ESPN Men's Basketball

Mike Moser. Khem Birch. Anthony Bennett.

In last week's SportsNation chat, a UNLV fan asked me if that was the best frontcourt in the country. It didn't technically exist yet -- Bennett had yet to announce his intentions to attend UNLV, a move he announced Saturday -- but that didn't stop the Rebels fan from projecting his hopes on the team. And really, can you blame him?

Moser is a future NBA small forward whose length and versatility make him an intuitive defender and rebounder, one whose offensive game is only going to be more polished in his junior season. Birch was ranked No. 1 by ESPNU recruiting at the center position in the class of 2011, before he enrolled and later transferred away from a struggling Pittsburgh team. Bennett, meanwhile, was the top remaining unsigned player in the class of 2012 before Saturday, the No. 7-ranked player overall, whom scouts love for his combination of size (he's 6-foot-8, 230 pounds), athleticism and ability to step away from the rim and score on the perimeter. Bennett still needs to improve his low-post game, but by all accounts he's the kind of talent that can step into the college game and flourish immediately.

UNLV coach Dave Rice's system should make that transition even easier. Last season, his first in charge of the program, Rice sought to put to "Runnin'" back in "Runnin' Rebels," and by and large he succeeded. UNLV averaged 70.0 possessions per game (adjusted, via Ken Pomeroy), making them the 29th-fastest team in the country in 2011-12. Last season, Rice's uptempo style was complemented by a flurry of capable guards and outside shooters -- Anthony Marshall, Oscar Bellfield, Chace Stanback, Justin Hawkins. Bellfield and Stanback are gone, but Marshall and Hawkins return, and the idea of both players leading fast breaks with Moser, Bennett and Birch filling the wings and the paint -- well, yeah, the term "scary good" feels entirely appropriate.

There are some reservations to be had. Among them is Birch. The highly touted center spent exactly one preseason and 10 games at Pitt before deciding he wasn't the right fit. That would be all well and good -- bad fits happen all the time -- had Birch stuck it out longer or, say, not ripped his teammates on the radio after his departure for being selfish and "threatened" by him. Will Birch fit with Moser and Bennett, two other top talents sure to demand their fair share of offensive touches? This is where Rice's system helps again: Birch wants to play uptempo, too.

Either way, when that -- will our super-talented center get along with our super-talented forwards? -- is the biggest question concerning your upcoming season, you're in awfully good shape. Arizona and UCLA have their sights set on the always-nebulous "best team in the West" title. There may be better frontcourts in the country. (Kentucky's immediately comes to mind.) But UNLV is right there in both cases, stocked with pro-level talent at the three, four and five positions. Are there five teams in the country who can say as much?

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The NCAA tournament had its epic near-miss earlier Thursday when 16-seed UNC Asheville couldn’t close out Syracuse.

The controversy about the officiating contributed to it being the most discussed game of the day.

VCU became a storyline yet again with a final-possessions win over Wichita State, remaining relevant for a second year in a row.

There were plenty of impressive performances, notably Gonzaga’s pummeling of West Virginia in Pittsburgh. But for the most part the chalk held.

Except at the end of the night.

The Pac-12 has been rightfully beaten down throughout the season. Washington, the regular-season champ, didn’t even get a bid. Cal didn’t put up much of a fight against a middling South Florida in a First Four game in Dayton, Ohio, adding even more insult to the league’s off-year.

But if an underdog or Cinderella can still come from a BCS league (in football terminology), then Colorado fits the description.

This simply shouldn’t be happening. But it is.

The Buffs, picked to finish 11th in the league to start the season, won the Pac-12 tournament with four wins in four days and have moved into the third round of the NCAAs after holding on to beat No. 6 seed UNLV 68-60 Thursday night at the Pit.

Maybe even more surprising than the score and the Buffs moving on is how much they have become a hoops haven.

The Colorado crowd was by far the most boisterous of any of the eight teams in attendance. The raw euphoria from fans young and old had the security at the Pit sprinting out in anticipation that Buffs backers might actually storm the court. A number of fans, who were a part of an impressive CU contingent of about 2,500, had started to move down to the lower level, gathering right above the band in what looked like a precursor to a storm.

But this is the NCAA tournament, where storming is as forbidden as taking a Coke can onto the floor without an approved plastic cup cover.

“I feel like our guys are playing well, playing with a lot of confidence and we’re just going to try to keep it rolling,’’ said Colorado’s Andre Roberson. “I just feel like we can take down Baylor coming up.’’

Umm, what?

Baylor is by far the most athletic, longest, deepest and talented team Colorado will have faced all season. No one in the Pac-12 would have come close.

But why would Colorado feel like anything is impossible? The Buffs actually used Connecticut’s five-games-in-five-days Big East tournament title run of a year ago as motivation prior to the Pac-12 tournament.

Victories over Utah, Oregon, Cal and Arizona just continued the improbable roll.

UNLV was next, and while the Runnin’ Rebels had moments of confusion at times in the final month of the season, they surely would outrebound and run past CU, right?

Not quite. CU outrebounded the Rebels by 13.

“I did think that they played with a greater sense of urgency than we did,’’ said UNLV coach Dave Rice.

The rarity of Colorado in this position was quickly pointed out by the CU administration on a postgame release. The Buffs had never won five games in a row March. That’s never — as in has never happened. The last time the Buffs won a game in the NCAA tournament, Chauncey Billups was the point guard and it was 1997.

“I don’t think I was born yet,’’ said Roberson. “No, I know I was. I don’t know.’’

“I was 3,’’ CU’s Askia Booker said. “I was 3.’’

The Buffs have a collection of gritty guys who would pale in comparison to Baylor’s length — and yet to dismiss them would be a major error in judgment. Roberson and Spencer Dinwiddie can block shots with the Baylor bigs Quincy Acy and Perry Jones III. Shooters like Austin Dufault, Carlon Brown and Booker can all match Brady Heslip on 3s. And the Buffs can actually win despite making turnovers (23 Thursday).

“We believe in ourselves,’’ Roberson said. “We believe in everything coach [Tad] Boyle tells us. We execute our game plan. We try to do our best. Defense and rebounding, that’s our motto. Every time we do that, we win games.’’

Boyle had the Buffs on the doorstep of the NCAA tournament last year in the final year of the Big 12. It was Boyle’s first season with Colorado. And then the team lost its two best players in Alec Burks and Cory Higgins.

Now, five games into this postseason, Boyle’s record is a combined 10-2 in playoff basketball at CU after a 3-1 NIT record a year ago.

“I don’t see why it can’t continue,’’ Boyle said. “It’s going to get harder as we go, we know that. But I believe in this team. They believe in themselves, and as long as you do that this time of year, you’ve got a shot.’’

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- Quick thoughts on 11th-seeded Colorado's 68-64 victory over No. 6 seed UNLV:

Overview: Colorado carried the momentum of its four-game run to the Pac-12 tournament title into a convincing second-round NCAA win over UNLV at the Pit. This wasn’t close. Colorado looked like it was the champ of a major league from the opening tip against a team that ended up behind New Mexico and San Diego State in the Mountain West. The confidence with which the Buffaloes played, from making 3s to contesting shots to rebounding, was unmatched at times by the Runnin’ Rebels. This scrappy bunch of Buffs was playing with house money. Colorado coach Tad Boyle said Wednesday that the pressure was all off the Buffs. He was right. They played as loose as any of the eight teams in the field here at the Pit. But they are still the Buffaloes and couldn’t close. UNLV made quite a run to get it within one possession, but then Colorado showed poise, created turnovers and converted free throws.

Turning point: UNLV had cut the deficit to three, and the Runnin’ Rebels were on the verge of making it a one-point game. But a quick turn of events occurred when Andre Roberson blocked a shot and it led to a runout for Carlon Brown, who flushed home a jam. That gave the Buffs a 60-55 lead and a chance to breath. The Runnin’ Rebels would cut the lead to three one more time at 67-64 with 8 seconds left on a rainbow 3-pointer by Chace Stanback.

Key player: There were a lot of choices here, but a pair of back-to-back 3s by Austin Dufault early in the second half were decisive. They helped send a strong message that the Buffs weren’t going to back down. Dufault ended up with 14 points. He was an efficient 3-of-4 on 3s. But his bang-bang triples were crucial to creating some distance between the two teams after the break.

Key stat: Rebounding. The Runnin’ Rebels went into the game as the more aggressive rebounding team. It shouldn’t have been close. And it wasn’t. The Buffaloes dominated the backboard. Colorado outrebounded UNLV 43-30. UNLV couldn't get second shots on a consistent enough basis to take the lead.

