March 19, 2026 College Hoops Player of the Day

On the first day of full action in the NCAA Tournament, 16 teams advanced to the second round and 16 were eliminated, most notably, #6 seed North Carolina, 82-78, losers in overtime to #11 VCU in the South bracket, and Wisconsin, the #5 seed in the West, ousted by #5 High Point, 83-82.

Other upsets included #10 Texas A&M over #7 Saint Mary’s in the South, 63-50; #9 St. Louis, 102-77 victors over #8 Georgia in the Midwest, and #11 Texas downing #6 BYU, 79-71, in the West. All teams seeded 1-5 moved forward, other than Wisconsin. In terms of big game performance, Illinois’ David Mirkovic was mightily impressive scoring a career-high 29 points with 17 rebounds in the #3 Fighting Illini’s 105-70 win over #16 Penn in the South region.

Mirkovic was 11-for-17 from the field with four 3-pointers in seven attempts. The 6’9” freshman from Montenegro went 3-for-4 at the charity stripe, eight of his rebounds coming at the offensive side. The game was Mikovic’s sixth double-double of the season.

Illinois advances to the second round, where they will meet the 11 seed, VCU, in what looks to be a sensational match-up, Saturday at 7:50 pm. As of Friday morning, Illinois is a 10.5-point favorite.

March 18, 2026 College Hoops Player of the Day

Though it was probably unnecessary, the Miami (OH) Redhawks proved they belong, taking down the SMU Mustangs, 89-79, in the Midwest Region First Four contest, Wednesday night in Dayton, Ohio before a partisan crown of over 12,000.

The Redhawks rattled SMU with runs of 11-0 and 9-1 in the first half and a decisive 13-0 run that put them up 63-50 midway through the second half.

Miami’s leading scorer, Eian Elmer, hit back-to-back 3-pointers at 4:01 and 3:07 to put the game away, scoring nine of his game-high 23 points down the stretch. The 6’6” junior went 8-for-11 from the field, including 6-for-9 from beyond the arc. The main difference was at the 3-point line, where Miami went 16-for-41 (39%) and SMU made just five of 21 attempts (24%).

The Redhawks advance to play Tennessee in the next round, Friday at 4:25 pm ET in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The #6 seed Volunteers are 11.5 point favorites. TBS will air the game live.

March 17, 2026 College Hoops Player of the Day

The Howard Bison is moving on.

One Okojie scored a game-high 23 points and Bryce Harris pumped in 19 with 14 rebounds to lead Howard to an 86-83 win over UMBC in a First Four play-in game Tuesday at Dayton’s UD Arena.

Leading at the half, 49-41, Howard withstood a spirited second half comeback by the Retrievers to prevail and head to a Thursday meeting with Midwest region #1 seed, Michigan.

Harris, a 6’4” senior from Brentwood, New York, made six of 12 shots, including a 3-for-4 effort from the 3-point line, making all four of his free throw attempts. In addition to his 14 boards, he dished out five assists.

Howard, regular season and tournament champions of the MEAC improved to 24-10, but are expected to be heavy underdogs against Michigan, ranked #3 in the last poll before the tournament.

Fearless Rick & Coin Flip 1st Round NCAA Tournament Picks

Well, there’s 32 games this Thursday and Friday to start off the NCAA Men’s BasketBall Championship Tournament, so Fearless Rick and Coin Flip have awakened from their post-season football slumber to provide a few choice picks.

Bear in mind that some of these may be bracket busters, while others may only cover the spread. Winning and moving on to the next round is what March Madness is all about, but here’s a few ideas. Numbers indicate seeds, not rankings.

Thursday, March 19, 2025

9 TCU vs 8 Ohio State (-2.5, 146.5) 12:15 pm (CBS) - East Region match-up should go to the Buckeyes, who were battle-tested throughout the Big Ten season by the likes of Michigan and Purdue. Senior guard, Bruce “Almighty” Thornton should lead the way for an Ohio State win.

Coin Flip: TCU

Fearless Rick’s Pick: Buckeyes 78 Horned Frogs 73

12 High Point vs 5 Wisconsin (-10.5, 164.5) 1:50 pm (TBS) - While the Badgers went all the way to the Big Ten Tournament final, losing to Michigan, 68-65, they have had a nice run the latter part of their season and have the irrepressible Nick Boyd leading the way. They are, however, in a tough spot in the West region with possible games against Arkansas and Arizona.

