Gonzaga and Baylor top the rankings
Gonzaga and Baylor have played like the nation’s best teams all year. The committee that will ultimately select the field of 68 for the NCAA Tournament sees it that way, too.
The Bulldogs were the No. 1 overall seed followed by the Bears in rankings released Saturday by the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Committee. It was part of a snapshot of the top 16 seeds with a month to go before Selection Sunday, starting with the teams that have been 1-2 in The Associated Press men’s college basketball poll all season and remain unbeaten.
“No mystery here,” Kentucky athletics director and committee chairman Mitch Barnhart said. “There’s two teams that have been amazing all year.”
Third-ranked Michigan and fourthranked Ohio State followed as the other two No. 1 seeds, while fellow Big Ten team Illinois was the top No. 2 seed and fifth overall.
Buckeyes roll: One game removed from a scoreless outing that didn’t prevent No. 4 Ohio State from winning at Maryland on Monday night, Justice Sueing came out attacking Saturday afternoon against Indiana.
Sueing’s double-double had plenty to do with a 78-59 win at Value City Arena. Sueing finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds, sophomore E.J. Liddell led the team with 19 points and Ohio State (17-4, 11-4 Big Ten) held at least a two-possession lead for the final 33:56.
Cunningham leads Cowboys: Cade Cunningham, the freshman who leads the Big 12 Conference in scoring, had 15 points to help No. 23 Oklahoma State top Kansas State 67-60 on Saturday. Rondel Walker scored 10 points in his first start of the season and Bryce Williams added 10 for the Cowboys (13-6, 6-6 Big 12).
Sooners top Mountaineers in double overtime: Austin Reaves helped No. 12 Oklahoma pull off an impressive win on the road. Reaves scored four of his 28 points in the final minute of the second overtime and the Sooners held off No. 14 West Virginia 91-90 on Saturday. Oklahoma (13-5, 8-4 Big 12) squeaked out a win 1,000 miles from home after losing three of its last four games on the road.
LSU pulls away late: Cam Thomas scored 25 points, JaVonte Smart added 20 and LSU beat No. 16 Tennessee 78-65 on Saturday. The Volunteers (14-5, 7-5 Southeastern Conference) trailed for most of the game but were within 50-46 nearly midway through the second half. Tennessee made just six field goals over the final 12 minutes, though, and the Tigers stretched their lead as big as 17.
Arkansas upsets Missouri: Justin Smith scored 19 points to lead Arkansas to an 86-81 overtime victory over 10th-ranked Missouri on Saturday.
Smith, who had missed the Razorbacks’ loss to Missouri last month with an injury, led a balanced attack. Moses Moody scored 15 and Jalen Tate added 14 for Arkansas (16-5, 8-4 Southeastern Conference).
Wieskamp helps rescue Garza: Luka Garza had his worst game offensively in two-plus years and No. 15 Iowa still had enough to rout Michigan State 88-58 on Saturday.
The Hawkeyes (15-6, 9-5 Big Ten) had three players score in double figures and Garza wasn’t one of them. Joe Wieskamp was, finishing with 21 to lead the way.
Creighton destroys Villanova: Marcus Zegarowski scored a season-high 25 points, Mitch Ballock had 17 of his 20 points in the second half and 19th-ranked Creighton’s offense was at its high-tempo best in a 86-70 rout of No. 5 Villanova on Saturday.