Miscellaneous: Colorado gets major props for its fan contingent. The Buffs brought their A-game. I remember going to a few CU games in Boulder in the '90s, and it was never this loud. The enthusiasm for this team has certainly resonated. ... NCAA president Mark Emmert didn’t last the whole second game. I’m sure he was off to another site for Friday. ... Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott was behind the Colorado bench and so was interim Big 12 commissioner Chuck Neinas. Neinas lives in Colorado, and the Buffs used to be in the Big 12/Big Eight. ... The Buffs had the karma going the moment they stepped on the Pit floor. Assistant coach Tom Abatemarco was an assistant on the 1983 NC State team that won the epic title game in this building.

What’s next: Colorado will play Baylor on Saturday in what would appear to be a mismatch. The Buffs don’t have the interior length to match the third-seeded Bears. But why would anyone doubt the Buffs' ability to make this a game and pull off the upset? This will easily be the toughest game for the Buffs since this run started.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- Here's a look at the evening action at New Mexico's famed Pit:

No. 6 UNLV (26-8) vs. No. 11 Colorado (23-11), 9:57 p.m. ET

The beauty of any playoff structure is that momentum can carry a team to a title.

The best teams don't always match up in a championship. Who's hot, at the right time, can ultimately be the difference.

Connecticut wasn't the best team a year ago. The Huskies had one of the top players and certainly were one of the hottest teams after winning the Big East tournament with a run of five wins in five days.

Momentum is on the side of Vanderbilt and Florida State, two teams that weren't supposed to win their respective conferences in the SEC and ACC.

But no power six conference had more of a stunner in the conference tournament than the Pac-12. Colorado had been a nice home team this season, but the Buffaloes couldn't match that productivity on the road. So there was no reason to believe it would occur on a neutral floor in Los Angeles. But it did.

And as a result Colorado won the automatic bid out of the Pac-12 and, after Cal's First Four loss Wednesday night, is now the only remaining representative of the once-mighty conference.

"It's about being the hottest team and who is playing the best right now," second-year coach Tad Boyle said. "We're playing as good as anybody because of our toughness and grit and determination."

The Buffs are riding the momentum of knocking off Utah, Oregon, Cal and Arizona on successive days and now have an 11 vs. 6 matchup Thursday against UNLV at the Pit.

"We've talked about the confidence factor that Colorado played with with four very good games in four days," UNLV coach Dave Rice said. "They're coming in on a roll. So we understand the confidence they're playing with."

UNLV got beat on its home floor by league champ New Mexico in the semifinals of the Mountain West Conference tournament last week at the Thomas & Mack Center.

Colorado has momentum. UNLV does not. The Rebs went just 5-4 down the stretch. The familiarity of playing in the Pit may favor UNLV because the players have been on the floor here, but the distance from Boulder, Colo., as opposed to from Las Vegas shouldn't give one team an advantage over the other.

Boyle said the Buffaloes aren't cocky. They're confident. A year ago, the Big 12's Buffs were miffed that they were snubbed by the selection committee. That team lost Alec Burks and Cory Higgins. This team has a collection of players that defends with more attention to detail and there is more balance, led by Andre Roberson, Austin Dufault, Spencer Dinwiddie and former Utah wing Carlon Brown.

"This year's team is much more committed to defense," Boyle said. "There's no pressure. But we're not just happy to be here."

Rice said that the Buffaloes' ability to get into the lane, to get to the free throw line and to rebound the ball well are all basic keys. UNLV has had its moments where it has looked the part of a second-weekend team when Mike Moser is rebounding at a high clip and Anthony Marshall is making shots. Vegas beat North Carolina early in the season when the Tar Heels were No. 1 in the country. The potential is there for the Runnin' Rebels to go on a run in this bracket. But UNLV doesn't have the momentum.

"I feel like we may have lost our legs down the stretch a little bit," Moser said. "Just got a little distracted from the major goal as far as seeding and winning a tournament. But I feel like it's kind of a new season and we've just got to refocus and go out and play."

Three players to watch

Carlon Brown, 6-5, Sr., Colorado: Brown was the Pac-12 tournament's most outstanding player. He averaged 15.8 points and made half of his shots in the tournament. Brown, like Moser, is a four-year transfer player after starting his career at Utah.

Mike Moser, 6-8, So., UNLV: Moser has had more impact than any other four-year transfer on the West Coast this season after transferring from UCLA. He has been a double-double machine for the Runnin' Rebels. If UNLV is to advance, it'll need a huge game from Moser.

Chace Stanback, 6-8, Sr., UNLV: The Rebels have more talent on the court than the Buffs. That may not translate into a win, but the combination of Moser rebounding and Stanback getting his business done on the wing with more than a dozen points a game makes them even more formidable.

No. 3 Baylor (27-7) vs. No. 14 South Dakota State (27-7), 7:27 p.m. ET

There were games this season when Baylor looked like it could win the national title. And then there were times when the Bears had the look of an over-hyped team that was long on athleticism and short on patience and production.

But the Bears recaptured their early-season success by knocking off Kansas in the Big 12 semifinals before losing to Missouri.

"We've got a lot of that momentum from the tournament for the fact that we all trust each other," said Baylor's Perry Jones III. "We've all got confidence in each other and we're all looking for each other for support. We're being aggressive and playing together."

The Bears have the length to seriously fluster the Jackrabbits. If Jones III, Quincy Acy and Quincy Miller use their size and reach to their advantage, then the game should be over. But South Dakota State can shoot as well as any team in this bracket, and if the game is more up-tempo then it could negate the Bears' ability to control the post.

"Everyone has talked about their length, but quite honestly, it's the smallest guy who concerns me the most," said South Dakota State coach Scott Nagy of Baylor lead guard Pierre Jackson, who has arguably been the difference for this team. "I know having coached junior college players that it takes a little while for them to adjust. They're almost like freshmen and then by the end of the senior year, they're tremendous."

Nagy said the Jackrabbits will have to contain Jackson if they want a shot to win. He knows the length of Baylor's bigs is a concern -- as well as the potential for Jackson to dictate everything.

"My biggest concern is how are we going to stop them? When we do stop them, how are we going to rebound the basketball?" Nagy said. "And with these guys, it's going to be the best team we've ever played at South Dakota State. Let's just put it that way. We know it. In order to stay in the game, we'll have to play the game of our lives."

Baylor coach Scott Drew said that South Dakota State reminds him of Missouri with its ability to shoot the 3-pointer. Nate Wolters has some Bryce Drew in his game, too, according to Drew.

Baylor should win. The Bears have the athleticism, the quickness, the length, the talent. But the Jackrabbits do have the ability to negate that with the 3.

"It's had to be for us since we're not a huge team," Nagy said of the 3-pointer being a difference for the Jackrabbits. "When we do shoot the ball well it really opens up the floor for Nate."

Wolters will have to have a dominating performance to pull off this upset.

Three players to watch

Perry Jones III, 6-11, So., Baylor: Jones is more than capable of a 30-plus-point, 15-rebound performance. When he's focused and into the game, he can be as dominant a player as there is in the country.

Pierre Jackson, 5-10, Jr., Baylor: Jackson was the missing piece to ensuring the Bears were an NCAA team this season. He has been the most consistent player on the team, ensuring this group never lost its way for more than a few games. He is the ultimate playmaker for a fast-paced, long team like Baylor that can run the break and finish on dump-down passes in the lane.

Nate Wolters, 6-3, Jr., South Dakota State: Wolters averages 21.3 points and 5.2 rebounds a game. He has the ball in his hands quite a bit and that's a good thing for SDSU. He makes plays and isn't afraid to take any shot.

Bracket first impressions:

Someone on the Selection Committee must be a frustrated screenplay writer.

How else to explain the endless plots coursing through some of these regions?

In the South, Kentucky will debut as the No. 1 overall seed against either its in-state neighbor, Western Kentucky, or former Wildcat Sean Woods, the man who would have sent the Unforgettables to the Final Four were it not for a guy named Laettner.

Should the Cats get through that game, next up is defending national champion Connecticut, the team that knocked them out of the Final Four a year ago. Last we took the pulse, former New England rivals Jim Calhoun and John Calipari weren’t double-dating with milkshakes, either.

After that how about a possible Sweet 16 date with Christian Watford, er, Indiana? The Hoosiers, thanks to Watford’s shot that restored a program, are the only team to beat Kentucky in the regular season.

And then to complete the fun down South, there is perhaps an Elite Eight game against Duke (which might have to get UNLV, its program-establishing Final Four foe, first). Twenty years ago this season, the two met in in a sort-of kind-of memorable regional final.

That guy named Laettner again.

Across the way in the Midwest there are some decent storylines, too. Harrison Barnes and Doug McDermott could square off in an 1-8 game. The two once, believe it or not, were on the same team. As you might expect, Ames (Iowa) High was pretty good – 53-0 with two state titles in their tenure.

