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How athletic is former Saint Mary's forward Rob Jones? At least one NFL franchise would have loved to find out.

On Monday, Jones's agent told CSNBayArea.com the Minnesota Vikings extended an offer to the former Gaels standout to try out at the team's rookie minicamp. The Vikings are scouring for a tight end, and Jones' frame -- he stands 6-foot-6 and is a well-built 237 pounds -- was apparently enough to draw fleeting comparisons to other hoopsters-turned-NFL-tight ends, like prototype San Diego Chargers star Antonio Gates. Even better, Jones has some experience: He played tight end in high school at San Francisco's Archbishop Riordan High in 2006, and he considered a two-sport path at San Diego when then-coach Jim Harbaugh (now of Stanford and San Francisco 49ers fame) floated the possibility early in Jones' career.

But Jones left football alone then -- he transferred to football-less Saint Mary's soon thereafter -- and he hasn't changed his mind since. So he declined Minnesota's offer:

"I wanted to see where I can go with basketball first," said Jones, 23. "Two or three years from now, if I'm not where I want to be with basketball, I can still have that option.

"Football is intriguing, but it's really a decision I made five years ago."

Instead, Jones is going to focus on his first dream: playing professional basketball. It won't be easy. Jones is a tweener, undersized to play a forward, not quite quick enough to play on the wing. He is versatile, that's for sure, and he was a dominant rebounder in the West Coast Conference, a big part of why the Gaels exorcised their Gonzaga demons en route to the 2012 WCC crown. But it may be difficult to convince scouts that Jones -- who scouts seem to consider him unworthy of even a second-round pick at this point -- can recreate that level of production playing against the best players in the world.

Jones may end up being a perfect fit in Europe, where the game is more open and the competition less physically imposing. But, hey, if the whole basketball thing doesn't work out, a shot to play tight end in the NFL isn't the worst Plan B to keep stowed in his back pocket.

OMAHA, Neb. -- Quick thoughts from Purdue's 72-69 victory over Saint Mary's Friday at the CenturyLink Center.

Overview: Purdue made four free throws in the final 23 seconds to beat No. 7 seed Saint Mary's in the second round of the NCAA tournament. The victory propels the No. 10 seed Boilermakers into a third round game against either Kansas or Detroit on Sunday.

Purdue trailed 69-68 after Saint Mary's guard Jorden Page swished a 3-pointer from the left wing with 45 seconds remaining. But 22 seconds later, the Gaels' Stephen Holt fouled Purdue's Lewis Jackson as Jackson was driving to the basket. He made both free throws to put the Boilermakers ahead 70-69.

Saint Mary's had a chance to tie it on the ensuing possession, but this time Page air-balled a wide-open 3-pointer. Purdue's Robbie Hummel snared the rebound and was fouled with 8 seconds left. His free throws extended Purdue's lead to three, 72-69. The Gaels had one more chance, but Rob Jones misfired on a 3-pointer from the top of the key as time expired.

Turning point: Purdue controlled most of the game and led by 10 points with 7:17 remaining before a valiant comeback attempt by Saint Mary's made the game interesting. The Gaels' went on an 18-7 run that was capped by Page's 3-pointer at the 45 second mark that put Saint Mary's up by a point. The foul call on Holt, which was a bit questionable for that late in the game, put Jackson on the line for what would ultimately be the game-deciding free throws.

Key player: Guard Terone Johnson had 21 points and five assists for Purdue. Jones led Saint Mary's with 23 points and 14 rebounds.

Key stat: Saint Mary's shot just 4-of-25 (16 percent) from beyond the arc. Jones was just 2-of-10. Cousy Award finalist Matthew Dellavedova had just 12 points on 3-of-10 shooting overall. He had eight assists.

Miscellaneous: Purdue has now won 14 straight Round of 64 games in the NCAA tournament.

What's next: Purdue advances to play either No. 2 seed Kansas or No. 15 seed Detroit on Sunday. Saint Mary's, which won the outright West Coast Conference title, ends its season 27-6.

After a relatively mild third day of NCAA tournament action Thursday, does Friday promise more excitement? Close games? A buzzer-beater? Something?

Beggars can't be choosers, but we can be hopers. As we pray to the basketball gods for all the tournament has to offer, here's what you should keep an eye on as Friday unfolds.

Five best games:

No. 8 Creighton vs. No. 9 Alabama: Arguably the most intriguing stylistic clash in the entire round of 64, this one puts Creighton's all-offense attack up against one of the nation's most athletic and physical defensive teams. The Bluejays' offense and the Tide's defense both rank among the nation's 10 best per-possession in their respective categories, but the inverse is also true: Creighton's defense (ranked No. 180 in kenpom) and Alabama's offense (ranked No. 112) serve as each team's obvious weakness. It's unstoppable force/immovable object stuff, and it should be fascinating to watch.

No. 8 Memphis vs. No. 9 Saint Louis: It's not uncommon to see a team that looks considerably better than its NCAA tournament seed. It is uncommon to see two in the same second-round game, but that will be the case when the streaking Tigers and the defensively stalwart Billikens match up Friday. Both teams are ranked among kenpom.com's top 15 in overall adjusted efficiency. Memphis boasts a hyper-talented lineup led by forward Will Barton; Saint Louis has the benefit of Rick Majerus' tried-and-true defensive style and his strategic tournament superiority. If Saint Louis can keep Barton in check, and find a way to keep forward Tarik Black off the offensive glass (no easy feat, that), it may be able to hold off a Memphis team capable of a very deep run in this field.

No. 6 Cincinnati vs. No. 11 Texas: The Longhorns limped into the tournament, but as a team with talented guards -- like leading scorer J'Covan Brown and steady freshman Myck Kabongo -- and one that challenged the top teams in the Big 12 throughout the season (usually coming up just short), they represent a fantastic value as a No. 11 seed. Cincinnati forward Yancy Gates will have to take advantage of a favorable matchup with Clint Chapman in the post. If he doesn't, Texas has the chops to hang around in this game for 40 minutes -- and maybe even finish with a win.

No. 7 Florida vs. No. 10 Virginia: Before we crown Creighton-Alabama with the "most stylistically fascinating" superlative, let's reserve some consideration for Florida-Virginia. The Cavaliers play a drastically slow, packed-in defensive style. The Gators play a spread-out offense that relies primarily on 3-point shooting. Fortunately, they have the players for it, including guard Kenny Boynton, who has put together a quietly remarkable season launching the basketball from range. But Florida's lack of defense leaves it vulnerable if the shooters go cold, and UVa will look to take advantage on the other end.

No. 7 Saint Mary's vs. No. 10 Purdue: Though the Boilermakers would never admit it, they may have breathed a sigh of relief when they saw their second-round tournament matchup. Don't get me wrong: Saint Mary's is for real, an excellent offensive team led by the peerless point guard play of veteran Matthew Dellavedova. But the Gaels don't have much of an interior presence, which is the one personnel area in which the Boilermakers -- who rely on the guard play of Lewis Jackson, Ryne Smith and outside-in forward Robbie Hummel -- are legitimately vulnerable. Expect a lot of fluid motion offense, a lot of outside shots and a close, hard-fought game in Omaha.