They may be looking past High Point a bit, which would be a mistake. The Panthers went 30-4, winning both the regular season (15-1) and Big South Tournament, back for a second straight dance. They’re on a 14-game winning streak and should give the Badgers quite a scare.

Coin Flip: Wisconsin

Fearless Rick’s Pick: Badgers 86 Panthers 83

12 McNeese vs 5 Vanderbilt (-11.5, 150.5) 3:15 pm (truTV) - The Commodores are one of the better units 1 though 5 that you’ll see in the tournament and should have been a 3 or 4 seed after upending Florida in an SEC semifinal, 91-74, before falling to Arkansas in the final, 86-75. Watch Tyler Tanner to guide Vandy to a big victory against an overmatched opponent. The Commodores went 13-0 against non-conference opponents.

Vandy moves on in style in the South region.

Coin Flip: McNeese

Fearless Rick’s Pick: Commodores 84 Cowboys 62

11 VCU vs 6 North Carolina (-2.5, 153.5) 6:50 pm (TNT) - There’s a lot of buzz surrounding this game, most of it by pundits picking VCU to defeat the Tar Heels, who will be without freshman sensation Caleb Wilson, an arguable point.

VCU tied St. Louis in the Atlantic-10 with a 15-3 mark and won the conference tourney, avoiding the Billikens, who defeated them twice in the regular season. The Rams have had success in the Big Dance before, but the Tar Heels aren’t going down easy, if at all. Even without Wilson, Carolina has a great post-season record.

Coin Flip: North Carolina

Fearless Rick’s Pick: Tar Heels 69 Rams 64

14 Pennsylvania vs 3 Illinois (-24.5, 150.5) 9:25 pm (TNT) - This South region game could be one of the biggest upsets of the tournament, but it’s likely that it will just be overlooked as a win for the Illini and another loss for the Ivy League, but that spread is very juicy for a team that really earned its way into the tournament.

The Quakers overcame both favorites - Harvard and Yale - to win the Ivy League tourney and punch their ticket. Led by high-scoring T.J. Power, Penn is on a five-game roll and have won nine of their last 10. They may not be up to Illinois’ level, but they’re not going to shy away either.

Coin Flip: Pennsylvania

Fearless Rick’s Pick: Fighting Illini 78 Quakers 66

9 St. Louis vs 8 Georgia (-2.5, 169.5) 9:45 pm (CBS) - This Midwest region contest may not be what the Bulldogs had in mind, taking their sub-par 10-8 SEC record into the tourney. Georgia isn’t really anywhere near the top of their conference, though they did have a few moments, beating Alabama and Arkansas, but losses to Florida, Tennessee Oklahoma, Vanderbilt and Ole Miss suggest inconsistency. They turn the ball over far too often.

The Billikens only had one real foe in the A-10, VCU, which won the conference tournament after St. Louis was bounced early by Dayton, 70-69. This one may not be close if Georgia can’t get their offense in gear.

Coin Flip: Georgia

Fearless Rick’s Pick: Billikens 93 Bulldogs 80

Friday, March 20, 2025

10 Santa Clara vs 7 Kentucky (-3.5, 160) 12:15 pm (CBS) - An outright upset looms right off the bat Friday as a spotty Kentucky team faces a real test from the Santa Clara Broncos, one of three teams in the tourney out of the WCC.

The Broncos finished one game behind St. Mary’s and Gonzaga in the conference (15-3) and boast a strong 26-8 record. They lost to the Zags in the WCC tourney and are not to be toyed with.

Coin Flip: Kentucky

Fearless Rick’s Pick: Broncos 83 Wildcats 76

13 Hofstra vs Alabama (-11.5, 159.5) 3:15 pm (truTV) - Alabama’s lost one of its leading scorers to a criminal matter, leaving them vulnerable. Hofstra isn’t a 13 seed because they’re bad, it’s because they’re good and they earned it by winning their conference tournament.

Hofstra is riding a 7-game winning streak and has won 11 of their last 12.