In the Sweet 16, Barnes' Tar Heels could tango with Michigan. If you don’t recall, the two met in the 1993 title game. Chris Webber remembers. He called timeout.

Being a No. 1 seed ain’t what it used to be.

Back when, like last year, you could write the nation’s best through to the Sweet 16 in ink. Maybe you wouldn’t press too hard, but ink was fine.

Now grab a pencil.

The No. 1s were not exactly rewarded with cakewalk 8-9 opponents.

Potentially lining up across from Kentucky: defending national champion Connecticut, a team that started the season ranked No. 4 in the country and sports two NBA first-rounders on its roster.

In line for North Carolina: How about a possible date with Creighton, one of the few teams in the country that can score with the Tar Heels and boasts an All-America candidate in McDermott to boot?

Michigan State could get a matchup with Memphis, a wildly talented No. 8 seed that has won 11 of its past 12 games.

Syracuse might say hello to Kansas State, two-time winners over Missouri.

Some other random observations:

• Is it the nickname? If he went by something less intimidating — like his given name, James — would Bruiser Flint be welcomed to the party? His Drexel team did win 27 games after all, and that used to be the goal of the sport — winning games.
• As usual, the 5-12 game is where the action is. Wichita State and VCU, mid-major darlings both, meet in the South; New Mexico-Long Beach State in the West and Vanderbilt-Harvard in the East. Tiebreaker in that one is a spelling bee.

Seeded too high: Colorado, Southern Miss.

Seeded too low: Memphis, Murray State, Detroit.

VCU 2012: That would be Iona. Most everyone is screaming about the Gaels being in. Understandable. But the Gaels are talented enough to make everyone eat their words just like the Rams did last year.

First team to 300 wins: That could be Creighton and North Carolina. The Tar Heels average 80 points; the Bluejays 83. Bring your oxygen tank.

Win or you’re out: That goes to all the folks who argued their merit despite failing to finish above .500 in their respective leagues. It’s not an official selection committee rule but de facto works fine by us.

And finally the potential: In October, they were tabbed the two best teams, loaded with the most talent. In December, they played an epic game in Lexington, Ky., decided only by Anthony Davis' incredible reach topping John Henson’s equally impossible wingspan. And on April 2, Kentucky and North Carolina could meet again for the national title.

New Mexico’s fans have long treated the Lobos basketball program as the professional sports team the state does not have.

They pack the Pit. They talk about UNM all year long. They paint the town red.

And with that comes high expectations.

But the Lobos haven’t always had to deal with the pressure from the conference or outside the region -- until this season.

New Mexico was the preseason favorite to win the Mountain West.

The Lobos did, sharing the regular-season crown with San Diego State. SDSU was the top seed in the MWC tournament, but UNM won by beating host UNLV on Friday, then San Diego State on Saturday to cap off the title run.

The state of New Mexico follows this team like the Commonwealth shadows Kentucky. But the Wildcats fans usually have their expectations met. That’s not the case from Albuquerque to Alamogordo and all points in between.

“This one is special because we were expected to do it and we did it,’’ said New Mexico coach Steve Alford by phone from Las Vegas after the Lobos’ 68-59 victory over the Aztecs at the Thomas & Mack Center. “We won both the league and the conference tournament. We were picked to win it so there was a lot of pressure all year on these guys.’’

The Lobos were trying to figure themselves out to start the season without a four-year starting point guard in Dairese Gary. That somewhat accounted for a disheartening home loss to rival New Mexico State on Nov. 16, then a befuddling overtime loss to Santa Clara eight days later in the first round of the 76 Classic in Anaheim, Calif.

The Lobos won their next two games and didn’t lose again until hosting San Diego State on Jan. 18.

“It just took us a while,’’ Alford said. “San Diego State and UNLV both had good nonconference wins so they got all the attention early.’’

The Lobos were flying under the radar, yet were racking up wins and split the season series with UNLV and SDSU. They ran out of gas and into two hot home teams in Colorado State and TCU two weeks ago. But that didn’t affect this team, which has now won five straight.

The diversity of scoring with Drew Gordon, Kendall Williams and Tony Snell, the addition of Hugh Greenwood as a steading force at the point, and a coaching staff that is so secure now in this job has led to a program that is winning consistently.

Alford has now reached the NCAA tournament twice in the past three seasons. The Lobos were a No. 3 seed two years ago, beating Montana before losing to Washington.

The expectation will be on the Lobos to advance at least one round next week. Alford is hoping that the Lobos have earned the right to stay out west. New Mexico can’t play in Albuquerque, since it is the host. But UNM could play in Portland. The West regional is in Phoenix if the Lobos were to win two games.

“We’re real anxious to see where we’ll be,’’ Alford said. “We’ve got really good shooting, we’re guarding the ball and we play nine or 10 people. But it will all come down to matchups.’’

Alford said he couldn’t get over how many Lobos fans turned out in Las Vegas. He expects a similar surge on the road in the NCAA tournament.

Dave Bliss had moderate conference tournament success toward the end of his tenure at UNM. Fran Fraschilla and Ritchie McKay weren’t there long enough to establish a tradition. But Alford has now done something the others did not, and that’s get in the NCAAs twice in three years.

“It’s been unbelievable,’’ said Alford, who previously coached Southwest Missouri State (now Missouri State) and Iowa to the NCAA tournament. “I think we’ll have a couple thousand people waiting for us at the airport Sunday. We’ve got such a passionate fan base. We’ve put a good product on the floor. We’ve now had a three-week period where we’ve shot it well and we’ve guarded. Hopefully we can keep doing that and if we do we have a chance to be successful.’’

The Kentucky Wildcats have had a terrific season, but will that translate into a national championship?

The Wildcats finished 16-0 in the SEC. They’re the first power six team since the 2002-03 Kentucky team to finish undefeated in conference play.

Since 1977, of the eight power six schools to go undefeated in conference play, the 1995-96 Kentucky Wildcats are the only team to win the national championship.

But this Kentucky team is trying to avoid the same fate as the last three power six teams to finish undefeated in conference play. Those three teams –- 1998-99 Duke, 2001-02 Kansas, and 2002-03 Kentucky -- all fell short of a title.

1998-99 Duke Blue Devils

The Blue Devils were, by most accounts, one of the most dominant college basketball teams in recent memory.

A two-point neutral-court loss to Cincinnati in November was their only regular-season loss.

The Blue Devils, led by Elton Brand, Trajan Langdon and Shane Battier, scored at least 80 points in 30 of 33 regular-season games.

They ended the regular season with 27 straight wins and entered the NCAA Tournament with a 32-1 record after finishing 16-0 in the ACC and winning the ACC Tournament.

After winning its first four NCAA Tournament games by an average margin of 30 points, Duke got past Michigan State in the Final Four but lost by three to Connecticut in the championship game

2001-02 Kansas Jayhawks

The Jayhawks, led by Drew Gooden, Nick Collison and Kirk Hinrich, finished the regular season 29-3 overall, 16-0 in the Big 12, after losing to Oklahoma in the Big 12 championship game.

Kansas advanced to the Final Four but lost to Juan Dixon, Steve Blake and the Maryland Terrapins, who went on to win a national title.

2002-03 Kentucky Wildcats

After finishing the regular season 29-3 overall and 16-0 in the SEC, the Wildcats fell short of the Final Four, losing to Dwyane Wade and Marquette in the Elite Eight.

That Kentucky team, led by Keith Bogans, Gerald Fitch and Chuck Hayes, ended the regular season with 23 straight wins after winning the SEC Tournament.

But there’s one huge difference between those three teams and the 2011-12 Wildcats: This Kentucky team went to the Final Four last season. Key players Terrence Jones, Darius Miller and Doron Lamb all have that Final Four experience that the Duke, Kansas, and prior Kentucky teams did not have the previous year.

If the Wildcats win the SEC Tournament, they’ll enter the NCAA Tournament with the same record (33-1) as John Calipari’s 2007-08 Memphis Tigers, who went on to lose in overtime to Kansas in the national championship.

That team’s lone regular-season loss was by four points to Tennessee.

This Calipari team is a Christian Watford buzzer-beater away from being perfect both in and out of league. No team has entered the NCAA Tournament unbeaten since the 1990-91 UNLV Runnin’ Rebels, who lost to Duke in the Final Four.

Those teams we’ve cited all fell short of the ultimate prize. The 2011-12 Kentucky Wildcats hope to avoid the same fate as their predecessors and end the season cutting down the nets in New Orleans.

It's OK to admit it: This is hardly the best Saturday we've seen this season. But here's the good news: It's Feb. 18. We're well within sniffing distance of Selection Sunday, and so every game is meaningful -- including, but certainly not limited to, the various BracketBusters matchups around the country. We're in crunch time, the time when tourney hopefuls have to go out and actually prove they belong. That's exactly what Kansas State did at Baylor this afternoon. Let's start there.

