NCAA Conference Tournaments 2016: Predictions, Results for Friday's Top Games
College basketball fans are like so many cherry stones in a slingshot this time of year. And no one's holding back, either. We are hurtling through the air one after another.
And if a team is fortunate enough, the rock might hit its target in a clutch moment—like Connecticut's Jalen Adams burying an 80-foot prayer as time expired to force a fourth overtime during which the Huskies pulled away from Cincinnati.
Friday's conference tournament action has included two buzzer-beaters and some unexpected upsets, as teams like Oklahoma, Xavier and St. Bonaventure have been shuttled to the sidelines. Utah finished off the night in fine style with a come-from-behind overtime win over California in late action from the Pac-12.
The brackets are now all set for Saturday. Click through to see who's playing and how they got there.
AAC Tournament
1 of 9
Temple 79, South Florida 62
Top-seeded Temple (21-10) cruised to a 79-62 victory over South Florida (8-25).
Led by Jaylen Boyd's 17 points, five Owls players reached double figures. Josh Brown added eight points and seven assists.
The Bulls closed the gap to six immediately after halftime, but they surrendered a 9-0 run and couldn't recover. Chris Perry recorded 19 points and eight rebounds during the season-ending loss.
Temple will return to the court on Saturday at 3 p.m. ET to take on Connecticut.
—Updated by David Kenyon
Connecticut 104, Cincinnati 97 (4OT)
A loss to Cincinnati (22-10) would've all but officially ended Connecticut's (22-10) March Madness hopes, so Jalen Adams didn't let that happen.
Kevin Johnson buried a trifecta with 0.8 seconds remaining in triple overtime to give the Bearcats a three-point edge. However, Adams launched a 65-footer that banked in at the buzzer to force another extra frame.
Adams and Daniel Hamilton, who netted a team-high 32, combined for 14 points during the fourth overtime and helped the Huskies grab a 104-97 win.
Despite the loss, Cincinnati may remain on the right side of the bubble. Conversely, the Huskies must overcome exhaustion to pad their resume against top-seeded Temple on Saturday at 3 p.m ET.
—Updated by David Kenyon
Tulane 72, Houston 69
Upset time in Orlando, as the 11-21 Tulane Green Wave knocked off the 22-8 Houston Cougars by a score of 72-69 on Friday.
The Green Wave overcame a 36-28 deficit at halftime for the win, thanks to an extraordinary 18 points by sophomore forward Dylan Osetkowski and 16 from senior guard Louis Dabney. Tulane showed good hustle on the boards, out rebounding Houston 40-33.
Next up—Tulane will try for another upset in the AAC semifinal on Saturday against Memphis.
—Updated by Carol Schram
Memphis 89, Tulsa 67
The clock struck midnight for the 20-11 Tulsa Golden Hurricane on Friday thanks to an 89-67 loss to the 18-14 Memphis Tigers.
After a strong season, Tulsa was dominated wire to wire by a hungry Memphis team that took a 46-32 lead by halftime before extending the final margin to 22 points.
Two Tigers players finished with double doubles for the night: freshman Dedric Lawson with 22 points and 12 boards, and starting guard Avery Woodson with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Tulsa's leading scorer was Shaquille Harrison, with 15 points.
The Tigers will now face a different type of underdog when they square off against Tulane on Saturday.
—Updated by Carol Schram
ACC Tournament
2 of 9
North Carolina 78, Notre Dame 47
After their unexpected 84-79 overtime win over Duke on Thursday, underdog Notre Dame (21-11) came back to earth after a 78-47 defeat at the hands of the No. 7 North Carolina Tar Heels (27-6) on Friday.
The Tar Heels built a 19-point lead by halftime and never looked back, shooting 43.5 percent from the field and 6-of-15 from downtown while riding balanced scoring that was topped by 16 points from Marcus Paige.
The Fighting Irish were held to just 30 percent shooting and were out-rebounded 49-31. Bonzie Colson poured in 15 points in the losing cause.
North Carolina now moves on to face Virginia for the ACC title on Saturday at 6:00 p.m. ET at Verizon Center in Washington, D.C.
—Updated by Carol Schram
Virginia 73, Miami 68
After a strong 72-52 win over Georgia Tech on Thursday, the No. 4 Virginia Cavaliers took out the No. 11 Miami Hurricanes by a score of 73-68 to book a spot in the ACC Final against North Carolina.
Once again, Malcolm Brogan was the engine for the Cavaliers offense, contributing 24 points including 10-of-11 shooting from the free-throw line. After trailing by five at halftime, Miami made a late push but couldn’t get closer than three points.
The next test will be even tougher for Virginia, as the Tar Heels stand in the way of an ACC title on Saturday.