Coin Flip: Hofstra

Fearless Rick’s Pick: Pride 77 Crimson Tide 76

11 Miami (OH) at 6 Tennessee (-11.5, 148.5) 4:25 pm (TBS) - The Vols don’t have a championship-type team, though they are one of the better defensive squads in the tourney. The problem is they often suffer scoring lapses and the Redhawks are known for going on scoring runs.

Miami went 32-0 during the MAC regular season. Whatever conference one plays in, that’s impressive. While they might not win this one, they are very likely to keep it close.

Coin Flip: Tennessee

Fearless Rick’s Pick: Volunteers 65 Redhawks 61

12 Northern Iowa at 5 St. John’s (-9.5, 131.5) 7:10 pm (CBS) - It’s been a while since Northern Iowa has made the tournament, and it looks like this will be a very brief visit.

St John’s won the Big East and most teams don’t have answers for Zuby EJiofor and the scrappy Red Storm defense.

Coin Flip: Northern Iowa

Fearless Rick’s Pick: Red Storm 78 Panthers 57

10 Missouri vs 7 Miami (-1.5, 146) 10:10 pm (truTV) - The Mizzou may run into a defensive storm against the Hurricanes, one of the few ACC teams that made strides during the regular season.

Miami finished third behind Duke and Virginia in the ACC with a 13-5 record and their 25-8 overall mark speaks of quality. Ernest Udeh Jr. is a massive inside force hat Missouri is unlikely to contain.

Coin Flip: Miami

Fearless Rick’s Pick: Hurricanes 71 Tigers 64

March 15, 2026 College Hoops Player of the Day

Penn’s leading scorer, T.J. Power rallied the Quakers to an 88-84 overtime win against Yale, with a career-high 44 points, Sunday at Newman Arena in Ithaca, New York.

The victory lifted the Quakers to their first Ivy League championship since 2018 and earned them an automatic placing in the NCAA tournament.

Power was 14-for-26 from the field, including 7-for-14 from beyond the 3-point line. Going 9-for-9 at the foul line, Power added 14 rebounds for his seventh double-double of the season. The 6’9” junior from Shrewsbury, Massachusetts hit a tying three-pointer to send the game into overtime, where the Quakers prevailed.

Power played his freshman season at Duke and last year was at Virginia, seeing little playing time in either program. His transfer into the Ivy League got him a starting role and he’s delivered all season for Penn.

Winners of five straight, the 18-11 Quakers head into the NCAA Tourney with a head full of steam. They are seeded 14th in the South Region where they will meet #3 seed Illinois in a first round game, Thursday, March 19, at Greenville, South Carolina.

March 14, 2026 College Hoops Player of the Day

ESPN’s resident “bracketologist”, Joe Lunardi, is probably a bit perplexed this morning, as the final #1 seed for the NCAA tournament is now up for grabs. Duke, Michigan, and Arizona look like locks, but both UConn and Florida went down on Saturday, leaving a big hole in the top seeding arrangement.

The Huskies were dismantled by St. John’s, 72-52, while the Commodores of Vanderbilt were led by Tyler Tanner to a no-doubt-about-it 91-74 win over the Florida Gators in an SEC semifinal game.

Tanner, a 6’0” sophomore guard out of Brentwood, Tennessee, was exceptionally sharp and judicious, scoring a game-high 20 points, hitting eight of 10 shots, making the only 3-pointer he attempted, adding three points from the foul line while dishing out eight assists with three steals, while committing only one turnover. Tanner leads Vanderbilt in scoring (19.2), assists (5.3) and field goal percentage (50.0%)

The 26-7 Commodores shot 55% from the field and 48% on 3s (10-for-21). They advance to the finals to meet Arkansas, 93-90 overtime winners against Mississippi State. Game time is Sunday at 1:00 pm ET, carried live on ESPN. The last of the conference tournaments conclude Sunday, with the Ivy League, SEC, MAC, American, and Big Ten conferences wrapping up prior to the selections reveal at 6:00 pm ET on CBS.

March 13, 2026 College Hoops Player of the Day

The Wisconsin Badgers advanced to the Big Ten tournament semifinals on Friday with a 91-88 overtime win over #9 Illinois at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois.

