A new year has dawned, and with it a new season. College hoops has officially pivoted from nonconference play — replete with easy buy games, titillating challenges, and tournaments played inside casinos and at tropical locales — to conference play, during which teams must travel through frigid temperatures and try win games in hostile cauldrons. That means no more hiding, and no more smooth sailing for anyone. It’s nothing but frigid, choppy waters ahead.
So this might be the last time all season that I can say there was not much movement on my ballot. Here, then, for the first time in 2023, I present the correct order of the top 25 teams in men’s college basketball, as submitted to the Associated Press on Sunday night:
Seth Davis’ Top 25 for Monday, Jan. 2
Dropped out: North Carolina (16), Kentucky (19), Memphis (21)
Almost Famous: Auburn, Florida Atlantic, Illinois, Missouri, Providence, Saint Mary’s, Utah State
Notes on the votes
• Those of you who follow my rankings closely (and you know who you are) understand that I consider far more than just whether a team won or lost games the previous week. I put added weight on whom it played, how it played, and most of all, where it played. We all know it’s really, really hard to win on the road. Conversely, that means a top-25 team should win at home, especially if it’s against a team that’s ranked lower or not at all.
I had three results inside my top five from last Saturday that I needed to consider: UConn’s 83-73 loss at Xavier, Kansas’ 69-67 home win over Oklahoma State, and Arizona’s 69-60 win at Arizona State. I almost left UConn at No. 2, because there is no shame in losing to a good team on the road, and the Huskies have been arguably the best team in the country this season. I was compelled, however, to bump Arizona up a couple of spots because its win was decisive, and it happened against a good team on the road. Arizona also had a neutral-court win over Indiana and a home win over Tennessee in December, which pushed its 81-66 loss at Utah on Dec. 1 deeper into the rearview mirror. Most teams will have a bad game once in a while, and that loss was to a conference opponent on the road.
As for Kansas, I generally don’t believe in punishing teams after wins, but the Jayhawks were playing at home against an unranked team in Oklahoma State that has lost this season to Southern Illinois and UCF, and they darn near lost. I don’t consider moving a team down one slot much of a punishment anyway, but the Jayhawks dropped because of my decision to leapfrog Arizona.
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• I’m guessing there is still some confusion as to why I have Houston at No. 8 when the Cougars were No. 3 in the AP poll last week and are No. 1 in the NET, KenPom and BartTorvik. The answer lies in their resume. Houston’s best win was at Virginia. A fabulous road win, no doubt, but Virginia also lost its next game at Miami. Other than that, Houston’s best win came in Fort Worth over unranked Saint Mary’s. It also has several wins over unranked teams that were uncomfortably close, including Saturday’s 71-65 home win over UCF. It’s notable that Houston is No. 7 in Kevin Pauga’s KPI rankings, which is based solely on results, whereas the other metrics are intended to be predictive. There are also some head-to-head results to consider. Houston lost at home to Alabama, so shouldn’t the Cougars be ranked behind the Crimson Tide? And Alabama lost to Gonzaga in Birmingham later that week, so shouldn’t the Tide be behind the Zags? Given that Houston is by far the best team in its conference, I expect this team will keep winning and rise in the rankings accordingly, but that’s why I have the Cougars where they are. Metrics are useful, but they’re not gospel.
• To expand on my point about the metrics, let’s look at some teams where the rankings seem to be way off, for better and worse. Is there anyone who would argue that Miami doesn’t deserve to be ranked? Well, the Hurricanes are 33rd in the NET, 37th on KenPom, and 50th on BartTorvik. Yet, KPI has them at No. 9. They shouldn’t be ranked that high, but in this case, KPI is much closer to accurate.
Then there are the two teams that the metrics love to hate: Wisconsin (44 NET, 42 KenPom, 49 BartTorvik) and Providence (57 NET, 44 KenPom, 58 BartTorvik). KPI is split on this one – it has Wisconsin at 12, and Providence at 64. This is all because the metrics do not like teams that win a lot of close games. Yet, when they calculate the standings and the Quad records, a win counts the same whether it comes by one or 100. By the way, Providence has a big game Wednesday night at home against UConn. The Huskies won’t be in a great mood, but it’s not often you get to play a top-five team on your home court. The Friars would do well to at least pass the eye test.
On the flip side, the metrics are smitten with West Virginia (13 NET, 20 KenPom, 13 BartTorvik, 25 KPI), even though the Mountaineers’ best win was at Pittsburgh and they just lost at Kansas State in their Big 12 opener. Auburn also has strong metrics and continues to be ranked in the AP top 25 even though the Tigers’ resume is very meh. Their best win was on a neutral court over Northwestern, and they have losses in December to Memphis (neutral) and USC (road).
• The big winner this week, of course, was Xavier. That was an amazing win the Musketeers pulled off Saturday under immense pressure. The two things that stood out to me were Jack Nunge’s 15 points, three rebounds and three assists while battling a virus. Most people don’t want to get out of bed when they’re that sick, much less play a high-level basketball game, but Nunge pulled through like a champ. The other was the contributions off the bench by 6-7 senior forward Jerome Hunter, a Glue Guy who played for Sean Miller’s brother, Archie, at Indiana. Xavier is a really good offensive team but only a so-so-defensive one. Hunter gives this team the toughness it needs at that end of the floor. He will become an extremely valuable piece during the dog days of February.
