NCAA Conference Tournaments 2016: Predictions, Results for Saturday's Top Games
Saturday's action saw the crowning of several major conference champions, with some favorites taking care of business but one major upset.
No. 1 Kansas and No. 7 North Carolina captured their conference tournament crowns and will almost certainly both be top seeds when the field is announced.
But No. 3 Villanova might have seen its hopes of a top seed go up in smoke when it was upset by Seton Hall in the Big East tournament final.
On the other hand, No. 8 Oregon’s pasting of No. 12 Utah might well have played the Ducks right into that conversation. The blowout win put the rest of the country on notice. They won't be an easy out for anybody.
It was an exciting day, but the conference tournament action isn’t over.
Check back in with us tomorrow, as Bleacher Report brings you live coverage of all the remaining action up to and including the revealing of the brackets for March Madness.
AAC Tournament
1 of 9
UConn 77, Temple 62
One day after enduring a four-overtime thriller, Connecticut (23-10) not only found enough energy to win but smacked top-seeded Temple (21-11) by a final score of 77-62.
Daniel Hamilton paced the Huskies with 19 points and 11 rebounds, and UConn probably secured its place in the NCAA tournament.
Temple might not be so fortunate, though. Obi Enechionyia and Quenton DeCosey—the Owls' two leading scorers—connected on just 6-of-29 shots, including a dismal 1-of-12 clip from three-point range.
The Huskies will clash with Memphis for the AAC title on Sunday at 3:15 p.m. ET.
—Updated by David Kenyon
Memphis 74, Tulane 54
Memphis (19-14) cruised to a 74-54 blowout of Tulane (12-22), the last remaining team that entered Saturday with a losing record.
The Green Wave simply couldn't assemble a third straight winning performance, and the loss may have marked the final time Ed Conroy coached the team. ESPN reported the school plans to fire Conroy.
Led by 17 points from Dedric Lawson, five Tigers players reached the double-digit plateau. Memphis nearly forced more turnovers (17) than it allowed field goals (18).
Josh Pastner's club will attempt to seal an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament on Sunday vs. UConn.
—Updated by David Kenyon
ACC Tournament
2 of 9
North Carolina 61, Virginia 57
No. 7 North Carolina captured its first ACC tournament championship since 2008 and 18th overall with Saturday night's 61-57 win over No. 4 Virginia at the Verizon Center in Washington D.C.
The Tar Heels made it back-to-back games with suffocating defense, limiting the Cavaliers lethal guard combo of ACC Player of the Year Malcolm Brogdon and London Perrantes to a combined 23 points on 9-of-36 shooting.
The win does more for North Carolina than just make it undisputed ACC champions. It answers several lingering questions about its toughness, and a No. 1 seed seems all but assured when the NCAA tournament field is released Sunday.
Joel Berry led the Tar Heels with 19 points, including nine from long range.
—Updated by Kevin McRae
Atlantic 10 Tournament
3 of 9
Saint Joseph's 82, Dayton 79
Isaiah Miles dropped in 26 points to help the Hawks continue their trek toward the NCAA tournament with a victory over the Flyers.
While Saint Joseph's (26-7) shot just 37 percent from long distance, Papa Ndao's range helped the Hawks create separation late in the second half. He buried three straight long-range shots and scored 11 points during a critical 15-8 stretch.
Dayton (25-7) had a furious last-minute comeback fall short, but it remained safely in the field of 68 for March Madness.
St. Joe's will oppose VCU in the Atlantic 10 final on Sunday at 12:30 p.m. ET.
—Updated by David Kenyon
VCU 76, Davidson 54
The Rams (24-9) never trailed, throttling the Wildcats.
Senior guard Korey Billbury registered a team-best 17 points and seven rebounds, combining with JeQuan Lewis and Jordan Burgess to hit 9-of-14 trifectas.
Davidson (20-12) couldn't find the same range, trudging to a 5-of-23 performance from long distance.
For the sixth consecutive year, VCU will have a chance to win a conference tournament. After losses to St. Louis in 2013 and St. Joseph's in 2014, the Rams defeated Dayton last year. VCU topped Drexel to win the Colonial Athletic Association tournament in 2012 following a loss to Old Dominion in the title game in 2011.
—Updated by David Kenyon
.png?w=256 "NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Championship")
Big 12 Tournament
4 of 9
Kansas 81, West Virginia 71
The No. 1 Kansas Jayhawks cinched up what will almost certainly be the top overall seed in the NCAA tournament and a 10th Big 12 tournament championship by holding off No. 9 West Virginia 81-71 on Saturday night.
Devonte Graham dropped a team-high 27 points, including 18 from behind the arc to lead the way for the Jayhawks, who have now won 14 consecutive games dating back to late January.