Nick Boyd poured in a career-high 38 points on 12-for-20 shooting with two 3-pointers, adding 12 of 13 free throws, five rebounds, six assists and three steals. Boyd leads the Badgers in scoring (20.8) and assists (4.2). Teammate John Blackwell pumped in 31 for the 24-9 Badgers,

The result was far from unexpected. #23 Wisconsin scored a 92-90 overtime win on February 10 at Illinois. Keaton Wagler, who scored 34 in that February loss, scored 19 points Friday and missed on a last-second 3-pointer in overtime that would have tied the game.

Illinois, although eliminated from the conference tourney, is still assured of a spot in the Big Dance with an overall record of 24-8, likely to be seeded in a #3 or #4 slot. Wisconsin head to the semifinal on Saturday against Michigan, the Wolverines advancing after defeating Ohio State, 71-67. The Wisconsin-Michigan semifinal is set for a 1:00 pm ET start, with the second semifinal match-up between Purdue and UCLA scheduled for 3:30 pm ET. Both games will be telecast live by CBS.

March 12, 2026 College Hoops Player of the Day

Top-ranked Duke barely survived its first post-season test, winning a quarterfinal game in the ACC Tournament by defeating a determined Florida State squad, 80-79, Thursday night at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.

The game had a multitude of ties and lead changes, and could have gone the other way, but Seminoles’ star, Robert McCray failed on a 3-point attempt at the buzzer after Alex Steen blocked a shot by Cameron Boozer with six seconds left. The Seminoles had proven to be a tough match for the Blue Devils, losing a regular season meeting by a 91-87 score.

Duke was led to victory by Isaiah Evans who rained down a game-high 32 points, making seven of 16 3-pointers and going 11-for-20 overall. The 6’6" sophomore guard from Fayetteville, NC went 3-for-4 from the foul line, collected six rebounds and dished out three assists in 39 minutes of floor time.

The Blue Devils (30-2) move on to the ACC tournament semifinals where they will meet the Clemson Tigers, winners by the identical Duke score of 80-79 over #19 North Carolina. Duke defeated Clemson, 67-54, during the regular season. Tip-off is slated for 9:30 pm ET, Friday night. The game will be carried live on ESPN2.

March 11, 2026 College Hoops Player of the Day

Quadir Copeland’s 24 points led six Wolfpack players in double figures as North Carolina moved to the quarterfinals of the ACC tournament with a 98-88 win over the Pitt Panthers Wednesday night at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.

The Wolfpack led by a point at halftime, but pulled away in the second half for the decisive score. NC State will play Virginia at noon on Thursday, March 12. The Cavaliers were one of four teams that earned first and second round byes. The others are Duke, Miami, and North Carolina, all of which will be in action today.

Copeland was 7-for-10 from the field and did not attempt any 3-point shots, making 10 of 12 free throws with eight assists and four rebounds. The 6’6” senior guard, a native of Philadelphia, PA, has averaged 14 points and 6.7 assists over the course of the season and into the tournament. He leads NC State in both categories.

The Wolfpack stumbled into the tournament with six losses in its final seven regular season games, but appears to be on the brink of being the recipient of a NCAA bid with a 10-8 regular season record and 20-8 mark overall. A win, or even a close loss against Virginia should be enough to secure a bid.

March 10, 2026 College Hoops Player of the Day

Late in the regular season, the BYU Cougars struggled, losing three straight before downing Texas Tech, 82-76, on March 7. As they opened post-season play Tuesday night, the Cougars seem to have gotten their game back in gear, downing Kansas State, 105-91, in the opening round of the Big 12 tournament at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City Missouri.

Freshman superstar, A.J. Dybantsa, was the main catalyst, throwing down 40 points in his first post=season appearance. The potential national player of the year was on fire, going 15-for-21 from the field with a pair of 3-pointers, 8-for-9 at the foul line, with nine rebounds, six assists and three steals.

Hailing from Brockton, Massachusetts, Dybantsa leads the nation in scoring, averaging 25.2 points per game.

BYU advances to the second round to face West Virginia, one of the three teams that handed the Cougars a late-season loss. The game is set for a tip around 6:00 pm ET. ESPN2 will carry the game live.

March 9, 2026 College Hoops Player of the Day

Money Williams knocked down a career-high 40 points Monday night in a 95-89 victory over Northern Colorado in a Big Sky conference tournament quarterfinal match-up.