• I’ve been more supportive of North Carolina and Kentucky than my fellow voters, but those teams made it easy for me to drop them after losing to Pitt and Missouri, respectively. Speaking of Missouri, I gave the Tigers a hard look, not only for their win over Kentucky but also their evisceration of Illinois in the Braggin’ Rights game. Frankly, I’m not quite sure just how good those teams are, and the Tigers had a very suspect nonconference schedule otherwise, so I decided to wait just a little bit longer before putting a number next to their name. But if they keep playing like this, it’s only a matter of time.
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• Memphis’ loss at Tulane on Sunday opened up another spot. I’ve been stumping for Creighton the last couple of weeks — I even gave the Jays a coveted Buy-Plus rating in my annual Hoop Thoughts Stock Report — so I gave them the final spot even though it doesn’t take much to beat Butler and DePaul at home. My point all along was that the reason Creighton plummeted so badly was because Ryan Kalkbrenner was out, but now that he’s back, I expect them to surge again. They’ve got Seton Hall at home and UConn on the road this week, to be followed by Xavier (road) and Providence (home) next week. We’ll find out soon enough whether my faith in this team is justified.
Gonzaga star Drew Timme carried the Bulldogs into the Sweet 16 after Saturday night’s win, using some foul language at halftime — and after the game.
Timme scored 21 of his 25 points in the second half of No. 1 seed Gonzaga’s 82-78 win over ninth-seeded Memphis in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday night in Portland, Ore.
But it was the motivation Timme provided at halftime that also helped Gonzaga, who were trailing by 10 points at the break, avoid a rough upset loss.
At halftime, the 6-foot-10 junior forward gathered his Gonzaga teammates at midcourt, pointed at the scoreboard showing a 10-point halftime deficit for the top overall seed and expressed a few choice words.
A pumped-up Timme at first gave a censored version of what he said to his teammates at the half.
“I don’t give a flying ‘F’ what happens,” Timme told a TBS on-court reporter after the game, referring to his halftime pep talk. “What happens at the end of the game, whether we lose or win. We’re not going out as no soft guys. Leave it all on the floor. [Because] it could be your last 20.
“Hey, man if you go all out and we still lose … play with no regrets. We took that to heart and came out with the win, fortunately. Give credit to Memphis, they really brought it and the way they turned their season around, it’s pretty remarkable.”
The 21-year-old, however, couldn’t censor himself throughout the entire interview.
Timme, who was also being interviewed with teammate Andrew Nembhard, repeated an expletive a couple of times while be asked about the performance of Nembhard, who chipped in with 23 points and some clutch late free throws.
“They were talking all crap on him, and you know what, that’s what we expect from him. He brought us home. He got us the s–t, man. Good s- -t, boy.”
Nembhard appreciated the compliment and didn’t mind the expletives, saying, “Man, I love this guy.”
PORTLAND, Oregon — After a first half in which the top-seeded Gonzaga Bulldogs fell behind the No. 9 seed Memphis Tigers 41-31 Saturday in an NCAA tournament men’s basketball second-round matchup, leading scorer Drew Timme took it upon himself to set the tone for a second-half comeback.
First, Timme delivered a motivational message in the hallway before his team returned to the court, one he cleaned up in a postgame interview with CBS reporter Andy Katz and summarized as “I don’t give a flying F what happens at the end of the game, whether we lose or win, we’re not going out as no … soft guys.”
Then Timme followed up his words with production as Gonzaga rallied for an 82-78 win, advancing to the Sweet 16 for the seventh consecutive NCAA tournament — a streak that is one of the four longest in tournament history, joined by two from Duke under Mike Krzyzewski (nine and seven, respectively) and a record 13 consecutive Sweet 16s for North Carolina from 1981 to 1993 with coach Dean Smith.
After Memphis opened the second half with a bucket to extend the lead to 12, Timme scored the game’s next seven points. Overall, he scored 14 of the Zags’ 16 points in a stretch when they cut the deficit to two, making a 3-pointer and hitting from a variety of difficult angles.
“It seemed like he got every offensive rebound, every foul, every bucket for them consecutively,” Tigers coach Penny Hardaway said. “We’ve witnessed it from the TV a bunch, just watching him be that dominant, and to see it in person … he made some fantastic shots. Great defense and he still made them. That’s why he is who he is.”
For his part, Timme would prefer not to need second-half heroics.
“I would like to stop doing that,” he said. “I would like to do a better job in the first half because that’s not a recipe to go far and win a lot of games.”
“I think sometimes he likes to feel his way into these games,” Gonzaga coach Mark Few said.
It was a second consecutive slow start for the Zags in Portland. Facing No. 16 seed Georgia State in Thursday’s opening-round game, the Bulldogs led by just two at halftime before turning the game into a rout with a 21-0 second-half run. Timme had a team-high 10 points in the first half of that game but shot 3-of-7 from the field and missed 5 of his 9 free throw attempts.
On Saturday, Timme was even quieter in the first half, scoring just four points on 1-of-3 shooting and 2-of-4 on free throws. Facing a talented Memphis team that had won 13 of its previous 15 games after a 9-8 start, Gonzaga didn’t have the same kind of margin for error this time.