—Updated by Carol Schram
Atlantic 10 Tournament
3 of 9
Dayton 69, Richmond 54
Top-seeded Dayton (25-6) scored the first bucket and never trailed en route to a 69-54 stomping of Richmond (16-16).
Dyshawn Pierre tallied 10 points and 14 rebounds, while Charles Cooke had a team-best 14 points. The Flyers also limited the Spiders to just 31.6 shooting on the day.
T.J. Cline poured in a game-high 25 points, but ShawnDre' Jones—who entered the contest averaging 15.3 per outing—connected on one of 10 attempts and managed just three points.
Dayton will battle St. Joseph's on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. ET.
—Updated by David Kenyon
St. Joseph's 86, George Washington 80
Thanks to a balanced scoring effort, St. Joseph's (25-7) likely secured its place in the NCAA tourney after toppling George Washington (23-10).
DeAndre Bembry’s 21 points paced the Hawks, Aaron Brown added 19 and James Demery joined Isaiah Miles with 15.
The Colonials, on the other hand, are probably headed to the NIT. They had a 16-point lead during the first half but couldn't hold on.
Next up for St. Joseph's is Dayton on Saturday at 1:30 p.m ET.
—Updated by David Kenyon
VCU 85, Massachusetts 70
Nothing fancy. Just a solid wire-to-wire win for the VCU Rams (23-9) over the Massachusetts Minutemen (14-18) at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
The Minutemen’s only lead of the game lasted 34 seconds after Tyler Bergantino dropped the first basket of the game. After that, it was all VCU.
A 10-point, six-rebound performance off the bench from Justin Tillman gave the Rams a nine-point lead at halftime. By the end of the game, Melvin Johnson (19 pts), JeQuan Lewis (16 points) and Kevin Billbury (12 points) had joined Tillman in double figures.
Next up for VCU is Davidson. The Atlantic 10 semifinal goes Saturday at 4 p.m ET.
—Updated by Carol Schram
Davidson 90, St Bonaventure 86 (OT)
In an overtime thriller, the 20-11 Davidson Wildcats upset the 22-8 St. Bonaventure Bonnies on Friday at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
Already with an NCAA tournament berth comfortably in hand, the Bonnies led by five points at halftime, but Davidson forced overtime thanks to three made free throws by Peyton Aldridge with 11 seconds left on the clock, then outscored St. Bonaventure 15-11 in the extra frame for the win.
Jack Gibbs was the high scorer for the Wildcats, finishing the game with 29 points on 11-of-30 shooting. Dion Wright had 32 points in the losing cause for St. Bonaventure.
Davidson will now face VCU in an Atlantic 10 semifinal on Saturday.
—Updated by Carol Schram
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Big Ten Tournament
4 of 9
Michigan 72, Indiana 69
John Beilein's team played like it needed a victory. Kameron Chatman's three-pointer 0.2 seconds before the buzzer gave Michigan (22-11) a much-needed triumph over Indiana (25-7).
Zak Irvin registered 17 points, and Derrick Walton—despite not making a field goal for the second straight day—set a Big Ten tournament single-game record with 12 assists.
Although Yogi Ferrell accumulated 14 points and eight assists, his late missed free throw led to Duncan Robinson hitting a game-tying triple.
The Wolverines, who desperately need another win to bolster their NCAA tournament hopes, must defeat Purdue on Saturday at 1 p.m ET.
—Updated by David Kenyon
Purdue 89, Illinois 58
Caleb Swanigan notched a double-double, and Purdue (25-7) waltzed to an 89-58 thrashing of Illinois (15-19).
There was no Cinderella story for the Illini, who had stunned Iowa after beating Minnesota. Illinois couldn't match the Boliermakers' physicality or efficiency, losing the rebounding battle 38-21 and mustering a 39.3 percent mark from the floor.
In addition to Swanigan's 11 points and 12 boards, five Purdue players chipped in at least 10 points.
The Boilermakers will attempt to put a major dent in Michigan's March Madness dreams on Saturday at 1 p.m ET.
—Updated by David Kenyon
Michigan State 81, Ohio State 54
It was Sparty o’clock indeed on Friday, as No. 2 Michigan State (27-5) laid a licking on Ohio State (20-13), cruising to an easy 81-54 victory.
The Spartans were led by Big Ten Player of the Year Denzel Valentine, who flirted with a triple double on 19 points, nine boards and eight assists.
Ohio State kept it close early on and trailed by just seven points at halftime, but the Spartans pulled away in the second half and the result was never in doubt. The loss marks the end of the Buckeyes' hopes as a bubble team for the NCAA tournament.
Maryland is next on the agenda for the Spartans. Their Big Ten semifinal will be Saturday at 3:30 p.m ET.