No. 5 Temple vs. No. 12 South Florida: More stylistic clash potential! Take three! The Owls -- for years a grind-it-out defensive team under coach Fran Dunphy -- have flipped the script in 2012, morphing into a high-flying offensive juggernaut led by guards Ramone Moore and Khalif Wyatt. South Florida, on the other hand, looks a bit like Temple used to ... but even uglier and slower and practically impossible to score against.

Upset alert:

No. 1 Michigan State vs. No. 16 LIU Brooklyn: Just kidding! All due respect to the Blackbirds, it ain't happening. (Just had to make sure you will still paying attention is all.)

No. 3 Georgetown vs. No. 14 Belmont: If America has a favorite sleeper candidate this season -- other than VCU and the now-lamented Long Beach State 49ers -- it is Rick Byrd's Belmont team. The Bruins were a sleeper favorite last season, too, but they caught a bad matchup in the second round in Wisconsin. They're back with much the same team this season, and laptops love them; Belmont ranks No. 9 in LRMC, No. 23 overall in the kenpom.com rankings and No. 35 overall in the BPI. But they've got another tough matchup in Georgetown, which plays a stifling, lanky zone defense that makes everything difficult for its opponents. But if Scott Saunders and Mick Hedgepeth can handle Georgetown center Henry Sims, the Bruins are more than capable of knocking off the Hoyas -- and sticking around for a while, too.

No. 2 Duke vs. No. 15 Lehigh: Do I think this will happen? No. Duke has too much on the perimeter to be shut down by this Lehigh bunch. But could it? Sure. The Blue Devils beat a lot of good teams this season, which helped them to a No. 2 seed, but by per-possession efficiency standards Duke is easily the weakest of the No. 2 seeds. Lehigh, on the other hand, is not your typical No. 15 seed, and it has a secret weapon -- guard C.J. McCollum, one of the nation's most underrated scorers, who at the very least will give Duke's occasionally suspect guard defenders something to think about for all 40 minutes.

No. 2 Kansas vs. No. 15 Detroit: Speaking of deceptive 15-seeds, Detroit might be the most talented 15-seed in the history of the tournament. That's because guard Ray McCallum Jr. -- son of coach Ray McCallum Sr. -- turned down a host of elite programs to play for his dad two years ago, while transfer forward Eli Holman, a former Indiana prospect, patrols the middle with more athleticism than you usually see from Horizon League forwards. Kansas should win this game but the Titans have talent and they'll definitely give it a go.

No. 11 NC State vs. No. 6 San Diego State: San Diego State has achieved in remarkable fashion this season, relative to its talent, but will the run come to an end Friday? There's reason to think so: NC State enters the tournament playing the best basketball of its season (it dispatched Virginia and nearly took down UNC in the ACC tournament last weekend), and the young Wolfpack will be eager to prove they are already ready for the bright lights.

Players to watch:

Doug McDermott, Creighton: You know the deal by now: McDermott is at once one of the nation's most productive and most efficient scorers, and his twin abilities to turn on both shoulders in the post or step outside and knock down the 3 makes him a lethal offensive option. But he'll have to be extra-good Friday, as Alabama's JaMychal Green is one of the few defenders in the country able to guard McDermott both inside and out.

Tu Holloway, Xavier: It wasn't pretty, but Xavier made it to the tournament. Now what? This team is still talented, particularly on the perimeter, and if Holloway and running mate Mark Lyons can summon some of what led them to clutch comeback wins over Vanderbilt and Purdue before their brawl with Cincinnati, they could be an interesting out in the West region.

J'Covan Brown, Texas: Brown is always scoring. The question is whether he's getting his points efficiently, and whether the Longhorns' offense is conducive to scores in the flow of the offense. If they are, they can hang with Cincinnati.

Andrew Nicholson, St. Bonaventure: In the Bonnies' A-10 title win over Xavier, Nicholson dropped 26 points, 14 rebounds and 8 -- yes, eight -- blocks. He's an NBA talent with the body to match. But will Nicholson be able to dominate the Seminoles' physical frontcourt? With Bernard James lined up across from him, this will the most difficult matchup Nicholson has seen all season.

Mike Scott, Virginia: If the Cavaliers are going to drop No. 7-seeded Florida in the second round Friday, they're going to have to get a massive effort from Scott, the dominant focal point of their slow, cautious offense. Scott has been hyper-efficient on the offensive end all season, but he could struggle against Florida forward Patric Young, one of the few big men in the nation with the athleticism and height to check Scott effectively. And if Scott doesn't score, UVa's chances are probably slim.

OMAHA, Neb. -- Here’s a quick rundown of what to look for in Friday’s afternoon games in Omaha.

No. 7 Saint Mary’s (27-5) vs. No. 10 Purdue (21-12), 7:27 ET

For Saint Mary’s coach Randy Bennett, Thursday’s shootaround at the CenturyLink Center was gratifying for two reasons. His Gaels are back in the national spotlight -- and Bennett caught a glimpse of a celebrity.

“He’s a legend,” Bennett said of Purdue’s Robbie Hummel. “I’ve heard about him for six years. I finally got to see him up close.”

Bennett was only halfway kidding.

Hummel, after all, has garnered national public sympathy after missing the past two NCAA tournaments because of knee injuries. The fifth-year senior -- who didn’t play at all last season after tearing his ACL on the first day of practice -- is hoping his return to the postseason isn’t short-lived.

“Sitting out the last two years ... it’s been frustrating,” said Hummel, who averages 16.3 points. “I think it’s made this time all the more special for me. I think we’re all excited to be here and we’re looking forward to tomorrow.”

The Boilermakers face a tough task in their first game.

Saint Mary’s became the first team in 11 years other than Gonzaga to win the West Coast Conference title outright. The Gaels, who reached the Sweet 16 in 2010, are led by point guard Matthew Dellavedova. The Cousy Award finalist is the school’s all-time assists leader. He averages 15.6 points.

Things appeared bleak for Saint Mary’s after a 14-point loss at Murray State in a BracketBusters game Feb. 18. But Bennett’s squad bounced back with four straight wins to end the season.

Saint Mary’s, which is comprised largely of Australian players, has won 25 or more games in each of the past five seasons. On Friday the Gaels will attempt to beat a Purdue squad that has won its past 13 games in the round of 64.

“They’ve got a lot of depth, a lot of talented guys,” Purdue coach Matt Painter said. “We’re going to have our hands full.”

Players to watch:

Robbie Hummel, Purdue -- The senior’s 16.3-point scoring average is a career high, and so are his 7.1 rebounds per game. He's averaging just 10.6 points in his past three contests.

Matthew Dellavedova, Saint Mary’s -- One of the more fundamentally sound point guards in the country averages 15.6 points and 6.4 assists.

Rob Jones, Saint Mary’s -- The senior forward is a bit undersized at 6-foot-6, but you’d hardly be able to tell by looking at the stat sheet. Jones averages 14.8 points and 10.7 rebounds.

No. 2 Kansas (27-6) vs. No. 15 Detroit (22-13), 9:57 p.m. ET

For all the thrills they’ve experienced in the regular season, the Kansas Jayhawks still have painful memories from their past two NCAA tournaments.

More than the defeats, it’s who the Jayhawks lost to that has been hard for Bill Self’s team to stomach.