Although the Zags were 0-3 so far this season when trailing at halftime, Few didn’t deliver a fiery halftime speech.
“I don’t think I was screaming and yelling,” Few said, “but I was somewhat mildly agitated that we were playing ‘soft,’ so that wasn’t an original thought by Drew.”
“It was reiterated,” chimed in Timme.
After all, Few had reason for confidence. Gonzaga faced a variety of obstacles during last year’s undefeated run up through the national championship game, where the team was finally defeated by the Baylor Bears.
“These guys are battle tested,” Few said, referring to upperclassmen Timme and guard Andrew Nembhard. “These two have been through everything.”
On the opposing sideline, Hardaway recognized what happened to his team in the second half.
“They went to the championship level,” he said. “We were the more aggressive team in the first half. We kind of shocked them, took their confidence. I knew coming out after halftime that they were going to make an adjustment because they’re a great team and they did. They had to make shots and they had to get stops and they did both ways.”
Despite the Timme-led surge, the Tigers still stayed in the game until the closing seconds. A 3-pointer by Lester Quinones pulled Memphis within two at 78-76, and two free throws from Landers Nolley II again produced a two-point game with a little over six seconds remaining.
Both times, Nembhard made a pair of free throws, preventing the Tigers from ever having an opportunity to tie the score or take the lead — no guarantee on a night when the Zags shot 13-of-24 (52%) from the foul line, following up a 16-of-30 (53%) performance on Thursday.
“For him to step up and hit those free throws when literally everybody else on our team was smoking them was probably the most impressive thing of the night if you ask me,” Few said.
From the other side, Hardaway was certainly impressed by Timme.
“We understand that we were the underdog and we were going to have to fight these guys and went into halftime up 10 and got it to 12 and then the Drew Timme effect came into play,” Hardaway said. “He made some tough shots, controlled the game, got our guys in foul trouble and the rest is history.”
Charlie Creme projects the women’s NCAA tournament bracket for ESPN.com.
The 68-team field has been cut to 32 in the 2022 women’s NCAA tournament. Each of the No. 1 seeds had an easy ride into the second round. The top four seeds in each region are still alive, but for teams such as the No. 3 seed LSU Tigers and the fourth-seeded Arizona Wildcats and Oklahoma Sooners, it wasn’t by much. That doesn’t mean everything is going by form. Six double-digit seeds have moved onto the second round. That’s as many as the last two NCAA tournaments combined.
This has been a resurgent year for the Big 12 and the league’s 6-0 record over the first two days has confirmed it. By contrast, the SEC, the highest-rated conference in the country all season, went 4-4. The Kentucky Wildcats and Ole Miss Lady Rebels were two SEC casualties to upsets.
All of this makes reseeding the women’s NCAA tournament not only a fun exercise, but almost a necessity. The Kansas Jayhawks were as impressive as any Big 12 team and are one team that earned an adjustment. The Florida Gulf Coast Eagles should never have been a No. 12 seed in the first place. The Belmont Bruins are now a first-round winner for the second year in a row. And the Creighton Bluejays’ offense made people take notice, too. Now we can fix those seeds.
Follow this link for a complete look at Sunday’s schedule and Monday’s games, which are all on the ESPN family of networks. Visit this link to check your Women’s Tournament Challenge bracket. Through the first 32 games, two brackets remain perfect.
No. 1 seeds
South Carolina Gamecocks Original Seed: No. 1 overall First round: Defeated No. 16 Howard 79-21
Playing South Carolina was a tough enough task for Howard. Having to play a Gamecocks team that had been stewing for 11 days about a loss in its last game made the mountain even taller. That’s at least part of the reason South Carolina put its arms around this game and squeezed. Howard had four points at halftime. Any focus the Gamecocks seemed to lack in the fourth quarter of their SEC tournament championship game loss to Kentucky was back. Granted, an SEC power against the MEAC champ isn’t the perfect litmus test for a title contender, but only allowing 21 points — the fewest in a women’s game in NCAA tournament history — over 40 minutes means South Carolina was locked in. That is enough of a takeaway for a team that plans to be playing two weekends from now.
Up next: vs. Miami (Sunday, 3 p.m. ET, ABC)
Stanford Cardinal Original Seed: No. 1 First round: Defeated No. 16 Montana State 78-37
Fran Belibi dunked. The Cardinal pitched a shutout in the first quarter. Stanford could essentially name the score. It was exactly what a No. 1 seed is supposed to do to a No. 16: Never give them a chance. No one on Stanford’s roster had a huge game — Hannah Jump led the way with 15 points — and Haley Jones only shot 2-of-9 from the field, but in typical Stanford fashion it was dominance by teamwork (20 assists on 29 field goals) and execution. Twelve different Cardinal players scored and they had a 56-33 rebounding advantage. Cameron Brink led on the glass with 11 rebounds to go with 11 points. Pick a statistical category and Stanford made it lopsided. The Cardinal looked every bit as good as their 21-game winning streak suggests.
Up next: vs. Kansas (Sunday, 9 p.m. ET, ESPN)
NC State Wolfpack Original Seed: No. 1 First round: Defeated No. 16 Longwood 96-68
Notorious slow starter NC State even needed some time to get going against No. 16 seed Longwood, leading by just four midway through the second quarter. Then a 17-0 run, highlighted by a pair of Diamond Johnson 3-pointers, put the Wolfpack in control. It was pretty much cruise control from that point for NC State, which has now reached the second round in four consecutive tournaments after going 10 years without an NCAA tournament victory.