—Updated by Carol Schram
Maryland 97, Nebraska 86
Three-point shooting was the name of the game as the No. 18 Maryland Terrapins (25-7) cruised past the Nebraska Cornhuskers (16-18) to book themselves a date against the imposing No. 2 Michigan State in the Big Ten semifinal.
The Terrapins set a season high with nine treys in the first half. Four of their five starters scored in double figures, led by Jake Layman’s 26 points, including 6-of-9 shooting from downtown.
After going into the locker room at halftime down 17 points, the Cornhuskers used some strong three-point shooting of their own to narrow the margin to six points in the late stages of the second half. Three straight treys from Andrew White, who finished with 25 points, put a scare into the hearts of Terrapins fans, but Maryland weathered the storm and will play on.
Saturday’s semifinal is scheduled to start at 3:30 p.m. ET from Indianapolis.
—Updated by Carol Schram
Big 12 Tournament
5 of 9
Kansas 70, Baylor 66
No. 1 Kansas got a bit of a scare from the No. 22 Baylor Bears, but Bill Self’s team hung on in the late going for a 70-66 win and a berth in Saturday’s Big 12 championship game.
The 29-4 Jayhawks started slow and trailed by two points at halftime, but came out with 10 points in the first 2:31 of the second half and never looked back. The lead stretched as large as 15 points with less than four minutes to go, but the Bears kept pressing, leading to the nail-biting finish.
Perry Ellis was Kansas’ top scorer with 20 points, while Al Freeman led the way for Baylor with 14.
Next up: The Jayhawks will line up against West Virginia on Saturday at 5 p.m. ET in Kansas City.
—Updated by Carol Schram
West Virginia 69, Oklahoma 67
After dropping 39 points on Thursday against Iowa State, Big 12 Player of the Year Buddy Hield was held to just six points on Friday as No. 6 Oklahoma fell 69-67 to No. 9 West Virginia on Friday. Hield did hit a big-time half-court buzzer-beater as time expired that would have given the Sooners the single-point win, but after a review, it was determined that he didn't beat the buzzer after all. No basket—West Virginia wins.
The Mountaineers are known for their defense and kept Oklahoma to just 41 field-goal attempts in the game while getting off 60 shots of their own. The Virginia attack was led by sophomore guard Jevon Carter, who rose to the occasion with a season-high 26 points thanks to 6-of-9 shooting from beyond the arc.
West Virginia now moves on to an even more formidable opponent, staring down a date with No. 1 Kansas in Saturday's Big 12 final.
—Updated by Carol Schram
Big East Tournament
6 of 9
Villanova 76, Providence 68
The No. 3 Villanova Wildcats (29-4) were money from downtown, shooting 7-of-17 from beyond the arc on their way to a 76-68 win over the Providence Friars (23-10).
Kris Jenkins led the way for the Wildcats with 21 points, knocking down two threes while going 9-of-14 for the night. Rodney Bullock was the hot hand for the Friars, shooting 4-of-5 from downtown on his way to a team-leading 18 points and seven rebounds.
The Wildcats move on to the Big East final against Seton Hall on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. ET.
—Updated by Carol Schram
Seton Hall 87, Xavier 83
A big upset in the Big East, as 24-8 Seton Hall knocked off the No. 5 Xavier Musketeers on Friday night in the Big Apple.
At the world's most famous arena, Madison Square Garden, the Pirates jumped out to a 41-30 lead by halftime, then held on for the win over favored Xavier—which suffered its last loss to Seton Hall by a score of 90-81 during conference play at the end of February.
Khadeen Carrington led the Pirates with 23 points on 8-of-11 shooting, while Edmond Sumner got close to a double double with 21 points and nine boards for Xavier.
The Pirates will now play Villanova for the Big East title on Saturday.
—Updated by Carol Schram
Mountain West Tournament
7 of 9
San Diego State 67, Nevada 55
Heavily favored coming into the Mountain West tournament, the San Diego State Aztecs (25-8) took care of the Nevada Wolf Pack (19-13) 67-55 on Friday at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.
Though the Aztecs shot just 36.2 percent from the field, they used strong, tenacious defense to limit the chances for the Wolf Pack and ride 15 points from guard Trey Kell to a berth in the title game. San Diego State stood up well against the conference’s top rebounders, finishing the game dead even at 39 boards each.
The win sets up San Diego State to Fresno State for the Mountain West championship at Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas on Saturday.
—Updated by Carol Schram
Fresno State 64 - Colorado State 56
For the eighth time this season, the Fresno State Bulldogs erased a first-half deficit to come back for the win, this time beating the Colorado State Rams by a score of 64-56.