Two years ago it was Northern Iowa. Last season, Virginia Commonwealth.

When Kansas drew No. 15 seed Detroit in the round of 64 in this year’s tournament, more than a few fans feared that another upset loss to a mid-major team could be in store.

“We didn’t come to play,” point guard Tyshawn Taylor said of the past two years. “We thought if we just showed up, we’d beat those teams.”

The Jayhawks probably don’t have that opinion of Detroit, which features a McDonald’s All-American in Ray McCallum Jr. and a pro-caliber center in Eli Holman, who began his career at Indiana.

The Titans, who earned an automatic bid by beating Valparaiso by 20 points on their home floor, may be the most talented No. 15 seed in the history of the tournament. Seven of their 13 losses came without Holman, who was suspended for the fall semester.

Holman will be one of the main players charged with defending Big 12 Player of the Year Thomas Robinson, who averages 17.9 points and 11.8 rebounds. He certainly sounded confident when asked about the matchup earlier in the week.

“Robinson?” Holman said. “I can handle Robinson. He has to handle me.”

Detroit head coach Ray McCallum -- the father of the star point guard -- said the last thing his players intended to do was disrespect Kansas.

“I think some of those comments have been exaggerated,” the coach said. “We’ve been a team that hasn’t bragged or boasted about anything. Some of the things in print, I scratch my head, like 'Where did that come from?'

“I don’t think [it’s] arrogance. We’ve got great respect for their team. We know they’re truly one of the best. We’re going to have to play our best game of the year to win.”

Players to Watch:

Thomas Robinson, Kansas -- The first-team All-American and Wooden Award candidate has gone from a nonstarter to one of the best players in America. The NCAA tournament will likely mark the final time he will be in a Kansas uniform, as he’s expected to enter the NBA draft.

Tyshawn Taylor, Kansas -- Not many point guards in the country were as good during the second half of the season as Taylor, who led the Jayhawks in scoring in Big 12 play. The senior is a fourth-year starter

Ray McCallum Jr., Detroit -- The son of the Titans’ head coach averages 15.6 points per game but shoots just 25 percent from beyond the arc. He chose Detroit over schools such as Kansas, Florida and UCLA.

PITTSBURGH -- The month of March can be like a great big tub of aloe, here to cure all that ails you, make you forget everything that went wrong in the regular season.

And surely a lot went wrong for Gonzaga this season, or at least by the Zags’ incredibly high standards.

For the first time since 1997, Gonzaga won neither the West Coast Conference regular-season nor tournament titles. Worse, the Zags ceded both to rival Saint Mary’s.

It was not an entirely illogical result, considering this is a Gonzaga team heavily dependent on freshmen at key spots, but a tough pill to swallow nevertheless.

Two weeks later, and suddenly those things seem like ancient history.

Gonzaga, the original mid-major gone big-time, rolled over home favorite West Virginia 77-54, putting together arguably its most complete game of the season.

“We played pretty well against BYU in the [WCC] tournament, too, but yeah, this might have been our best,’’ coach Mark Few said.

The Zags flew 2,000 miles to play this game, compared to the 75-mile bus ride the Mountaineers took from Morgantown.

Somehow West Virginia looked jet-lagged.

The Mountaineers were never in it, trailing by 18 at the break and then merely playing out the clock from there, handing coach Bob Huggins his worst loss in NCAA tournament play since West Virginia's 21-point defeat to Duke in the Final Four in 2010.

Gonzaga did what it wanted on offense, shooting at 56 percent from the floor, and locked down WVU on the other end. Never a good shooting team, the Mountaineers were positively dreadful Thursday, clanking to the tune of 32 percent from the floor and a woeful 3-of-17 from the arc.

“The truth of the matter is, this is really a microcosm of our season,’’ Huggins said. “This is the worst defensive team I’ve had in 30 years. We don’t get the help, we don’t get the loose balls, we don’t do the things we’ve done for years and years and years. A lot of it is because we’re so inept offensively. They get breakouts. We throw the ball around, throw the ball to them. That adds to it.’’

Robert Sacre came to Pittsburgh hoping he would finally get a taste of some Big East beefcake basketball. It never really happened. The Zags doubled Kevin Jones every time he touched the ball and Jones, who does a lot of his damage on the offensive glass, was fairly innocuous. He scored 13 but had just 4 rebounds and, more, only 2 offensive rebounds, as the Zags were able to match the Mountaineers’ effort on the glass, something Few had emphasized all week.

“I just want to go out with a bang,’’ Sacre said. “Coach always says, ‘Play like Rob, have a lot of energy, have passion, have fun.' That’s what I’m trying to do. That’s what the results are.’’

He’ll have another chance on Saturday, against either Ohio State or Loyola, and perhaps a little more of a soothing balm, too.

Well, it’s early, but that doesn’t mean we have to wait to make predictions. And in my opinion, you don’t waiver. You make statements and projections and you stand by them, regardless of what happens in the coming weeks. Hold me to the following bold predictions about the NCAA tournament:

1. No Big East team will reach the Final Four: Another big haul for the Big East. Nine of its teams will participate in this season’s edition of the NCAA tournament. But I don’t think the conference will send any teams to New Orleans. I think Syracuse, a team that’s vulnerable due to its challenges on the glass, has a tough path in the East with Ohio State and a pair of hot squads (Florida State and Vandy) standing in its way. Georgetown, Cincy and UConn could lose in the first round. Marquette has to get through Missouri. I just don’t see it. No Big East in the Big Easy.
2. [+] Enlarge
   Peter G. Aiken/US PresswireKim English and the Tigers could be one of two teams representing the Big 12 in New Orleans.
   The Big 12 will send two squads to New Orleans: Among the 2-seeds, Missouri has the easiest path to New Orleans. The Tigers’ speed and perimeter versatility will pose matchup problems for every team in the West Region, including No. 1 seed Michigan State. Kansas losing in the first round to Detroit? Nah. The Jayhawks will beat every team in the Midwest, including the Tar Heels if they face them in the Elite Eight.
3. Vanderbilt will reach the Final Four: I know it’s the sexy pick following its win over Kentucky in the SEC tournament title game. But the Commodores shouldn’t be judged by that victory. And they shouldn’t be dismissed because of premature exits in past years. They have veterans. And they’ve built momentum down the stretch, a la Connecticut a year ago. They’ve hit nearly 40 percent of their 3s this season. The East Region is stronger than it looks with teams such as Syracuse, Ohio State, Florida State and Wisconsin in the mix. But the Commodores can emerge with their senior leadership and shooting. Plus, they have the confidence that comes from beating Kentucky, a team that they challenged in two previous meetings, too.
4. Iona will win two games: I don’t agree with the Gaels’ inclusion. Washington and Drexel had stronger arguments. But just because many don’t believe they belong doesn’t mean that they won’t prove critics wrong. I think the Gaels, who own the No. 1 scoring offense in the country (83.3 ppg), are dangerous. To reach the third round in the West Region, the Gaels will have to get through BYU in Dayton and Marquette in Louisville. Mark it down. The Gaels are playing a pair of shaky defensive teams. They have three NBA-level talents in Scott Machado, Michael Glover and Lamont “Momo” Jones. As much I thought Iona didn’t have a case for a slot in the field of 68, I think the Gaels can show doubters that they’re worthy.
5. The Badgers will go home early: I’m picking Montana over Wisconsin in the 13/4 matchup in the East Region. Wisconsin’s offense has stalled multiple times in recent weeks. Even though the Badgers are capable of neutralizing any offense, they’ve had problems capitalizing due to their own inconsistent offense. Montana will be ready. The Grizzlies beat their Big Sky rivals Weber state by 19 points in the conference’s tournament title game, their 14^th consecutive victory. Plus, Will Cherry (16.0 ppg) can match Jordan Taylor. Grizzlies will advance.
6. Long Beach State is a Sweet 16 team: Numerous NCAA tournament teams have hungry veterans. But few upperclassmen have gone through the things that T.J. Robinson, Larry Anderson and Casper Ware have throughout their careers. The seniors missed the past two NCAA tournaments after losing in the conference tournament title game to UC Santa Barbara twice. But this season they earned the Big West’s automatic bid. If Anderson’s not ready (knee injury), then that will change Long Beach State’s March Madness potential. But even without Anderson, the league’s defensive player of the year, this is a talented team that’s played the top nonconference schedule in the country. The 49ers will not be intimidated. They’ll beat New Mexico and Louisville on their way to the Sweet 16.
7. [+] Enlarge
   AP Photo/Lenny IgnelziCreighton's Doug McDermott may meet up with former high school teammate Harrison Barnes of North Carolina.
   Michigan State will be the first No. 1 seed to fall: Call me crazy. But I think Memphis’ athleticism will create problems for the Spartans in the third round. I understand the “How will the Tigers guard Draymond Green?” question. But what about Will Barton and Joe Jackson? In the Big Ten, the Spartans didn’t play teams that possessed the raw athleticism that’s anchored Memphis’ roster. The Spartans will be tougher than the Tigers in this East Region matchup, but the latter has an element that Michigan State hasn’t faced since its season-opening to loss to North Carolina.
8. Doug McDermott will outplay Harrison Barnes on Sunday: I expect North Carolina and Creighton to advance and set up a Sunday matchup in the Midwest Region between former high school teammates Doug McDermott and Harrison Barnes, who earned two state titles together at Ames High School in Ames, Iowa. The Tar Heels will win the game, but McDermott will be the star. Both guys have talked about this potential matchup in the past. The McDermott vs. Barnes buildup will be immense. But McDermott will outperform his prep teammate in their first collegiate meeting, albeit in a loss.
9. The VCU/Wichita State winner is headed to the Sweet 16: It’s unfortunate that this game will eliminate a potent mid-major. Wichita State and VCU, a Final Four team last year, are two of the best in the country. I predict that the winner of this game will end up facing Kentucky in the Sweet 16. They’re both tough, physical defensive teams that will pressure Indiana in the round of 32. The Hoosiers have struggled outside of Bloomington. And whether they face the Shockers or the Rams, they’ll be in for a battle, one that I expect them to lose.
10. The West Coast Conference won’t win one game: BYU will lose to Iona. Saint Mary’s will go down against Purdue. West Virginia will beat Gonzaga. I thought the WCC would turn the corner this year with the way BYU, Saint Mary’s and Gonzaga fought for the WCC title. But all three have looked vulnerable in recent weeks. I just don’t think they’re going to advance. Plus, tough matchups for all three teams in their first games. Iona is very talented. The Boilermakers are tough, too. Kevin Jones will lead the Mountaineers to a win over the Bulldogs.

Matthew Dellavedova scored 22 points to lead Saint Mary's to a 78-74 victory against No. 24 Gonzaga on Monday night to claim its second West Coast Conference tournament title and automatic NCAA bid in three years.

1. Saint Mary’s loss to Murray State 10 days ago seemed to temporarily zap the buzz out of the Gaels. But they didn’t fret. They returned to winning and swept a road trip at Portland and San Francisco. The Gaels clinched their first conference title in 23 years and snapped Gonzaga's 11-straight WCC regular-season title run. You cannot underestimate what this title will do for the program’s perception on the West Coast. Saint Mary’s will still have to survive a likely matchup against Loyola Marymount in the the semifinals of the conference tournament before a showdown with either BYU or Gonzaga in the finals in Las Vegas.

2. One of the selection committee's most intriguing decisions will be where to seed Murray State. The Racers need two wins in the OVC tournament in Nashville later this week to finish the season with just one loss. They will likely have to beat Tennessee State, essentially on the road, for the automatic berth. Murray State should at least be considered for a protected seed and play in Nashville in the second and third round. Where they will be seeded is still to be determined.

3. One of the toughest potential tournament title games could be in Sioux Falls, S.D., where top seed Oral Roberts may have to face No. 2 South Dakota State in a final. It would be cool to see SDSU in the NCAA tournament, if for no other reason than to get fuller representation from the states. Aside from South Dakota, only Maine and Alaska (no Division I teams) have yet to send a school to the dance. Oh, and I’ve never hidden my fondness for the nickname and logo. For whatever reason, I love the Jackrabbits as a nickname. And this team is no fluke. Nate Wolters is a serious player who averages 21.2 points, five boards and 6.1 assists a game. SDSU crushed Washington in Seattle on Dec. 18 in its most impressive win of the season. The Jackrabbits also beat ORU at home by 15.

This Saturday was always going to be a bit more underwhelming than recent weeks, but boy, did it end well. Once it ended, that is. Creighton students rushed the court before the game was officially over. Their reverse storm, in which they calmly walked off the court, was one of the most surprisingly orderly things I've ever seen. Bravo, Bluejays fans. Bravo.

Read up on Long Beach State-Creighton, Michigan-Ohio State and the rest of Saturday night's action here. If you missed our afternoon recap, catch up now.

No. 19 Michigan 56, No. 6 Ohio State 51: Here's something I learned Saturday -- Michigan hasn't won a Big Ten title since 1986. As Dan Shulman said on the broadcast, that's kind of hard to believe. Here's something else we learned Saturday: The Wolverines have a legitimate chance to break that streak this season.

The race for the Big Ten title is officially a three-way affair. How did Michigan get there? By taking care of business at home. Saturday's win was the Wolverines' 16th consecutive victory in Ann Arbor. For much of the past 10 years, under Tommy Amaker and then John Beilein, Crisler was usually a cold, detached, almost lifeless place. On Saturday, it was rocking in Minute 1 and Minute 40 and constantly in between.

Of course, a home atmosphere is nice, but it doesn't mean much if your team can't play. And Michigan most certainly can play. Point guard Trey Burke continued his impressive freshman campaign against the Buckeyes, scoring 17 points -- including a flurry of much-needed late buckets, one of which he took straight at former grade-school teammate Jared Sullinger -- and dishing five dimes against the best perimeter defender in the country, Ohio State guard Aaron Craft. Tim Hardaway Jr. added efficient perimeter scoring, while forward Jordan Morgan scored 11 points and 11 rebounds against Sullinger. Those matchups -- point guard and forward -- should be Michigan's weaknesses, particularly against OSU. In this one, Burke and Morgan turned them into strengths.