Up next: vs. Kansas State (Monday, 4 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Louisville Cardinals Original Seed: No. 1 First round: Defeated No. 16 Albany 83-51
After an ACC tournament quarterfinal loss, the Cardinals hadn’t played in two weeks. Rust? Not even a little. Louisville made shots early and often against the physically inferior Great Danes. Louisville shot 52.4% from the field and had 44 points in the paint, and coach Jeff Walz didn’t have to play anyone over 25 minutes. The Cardinals might be the most rested team in the tournament heading to the second round. The best sign of all might be that Hailey Van Lith continues to show that her struggles from the first half of the season are a thing of the past. She has averaged 17. 6 points per game in her last nine, including 20 points on 8-for-15 shooting against Albany.
Up next: vs. Gonzaga (Sunday, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN)
No. 2 seeds
Baylor Bears Original Seed: No. 2 First round: Defeated No. 15 Hawai’i 89-49
For 20 minutes, Baylor couldn’t quite shake the Big West champion. Then came the third quarter. The defense went to another level and the Bears’ physical superiority took over. Baylor made 12 field goals, six of which were from point-blank range, en route to a 34-8 quarter and a 35-point lead. Hawai’i was 3-of-20 from the field in the third. NaLyssa Smith’s usual brilliance was on display with 21 points and 14 rebounds, and Jordan Lewis’ 7-for-8 shooting and 23 points was a good sign as coach Nicki Collen got her first NCAA tournament win.
Up next: vs. South Dakota (Sunday, 6 p.m. ET, ESPN2)
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UConn rolls through Mercer in the first round of the women’s NCAA tournament, 83-38.
UConn Huskies Original Seed: No. 2 First round: Defeated No. 15 Mercer 83-38
It was UConn basketball the way we usually see it against an inferior opponent: methodical and overpowering. The Huskies never let Mercer breathe, especially in the second half when the Bears scored only 15 points (and none in the third quarter). Much has been made of the return of Paige Bueckers (12 points, five assists) and getting the entire rotation of talented players back healthy, but defense is fueling the Huskies. Only one of UConn’s last nine opponents has scored over 50 points (51 by Marquette), and six didn’t hit 40. Mercer shot just 23.2% from the field and committed 18 turnovers. That’s why it’s just fine that Christyn Williams was the leading scorer for the Huskies with 13 points.
Up next: vs. UCF (Monday, 9 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Texas Longhorns Original Seed: No. 2 First round: Defeated No. 15 Fairfield 70-52
The Longhorns have one formula for success and it begins and ends with their defense. The Stags were game, even outscoring Texas in the second half, but 22 turnovers and a 10-rebound deficit on the boards were just too much to overcome. Those extra possessions helped the Longhorns overcome 43.1% shooting and 10 missed free throws. An 18-point, 10 rebound performance from freshman Aaliyah Moore was a huge boost. She didn’t have a double-double all season. Rori Harmon’s 11 assists were also key.
Up next: vs. Utah (Sunday, 5 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Iowa Hawkeyes Original Seed: No. 2 First round: Defeated No. 15 Illinois State 98-58
Even a slow start couldn’t stop Iowa from scoring 98 points. The Hawkeyes simply relied on what they do best: put the ball in the basket at a high rate of efficiency. The national leader in field goal percentage made 60% of its shots. Iowa also made 21 of 22 free throws and is trying to be the first team since UConn in 2016 to lead the country in both categories for a season. Monika Czinano didn’t miss a shot (6-for-6 from the field and 6-for-6 from the line) and Caitlin Clark’s stat line of 27 points, 10 rebounds and 6 rebounds would be spectacular if she wasn’t making those kinds of games so routine.
Up next: vs. Creighton (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, ABC)
No. 3 seeds
Indiana Hoosiers Original Seed: No. 3 First round: Defeated No. 14 Charlotte 85-51
The sputtering that Indiana was experiencing at the end of the regular season seems a long time ago now. The Hoosiers lost three in a row and four of five before a run to the Big Ten tournament final seemed to get things back on track. It’s official now after the convincing and thorough domination of the 49ers on Saturday. Only one Hoosier failed to make at least half of her shots (Nicole Cardano-Hillary was 3-of-8) and they never let Charlotte believe for a moment this would be competitive. This also marked the ninth game that Mackenzie Holmes has been back after recovering from a knee injury. Her 19 points and eight rebounds is her best performance in that time.
Up next: vs. Princeton (Monday, 8 p.m. ET, ESPNU)
Michigan Wolverines Original Seed: No. 3 First round: Defeated No. 14 American 74-39
Michigan’s defense had been uncharacteristically inconsistent toward the end of the season. Perhaps the long layoff is what the Wolverines needed. More than two weeks have passed since they lost in the Big Ten quarterfinals, and all that saved energy went into stifling the Eagles. The offense took a few minutes to get started as Michigan hosted NCAA tournament games for the first time, but the defense was ready to go from the outset. American scored 13 first-half points and the Eagles’ 39 for the game were the fewest the Wolverines had allowed this season. Naz Hillmon’s 24 points and 11 rebounds were her 15th double-double of the season.