Williams, a 6’4” junior out of Oakland, California, was 10-for-21 from the field with two 3-point makes in five attempts. The Grizzlies’ leading scorer (20.3) was 18-for-19 on free throws, adding seven rebounds and three assists. Williams also leads the Grizzlies in assists, at 4.9 per game.

Williams took on more than just basketball, helping to raise his four siblings after the family’s father and mother died less than a year apart in 2023 and 2024. Williams has raised funds on a gofundme page for the family.

Montana (17-15, 10-8) avenged a recent 85-57 regular season defeat at Northern Colorado and will meet up with top seed Portland State in a semifinal game on Tuesday. Montana is the #4 seed and recently defeated Portland State, 74-68. The winner of their game will go on to the final against the winner of #7 Idaho vs. #3 Eastern Washington, the tournament champion receiving an automatic bid to the NCAA Championship Tournament.

Montana won the Big Sky Tournament last season, defeating Northern Colorado, 91-83.

March 8, 2026 College Hoops Player of the Day

Capping off their Big Ten regular season championship, Michigan surged late for a 90-80 victory over Michigan State Sunday at the Crisler Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The Wolverines clinched the title a few games back, but finished with a conference record of 19-1, four games ahead of Nebraska and the Spartans.

Yaxel Lendeborg led all scorers with 27 points on 8-for-12 shooting, going 5-for-6 from the 3-point line. He was a perfect 6-for-6 from the foul line, adding three rebounds and three assists.

The game was very physical and tight until late, with Michigan holding a slim edge through most of the second half. With the Wolverines up 73-70, Lendeborg hit a key shot, a 3-pointer from the left corner with 3:31 left that put Michigan ahead 76-70. Defense and free throws kept the Spartans at bay for the rest of the game. Michigan’s bench proved decisive as well, with 29 points to the Spartans’ eight.

The victory leaves Michigan as the #1 seed in the upcoming Big Ten tournament, March 11-15 with Nebraska, Michigan State and Illinois all receiving byes for the first two rounds. The Wolverines ended the regular season with an overall record of 29-2, ranked #3 nationally.

March 7, 2026 College Hoops Player of the Day

Brayden Buries threw down 22 of his season-high 31 points in the second half, as #2 Arizona wrapped up its Big 12 regular season with an 89-79 win at Colorado Saturday at the CU Events Center in Boulder, Colorado.

The Wildcats took the conference title with a 16-2 record (29-2 overall), two games better than Houston (14-4).

Burries, a 6’4” freshman out of San Bernardino, California, helped the Wildcats erase an 11-point deficit and cruise to victory, making nine of 16 shots with a pair of 3-pointers, adding 11 of 12 from the foul line with seven rebounds and five steals. Fellow freshman, Koa Peat, added 25.

Arizona will be off until Thursday, March 12 when they enter the Big 12 conference tournament in the quarterfinals. The Wildcats have a bye for the first two rounds of the tourney, which opens Tuesday, March 10 at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City , Missouri.

March 6, 2026 College Hoops Player of the Day

The Redhawks of Miami, Ohio completed their regular season with a perfect mark of 31-0, the first team to finish a regular season undefeated since Gonzaga in 2021, winning at Ohio for the first time in 15 years.

It wasn’t easy, as the Ohio Bobcats fought them tooth an nail in a 110-108 overtime victory by Miami, on the road at the Convocation Center in Athens, Ohio. Eian Elmer scored a career-high 32 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in the MAC thriller. Jackson Paveletzke, who missed a potential game-winning 3-pointer at the end of overtime, led all scorers with a career-high 37 points.

Elmer’s 32 points came off 11-for-16 shooting, including making four of six from 3-point range. The 6’6” junior from Covington, Kentucky made six of nine from the foul line. Coming at an opportune time, it was his first double-double of the season.

The Redhawks head to the MAC tournament on Thursday, March 12 as the #1 seed. Despite winning the regular season, they need to win the tourney to punch a ticket to the NCAA national tournament. There is talk that even though they were undefeated in the regular season, they may not get a bid unless they win the post-season title.