The Mountaineers led by a point at the half but fell behind early in the second half. Their trademark pressure defense helped them close the gap late in the game, but they couldn't get fully over the hump.
Devin Williams had a career-high 31 points to go along with 10 rebounds for West Virginia, but he was largely limited in the second half.
—Updated by Kevin McRae
Big East Tournament
5 of 9
Seton Hall 69, Villanova 67
Seton Hall topped Villanova 69-67 to claim the Big East tournament championship for the first time since 1993.
Following a missed free throw, Wildcats (29-5) guard Ryan Arcidiacono had an opportunity to hoist a potential game-winning shot. However, he slipped and watched an ill-fated attempt fall short at the buzzer.
Isaiah Whitehead registered 26 points, helping the Pirates (25-8) atone for coughing up a 13-point lead during the second half.
Both teams are headed to the NCAA tournament. Villanova may slip to a No. 2 seed, while Seton Hall might rise as high as a fourth.
—Updated by David Kenyon
Big Ten Tournament
6 of 9
Purdue 76, Michigan 59
Physicality owned finesse throughout the Boilermakers' victory over the motivated Wolverines.
Center A.J. Hammons racked up 27 points and 11 rebounds for Purdue (26-7), while fellow post players Isaac Haas and Caleb Swanigan combined to provide 18 more points.
Michigan (22-12)—which needed a win to solidify its NCAA tournament hopes—was unable to knock down enough jumpers to overcome the Boilermakers' strong inside presence. Zak Irvin and Duncan Robinson combined to shoot 2-of-12 from beyond the arc.
Hammons and Co. will battle Michigan State on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET.
—Updated by David Kenyon
Michigan State 64, Maryland 61
Denzel Valentine notched yet another double-double to guide the Spartans to a gripping win over the Terrapins.
The Naismith Trophy finalist tallied 18 points and 10 assists and added seven rebounds for victorious Michigan State (28-5). Matt Costello chipped in 10 points.
Star guard Melo Trimble stumbled through his second-worst outing of the season for Maryland (25-8). He connected on just 2-of-15 shots, and the Terps knocked down a meager 33.3 percent of their attempts.
The Spartans will take on Purdue for the Big Ten title.
—Updated by David Kenyon
Mountain West Tournament
7 of 9
Fresno State 68, San Diego State 63
Picking teams from the bubble is never an easy task, and San Diego State made it slightly more difficult after falling to Fresno State 68-63 in the Mountain West championship game.
Julien Lewis buried four free throws during the final 25 seconds to ice the victory for the Bulldogs (25-9), who had last appeared in the NCAA tournament 15 years ago.
Despite winning the regular-season crown, the Aztecs (25-9) might not have a resume the selection committee will consider worthy of an at-large bid.
Fresno State earned its first conference tournament title since the program was a member of the Western Athletic Conference in 2000.
—Updated by David Kenyon
Pac-12 Tournament
8 of 9
Oregon 88, Utah 57
No. 8 Oregon made its case to be a top seed in the NCAA tournament with an 88-57 pasting of No. 12 Utah on Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. It may seem odd in this case, but that final score doesn't indicate the one-sided nature of this game.
The Ducks jumped out early, took a commanding 17-point lead at the break and continued to steadily build toward a win that should place the rest of the nation on notice.
Oregon turned 20 Utah turnovers into 28 points and rilled to its first conference tournament championship since 2013.
Tyler Dorsey led all scorers with 23 points.
—Updated by Kevin McRae
SEC Tournament
9 of 9
Texas A&M 71, LSU 38
Well, that was a disaster for one team.
The top-seeded Aggies (26-7) flexed their collective muscle, smashing the Tigers and advancing to the SEC tournament championship game.
Ben Simmons and Co. shot an unsightly 20.6 percent from the floor, including a disgusting 5-of-27 clip from three-point range. LSU (19-14) is almost certainly headed to the NIT.
Texas A&M, on the other hand, will challenge Kentucky on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.
—Updated by David Kenyon
Kentucky 93, Georgia 80
Jamal Murray, Tyler Ulis and the Wildcats (25-8) overwhelmed the feisty Bulldogs down the stretch to triumph.
Georgia (19-13), which received a 20-point effort from Yante Maten, held a five-point lead at halftime but couldn't recover after a late 10-3 run by Kentucky.
In all likelihood, Georgia needed to win the SEC tournament in order to get a spot in the NCAA tourney.
The Wildcats will have a second chance at Texas A&M, a team that celebrated a buzzer-beating win over Kentucky during the regular season.
—Updated by David Kenyon
.png?w=480 "NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Championship")
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