[Editor's note: Per usual, we encourage you to stay with the blog all day for on-site reports from our writers across the country and, later, our recaps of all the big-time Saturday night action, including Saint Mary's-Murray State and Ohio State-Michigan.]

Kansas State 57, No. 10 Baylor 56: I found myself defending Baylor quite a bit in recent days. Myron Medcalf and I have been pretty hard on the Bears at times this season, and for good reason -- this team should be much better than it is. Frankly, it should be dominant. But for all of the struggles and frustrations and close scrapes with obviously inferior teams, it was important to remember one thing: Two teams had beaten Baylor all season. One of them was Kansas. The other was Missouri. There's something to be said for that.

At least there was before Saturday. Kansas State went ahead and spoiled that line, toppling Baylor in Waco in an ugly, questionably officiated contest. Not that the Wildcats minded. For obvious reasons, this was the win of the season for Frank Martin's team. K-State has long been dogged in the bubble discussion by an inexplicably anemic RPI figure, one that threatened to derail a mediocre but otherwise tourney-worthy at-large résumé. The Wildcats needed a big win down the stretch to compensate for that RPI number. An escape from Baylor with a one-point margin, aesthetically displeasing though it may have been, is just what the doctor ordered.

As for the Bears, well, what's left to say? You know the drill by now: This team is as talented as any in the country. It is also every bit as suspect. For whatever reason -- growth, personality, sheepishness, your guess is as good as mine -- Perry Jones III continues to register games like this: 6 shots, 4 points, 4 rebounds, 5 fouls and zero (yes, zero) free throw attempts. In each of Baylor's past four losses, Jones posted single-digit scoring and rebounding efforts. We hate to be openly critical of a college kid, but for a player of Jones' talent, isn't that inexcusable? For a team as long and active as this one, why are the Bears so blasé on the boards, so mediocre on the defensive end? Why, after a 2010-11 season derailed by constant turnovers, haven't these guys learned to value the ball?

It's not like Baylor is having a bad season. (Though since starting 17-0 they are a disconcerting 5-5 in their past 10 games.) The standard defense in the first paragraph still, for all intents and purposes, makes sense. But it's impossible to watch this team and not know that the product on the floor is merely a fraction of what it could be. We only ever get hints. That's what's frustrating.

New Mexico 65, No. 11 UNLV 45: If you failed to notice what New Mexico did earlier this week (winning at San Diego State, moving to 7-2 and alone atop the Mountain West conference standings) and haven't seen just how good this team has been playing over the past three weeks (before Saturday, UNM had won six in a row and risen to No. 11 overall in Ken Pomeroy's adjusted efficiency rankings) it's officially time to take note. The Lobos are rolling, kids -- and Saturday was no different.

The lopsided outcome wasn't a foregone conclusion from the opening tip, and UNLV was in solid shape in a typically frenzied Pit atmosphere for nearly 30 minutes. But with 12:15 remaining, the Lobos did what they do best: They locked down on the defensive end. At that point, the score was 36-36. Just four minutes later, after a handful of impressive plays by Tony Snell, Demetrius Walker and Drew Gordon, the Lobos led 48-36. UNLV scored just nine points the rest of the way.

This is where New Mexico really shines. For as good as UNLV and SDSU have been this season, the Lobos are the MWC's best defensive team. They rank No. 1 in the league (and No. 11 in the nation) in adjusted defensive efficiency, primarily thanks to really good first-shot defense. The Runnin' Rebels have been struggling lately -- this week's 101-97 loss at TCU was profoundly strange, and they're now just 5-6 on the road this season, with four of those coming to unranked teams. But they're still awfully talented, and their struggles today had as much to do with the Lobos' pressure as any self-inflicted cause.

In the game's final moments, as Walker poured in another bucket and Gordon topped off his beast-mode 27-point, 20-rebound performance (Gordon was just the eighth player in the past 10 seasons to drop a 20-20 game on a Top-25 team, and just the fifth to do so in regulation), CBS play-by-play man Tim Brando said the affair had "become a New Mexico coronation." He was absolutely right. For too long, the Lobos slipped slightly under the radar. Their gaudy efficiency numbers belied a team that, when you got right down to it, hadn't beaten a team better than Saint Louis all season. It was easy to cast doubt.

No more. In the past week, New Mexico has held Wyoming to 38 points, beaten San Diego State in Viejas Arena by 10, and coasted right by a very good UNLV team. Steve Alford has built a beast in Albuquerque. If you were sleeping on UNM before, it will be impossible to do so now.

Washington 79, Arizona 70:Both of these teams' at-large pictures remain in flux, and that didn't change much today. A win over Arizona won't put Washington in the tournament in any definite way; a loss to Washington won't drop Arizona off the bubble. This is life in the current Pac-12, a power-six league in name only. (PSINO? PINO? We'll work on it.) This league was 2-31 against the RPI top 50 in nonconference play and 0-15 against the top 25. Simply put, this conference offers zero opportunities for marquee wins. At this point, the best the at-large contenders can do is just keep winning.

On Senior Day, the Huskies did exactly that, dinging the defensively resurgent Wildcats in the process. Terrence Ross was fantastic, and his line -- 25 points, 5 rebounds, 5 steals, 1 assist, 1 block -- was the stuff of fantasy basketball fever dreams. That's a pretty good example of why this Washington team has been so frustrating this season. With Ross and freshman guard Tony Wroten (not to mention Aziz N'Diaye and Abdul Gaddy and so on) this team has obvious Top-25 talent. But here it is, struggling to get in the field. The Huskies have been better in Pac-12 play and are 12-3 atop the standings, but as recently as last week were absolutely drubbed 82-57 at Oregon.

If this team makes a run in the NCAA tournament, I won't be the least bit surprised. A first-round loss wouldn't shock me, either. Everything is on the table here. But the Huskies have to get there first. With their final three games on the road, and opportunities for bad losses -- at Washington State, at USC, at UCLA -- any and all outcomes are on the table. Should be interesting.

No. 21 Florida State 76, NC State 62: This is not what NC State needed. OK, sure, Thursday night's loss at Duke -- wherein the Wolfpack coughed up a 20-point second-half lead -- was hard to swallow. I get that, and I empathize. But NC State still has much to accomplish in Mark Gottfried's first season, chief among it a possible NCAA tournament bid. And so Saturday's game could have gone two ways: Either NCSU would come out angry at Thursday's letdown and focused on fixing it, or the Wolfpack would be emotionally (and physically, on one day's rest) exhausted.

Turns out it was the latter. Gottfried's team committed 17 turnovers and it shot just 29 percent. (Some of that is FSU's lockdown defense, but still.) In doing so, the Pack saw a chance to get a quality résumé win slip away. Will NC State's tourney chances, already very much in doubt, do the same?

For the Seminoles, this win was their 10th in the ACC. In each of the past four years, Leonard Hamilton's team has won at least 10 league games. FSU has stamped its position as the third-best team in its conference as Hamilton has built a program with staying power at a school that has traditionally treated its basketball as an only occasionally worthwhile diversion from breathless updates about the next great football recruiting class. Really impressive.

Wichita State 91, Davidson 74: Davidson, with that December win over Kansas in its back pocket, desperately needed a win here if it wanted to hold on to any scant hope of an at-large look. Obviously, that's done now. Wichita State just keeps beating up on people. Forget the mid-major label -- there are few teams in the country, regardless of conference, playing as well as this team right now. How many? Five? Maybe six? If that?

Anyway, before we move on, let's pause and reflect on the insane performance Joe Ragland unleashed Saturday. He scored 30 points and grabbed seven boards at the guard position. Even better? His points came on 11-of-14 from the field. He shot 3-of-4 from 3 and 5-of-5 from the charity stripe. He was about as close to offensive perfection as a college basketball player can ever get. Bravo, sir.