The 24-9 Bulldogs trailed 33-32 at the break, but put up nine straight points in the first two minutes of the second half to gain a lead that they wouldn’t relinquish. Shooting was chilly for both teams—Fresno State held the edge with a 36.4 percent success rate led by 19 points from Mountain West player of the year Marvelle Harris, while 18-16 Colorado State was successful on just 23.2 percent of its shots from the field.
The Rams did get solid contributions from their starters. Four out of five finished the game in double figures.
With the win, the No. 2 Bulldogs move on to face top seed San Diego State in Saturday’s conference final.
—Updated by Carol Schram
Pac-12 Tournament
8 of 9
Oregon 95, Arizona 89
Though they’re the defending Pac-12 champions, a late push wasn't enough to get the No. 15 Arizona Wildcats past the surging No. 8 Oregon Ducks in Las Vegas on Friday. The Wildcats overcame a 15-point halftime deficit to force overtime, but ultimately fell by six to the Pac-12's top-ranked team.
Elgin Cook led the way with 22 points for Oregon, while Tyler Dorsey and Dillon Brooks each scored 19. Freshman senior guard Gabe York finished the game as Arizona's leading scorer with 21 points.
With their season record now up to 27-6, Oregon will face Utah for the 2016 Pac-12 championship on Saturday.
—Updated by Carol Schram
Utah 82 - California 78
It was billed as one of the potential marquee matchups of the day, and it delivered when No. 12 Utah came from behind to knock off No. 24 California 82-78 in Friday's second Pac-12 semifinal at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
Big man Jakob Poeltl came through down the stretch for Utah, finishing his night with a double double off 29 points and 11 rebounds.
Senior guard Tyrone Wallace was the offensive catalyst for a talented Cal team. His 26 points, including a clutch three-pointer with six seconds left in overtime, ultimately fell short in the losing cause.
After trailing for most of the game, the Utes pressed hard as the game came down to the wire. As the clock ticked down in the second half, Lorenzo Bonam converted a last-second layup off a solo rush downcourt to draw the score even at 70 and force the extra frame, where the Utes ultimately prevailed.
Second-seed Utah now moves on to face the top seed Oregon Ducks, who also needed overtime to get past Arizona earlier on Friday.
—Updated by Carol Schram
SEC Tournament
9 of 9
Texas A&M 72, Florida 66
Poor decisions during the final minute nearly led to Texas A&M (25-7) coughing up a six-point lead, but the Aggies held on to edge Florida (19-14).
Texas A&M overcame a 5-of-20 shooting performance from No. 2 scorer Danuel House, though he still tied with Tyler Davis for a team-high 15 points.
Florida guard Kasey Hill led the way with 18 points, while Dorian Finney-Smith added 11 points, nine rebounds and three blocks. But it wasn't enough for the Gators, who inched closer to watching their bubble burst.
The Aggies will challenge LSU on Saturday at 1 p.m ET.
—Updated by David Kenyon
LSU 84, Tennessee 75
Ben Simmons' college career isn't over just yet.
The potential No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 NBA draft connected on six of eight attempts and scored 15 points, and LSU (19-13) clipped Tennessee (15-19) for a critical victory.
Antonio Blakeney tallied 22 points for the Tigers, a team that probably would've been bounced from NCAA tournament contention with a loss.
Instead, LSU will try to impress the committee against No. 1 Texas A&M on Saturday at 1 p.m ET.
—Updated by David Kenyon
Kentucky 85, Alabama 59
The No. 16 Kentucky Wildcats punched their ticket to the SEC semifinal with an 85-59 win over the Alabama Crimson Tide.
Relying almost entirely on their starters, John Calipari’s crew rode big games from Jamal Murray, who was 8-of-15 for 23 points, and Alex Poythress, who added 20 points of his own. The Wildcats held the Crimson Tide to just 39.6 percent shooting from the field.
Up next for Kentucky is Georgia. The semifinal will take place on Saturday afternoon in Nashville.
—Updated by Carol Schram
Georgia 65, South Carolina 64
It came down to the wire, but a free throw by J.J. Frazier with two seconds left on the clock gave the Georgia Bulldogs a 65-64 win over the South Carolina Gamecocks in their SEC quarterfinal on Friday night.
The favored 24-8 Gamecocks held control at the half with a lead of 29-26, and it wasn't until the last three minutes of the game that Georgia was able to take the lead. Frazier was key, with 20 points, while Yante Maten contributed a double-double on 17 points and 12 rebounds.
Impressive win for Georgia. Now—gulp—Kentucky on Saturday.
—Updated by Carol Schram
Prediction text written by Scott Harris. All stats provided by ESPN.com unless otherwise noted.
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