That said, Michigan won the game on the defensive end, where it held the Buckeyes to .91 points per trip, and in some part it has the Buckeyes to thank. Shooting guard William Buford struggled yet again, going 3-of-12 and continuing his senior slump. Credit the Wolverines for forcing the Bucks into perimeter jump shots, but also blame Ohio State, which often settled for those jumpers without first attempting to get Sully into an iso situation on the low block. When Sullinger did touch the ball, the Buckeyes usually got a score. They figured this out eventually, which is what got them back into the game in the second half. But it was too little, too late. You wouldn't think you'd need to "figure out" that you should probably give the ball to Sullinger because, you know, he's really good.

Look, Ohio State remains a very good defensive team. After all, holding Michigan to 56 points on its own floor is no easy task. But the Buckeyes' offense, particularly its perimeter shooting (or lack thereof), looks like a serious liability. It lurched helplessly against Michigan State's defense last Saturday, and it played right into Michigan's hands tonight. As a result, OSU allowed its sworn rival to tie it in the league standings, a game behind MSU in the loss column. If the Buckeyes can't fix these problems, their March ceiling -- once as limitless as any team's in the country -- will suffer accordingly.

No. 14 Murray State 65, No. 16 Saint Mary's 51: How much fun is Murray, Ky., having right now? With a rare national audience and Dickie V in the house, the Racers played as well as they have all season, as their fans -- an intense, buoyant bunch -- gleefully soaked it all in. Judging by Vitale's rave reviews of the small burgh, I'd say Murray might be one of the best places in the country to spend this exact Saturday night. I kind of wish I was there. (My colleague Jason King is and had this to say about the game.)

In any case, the nation got a chance to see what this Murray State team was all about, and the timing couldn't have been better. After its loss to Tennessee State two weeks ago, the tone of the discussion around the Racers changed from "Whoa, this team could go undefeated!" to "Well, that was fun, but check out that at-large profile -- Murray State could miss the tournament!" I think we can put that debate to rest. The Racers might not be a national title contender, but with Isaiah Canaan leading the way (he had 23 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds, 1 steal, a 5-for-8 mark beyond the arc and at least two or three downright crossovers that made this viewer yelp in enjoyment), they are certainly one of the better mid-major teams in the country and one that can give plenty of outfits issues in the NCAA tournament. Sure, some of the wins were shaky, and sure, the Ohio Valley Conference is bad, but when you win your first 23 games, guess what? You're pretty good.

Saint Mary's was far less convincing. The Gaels' offense was hobbled by Matthew Dellavedova's rolled ankle and Rob Jones' early foul trouble, but those weren't the primary causes -- and the road atmosphere and tough Murray defense don't explain it all, either. In reality, the Gaels, who have lost three of their past four (all by double digits), are just flat-out struggling. Over the course of the WCC season, the Gaels have posted about 1.17 points per possession (adjusted), best in the league. In their three recent losses, Dellavedova & Co. have failed to exceed a point per trip. Much like Creighton, this team's defense isn't nearly good enough to get the job done when the offense struggles. Much like Creighton, if the Gaels don't throw points in at something near their usual rate, they're going to lose. It's really just that simple.

Creighton 81, Long Beach State 79: Speaking of fun, how much fun was this? The finish -- Antoine Young's brilliant left-handed, last-second game winner -- was merely the icing on the cake. The 40 minutes that preceded that shot were chock full of high-octane mid-major awesomeness. LBSU's Casper Ware, T.J. Robinson and Larry Anderson trading deep 3s and inside moves with Young and Doug McDermott? Yes, please.

We couldn't have predicted the ending, but we should have seen the entertainment value coming. These teams both excel most at one thing: scoring the basketball. That's what Creighton does. When the Bluejays don't put the ball in at a high rate, they lose, as they did in their recent three-game losing streak, culminating with a home blowout at the hands of Wichita State last weekend. The defense simply isn't good enough to save Creighton from an off night.

Fortunately, Creighton has Doug McDermott. McDermott has been great all season, though he's struggled of late, and it's no coincidence his team had lost three of its past four in that span. But on Saturday night, he was amazing. Not "amazing" in a "wow, this sesame chicken is amazing" sort of way; McDermott was actually, literally amazing. He scored 36 points on 14-of-20 shooting and added 11 rebounds, six of which on the offensive end. The most impressive came late in the second half, when McDermott flew to the hoop and somehow tipped in a wayward shot arcing halfway over his head. Once it was clear McDermott was on, LBSU coach Dan Monson ordered his charges to begin aggressively double-teaming the opposing coach's son. But McDermott's eager passing and ability to make plays without the ball in his hands -- see the aforementioned tip-in -- neutralized that strategy. He was just so good. And at the perfect time, too.

As entertaining as this game was, as memorably as McDermott performed, the good news for Long Beach is that a loss at Creighton hardly hurts its at-large profile. Chances are, this team will continue its blistering Big West pace and get to the NCAA tournament in academic, auto-bid fashion. But if something goes awry in the conference tournament, LBSU's crazy nonconference schedule -- the toughest in the country by, like, a lot -- should be more than worthy of the committee's respect. Whatever happens, we'll always have Saturday night in Omaha. What a game, man. What a game.

Other observations from the night that was:

• All season, Arkansas has been bad on the road (where it is still winless) but great in its own building (where it was undefeated). That trend ended emphatically against the Gators. Florida hung a 98-68 offensive blitz on the young, up-tempo Razorbacks, led by Erving Walker's career-high 31 points on 9-of-11 from the field, 5-of-6 from 3, and 8-of-8 from the free throw line. Walker has been criticized this season, and rightfully so; his insistence on forcing bad shots in bad situations (at Kentucky, for example) is maddening. But you can't really play much better than he did Saturday night. Insane line.
• Harvard's vaunted defense handled rival Yale with relative ease, which immediately brings to mind images of old men in smoking jackets, teasing each other over cigars and snifters of cognac. (This is how I see Harvard-Yale. I know it's silly, but I can't help it.) This creates a rather compelling finish to the conference season: Harvard, the long-dormant program with sudden title expectations, will face traditional league powers Penn and Princeton at home this week. If the Crimson win, they'll sew up at least a share of the Ivy title, maybe more. There's something slightly poetic about that.
• Huge win for Xavier, which held on to its slim margin in the final seconds of overtime to beat Dayton, 86-83. The Musketeers have been flagging badly along the bubble cut line lately and they desperately needed a home win tonight to stay viable. Oh, and here's a fun fact (unless you're a Dayton fan): This loss made it 27 straight for the Flyers at rival Xavier. Dayton hasn't won there since -- get this -- 1981. Yikes.
• Speaking of fun facts, after an 18-point effort in a 64-53 win over Minnesota, Northwestern forward John Shurna became the Wildcats' all-time leading scorer, toppling Billy McKinney's 35-year hold on the honor. That's all well and good, but Shurna is no doubt more focused on the here and now, where the Wildcats couldn't afford to drop this game and still hope to land an at-large NCAA tournament bid, at least if the bracket was selected tomorrow. The victory keeps Northwestern very much alive. Minnesota's chances, unfortunately, will suffer in proportion.
• When it rains, it -- well, you know. The cliche certainly applies to Villanova, which is struggling through an uncharacteristically bad season but had, even without Maalik Wayns (knee) and James Bell (ankle), a 20-point lead in this game. Notre Dame came back and won in overtime and, well, yeah: That's a tough way to lose. Villanova could surely have used some brief flash of sunlight in an otherwise dark year. It was so, so close Saturday. And then it wasn't. Brutal. Notre Dame, meanwhile, won its eighth game in a row. The Irish don't always look pretty, but they get the job done.
• Southern Miss lost at Houston. Yep. That happened. It's bad news for Larry Eustachy's team, of course -- it puts a definite dent into the Golden Eagles' otherwise stellar tourney résumé, which features gaudy RPI and SOS numbers -- but also bad news for Conference USA, which would no doubt prefer to be a multi-bid league this season. Speaking of which, Memphis took its own awful loss today, too, 60-58 at home to UTEP. Yes, Memphis lost to UTEP at home. The Tigers had been quietly working their way through C-USA play with relative ease, but the offensive inconsistency that plagued them in their nonconference slate crept back in against the Miners, and that doesn't bode well for the coming tournament. Mild C-USA intrigue abounds!
• Speaking of bad losses by Mississippi teams, what is going on at Mississippi State? The Bulldogs were listless at Auburn -- Auburn! -- in a 65-55 loss, MSU's third in a row in a season that is stunningly spiraling in the direction of the bubble. The Bulldogs are just 6-6 in the SEC and have games against Kentucky and at Alabama this week. Uh-oh.
• And speaking of uh-oh and three-game losing streaks, Gonzaga lost in the closing seconds at San Francisco -- the third consecutive year it's lost to the Dons on the road. The Zags shot 51 percent and yet still lost, falling into a tie with BYU for second in the WCC, one game behind 12-2 Saint Mary's.
• Colorado State held on for a rather ugly win over Wyoming. This was a definite bubble elimination game, one Wyoming couldn't afford to drop if it wanted to preserve any chance of at-large consideration. The victory won't put CSU in the field by any means, but it keeps the Rams alive, if only barely.
• Watching Georgetown, it's hard not to be impressed with the Hoyas' pinpoint Princeton offense. But this team's real strength is its defense. We saw that again Saturday, as Georgetown held Providence to 25 percent shooting at the Dunk, a win that pushed Georgetown to 10-4 in the Big East and should quell any lingering concerns its fans may have had about another late-season collapse. That's not happening.

MURRAY, Ky. -- Sweat beads still dotted Isaiah Canaan’s forehead Saturday when someone asked the nation’s best point guard a simple question: What message did Murray State send to the rest of the country by whipping 16th-ranked Saint Mary’s on national television?

Canaan smirked.

Message? To him, the Racers’ 65-51 victory was more like a warning.

“Watch out,” Canaan said. “Whether it’s Duke or North Carolina or whoever, we’re going to compete.”

Not far away, in the CFSB Center stands, a gaggle of fans shouted for Canaan and began a “Final Four!” chant. No one rolled their eyes. Just three weeks before Selection Sunday, maybe it’s time to begin thinking of the No. 14 Racers in that vein.

Murray State in New Orleans sounds cuckoo, right? Well, so did the thought of Butler and VCU in last year’s Final Four, but both of those squads made it -- and neither had a player as good as Canaan, a first-team All-America candidate who entered Saturday’s game averaging 19.2 points.

At 26-1, the Racers have the best record in the country. Everyone knows who to thank.

“Isaiah is a game-changer,” Texas A&M coach Billy Kennedy said. “All of their players are good, but he’s different. He gives them the chance to do something special.”

Kennedy would know. Prior to taking over in College Station in May, Kennedy spent five seasons at Murray State and helped convince Canaan to become a Racer. Not that he had much competition.

A native of Biloxi, Miss., Canaan wasn’t heavily recruited by the big programs in his home state. Ole Miss had Chris Warren, Dee Bost was beginning to blossom at Mississippi State and Angelo Johnson had just transferred from USC to Southern Miss.

“A lot of people slept on me,” Canaan said. “That fueled my fire.”

Of course, most schools might not have known about Canaan anyway, considering he played off the ball for his AAU team, which featured future Arkansas point guard Julysses Nobles. His chances to shine as a 17- and 18-year-old were few.

Still, when Kennedy saw Canaan play in a high school all-star game, he was sold.

“That’s the guy we want,” he said to assistant Steve Prohm, who is now Murray State’s head coach. “That’s the guy we need.”

Canaan chose the Racers over Arkansas State and Tulane, but his rise to stardom didn’t exactly occur at warp speed. He spent his first two seasons coming off the bench in place of starters B.J. Jenkins and Isaac Miles. Kennedy said it was clear that Canaan was the Racers’ most talented player, but he wanted him to become their hardest worker, too.

“A lot of guys at that level want [success] to happen right away,” Kennedy said during a phone interview after Saturday’s game. “People were in his ear saying, ‘Why aren’t you starting?’ or ‘Why don’t you transfer?’ But he chose to stick it out. He paid his dues.

“Everything that’s happening for him now, he’s earned it.”

Most teams that catch fire in March do so because of a star, a player who can take over and win a game by himself when others begin to flounder. Connecticut rode Kemba Walker to 11 consecutive victories and an NCAA title last season. Butler’s unlikely run to the 2010 national championship game happened largely because of eventual first-round draft pick Gordon Hayward.

Canaan has the potential to do the same kind of thing for Murray State. Saint Mary’s learned that firsthand on Saturday, when Canaan blew open a semi-close game by scoring 17 of his 23 points in the second half. One minute he was swishing 3-pointers from 4 feet beyond the arc, the next he was throwing half-court alley-oop passes to a teammate for a dunk.

In a relatively weak year for point guards, Canaan has arguably been the nation’s best at his position. The only question about his future as a pro is his height. Canaan is listed at 6-foot but is probably an inch or two shorter.

Not that it’s mattered this season.

“He wanted to give me the ball one time,” forward Ed Daniel said, “but I told him, ‘No, you go ahead. You’ve been doing your thing. Keep going.’”

Indeed, the more confidence the Racers develop in Canaan, the more dangerous they become.

“They’re a special team,” Saint Mary’s coach Randy Bennett said.

Murray State fans have known that all season. After Saturday’s national broadcast -- Dick Vitale was on hand to call the game for ESPN -- the rest of the country does, too.

“We’ve got a lot of basketball still to play,” said Prohm, clutching the microphone as he stood at midcourt and addressed the sellout crowd. “But I think we showed the national audience today how good we can be.”

Moments later, to commemorate the Ohio Valley Conference title they won earlier in the week, each Racer climbed atop a ladder and took a celebratory snip of the CFSB net. No player received a louder ovation than Canaan.

“All the teams that slept on me, I’m sure they’re regretting it,” Canaan said. “But I’ve never regretted for a day coming here. They’ve accepted me like this was my home away from home. I’m trying to give back the best way I can.”

Canaan approached a group of young kids who had been waiting patiently for his autograph. Before he began to sign, Canaan draped the net around his neck, clearly proud of his first championship of the season.

And maybe, just maybe, not his last.