Other observations from the afternoon action:

• After the big win, I thought it was pretty much impossible (or unpossible!) for Steve Alford's day to get any better. And then it did: San Diego State fell to lowly Air Force on Saturday, 58-56, thanks to an 18-of-52 mark from the field and -- even worse for this perimeter-oriented team -- a 3-of-16 mark from behind the line. The Aztecs got to the line with relative ease. But they went 17-of-25, and when you're shooting that poorly on the road, and you leave eight points on the board, look out.
• Following UConn's home loss to Marquette -- the Huskies' seventh loss in their past nine games -- guard Shabazz Napier, who has tried (and failed) all year to emerge as a bona fide leader of a UConn team that desperately needs just that, told reporters the following: "I hate to say it, but I have to question some of these guys' heart." Anyone who's seen Connecticut play this season has no choice but to agree. What a timid, lifeless bunch. That's the polar opposite of the Golden Eagles' scrappy style, and it showed all 40 minutes Saturday. (For colleague Andy Katz's dispatch from this game, click here)
• A win at Cleveland State doesn't quite look as great as it might have, say, three weeks ago, but no matter: Drexel's 20-point road victory was its 15th win in a row and 21st in its past 22 games. The committee may have a problem getting past the Dragons' cruddy performances in November (including the loss to Norfolk State), and those nonconference issues are part of the reason the CAA isn't getting much at-large love or even remotely passable RPI numbers for top teams like Drexel, VCU and George Mason. But 21-1 in 22 games? That's awfully hard to ignore.
• Speaking of mid-major teams with gaudy records that haven't earned much of a tourney look, how about Oral Roberts? The Golden Eagles held on to top Akron in their BracketBusters affair, moving to 25-5 overall in the process. ORU is 18-1 in the Summit League. If it wins out but loses in the conference tournament, can it get a bid? We'll see. Unlike those CAA squads, this team's RPI is certainly in the picture. The question is whether the committee can look past ORU's lack of quality wins (the victory at Xavier came just a few days after the Dec. 10 brawl against a skeletal, half-suspended Musketeers lineup) and ugly nonconference strength-of-schedule figure. ORU might want to play it safe and just go ahead and win the tournament. Why leave it to chance? Either way, this is an undeniably above-average team.
• Missouri is really good. Texas A&M is not. Our research group passed along two stats that rather tidily demonstrate as much: (1) This victory was Missouri's first win in College Station since 2001, and (2) Missouri's 56 percent shooting made the Tigers the first team to shoot better than 50 percent against A&M all season. Just a solid, workmanlike win from a really self-assured club. Fun to watch.
• DePaul is a little unlucky to be just 2-9 in Big East play after today's overtime loss to Louisville. It's not that the loss itself was particularly unlucky -- DePaul played well for 40 minutes, but the Cardinals were too much in OT -- it's just that this team's obvious improvements on the floor haven't quite shown up in its record. Such is life at a rebuilding project, I suppose.
• Nice win for Iona. The Gaels were probably a bit hard done by their BracketBusters matchup -- they needed a higher-profile game to really make a dent in the bubble picture -- but we can't fault the aesthetic quality of the end result. In other words, this was still a pretty awesome game. Iona won 90-84, and the replay is available on ESPN3. It's worth your while. Iona's offense was scorching hot: The Gaels went 33-of-53 from the field (62.3 percent) and 8-of-14 from beyond the arc, and had five players score 13 points or more. Point guard Scott Machado had 15 assists, which is nothing new; Machado's 9.9 assists per game lead the nation (his assist rate of 44.3 percent is the nation's third-highest; word to Tim Frazier!) and his brilliance is emblematic of this team in general. With Machado, MoMo Jones and Michael Glover, Iona might the most talented mid-major squad in the country. The only problem? The Gaels don't really defend. But if that changes even marginally in the coming weeks, look out. Points in bunches, and all that.
• Kentucky and North Carolina both easily handled their middling conference foes, and both looked great doing so. The Wildcats' win was their 50th in a row at home. John Calipari doesn't lose at Rupp Arena. That's just the way it goes.
• And then there's Binghamton. The nation's last winless team had its best remaining opportunity to notch a victory on the road at 5-23 Radford. Unfortunately, the Bearcats lost 64-59, and so the sad story of their brutal season rolls on. Binghamton's next two opponents (Vermont, Albany) are both much better than lowly Radford (though the Bearcats do get both games at home, so that's good), and their season finale at New Hampshire isn't a totally insurmountable challenge (though Pomeroy's predictive model gives the Bearcats just a 7 percent chance of winning). Bottom line? This team could very well go the entire length of its season without a win. Poor Binghamton. Can you say Bottom 10?

Editor’s note: Jay Bilas breaks down Saint Mary’s-Murray State in today’s Weekend Watch. Myron Medcalf offers a dozen more games to keep an eye on this weekend.

Friday

Northern Iowa at VCU (7 ET, ESPN2): VCU reached last season's Final Four. Northern Iowa reached the Sweet 16 two seasons ago. But both squads enter this BracketBusters game in need of some late-season momentum and probably a conference tournament title to guarantee a berth. With both squads coming off losses -- the Rams lost to George Mason on a buzzer-beater Tuesday; the Panthers have lost two of three -- this could be the game that starts that late-season push. UNI is out of the at-large running, but VCU still clings to hope -- and this is a must-win.

Saturday

Marquette at Connecticut (12 ET, ESPN): If there's any hope left for UConn, it has to kick in nowish. Despite the Huskies' tumultuous season, it's hard to ignore last year's finish. Few had expected much from the program before it reeled off a run that ultimately led to a national title. The Golden Eagles are playing for seeding in the NCAA and Big East tourneys. And they're still in the Big East title conversation. They have an easy stretch that includes just one nationally-ranked squad (Georgetown) in their final five regular-season games. But late stumbles, especially with three more road games, could alter their postseason position.

Wichita State at Davidson (12 ET, ESPN2): Both teams have something to prove in this BracketBusters matchup. Davidson has a chance to show that its December victory over Kansas wasn't a fluke. The Shockers are clearly one of the top 20 teams in America in my opinion. But their omission from this week's ESPN/USA Today Coaches' poll suggests that some still doubt the Missouri Valley leader. The Shockers are in the NCAA tournament. On the road at Davidson, however, they can prove that they're capable of a run.

Florida State at NC State (1 ET, ESPN3): The Wolfpack (No. 49 RPI) could use a signature victory to enhance their résumé, especially after blowing a 20-point lead against Duke on Thursday night. NC State faces Florida State and North Carolina, both at home, in their next two outings, crucial games for its NCAA at-large hopes. The Seminoles are still in contention for the ACC title. But their loss at Boston College last week and a shaky win against Virginia Tech on Thursday didn't exactly make Leonard Hamilton's squad look the part. There's a three-way logjam at the top of the league and the Seminoles have struggled on the road. They have to keep winning to stay in the mix, which is why Saturday's game is so significant.

UNLV at New Mexico (1 ET, CBS): Most figured that UNLV would enter mid-February as the top team in the Mountain West. Guess again. New Mexico's win over San Diego State elevated Steve Alford's squad to the top of the conference. But Saturday wins by UNLV and San Diego State (at Air Force) would create a three-way tie between SDSU, UNLV and New Mexico entering the final four games of the year. The Pit will be an absolute madhouse for this one. Should be a lot of fun.

Arizona at Washington (3 ET, FSN): Who knows what to expect in the final weeks of the Pac-12 season, but Arizona and Washington are fighting for the Pac-12 title (the Wildcats are 10-4 and the Huskies are 11-3). And they're also trying to boost their thin at-large résumés. Joe Lunardi has both teams in his latest bracket, but not exactly by a wide margin (UW is the last team in). A strong finish by either could solidify an at-large slot. And in the weak Pac-12, a string of losses could lead to an NIT invitation.

Seton Hall at Cincinnati (4 ET, ESPN3): Losing skids interrupted the at-large hopes of both. The Bearcats have lost four of their past seven. Prior to their current three-game winning streak, the Pirates had lost six in a row. Lunardi projected both programs as double-digit-seeds in the Big Dance, so they can't feel secure entering their final stretch of the regular season. They're out of the Big East title conversation, but a Saturday victory could go a long way toward impressing the selection committee.

Florida at Arkansas (6 ET, ESPN): The Razorbacks aren't in the field right now. But Arkansas can sneak in with three remaining games against top-50 schools and the SEC tourney ahead. They've struggled on the road, but have found success at home. The Razorbacks could change their postseason prospects with a Saturday win. After losing to Tennessee last week, the Gators beat Alabama in their next game. Any momentum would be beneficial as their March 4 matchup against No. 1 Kentucky approaches.

Yale at Harvard (7 ET): Tommy Amaker's squad leads the Ivy League with a 7-1 record entering Friday's matchup against Brown. Saturday's matchup against 6-2 Yale (the Bulldogs play Dartmouth Friday), however, could change that. The Crimson were expected to run away with the Ivy League. And their 30-point win over Yale last month suggests that they'll stay on top of the conference. Harvard, however, has found itself in an unexpected fight for the Ivy League's title and automatic bid.

Ohio State at Michigan (9 ET, ESPN): Big Ten title implications here. If the Buckeyes win this game, then they'll stay on top of the Big Ten with an 11-3 record, one that Michigan State could match with a win at Purdue on Sunday. A loss, however, would allow Michigan to tie the Buckeyes and give the Spartans a chance to grab sole possession of first place. With only a handful of games remaining, the Big Ten is still tight at the top. Big game for the Big Ten.

