The penultimate Saturday of the common season yielded loads of high-stakes matchups, with NCAA Event implications hanging within the steadiness. With that, listed here are 4 takeaways from the motion, beginning with what went down on the West Coast late within the night.
Gonzaga is an NCAA Event lock
And there’s no debating it. The Zags managed the tempo of their 70-57 highway win over Saint Mary’s on Saturday, as level guard Ryan Nembhard (20 factors, 10 assists, two steals) and ahead Graham Ike (24 factors, 10 rebounds, two blocks) have been terrific towards the Gaels.
Now at 24-6 (14-2 within the WCC) and rated fifteenth at KenPom, Gonzaga is firmly within the discipline of 68. With the WCC Event getting began on Thursday — the Bulldogs don’t play till the semifinals on March 11 — it is all about positioning for Mark Few and firm.
Virginia has work to do to snag a bid
Three weeks in the past, Virginia was effectively on its approach to its tenth NCAA Event look underneath Tony Bennett. However since then, the ‘Hoos have fallen on exhausting occasions, shedding to Pittsburgh, Virginia Tech and North Carolina by double digits.
On Saturday, the Cavaliers shot a measly 30.9% from the sector and have been outrebounded 42-29 by No. 10 Duke, because the Blue Devils rolled to a 73-48 dwelling victory. Virginia (21-9, 12-7 within the ACC) is at present 69th in KenPom, 56th in Bart Torvik, forty ninth within the NET Rating and thirty fifth in KPI. That’s not the strongest profile, and it solely additional emphasizes that the ‘Hoos want a win Saturday towards Georgia Tech, after which a few wins within the ACC Event, to make a reputable case for an at-large bid.
Duke is peaking on the proper time
As for the staff that received in Cameron Indoor Stadium, what extra must be stated? The Blue Devils have been totally dominant on each ends of the ground towards the Cavaliers, turning what is usually a drag-out rivalry battle right into a demolition derby.
The sophomore trio of Tyrese Proctor (15 factors, 5 assists, 4 boards), Mark Mitchell (10 factors, 5 rebounds, two blocks) and Kyle Filipowski (21 factors, seven boards, three steals and a block) have been terrific, becoming into their roles and offering Jon Scheyer with the kind of manufacturing he envisioned from the trio once they all determined to return for a second season in Durham.
With these three, Jeremy Roach and Jared McCain, Duke has a beginning lineup that — when every thing is clicking — can stack up with another within the nation. Freshman guard Caleb Foster could also be out with an ankle harm (Scheyer informed reporters on Saturday that it was “extremely unlikely” that the North Carolina native would return within the speedy future), however the Blue Devils are nonetheless formidable. They appear as formidable as they’ve all season.
Baylor is flying underneath the radar
One other yr, one other case of the Bears being close to the highest of the Massive 12. No. 15 Baylor (21-8, 10-6) knocked off No. 7 Kansas at dwelling on Saturday, as RayJ Dennis’ 19 factors led the best way within the 82-74 win. The Bears now boast a 12-8 file towards Quadrant 1 and a couple of opponents and are third within the Massive 12 — behind solely No. 1 Houston and Iowa State — with simply two video games left within the common season.
With a high-octane offense (Baylor ranks fifth nationally on that finish in adjusted effectivity, per KenPom), the Bears seem able to reaching the second weekend of the NCAA Event for the sixth time underneath Scott Drew.