MURRAY, Ky. -- A few quick thoughts from No. 14 Murray State's 65-51 victory over No. 16 Saint Mary's at a rocking CFSB Center:

Overview: In the marquee matchup of BracketBusters -- just the fourth ever involving two ranked teams -- Murray State cruised past Saint Mary's, as the Racers led by nine at the half and kept the lead in double digits for most of the second half. The Racers improved to 26-1 on the season and certainly solidified -- if not all-out clinched -- their at-large chances in case they don't win the Ohio Valley tournament.

Saint Mary's, meanwhile, was once considered a tourney lock at 22-2 but has now lost three of its past four and has not looked good doing so, losing all three games by double figures. Not having Stephen Holt for this one and Matthew Dellavedova at less than 100 percent didn't help today, but clearly the Gaels are faltering at the wrong time of the season.

Star of the night: No surprise here. Isaiah Canaan has been a star all season and he was again Saturday, delivering 23 points (17 in the second half) on 9-of-13 shooting and hitting 5 of 8 from long range. He also dished out 4 assists.

Key stats: The Racers shot 53 percent from 3 (9-of-17), while the Gaels countered at just 14 percent (2-of-14). That 21-point difference in a 14-point game was certainly huge. So was Murray's plus-8 advantage on the boards and its 20 points off turnovers. Another key: holding SMC star Rob Jones to 4 points (2-of-8 FG) and 3 rebounds. He came in averaging 15.3 points and 10.8 boards.

What's next: Murray State will look to avenge its only loss of the season when it travels to Tennessee State on Thursday, while Saint Mary's seeks to get back on track on that same night with a road game at struggling Portland.

When and where: Saturday (ESPN, 6 p.m. ET), CFSB Center (Murray, Ky.)

Saint Mary’s breakdown: The Gaels are coming off their first home loss of the season, to Loyola Marymount, perhaps the most athletic team in the West Coast Conference and finally healthy. Randy Bennett’s team has had a terrific season, but has lost two of its past three games (at Gonzaga and at home to LMU).

Saint Mary’s is a very skilled team that lacks size but has players who can spread the floor and a “big guy” in Rob Jones who plays inside and out, and plays much bigger than he is listed. Bennett has several very efficient players, including Jones, Matthew Dellavedova and the ultra-efficient Clint Steindl. But this team will definitely miss defensive ace Stephen Holt, who was injured against LMU and did not make the trip to Kentucky after a partial tear to his MCL. Holt is one of the most complete players in the WCC and the West Coast, and is a terrific player. That's a big loss.

But Dellavedova is dynamic off the bounce and in transition and is in attack mode all the time. Steindl is an excellent perimeter shooter who does not make mistakes. The Gaels play a bend-but-don’t-break style of defense, and do not force a lot of turnovers.

But they do not give up extra possessions via turnovers or offensive rebounds, either. It is unusual to play ahead of the Saint Mary’s defense. This is not a super-athletic team or a big team, and it is not a team that shoots a ton of 3s. But it is a team that moves the ball, cuts hard, drives it, and plays with tremendous heart and a great understanding of how to play. I love watching Saint Mary’s play, and it would be a great bunch of guys to play ball with.

Murray State breakdown: The Racers are very well-coached, and have really good guards and solid interior players who play really hard and well together. Murray State ripped off 23 straight wins, and although this team did not play a Big Ten schedule, it did not have a letdown or slip and fall, either. Wins against Southern Miss, Dayton and Memphis prove this team is legit and should be taken seriously.

The backcourt with Isaiah Canaan and Donte Poole can compete with any backcourt in the country. Both can give you 30 points in a game, and both are hard to contain in transition and off ball screens.

Canaan is the best player, but Poole (a product of Las Vegas) often steps forward and has big games when Canaan is not dominating. Inside, Ed Daniel and Ivan Aska do a good job, and Jewuan Long is the heart and soul of the team.

Murray State has a lot of positives, but the weaknesses are pretty glaring at times. The Racers can be, and often are, loose with the ball. They cough it up far too often. Murray State turns the ball over almost 21 percent of the time, and that is in the bottom half of Division I.

In addition, Murray State has solid “first-shot defense,” but allows far too many second shots, and those high-percentage second opportunities put the Racers at a disadvantage.

Gaels’ game-breakers: Dellavedova and Jones. Dellavedova does not look like a point guard, but he knows how to play, and plays like a man. He averages 15.5 points and 6.4 assists, and with his attack mentality, leads the team in free throw attempts.

Once he gets to the line, Dellavedova is automatic. He will be a tough matchup because he is strong and knows how to use his body. Jones started his career at San Diego in the West Coast Conference, and is one of the most versatile big men in the country. Jones has hit 31 3-point field goals, and is an outstanding rebounder.

He averages 15 points and more than 10 rebounds per game, including more than three offensive rebounds per game. Jones will be a difficult cover for Murray State.

Racers’ game-breakers: Canaan and Poole. Canaan is dynamic enough to take over a game, and has scored more than 25 points in a half. He can hit from deep, use ball screens and can pull up and hit from mid-range as well.

Canaan has hit 79 3-point shots, but has also shot 152 free throws, which makes him very dangerous and hard to guard. He averages 19 points and almost 4 assists per game, leading the team in both categories. Poole is also an excellent 3-point shooter, hitting 53 of 135, while also getting to the free throw line 119 times.

Poole leads the Racers in steals with just more than two per game. To beat Murray State, Saint Mary’s has to keep Canaan and Poole from going off.

Gaels’ X factor: Steindl. The long-armed shooter has hit 45 3-point field goals, which accounts for more than 85 percent of his field goals. Murray State cannot leave Steindl, and must find him in transition and force him to put the ball on the deck. If Steindl is allowed to shoot from the same spot where he catches it, he will knock down shots left and right.

Racers’ X factor: Aska. He has all the skills to be a major factor, including the ability to score around the rim. Most importantly, Aska is tough. He averages 12 points and 6 rebounds per game, and he makes his free throws.

Key stat: Rebounding and turnovers. Murray State is turnover-prone and Saint Mary’s does a really good job of taking care of the ball. The Racers surrender too many offensive rebounds and Jones is an outstanding offensive rebounder. Murray State has to take good care of the ball and must finish defensive possessions with big defensive rebounds.

Did you know? Mark Gottfried and Mick Cronin both coached at Murray State. And Saint Mary’s played in the 1939 Cotton Bowl, beating Texas Tech. I’ll take obscure BracketBusters trivia for $200, Alex.

Can’t account for this: It may seem odd to name a broadcaster as a “key to the game,” but Dick Vitale is doing this game. Murray State is already publicizing Vitale’s appearance as an event, and the atmosphere will be different than any Murray State has ever had. Add in that it is Senior Day and you could have an emotional overload. Will the hoopla and distractions work in Murray State’s favor? Or will they wear out the Racers, who are not used to having this kind of circus in town? No matter what, it will be fun and memorable for everyone involved. But it is always more fun when you play well and win.

Who wins: I think Murray State will pull this one out at home 72-70. And it will seal the deal for an at-large bid.

And Then There Were None

Murray State becomes the last Division I men’s team to lose, falling to Tennessee State, 72-68. Murray State led by as much as 13 in the second half, but allowed Tennessee State to outscore them 37-20 in the final 14:45.

Not only is it the first loss for Murray State, it’s the first career loss for Racers head coach Steve Prohm.

Although Murray State just lost for the first time this season, should the Racers be concerned about not even making the Men’s Basketball Championship?