March 5, 2026 College Hoops Player of the Day

Nasir Whitlock drained a buzzer beater from mid-court and led all scorers with 29 points to send Lehigh to the semifinals of the Patriot League Championship with a 69-66 victory over Holy Cross Thursday at Stabler Arena in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

Whitlock’s heave from just behind the half-court stripe swished through the net as the buzzer sounded, capping a big night for the 6’2” guard. Whitlock, who played all but one minute of the game, made 11 of 24 shots, was 4-for-6 from 3-point range and added three free throws, two board and a pair of assists. Whitlock is Lehigh’s leading scorer, at 21.0 points per game.

The Mountain Hawks evened their record at 16-16, going 11-7 in Patriot League play. They advance to the semis to face Colgate on Sunday, March 8. Lehigh defeated Colgate twice during the regular season, both wins coming by one point, 78-77 at Colgate, and 77-76 at Lehigh. Both teams finished the regular season with 11-7 marks.

In the other quarterfinal game, Navy bounced Bucknell, 74-69, and will play Boston University on Sunday. The Middies dominated the league, capturing the regular season title with a 17-1 record.

March 4, 2026 College Hoops Player of the Day

C.J. Cox threw down a career-high 27 points, propelling #15 Purdue to a 70-66 victory at Northwestern Wednesday night at Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston, Illinois.

Cox, a 6’3” sophomore guard, was on fire throughout the contest, hitting 10 of 13 shots with five 3-pointers, adding two free throws, three rebounds, and three assists. Northwestern’s Nick Martinelli, the leading scorer in the Big Ten (22.7 ppg), led the points parade with 28.

Purdue (23-7, 13-6) has one game left on its regular season schedule. They host Wisconsin on Saturday, March 7, a solid prep for the Big Ten tournament which runs Tuesday, March 10 through Saturday, March 15 at the United Center in Chicago. The Boilermakers had lost two straight prior to Wednesday’s victory. Northwestern will play in the Big Ten tourney but is unlikely to receive an invitation to the national tournament. They are 13-17 overall with a 5-14 record in conference play.

March 3, 2026 College Hoops Player of the Day

Kanon Catchings scored a career-high 32 points, leading Georgia over #16 Alabama, 98-88, Tuesday night in Athens, Georgia.

Catchings had the hot hand throughout the contest, nailing 12 of 20 shots from the field, going 7-for-13 from outside the 3-point line. The 6’9” sophomore also nabbed six boards, made two steals and a block. Catchings played his freshman season at BYU, transferring to Georgia through the portal where he became a starter.

The Bulldogs’ victory may prove to be enough to get them into the NCAA tournament. At 9-8 in the SEC and 21-9 overall, they just may squeeze in, the conference expected to send 10 or 11 teams to the Big Dance. Georgia will have more opportunities to improve its resume. They close out the regular season at Mississippi State and look forward to the SEC tournament next week.

March 2, 2026 College Hoops Player of the Day

Top-ranked Duke clinched the ACC regular season title with a 93-64 spanking of NC State Monday night in Raleigh, North Carolina. With a season finale against #17 North Carolina scheduled for Saturday night, the Blue Devils conference record of 16-1 is 2 1/2 games better than their closest competitor, 13-3 Virginia.

The Blue Devils were lead by Cameron Boozer’s game-high 26 points. A national player of the year candidate, Boozer went 8-for-10 from the field with one 3-pointer, adding nine points from the foul line in 11 attempts. He also collected nine rebounds and dealt four assists. 10 different Duke players scored in the runaway win.

Boozer leads Duke in a variety of categories, including points per game (22.6), assists (4.0), rebounds (10.0), and field goal percentage (58.3%).

With an overall record of 28-2, Duke is a likely #1 seed for the NCAA Tournament in two weeks. The ACC tournament begins Tuesday, March 10. Selection Sunday for the Big Dance is March 15 with the First Four play-in games slated for Tuesday and Wednesday, March 17 and 18.

March 1, 2026 College Hoops Player of the Day

John Mobley Jr. scored a game-high 21 points and Bruce Thornton added 20 as the Ohio State Buckeyes upended #8 Purdue, 82-74, Sunday in Columbus Ohio.

Mobley, a 6’1” sophomore guard, was 8-for-15 from the field, including 5-for-11 on 3-point shots. Thornton, the Buckeyes’ leading scorer, made 6of 9 and went 3-for-6 from beyond the arc.

