as a number 12 seed entering the day. Any potential number 5 seed interested in it? Did not think so.
Winner: Winthrop wins Big South
Speaking of mid-sized teams destroying the chops in the NCAA Tournament, how about Winthrop? The Eagles will enter the event with a 23-1 record after beating Campbell 80-53 in the Big South tournament. With a roster of multiple veterans, an 11-deep rotation and a coach in Pat Kelsey who has been in the Big Dance before, this team can be dangerous. The Eagles were a projected number 13 seed by Palm at the start of the day, but they are still a team no one will want to play.
Winner: Tennessee finishes strong
The Volunteers have not won consecutive matches since February 6 and February 10, but they have not lost consecutive matches either. Their alternation between wins and losses continued Sunday as they claimed a 65-54 victory over Florida in a battle with the predicted No. 6 seed. The Volunteers (17-7, 10-7 SEC) trailed by 14 in the first half, but played suffocating defense in the second half to give seniors Yves Pons and John Fulkerson a good discount at the end of an on -and-off regular season. Winning, however, was particularly important to the Vols, as it earned them a double farewell to the SEC tournament.
Winner: Oregon takes Pac-12 title
How about a tip of the cap to Oregon? The Ducks needed a win over Oregon State on Sunday night to repeat as the Pac-12 champion in the regular season, and they won 8-67 to pick up the No. 1 seed in the Pac-12 tournament. close. All five rookies scored double figures for Oregon (19-5, 14-4 Pac-12)
Loser: Injuries are big on the last day of the regular season
There is no word yet on how serious one of the injuries is, but No. 2 in Michigan and No. 5 in Iowa have caused key players to sustain injuries. Joe Wieskamp, Iowa, the team’s second leading scorer behind Garza, left the Hawkeyes’ win over Wisconsin in the first half and did not return after suffering an ankle injury. The same happened to senior guard Eli Brooks of Michigan, who was seen in a calf after leaving the loss of the Wolverines in the state of Michigan after an early ankle injury.
Winner: Michigan State NCAA Tournament Opportunity
Without Brooks, Michigan struggled to replicate its 69-50 victory over Michigan State from Thursday. The Spartans won Sunday’s 70-64 power play, achieving a critical victory for their resume in the NCAA Tournament. The state of Michigan was a projected number 11 seed that penetrated the day, but would be able to take a deep breath before starting the Big Ten tournament against Maryland on Thursday.
Loser: Officials at CAA Tournament
As first-place finisher in the CAA Tournament, James Madison on Sunday competed in the quarter-finals of the league tournament projected as the No. 16 in the NCAA Tournament by Palm. However, the Dukes’ position in Bracketology depended on them winning the CAA tournament, and it appears that the league’s automatic bid will go to someone else.
This is because JMU controversially suffered a 72-71 to number 8 Elon when the Dukes were whistled for two costly technical fouls. The first time came when Zach Jacobs committed the atrocity of the century in sports by shouting ‘and’ one after making a mistake on a bucket of the first half. JMU overcame the dose of authoritarianism of the referees to open a 15-point lead early in the second half. But then JMU coach Mark Byington was asked for a technical with 1:13 left. This sent Elon to the free throw line, where he took the lead.
Winner: Penn State completes furious rally
Maryland might as well be called a ‘loser’ here, but let’s give the Nittany Lions credit for overcoming a 16-point deficit on the road and beating the Terrapins 66-61. In particular, Seth Lundy deserves a little admiration for filling it with 31 points off the bench at 11 to 18. That should be a career high for a sophomore with an average of 9.4 points per game, right? Wrong. Lundy earlier in the season scored 32 in a win over VCU. After the resignation of coach Pat Chambers before the season, it was a difficult year for the Nittany Lions (10-13, 7-12 Big Ten), but Sunday’s victory will be one to remember.