Murray State has five regular season games remaining, including next Saturday at home against No. 13 Saint Mary's. If the Racers lose two of those five games, lose in the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament and don't get an at-large bid, the Racers would wind up on this list.

Gonzaga hands No. 13 Saint Mary’s its first loss since December
Kevin Pangos scored 27 points (5-of-6 from 3-point range) and Elias Harris contributes 10 points and 10 rebounds as Gonzaga hands Saint Mary's its first WCC loss of the season and snaps its 12-game winning streak. The Bulldogs have beaten the Gaels in three of their past four meetings and three straight times when Saint Mary's has been ranked. Gonzaga has defeated Saint Mary's in 15 of its last 16 meetings in Spokane.

Mississippi State avoids being swept by Ole Miss for first time since 1998
Arnett Moultrie had 18 points and nine rebounds to lead the Bulldogs. Dee Bost added 15 points and a career-high 13 assists. Mississippi State has won 13 straight home games and avoids being swept by its rival, something that hasn't been done since 1998. Mississippi State is 13-1 at home against Ole Miss under Rick Stansbury. Reginald Buckner had 15 points and 9 rebounds for the Rebels, who have lost three of their four games against ranked opponents this season.

Scott Wood misses a FT
In North Carolina State’s 61-52 win over Georgia Tech, Scott Wood had his streak of consecutive free throws made end at 66. The 66 straight made free throws is the fourth-longest streak in Division I history.

Vanderbilt hosts GameDay and Kentucky
This will be the 179th meeting between these SEC rivals, with Kentucky leading the all-time series 135-43. The 135 wins against Vanderbilt are the second-most for Kentucky against any one opponent (Tennessee, 148).

The Wildcats have opened SEC play winning their first 10 games for the first time since the 2004-05 season. The past three times Kentucky started 10-0 in the SEC, the Wildcats reached at least the Elite 8 in the each time, including winning the national championship in 1996.

For Vanderbilt, the Commodores will look to earn their eighth win and seventh home win against the AP No. 1-ranked team.

If the Commodores pull the upset, they’ll move into a tie for the fourth-most wins all-time against the No. 1-ranked team, along with being tied for the most home wins all-time against the No. 1-ranked team. In fact, the past four times Vanderbilt hosted the No. 1-ranked team, the Commodores won the game.

The Morning After is our semi-daily recap of last night's best basketball action. It is glad to be back in the blogging saddle after this week's trip to ESPNU's The Experts, not to mention an insane stopover in Chapel Hill, but it feels like it hasn't slept in weeks.

Gonzaga 73, No. 13 Saint Mary's 59: The last time Gonzaga faced their chief WCC rival, a team over which they've held a decade-long advantage, Saint Mary's -- like creepy Kevin Spacey/John Doe -- had the upper hand. The Gaels went off, shooting 30-of-59 from the field, scoring 1.3 points per trip, and looked like not only the best team in the WCC but one of the most fluid and entertaining offenses in the country. Since then, Randy Bennett's team had rolled along, slapping the rest of their WCC opposition aside with preternatural ease. Frankly, the Gaels' West Coast Conference dominance most closely resembled, well, Gonzaga.

Gonzaga has lorded over the WCC for the past 10 years with relative impunity, winning the regular-season conference title in every year and splitting it only twice, most recently with Saint Mary's last season. More often than not, Saint Mary's was the little brother, a plucky, solidly improving program never quite good enough to unseat Mark Few's winning machine. When Saint Mary's unloaded on Gonzaga in the first meeting and followed it up with win after win on their way to an 11-0 WCC start, there was a feeling that this rivalry had taken a definitive turn. Finally, unquestionably, Saint Mary's would pin its hated rival to the mat.

It must have been a sigh of relief for Gonzaga fans -- so used for so long to having their way in league play -- to see their team right the ship and reclaim some intra-rivalry superiority Thursday night. The Zags played one of their best games of the season in this win, scoring 1.2 point per possession and holding Saint Mary's to just .97 ppp on the defensive end. As good as Gonzaga was on offense, they were even better on defense, stifling Matthew Dellavadova and Rob Jones's apparently unstifleable (new word!) perimeter attack. Kevin Pangos (27 points, 8-of-16 from the field, 5-of-6 from 3) led the second-half run that sealed the game, as a raucous Kennel crowd enjoyed every last bucket.

As far as the conference standings go, Saint Mary's is still on top. Gonzaga's two losses still keep them just out of arm's reach from the Gaels, who should by all rights finish their final four WCC games (vs. Santa Clara and Loyola Marymount, at Portland and San Fransisco) with four wins. At the end of the day, that's the victory the Gaels are after: Their first outright WCC title in a decade. Said another way, you better believe Saint Mary's would absolutely love to put Gonzaga in second place -- no split titles, no ties -- for the first time in forever. But Gonzaga is now in striking distance. Saint Mary's is now vulnerable. A bad loss here, a mistake or two there, and the Bennett-led coronation could come to a screeching halt. It's go time.

In any case, this rivalry, which has become one of the best and most underrated in college basketball in recent seasons, is now more equitable than ever. Are there enough bragging rights to go around?

No. 23 Indiana 84, Illinois 71: Don't look now, but Indiana is finishing games. That's bad news for their remaining Big Ten foes, many of whom may not be as talented as the Hoosiers, but could at least count on the occasional late-game meltdown, like Minnesota's win at Assembly Hall or Indiana's 11-point come-from-ahead loss at Nebraska. But in their past two games, the Hoosiers have played good but inferior Big Ten foes (the other being Purdue Saturday) even for much of the game just before turning it on in the second half, stretching leads and cruising to victory in convincing fashion. That may be a sign of maturity, or more well-rounded play. Whatever it is, it's a good sign.

Coverage links of note: Myron popped in to see Wisconsin's Jordan Taylor win his first game at the Barn in his last chance as a senior; his story of Taylor's final victory is here. Meanwhile, Andy checked in on Murray State after the Racers lost their first game of the season -- hey, it had to happen eventually -- at home to Tennessee State. It will be interesting to see what the polls do with the Racers Monday. That's been a fascinating subplot all season, but now it gets especially tricky. Will voters respect the body of work? Or will they judge a home loss to a team ranked No. 190 in Pomeroy's rankings (subscription required) more harshly than most? Is the suspense killing you? No? Pshh. Killjoy.

Everywhere else: "Mississippi State has little trouble with Ole Miss" was the AP's headline for the Bulldogs' 80-70 win over the Rebels, and that just about sums it up. ... It wasn't pretty, but NC State got a win at Georgia Tech, which shot 1-of-17 from 3 and may just find itself in the Bottom 10 later today (hint, hint). At this point in the season, for a team with a cautiously optimistic NCAA tourney outlook, the Wolfpack essentially got a must-win ... Northwestern handled business versus Iowa. ... Miami handled business versus Virginia Tech. ... And in the strange-as-ever Pac-12, streaking Washington was dominated at Oregon, Arizona handed Colorado yet another disconcerting road loss, Cal rolled at USC, and Washington State won a road game at Oregon State. You tell me. I have no idea.

Led by 27 points from Kevin Pangos, Gonzaga scored a 73-59 upset victory over No. 13 Saint Mary's.