Up next: vs. Villanova (Monday, 6 p.m. ET, ESPNU)
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LSU advances thanks to a late 3-pointer from Khayla Pointer.
LSU Tigers Original Seed: No. 3 First round: Defeated No. 14 Jackson State 83-77
Kim Mulkey might not sleep well Saturday. Her Tigers led by 17 and looked on their way to a routine first-round victory when Jackson State, which entered the NCAA tournament with a nation-best 21-game winning streak, transformed into a near giant killer. The Lady Tigers, who played confidently all day and never backed down to LSU, went on a 24-5 run to take the lead, and they were still on top with 2:44 left in the game. Sparked by two baskets by Khayla Pointer, LSU finished on a 10-3 run. Only then could the heavily favored Tigers take a deep breath. Pointer, who is the key to the Tigers’ tournament success, finished with 25 points.
Up next: vs. Ohio State (Monday, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN2)
Iowa State Cyclones Original Seed: No. 3 First round: Defeated No. 14 UT Arlington 78-71
No top-four seed and none of the four Big 12 teams in action Friday had a tougher time than the Cyclones. Despite Ashley Joens’ 36 points and 15 rebounds, Iowa State needed a fourth-quarter rally and some key plays by Emily Ryan down the stretch to hold off UT Arlington. The Cyclones didn’t even play poorly; credit the Lady Mavs, who outperformed their seed. Starr Jacobs, the Sun Belt Player of the Year, who started her career at Houston before going the junior college route for two years, showed that she is a Power 5 talent with 19 points. Joens, Ryan and Lexi Donarski played all 40 minutes, which could be something to watch in what should be a physical game against Georgia.
Up next: vs. Georgia (Sunday, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN2)
No. 4 seeds
Maryland Terrapins Original Seed: No. 4 First round: Defeated No. 13 Delaware 102-71
It remains hard to believe that a Maryland team that led the nation in scoring a season ago and was sixth this year could have a three-game stretch in which it only averaged 59 points. Yet that’s what happened in the Terps’ final three games of the season. There had to be some concern from coach Brenda Frese, but the Maryland team she better recognizes returned Friday. All five starters scored in double figures and the Terps shot nearly 60%. Ashley Owusu, who had been bothered by injury and ineffectiveness for much of February, looked like her old self again with 24 points on an efficient 10-of-14 shooting, with six assists.
Up next: vs. Florida Gulf Coast (Sunday, 3 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Tennessee Lady Volunteers Original Seed: No. 4 First round: Defeated No. 13 Buffalo 80-67
Tennessee played to its strengths, and it paid dividends. Buffalo could score right with the Lady Vols, but the Bulls couldn’t rebound with Tennessee. That was the difference. The Lady Vols, fourth in the country in rebounding rate, just kept pounding the glass. The 55-38 advantage Tennessee had on the boards led to a 21-6 difference in made free throws. Tamari Key and Alexus Dye each had 11 rebounds to go with a combined 34 points. The Lady Vols will hang on to their No. 4 seed despite still not having leading scorer Jordan Horston back, and continuing to have turnover problems with another 19 on Saturday. They rank 325th in the country in total turnovers.
Up next: vs. Belmont (Monday, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN)
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Shaina Pellington goes left and puts up an assertive and-1 bucket
Arizona Wildcats Original Seed: No. 4 First round: Defeated No. 13 UNLV 72-67
The final score did not indicate the angst that was felt in Tucson. The Wildcats pulled away late in the fourth quarter, one of the few top-four seeds close to losing in the first round. UNLV, a sizeable underdog, led for much of the game and as late as eight minutes left. Shaina Pellington and her 30 points saved Arizona, playing in its first NCAA tournament home game. The Wildcats also welcomed back Cate Reese after she missed four games at the end of the season with a shoulder injury. Her 16 points were also crucial in disposing of a UNLV team that outshot and outrebounded Arizona.
Up next: vs. North Carolina (Monday, 10 p.m. ET, ESPN2)
Oklahoma Sooners Original Seed: No. 4 First round: Defeated No. 13 IUPUI 76-72
The Sooners’ biggest weakness all season has been interior defense, so IUPUI’s Macee Williams, a 65% shooter from the field and an 18.7 PPG scorer, posed a problem. Williams was solid, but Oklahoma largely kept her in check. Williams finished with 15 points, which fell short of the 21 points of Oklahoma’s own Madi Williams. She and Taylor Robertson once again led the Sooners, who are in the second round for the first time in five years. The Oklahoma-Notre Dame meeting in round two figures to be an entertaining, offensive shootout.
Up next: vs. Notre Dame (Monday, 6 p.m. ET, ESPN2)
No. 5 seeds
Notre Dame Fighting Irish Original Seed: No. 5 First round: Defeated No. 12 UMass 89-78
A triple-double from Olivia Miles, 58.7% shooting and 38-22 advantage on the boards — and Notre Dame still couldn’t shake UMass until the closing minutes. That’s because the Minutewomen’s offense was almost as good at that of the Irish, especially with 31 points from Atlantic 10 Player of the Year Sam Breen. Miles had 12 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists for the second NCAA tournament triple-double in Notre Dame history (Skylar Diggins had the other, in 2012) and Dara Mabrey hit five shots from 3-point range for an Irish team that continues to rely on its offense.