The victory was big for Ohio State, as it came over a quad-1 team and gives the Buckeyes a positive stance heading towards Selection Sunday in two weeks. The win left Ohio State at 10-8 in the Big Ten and 18-11 overall. Purdue dropped to 12-6 in conference play and 22-7 overall.

Ohio State plays at Penn State on Wednesday, March 4, and closes out the regular season at home versus Indiana on Saturday, March 7.

February 28, 2026 College Hoops Player of the Day

After being humbled by UConn in their last outing, 72-40, on February 25, the 15th-ranked St. John’s Red Storm were expected to bounce back Saturday against Villanova.

And, they did, in a huge way. With coach Rick Pitino prowling the sideline in his trademark white suit, the Red Storm overwhelmed the Wildcats, 89-57, at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Zuby Ejiofor posted a his first triple-double with 16 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists. It was his seventh double-double of the season for the 6’9” senior from Garland, Texas.

The big man was 6-for-12 from the field including a 3-pointer. He made three of five from the foul line, had a steal and three blocks. Ejiofor leads St. John’s in scoring, rebounds, assists, and blocks.

The result left the Red Storm at 16-2 in the Big East, a half game behind 17-2 Uconn, with Villanova solidly in third place, 3 1/2 games out. St. John’s concludes the regular season hosting Georgetown on March 3 before a March 6 trip to Seton Hall.

February 27, 2026 College Hoops Player of the Day

T.J. Power poured in a career-high 38 points as the Pen Quakers held serve at home in an 80-71 defeat of Dartmouth Friday night at the Palestra in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Power, a 6’9” junior from Shewsbury, Massachusetts, made 14 of 22 shots, including 6-for-8 from the 3-point line. He added 12 rebounds for his fifth double-double of the season. Power played a season at Duke and last year was with Virginia before taking the transfer portal to Penn.

The win left the Quakers at 7-5 in conference play, chasing co-leaders, Harvard and Yale, each with 9-3 records. Yale has already defeated Penn twice and Harvard has another meeting with the Quakers on Saturday, seeking a sweep of the two-game season series. Penn will have an opportunity to punch their ticket to the NCAA tourney by winning the Ivy League tournament, which begins March 13, at Ithaca, New York, home of Cornell’s Big Red.

NCAA Tournament Quizzes

NCAA Tournament History
2025 NCAA Tournament
2024 NCAA Tournament
2023 NCAA Tournament
2022 NCAA Tournament
2021 NCAA Tournament
2020 cancelled - COVID
2019 NCAA Tournament
2018 NCAA Tournament
2017 NCAA Tournament
2016 NCAA Tournament
2015 NCAA Tournament
2014 NCAA Tournament
2013 NCAA Tournament
2012 NCAA Tournament
2011 NCAA Tournament
2010 NCAA Tournament
2009 NCAA Tournament
2008 NCAA Tournament
2007 NCAA Tournament
2006 NCAA Tournament
2005 NCAA Tournament
2004 NCAA Tournament
2003 NCAA Tournament
2002 NCAA Tournament
2001 NCAA Tournament
2000 NCAA Tournament
1999 NCAA Tournament
1998 NCAA Tournament
1997 NCAA Tournament
1996 NCAA Tournament
1995 NCAA Tournament
1994 NCAA Tournament
1993 NCAA Tournament
1992 NCAA Tournament
1991 NCAA Tournament
1990 NCAA Tournament

AP Top 25 (3/16) (1st place votes)

1. Duke 32-2 (50)
2. Arizona 32-2 (7)
3. Michigan 31-3
4. Florida 26-7
5. Houston 28-6
6. Iowa State 27-7
7. UConn 29-5
8. Purdue 27-8
9. Virginia 29-5
10. St. John’s 28-6
11. Michigan State 25-7
12. Gonzaga 30-3
13. Illinois 24-8
14. Arkansas 26-8
15. Nebraska 26-6
16. Vanderbilt 26-8
17. Kansas 23-10
18. Alabama 23-9
19. Wisconsin 24-10
20. Texas Tech 22-10
21. North Carolina 24-8
22. St. Mary’s 27-5
23. Tennessee 22-11
24. Louisville 23-10
25. Miami 25-8

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