Long Beach State at Creighton (10 ET, ESPN2): Long Beach State (No. 44 RPI) hopes to avoid the drama from the past two years. The 49ers missed the NCAA tournament following consecutive losses in the Big West tourney title game. A road victory over Creighton could help the 49ers grab an at-large bid, but a loss could put them in the same scenario they've found themselves in the past two years. Creighton looks like a lock for the Big Dance, despite a recent three-game losing skid. A loss here, however, could jeopardize that position and lead to more questions about Greg McDermott's squad.

Sunday

Michigan State at Purdue (1 ET, CBS): If Ohio State loses to Michigan on Saturday, the Spartans can seize first place -- alone -- with a road win over the Boilermakers. But Purdue nearly knocked off the Buckeyes in Columbus. They have won two in a row and they know that a victory over a Spartans squad that might earn a No. 1 seed would be a huge boost for their at-large résumé. Expect a battle in West Lafayette.

Even if you don’t win the Wooden Award, it’s still pretty cool to get invited to the ceremony. A trip to Los Angeles, recognition on national television, face time with some of college basketball’s current and all-time greats ... the memories are the kind that last forever. So while Kansas’ Thomas Robinson and Kentucky’s Anthony Davis appear to have an insurmountable lead on the rest of the field, those third, fourth and fifth spots are important, too -- and the battle for them is fierce and ever-changing. Here’s how my ballot would look if the season ended today.

1. Anthony Davis, Kentucky - The freshman forward and likely No. 1 pick in this summer’s NBA draft continues to dominate on both ends of the floor. He’s averaging 15.5 points and 5.5 blocks in his past two games. He’ll face his toughest test of the SEC season in Starkville on Tuesday against Mississippi State’s Arnett Moultrie and Renardo Sidney.
2. Thomas Robinson, Kansas - The 6-foot-9 junior had his lowest scoring output in six weeks when he finished with just 10 points in Monday’s victory at Kansas State. Two days earlier, though, he had 24 points and 14 boards in a home win against Oklahoma State. He ranks second in the nation with 12 rebounds per game.
3. Draymond Green, Michigan State - There aren’t many 6-foot-7, 230-pounders in college basketball as versatile as Green. Along with 15 points and 10.5 rebounds, Green dishes out 3.5 assists per game while also contributing 1.4 steals and a block. Last week he led the Spartans to a victory over then-No. 3 Ohio State in Columbus.
4. Tyler Zeller, North Carolina - Zeller’s missed free throw and last-second defensive lapse in last week’s loss to Duke overshadowed what has been a banner season for the 7-foot center. The potential ACC Player of the Year is averaging 23.3 points in his last three games. In league play he’s averaging 19 points and 10.8 rebounds.
5. Kevin Jones, West Virginia - If Jones were on a top-10 team, he may be the leading candidate for this award. Instead, he’s averaging 20.6 points and 11.2 rebounds for a Mountaineers squad that’s in danger of missing the NCAA tournament after losing five of its last six games. West Virginia’s next two contests (against Pittsburgh and Notre Dame) are on the road. Jones needs to get his team over the hump.

On the cusp

Isaiah Canaan, Murray State - Last week’s loss to Tennessee State was the Racers’ first of the season, but it certainly wasn’t Canaan’s fault. He’s averaging 27 points in his last two games.

Marcus Denmon, Missouri - One of America’s best players in the clutch is averaging 23.3 points in his last three games. He’s made 14 of his 26 attempts from 3-point range during that span.

John Henson, North Carolina - The Tar Heels’ junior shot-swatter has posted four straight double-doubles. Along with 3.2 blocks, Henson is averaging 14 points and 10.3 rebounds per contest.

Darius Johnson-Odom, Marquette - The senior is making a serious push for Big East Player of the Year honors. He’s averaging 18.4 points and has led Marquette to wins in 10 of its last 11 games.

Kris Joseph, Syracuse - The senior came up huge with a 29-point effort in last week’s 64-61 win over Georgetown. He averages a team-high 14 points for the nation’s second-ranked team.

Damian Lillard, Weber State - The junior guard continues to lead the nation in scoring with 25.1 points a game. He also contributes 5.3 rebounds.

Doug McDermott, Creighton - With just one 20-point effort in his last four games, the sophomore’s production has dipped a bit. But he’s still averaging 22.7 points and 8.1 rebounds.

Mike Moser, UNLV - The UCLA transfer is the main reason the Runnin’ Rebels have been a staple in the Top 25 all season. He’s averaging 15 points, 11.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists.

Jared Sullinger, Ohio State - The preseason All-American had 10 turnovers in Saturday’s loss to Draymond Green and Michigan State. He bounced back with 23 points in Tuesday’s win at Minnesota.

Cody Zeller, Indiana - Tyler Zeller’s younger brother has hardly played like a freshman. The 6-foot-11 forward leads Indiana with 15.4 points and 6.4 rebounds.

Louisville gets a big win on the road, Florida has the week from hell, UConn shows signs of life in a loss at Syracuse, Missouri has its way in yet another disappointing performance from Baylor and UNLV holds on for a thrilling win over San Diego State. As is tradition, here's what we learned from those games -- and more! -- Saturday afternoon.

[Editor's note: Per usual, we encourage you to stay with the blog all day for on-site reports from our writers across the country and, later, our recaps of all the big-time Saturday night action, including Wichita State-Creighton, Michigan State-Ohio State and Kentucky-Vandy.]

UNLV 65, San Diego State 63: One team must win, and one team must lose. UNLV fans will be thrilled. San Diego State fans will agonize. The contours of this relatively new rivalry couldn't be more pronounced, and this season's series -- with both games decided by two points; SDSU won the first at home 69-67 -- will only add fuel to that fire. In a guttural, emotional sense, if you're an Aztecs fan, this loss hurts. If you're a UNLV fan, you're downright stoked. So it goes.

But once the reflexes give way to perspective, both fan bases might realize this was the rare instance in which both teams can legitimately claim victory -- if not on the scoreboard, in terms of perception.

For UNLV, the win represents a restoration of the Rebels' first-place claim to the top of the Mountain West standings; this victory moved both teams to 6-2 in league play. It showcased the rich vein of talent first-year coach Dave Rice has tapped. Forward Mike Moser was excellent on offense and a source of havoc on defense. He finished the game with 19 points, nine rebounds, six -- yes, six -- steals and four blocks. Chace Stanback struggled, but his teammates had his back. Brice Massamba scored 12 points on 6-of-7 shooting, Oscar Bellfield went for 15 points and six assists, and Anthony Marshall contributed eight assists (a few of them spectacular), six rebounds and two steals.

For SDSU, the two-point loss was proof of this team's enduring grit. That's a bit cliche, I know, but you have to cite it when you see it, and boy, do the Aztecs ever have it. It doesn't take much for UNLV's uptempo attack to bury opponents at the Thomas and Mack. Just ask New Mexico. Instead, every time the Rebels looked ready to finally break through and run away -- as they did at the 7:50 mark of the second half, when they led 60-50 -- SDSU just kept fighting back. Chase Tapley, the oft-forgotten fifth wheel in last year's dream season, has become a full-fledged star. He dropped 22 points and made four of his seven 3-point attempts, including a series of huge shots to close the lead -- and overtake it at 63-62 -- in the closing minutes.

For UNLV, its ability to hold on at home, swallow any jitters and make the big plays (particularly on the offensive glass in the final minute) is only good news for the future. For SDSU, its ability to hang tough and nearly escape an insane road environment with a win says much the same. UNLV won this game, and its record and eventual NCAA tournament seed will reflect as much. But anyone who watched all 40 minutes of this affair couldn't help but come away as impressed with the Aztecs as the Rebels. We don't know how this league will play out in the coming weeks, but we do know this much: The Mountain West has two very good teams at the top. Impressive stuff, all the way around.

No. 4 Missouri 72, No. 6 Baylor 57: I thought my colleague Myron Medcalf summed it up perfectly in the closing moments of Missouri's second win over Baylor this season. As Myron wrote, "Missouri continues to prove that the question isn't 'How will Missouri guard team X?' but 'How will team X match up with Tigers?'"

Spot on, isn't it? All season, the question about Mizzou has been whether its severe lack of size leaves it at a disadvantage against teams such as Baylor and Kansas (or any number of the national foes on the prospective road to the Final Four). As we've long since learned, that lack of size -- and the barrage of guards that replaces it -- is much more to MU's advantage than to its opponents'.