Up next: vs. Oklahoma (Monday, 6 p.m. ET, ESPN2)
North Carolina Tar Heels Original Seed: No. 5 First round: Defeated No. 12 Stephen F. Austin 79-66
North Carolina coach Courtney Banghart warned that SFA, with its up-tempo, pressing style, was going to be tough to play against. For three quarters, it looked like this could be another double-digit seed pulling an upset. Then came the fourth quarter. With Deja Kelly scoring nine of her 28 points in the final 10 minutes, North Carolina outscored the Ladyjacks 25-10 to get out of the first round for the first time since 2015. This was the second straight year SFA played right with an ACC team in the NCAA tournament. The Ladyjacks took Georgia Tech to overtime last March.
Up next: vs. Arizona (Monday, 10 p.m. ET, ESPN2)
Ohio State Buckeyes Original Seed: No. 6 First round: Defeated No. 11 Missouri State 63-56
With a late spurt, the Buckeyes survived Missouri State in a game in which they were out-rebounded 51-33 and made 5 of 20 3-pointers. A 23-6 run at the end of the first half, fueled by a relentless full-court press, and a 13-6 finish were the differences in a game that was otherwise well controlled by the Bears. If Missouri State had done a better job protecting the ball, it would be the first team to have participated in the First Four to win a second game. Ohio State turned 22 turnovers into 25 points. Jacy Sheldon’s five steals were a big part of that; she hit a handful of layups off those steals on her way to a game-high 25 points.
Up next: vs. LSU (Monday, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN2)
Georgia Lady Bulldogs Original Seed: No. 6 First round: Defeated No. 11 Dayton 70-54
Dayton made 17 3-pointers in the First Four game against DePaul. Georgia only allowed the Flyers to shoot 6-of-18 from deep. The Lady Dogs’ defense was on another level. Georgia didn’t do anything special on offense, essentially playing right at its expected output. That was enough to control the game nearly from start to finish. Coach Joni Taylor turned to her veterans in key moments. Que Morrison and Jenna Staiti combined for 35 points and 16 rebounds as Georgia won an NCAA tournament game for the third time under Taylor. She has yet to get past the second round.
Up next: vs. Iowa State (Sunday, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN2)
No. 6 seeds
Utah Utes Original Seed: No. 7 First round: Defeated No. 10 Arkansas 92-69
The Utes won an NCAA tournament game for the first time since 2009 and did it in emphatic fashion. Given the quality of the opponent and magnitude of the moment, Utah had its most impressive and efficient offensive game of the season. The Razorbacks, who typically rely on their own shooting abilities, had no answer for the young Utes’ proficiency from deep. Sophomore Kennady McQueen and freshman Gianna Kneepkens combined to make 9 of 12 3-pointers, and Utah was never seriously challenged.
Up next: vs. Texas (Sunday, 5 p.m. ET, ESPN)
UCF Knights Original Seed: No. 7 First round: Defeated No. 10 Florida 69-52
It sounds strange to say, but Florida doesn’t see defense like the Knights’ in the SEC. The Gators only shot 30% from the field without injured Kiki Smith. Florida didn’t have its primary scorer and creator to penetrate a defense that allows a nation-lowest 47.5 points per game. And losing center Faith Dut late in the first half was too much to overcome. Throw in the offense of Brittney Smith, whose 26 points were a career high, and UCF had its first win over the Gators (it was 0-26 previously) and first NCAA tournament win in program history.
Up next: vs. UConn (Monday, 9 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Kansas Jayhawks Original Seed: No. 8 First round: Defeated No. 9 Georgia Tech 77-58
The Yellow Jackets ran out of gas. Kansas was there to take full advantage, handing Georgia Tech its worst loss of the season. Playing with a six- or seven-player rotation for most of the second half of the season, Georgia Tech ended the year losing five of its last seven. Meanwhile, the Jayhawks won their first NCAA tournament game since 2013, outscoring the Yellow Jackets 64-36 over the final three quarters. Just like they have been doing all year, the Jayhawks did it with defense and offensive balance. Georgia Tech shot 38.7% and four Kanas players scored in double figures, led by Holly Kersgieter’s 19 points.
Up next: vs. Stanford (Sunday, 9 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Miami Hurricanes Original Seed: No. 8 First round: Defeated No. 9 South Florida 78-66
If Kate Meier gets her Hurricanes to the NCAA tournament, she’s a good bet to play a second game. Miami is now 6-3 in first-round games under the 17-year head coach. The Hurricanes have multiple ways to win. Against USF, leading scorer Kelsey Marshall only got 10 field goal attempts and 12 points, but Miami’s bench contributed 29 points. In its ACC tournament run, all three of Miami’s wins included erasing second-half deficits. On Friday it was about a fast start. Miami took a 24-11 lead after 10 minutes and simply answered any South Florida spurt the rest of the game.