That was true against Kansas last Saturday, but it's especially true of Baylor. On paper, the size of Quincy Acy, Perry Jones III, Quincy Miller, and even Anthony Jones and Cory Jefferson should wreak havoc on a Missouri team that starts three diminutive guards and Kim English, a shooting guard, at power forward. Instead, as in the first contest (an 89-88 Mizzou win in Waco), it worked to the Tigers' advantage. Baylor simply couldn't keep tabs on Flip Pressey, Marcus Denmon and Michael Dixon; the trio combined for 51 points on 17-of-30 from the field and a downright blistering 12-of-22 mark from long range.

Few teams can stop this Missouri attack. That's why it ranks No. 2 in the nation (and No. 1 in the Big 12) in points per possession this season. But the Bears, particularly coach Scott Drew, didn't do themselves any favors, either. Drew stuck to his team's trademark zone defense long after Missouri had hit its 11th and 12th 3s on the day. When he finally switched, English almost immediately used a curl screen to free himself for a sweet open jumper, and the Tigers kept pulling away. In other words, it's not as if man defense was the great untapped panacea. (In fact, as our Stats & Info's Ryan Feldman wrote this morning, Missouri was much better against Baylor's man defense in the first meeting.) But Baylor needed to do something to cool off -- or at least pressure -- Missouri's scorching-hot shooters. It didn't, at least not until it was too late.

We've grown accustomed to seeing these sorts of performances from the Tigers. It's a testament to how impressive this team has been all season (and the job Frank Haith has done, of course) that most of us expected Mizzou to prevail over the No. 6 team in the nation with relative ease. Missouri is really good, especially on offense. What's more, if you like sharp, controlled, uptempo basketball, there are few teams in the country more worth your time. Missouri is must-see hoops TV.

What this result says about Baylor is a matter of similar certainty: This is a very talented team as capable of impressive wins as downright baffling losses. This wasn't one of them, but it revealed many of the same issues. There is no reason a team with the 10th-ranked effective height figure (per Ken Pomeroy) should be so bad on the defensive glass. (The Bears rank No. 9 in the Big 12 in opponents' offensive rebounding rate. Only Oklahoma State has been worse.) There is no reason a team with these sorts of offensive weapons should be held to 36.2 percent from the field against a team allowing the ninth-highest effective field goal percentage in its conference. There is no reason Perry Jones III should be so passive (he went 2-of-12 on Saturday), why powerful forward Quincy Acy should attempt just three field goals, why a group that could dominate in the post with ease if it wanted to should toss up 17 3s (and make only four).

All told, the Bears are as frustrating to watch as Missouri is enjoyable. This team should be better. It isn't. Unless something unlikely changes in the weeks to come, that will be the story of a 2011-12 season that once contained almost unlimited promise.

Tennessee 75, No. 7 Florida 70: Since he arrived at Florida in the mid-'90s, Billy Donovan has achieved nearly every kind of success a coach can have. He's won two national titles. He's won a score of conference trophies. His teams are near-annual fixtures in the NCAA tournament; he recruits some of the best players in the country on a yearly basis. This is the best Florida has ever been at this strange roundball sport. Where hoops is concerned, these are the Gators' glory years.

What, then, can explain Florida's weird relationship with Tennessee? After Saturday's loss -- the second to the rebuilding Vols this season -- UF is 6-12 against Tennessee since 2004. The Volunteers have won eight of the past 12 against the Gators. When Bruce Pearl was leading Tennessee in its own hoops glory years, this hardly felt unusual. Pearl's teams were frequently good, particularly at home, and it's hard to beat good teams on the road in SEC play. But now that Pearl is gone and Cuonzo Martin is leading a 13-12 restoration project, Tennessee's strange near-dominance has continued. You figure it out. I can't.

In any case, the reasons for this particular edition's outcome are not particularly difficult to identify. Florida's oft-lackluster defense let it down again, allowing the Vols to score 75 in 66 possessions. In the meantime, UF's offense -- which is usually good enough to mask defensive lapses -- was just plain off. The Gators hoisted 30 3s but made just 11. Other than that, they scored just nine 2-point field goals.

It's an old identifier, one hoops analysts are often far too quick to use, but it fits here: Florida (which shoots the most 3s in the country, and accurately, too) lives and dies by the long-range shot. If those shots don't fall, the Gators haven't proved they can seek out balance and get easy buckets from Patric Young in the paint. They were outscored 36-14 in the paint Saturday. There's nothing wrong with firing 3s. They're worth an extra point, after all. But when you're cold, you have to find easy ways to score. It's not rocket science. Florida appears to lack that ability.

No. 23 Louisville 77, West Virginia 74: With so many teams across the country -- not to mention in the Big East -- looking adrift in the second week of February, the Louisville Cardinals present a refreshing contrast.

For so much of the season, this team's offensive struggles looked likely to derail a once-promising campaign. On Jan. 7, the Cardinals scored .92 points per trip in a home loss to Notre Dame. A few days later, the Cards were drubbed at Providence 90-59, and the only thing more disconcerting than the strange defensive drop-off -- PC scored 1.34 ppp that day -- was Louisville's continued inability to counter on the offensive end. Those struggles continued the week after, at Marquette, where UL posted another bad offensive night (.89 ppp). The Cardinals' defense would be fine. But as the midseason Big East losses revealed, a good D wasn't good enough to make up for such thorough offensive woes. If Rick Pitino's team couldn't score consistently, its hopes of a deep NCAA tournament run could be only limited.

A few weeks later, after Saturday's 13-point rally in Morgantown's brutal atmosphere, there's no mistaking the Cardinals' forward progress. Louisville scored 77 points in 61 possessions, getting balanced double-digit scoring from five players. One of those players, freshman guard Wayne Blackshear, made his debut performance after early season injuries kept him out of the lineup, and he was immediately productive, posting 13 points and four rebounds on 5-of-9 from the field and 3-of-5 from 3 in his 20 minutes of run. Blackshear's productive entry into the rotation is a fantastic sign for this team, but the trend lines are moving upward anyway.

Louisville has now won six in a row (including road games at Pitt and Seton Hall). Those wins have been due in part to its defense, the fourth best in Big East play to date, but also to an impressive offensive burst. In its past six games, Pitino's team is averaging 1.12 points per trip. The Cardinals aren't setting the world ablaze, but the improvement can't be discounted. Outside of Syracuse, there aren't many teams in the Big East playing better.

No. 2 Syracuse 85, Connecticut 67: Speaking of Syracuse, there are few places in the country you'd rather not visit after a road loss like the one Connecticut took at Louisville this week. The Huskies were not only outplayed but outworked. Ryan Boatright said the Huskies "basically gave up." Alex Oriakhi called it "embarrassing." Both were right. Games like that can rupture already shaky teams. They can lead to season-destroying slumps. After the Louisville loss, UConn was 3-7 in its past 10. A team this talented should never be on the bubble. The Huskies most certainly were and are.

So on to Saturday. The final score in this one looked ugly, and maybe it was always going to. With Fab Melo fully restored in the middle of SU's brutal 2-3 zone, the Orange are almost impossible to beat in the Carrier Dome. But despite the ugly final score, UConn actually acquitted itself well. Syracuse controlled the game and its pace for much of the first half and early into the second, and appeared set to pull away early and often. But the Huskies kept coming, never quite able to overtake Cuse but never truly fading away, either. After 30 minutes of this back and forth, a C.J. Fair dunk gave SU a nine-point lead. But by the 6:28 mark in the second half, the Huskies had fought back again, closing the lead to just 63-61.

That was the closest the Huskies would get. Two Scoop Jardine 3s and a handful of Dion Waiters buckets unleashed an impressive 22-6 run in the final minutes. This just in: Syracuse is really, really good. But for a Huskies team that spent most of its time at Louisville walking back on defense (and watching the Cardinals dunk with ease) -- and spent the days after questioning its own emotional makeup -- this was a much more encouraging display, even in a loss.

No. 5 North Carolina 70, No. 20 Virginia 52: How would the Tar Heels bounce back? That was the eminent question surrounding North Carolina this week. Kendall Marshall, Tyler Zeller and Harrison Barnes all experienced the worst of what college basketball has to offer in Wednesday night's devastating come-from-ahead home loss to rival Duke. They no doubt spent the next two days hearing gleeful (or downright angry) Duke and UNC fans flood the Triangle's local airwaves with criticism -- of their bad decision-making, their defensive lapses, their turnovers and (perhaps most cuttingly, at least from what I heard on my day-after drive from Chapel Hill to Charlotte) their Tar Heels heart.

In the end, perhaps this was the perfect way to regroup. Virginia is a good, steady team, but one whose best and most important player -- Mike Scott -- does most of his work in the interior, where UNC's defense is at its strongest. Scott still scored 18 points Saturday, but he needed an uncharacteristic 17 shots to get there, while guards Jontel Evans and Joe Harris combined to shoot 6-of-20 from the field. Most of those shots felt difficult, challenged; Zeller and frontcourt mate John Henson forced the Cavaliers' perimeter players to finish most of their drives moving away from the rim, rather than toward it. Meanwhile, Zeller (25 points, nine boards, three assists, three steals, one block) rebounded from Wednesday's disaster brilliantly.