Up next: vs. South Carolina (Sunday, 3 p.m. ET, ABC)
No. 7 seeds
Gonzaga Bulldogs Original Seed: No. 9 First round: Defeated No. 8 Nebraska 68-55
The Bulldogs have found the right time of year to be playing their best basketball. After being blown out twice by BYU this season, Gonzaga delivered a much better performance against the Cougars in the WCC tournament championship game to win the title. The Bulldogs went to yet another level against the Cornhuskers, who could never break through after Gonzaga scored the first six points of the second half. Kayleigh Truong scored 20 points, but more importantly controlled the game from her point guard spot.
Up next: vs. Louisville (Sunday, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Florida Gulf Coast Eagles Original Seed: No. 12 First round: Defeated No. 5 Virginia Tech 84-81
A No. 7 seed is closer to where the Eagles should have been in the first place. Virginia Tech got a tough break from the committee having to play a team in the first round that was completely overqualified for a 12-seed. And the game played out that way. FGCU led the country in 3-point shooting and made 15 against the Hokies. The Eagles knew they had no answer for center Elizabeth Kitley, who went off for a career-high 42 points, but FCGU mitigated that disadvantage by only committing three turnovers. Each team played to its strengths and the Eagles were just a little bit better. It also helps to have an all-around talent like Kierstan Bell to turn to when the offense breaks down and that 3-pointer is unavailable. Bell, who finished with a team-high 22 points, turned a brilliant individual move into a layup that gave FGCU a 76-74 lead, one that the Eagles never relinquished.
Up next: vs. Maryland (Sunday, 3 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Creighton Bluejays Original Seed: No. 10 First round: Defeated No. 7 Colorado 84-74
Colorado has a top-30 rated defense, according to Her Hoops Stats. The Bluejays’ motion offense carved it up. The only time this season the Buffs allowed anything close to the 84 points Creighton put on the board was when Oregon scored 86, but it took double overtime for the Ducks to get there. That isn’t too surprising. Jim Flanery’s teams run offenses that create good shots, and he brings in players like Emma Ronsiek (14.8 PPG) and Lauren Jensen (43.7% on 3-pointers) who can make them. The Bluejays are fifth in the nation in points per 100 possessions. Iowa, their next opponent (and where Jensen began her career), leads the country in that category.
Up next: vs. Iowa (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, ABC)
South Dakota Coyotes Original Seed: No. 10 First round: Defeated No. 7 Ole Miss 75-61
South Dakota seniors Chloe Lamb, Hannah Sjerven and Liv Korngable decided to return for their extra year to take one more shot at the program’s first NCAA tournament win. Mission accomplished. The Coyotes led wire-to-wire, dicing up the Rebels’ defense to the tune of 55.8% shooting. Lamb and Sjerven each scored 20 points. A defense that was 10th in the country in points allowed per game was just as effective against an SEC opponent as it has been against the Summit League. Coach Dawn Plitzuweit’s strategy rendered Ole Miss star Shakira Austin a nonfactor. The 6-foot-5 Austin had just nine points on 3 of 16 shooting, despite her size advantage.
Up next: vs. Baylor (Sunday, 6 p.m. ET, ESPN2)
No. 8 seeds
Kansas State Wildcats Original Seed: No. 9 First round: Defeated No. 8 Washington State 50-40
Kansas State star center Ayoka Lee had three touches in the first half and the Wildcats’ offense was stumbling with just 17 points. Adjustments were made. The ball found Lee far more in the second half. The offense never exploded, but Lee finished with 15 rebounds and 20 points, half of which came from the free throw line, as the Wildcats advanced for the first time since 2017. Neither team will put this one in their archives. Kansas State shot 26.7% from the field and was the more accurate of the two. Those struggles are why, despite all the upsets, Kansas State stays put as a No. 8 seed.
Up next: vs. NC State (Monday, 4 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Princeton Tigers Original Seed: No. 11 First round: Defeated No. 6 Kentucky 69-62
With 10 straight wins, Kentucky came in hot. Princeton was hotter. The Tigers have won 18 in a row after beating the Wildcats. The seeds say upset, but Princeton was the better team for much of this game. Abby Meyers’ career-high 29 points was the most from an Ivy League player in the NCAA tournament since 2000. While the Tigers committed 19 turnovers, they ran their offense precisely at all the right times and never let the Wildcats within a single possession the entire fourth quarter. Rhyne Howard’s Kentucky career ends on just 4 of 14 shooting and 17 points.
Up next: vs. Indiana (Monday, 8 p.m. ET, ESPNU)
Villanova Wildcats Original Seed: No. 11 First round: Defeated No. 6 BYU 61-57
Nothing about the Wildcats will wow you. They are just hard to play against. Whether it was under Harry Perretta for 42 years or Denise Dillon now, Villanova runs a disciplined offense, makes open shots and doesn’t make many mistakes. BYU became the latest casualty of that Saturday and was the first of two No. 6 seeds to fall. Maddy Siegrist (Big East) got the better of Shaylee Gonzales (WCC) in a matchup of conference players of the year with 25 points. The Wildcats’ defense also rose to the occasion and held Gonzales to just eight points on 3-of-14 shooting.
Up next: vs. Michigan (Monday, 6 p.m. ET, ESPNU)
Belmont Bruins Original Seed: No. 12 First round: Defeated No. 5 Oregon 73-70, 2OT
The Bruins played Arkansas, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Ole Miss and UCF this season. They also won a first-round game last March as a No. 12 seed. They were as prepared for the NCAA tournament as any mid-major could be, and it paid off once again. Last year Belmont took down Gonzaga. This time around might have been more impressive. The Ducks were coming off four straight trips to at least the Sweet 16. The Bruins survived despite having no answer for Nyara Sabally (31 points, 12 rebounds) and giving up 40 points in the paint. Twelve 3-pointers helped. Tuti Jones made all four of her shots from deep and finished with 22 points.
MORAGA, Calif. — Saint Mary’s finally has its first perfect record at home — and a memorable win over top-ranked Gonzaga to go with it.
Tommy Kuhse had 14 points and six rebounds for No. 23 Saint Mary’s, which beat No. 1 Gonzaga 67-57 on Saturday night to prevent the Bulldogs from completing another undefeated run in the West Coast Conference.
But misery loves company, and the Bulldogs weren’t the only top NCAA team to suffer an upset.
The top six teams in the AP poll all lost Saturday, and seven of the top nine; only No. 7 Duke won, rolling past Syracuse, 97-72. No. 2 Arizona fell 79-63 to Colorado; No. 3 Auburn was beaten 67-62 by No. 17 Tennessee; No. 4 Purdue lost 68-65 to unranked Michigan State; No. 5 Kansas fell 80-70 to No. 10 Baylor and No. 6 Kentucky suffered a 75-73 upset loss to No. 18 Arkansas.
Gonzaga had beaten the Gaels handily two weeks earlier and had won 34 consecutive conference games, 33 by double-digits. But Saint Mary’s never let Gonzaga get comfortable on Saturday, leading from start to finish while winning their fourth straight since that loss in Spokane.
“They were extremely more aggressive. They got after us and played us really really physical,” Few said of Saint Mary’s. “That was it. When you’re the most aggressive team and most physical team, probably nine times out of 10 you’re going to win.”
Randy Bennett’s St. Mary’s squad completed a 16-0 run at McKeon Pavilion.
“That’s really special,” Bennett said. “It’s been hard to get. We lost it one year to Loyola Marymount in our last home game. It’s been something hard to get and we finally got it. Especially when it’s against the No. 1 team in the country, it just makes it … a night you’ll never forget.”
Saint Mary’s also ended Gonzaga’s 17-game winning streak, beating a No. 1 team for the first time since knocking off the Bulldogs in the 2019 conference tournament title game.
“It’s kind of life in late February and early March, especially on the road,” Gonzaga coach Mark Few said. His team clinched the WCC regular-season title last weekend.
Fans poured onto the court in a wild celebration of the Gaels’ 18th consecutive win at McKeon Pavilion dating to last season.
Matthias Tass added 13 points for the Gaels (24-6, 12-3) and made a pivotal block with 1:15 remaining. Kyle Bowman made a pair of clutch 3-pointers after missing his first seven shots.
“I wanted to go in the middle of the circle and kiss the logo but people were running on the court so it was difficult,” Tass said. “It was definitely a surreal moment.”
Rasir Bolton scored 16 points for Gonzaga (24-3, 13-1). Drew Timme had six points and eight rebounds, but shot 2 of 10.
John Stockton’s latest pass has cost him his Gonzaga season tickets.
The Hall of Fame point guard and Gonzaga alum had his basketball season tickets suspended after declining to comply with the school’s mask mandate at McCarthey Athletic Center, according to The Spokesman-Review.
“Basically, it came down to, they were asking me to wear a mask to the games and being a public figure, someone a little bit more visible, I stuck out in the crowd a little bit,” Stockton, 59, told the newspaper. “And therefore they received complaints and felt like from whatever the higher-ups – those weren’t discussed, but from whatever it was higher up – they were going to have to either ask me to wear a mask or they were going to suspend my tickets.”
The NBA’s all-time assists leader has been vocal in his anti-vaccination beliefs while also spreading misinformation about COVID-19. He baselessly claimed in his interview with The Spokesman-Review that professional athletes have been dying from the vaccine. There is no evidence COVID vaccines are causing deaths.
“I think it’s highly recorded now, there’s 150 I believe now, it’s over 100 professional athletes dead – professional athletes – the prime of their life, dropping dead that are vaccinated, right on the pitch, right on the field, right on the court,” Stockton told the paper.
John Stockton in the stands at a Gonzaga game in 2016.AP
Stockton described his conversation about the decision with Gonzaga athletic director Chris Standiford as “congenial” but “not pleasant.”
For entry to its home athletic events, Gonzaga requires proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test taken within the last 72 hours. But the school has also recently become stricter in enforcing the mask mandate, The Spokesman-Review reported, which led to Stockton having his season tickets suspended.
Top-ranked Gonzaga only has five home games left on its schedule this season, but Stockton, who played at Gonzaga from 1980-84, will be forced to watch them from afar.
John Stockton, a Gonzaga alum and Jazz legend, is the NBA’s all-time assist leader.AFP via Getty Images
“I think certainly it stresses (the relationship with Gonzaga). I’m pretty connected to the school,” said Stockton, a Spokane, Wash. native. “I’ve been part of this campus since I was probably 5 or 6 years old. I was just born a couple blocks away and sneaking into the gym and selling programs to get into games since I was a small boy. So, it’s strained but not broken, and I’m sure we’ll get through it, but it’s not without some conflict.”