UNC's offense was hardly vintage, and the Tar Heels' struggles from beyond the arc (they were 1-for-10 today) are still a concern. But facing one of the nation's best defenses, with the horrors of this week still (no matter what they might say publicly) undoubtedly fresh in their minds, the Heels flashed the kind of defense that should be their bulwark against occasional struggles (or, you know, full-on crunch-time meltdowns) the rest of the way.

Other random observations from this afternoon's games:

• North Carolina wasn't the only first-place ACC team in need of a rebound after a brutal loss Wednesday night. That condition applied to Florida State, too, which lost to one of the worst power-conference teams in the country (Boston College) earlier this week. ESPNU analyst (and former Wake Forest coach) Dino Gaudio was dead on in his studio analysis Saturday: When Florida State's guards are good -- when they're taking care of the ball and shooting well -- the Seminoles are an entirely different team. That backcourt play is what led them to the seven straight ACC wins, to their blowout of UNC, to their road win at Duke, and that backcourt play is what cost them questionable losses in the nonconference as well as the ACC opener to Clemson. Bernard James and Okaro White are predictable contributors in the paint. James (18 points, six rebounds, two steals, four blocks) was excellent Saturday, and FSU got past a streaking Miami team as a result. It's the FSU guards who are the wild card.
• And how would Duke move on from its insane, emotionally draining win? Would Maryland take advantage of that still-questionable defense and shock the Blue Devils at home? Not so much. Coach K's team moved on from Wednesday's win-for-the-ages with a solid if unspectacular home-court defense. Austin Rivers was off from the field, but balanced scoring from Seth Curry and Miles Plumlee, as well as a defense that held Maryland to far less than a point per trip, were more than enough to get the Blue Devils a win. Hangover avoided.
• Early candidate for Weirdest Game of the Day award goes to Texas 75, Kansas State 64. Why? Because the Wildcats scored 40 points in the first half, taking a 13-point lead and apparent command of the game into the break. And then things fell apart. K-State posted a 24-point second half as the Longhorns found their offense en route to a 48-point (!!) second-half outburst. What was the difference? Free throws. Texas shot 48 free throws Saturday. Kansas State shot 12. The Longhorns attempted seven more free throws than field goals; they posted a free throw rate of 117.1 percent. That should be impossible. Apparently, it is not.
• How good was Marquette's offense in its 95-78 win over Cincinnati? Count the ways: The Golden Eagles scored 1.39 (!!) points per trip, shot 34-of-60 from the field and cashed 20 of their 24 free throw attempts. Cincinnati wasn't bad, per se. (Although the Bearcats might want to rediscover their mid-Big East form before their NCAA tournament chances fade from distance.) On the contrary, Marquette -- which has now won nine of its past 10 -- was just too good. Considering the Golden Eagles started from a 16-4 deficit in the first few minutes (something Buzz Williams' team does almost every game, it seems), this was an offensive burst for the ages.
• Rick Majerus got another key conference win Saturday, moving to 8-3 in the A-10 after a 59-52 victory at La Salle. That defense was typical. SLU entered Saturday ranked No. 11 in adjusted defensive efficiency. In a wide-open A-10, one in which Temple appears the only sure thing, the Billikens' defensive brilliance could take them far.
• If Virginia Commonwealth keeps stacking solid CAA road wins, we might just have to consider this Rams team -- which is now 22-5 and 13-2 in conference play -- in the at-large bubble picture. The Rams' schedule was a bit weak this season, but even so, considering the stars they lost after 2011's miraculous Final Four run, they've been better than anyone could have expected in 2012.
• Larry Shyatt's storybook first season at Wyoming hit a snag Saturday afternoon. This team has never been much to look at on offense this season, but even so, it's hard to hold a team to 48 points and lose by 10, which is exactly what the Cowboys did in the Pit today against New Mexico. Then again, when you shoot 14-of-54 from the field and just 5-of-16 from 3, it's not hard to figure out how you put up just 38 points in 57 possessions. This loss might not knock Wyoming entirely out of the bubble race, but unless Shyatt's squad can find some offense on the road down the stretch, those long-shot hopes could fade rather quickly.
• Saturday's Southern Illinois-Indiana State game didn't mean much in the grand scheme of things, but when an NCAA record is set, we take notice. That's exactly what happened when the Sycamores finished the game 12-for-12 from the 3-point line, the most 3s without a miss in NCAA history. The previous record for most 3s without a miss was nine, by Minnesota against Penn State on Jan. 11, 2009.

Shortly after announcing his decision to transfer from UCLA to UNLV two summers ago, Mike Moser was teased during a pickup game in Los Angeles.

“A guy pointed at me and said, ‘He only averaged 4.3 minutes at UCLA,’” Moser recalled Thursday. “It definitely gave me some motivation.”

And a new jersey number.

Moser wears No. 43 for UNLV, and these days, opponents know better than to taunt the 6-foot-8 forward. Moser averages 14.5 points and 11.5 rebounds for the Runnin’ Rebels, who host San Diego State in what could be the Mountain West Conference game of the year Saturday in Las Vegas.

The Aztecs are 6-1 in league play. UNLV is 5-2 and lost to San Diego State 69-67 on Jan. 14.

Moser, a redshirt sophomore, spoke about the game -- and his breakout season -- with ESPN.com during a phone interview following Thursday’s practice.

What’s the main thing you’re looking forward to the most about playing San Diego State?

Mike Moser: I’m definitely excited to get back at them. We’re back in first place, so we control our own destiny in the conference. That’s probably the biggest motivation for me, personally. It’s good to finally have a home game after such a long stretch of being away. We’ve had a week to rest and get healthy, so we should be ready.

What makes San Diego State so tough?

MM: Their personnel. They have shooters that can stretch the floor and guys that can really get into the paint and attack the basket. They’re so versatile as a team. They play with a center, two wings and two guards, so they’re fast. They get up and down the court just like we do. We match up really well.

Is there something you can do better than last time?

MM: We played pretty well as a whole. Defensively, as far as contesting 3-point shots, we need to do better. They made a lot of 3’s that really hurt us. I didn’t have one of my better games.

What’s the overall mind state of this team right now.

MM: We’re less than satisfied. We just lost a game we should’ve won (at Wyoming). There have been some other games we should’ve won, too. But at the same time, expectations weren’t as high as what we’re doing right now. We’ve shocked people a little bit. But I think we have so much more to do. We have seven more games in conference and then the conference tournament. There’s a lot we can accomplish, but it all starts with winning the game this Saturday. That will keep us on the path to keeping us feeling like we’re accomplishing some things.

How would you characterize your year so far?

MM: I’m definitely ecstatic about how things have ended up here. I get along with my teammates great. I feel like my year has gone fairly well. There are definitely some things to improve on, but overall, just being thrown into the system and “getting it” right away has been a good feeling.

Are you surprised that you’ve achieved a high level of success so quickly?

MM: Even when I wasn’t playing much at UCLA and when I was sitting out here during my transfer year, I never really stopped playing basketball. So it hasn’t really surprised me, because I never lost my feel for the game. I was always in the gym, always working. I was always confident that I could step in and play a role, whether it was scoring or defending.

A lot has been made about how many former UCLA players are doing well at other schools, guys like you and Chace Stanback (also at UNLV) and Matt Carlino (BYU) and Drew Gordon (New Mexico). What’s your take on that?

MM: It’s almost a compliment to UCLA. Their ability to get great players is phenomenal. For me personally, I just had trouble fitting into a system that really wasn’t comfortable to me. It’s tough for the coach sometimes, too. They can only play five players. When you bring in so many talented kids, everyone is going to want an opportunity. Everyone feels like they should play but the opportunities just aren’t there. Sometimes it’s just best to go elsewhere where you can get that opportunity instead of sticking it out and fighting for a spot. Everybody just has to decide that on their own.

What did you want to do more of at UCLA that you weren’t getting to do?

MM: Everything I’m doing here. Being able to rebound the ball and take it the length of the court or make a play for someone else. Handle the ball on the wing. A bunch of things like that.

After more than a year in Las Vegas, how have you been able to block out the distractions that come along with living in that city and focus on playing basketball?

MM: It just depends on the person. Las Vegas can really change you. If you’re all about school and staying in the gym and doing the right things, the temptations of Las Vegas won’t get to you as much. But if you like go out and do certain things that can get into the way of your goals, this may not be the place for you.

I hear you’re the team prankster. Have you done anything memorable lately?

MM: The one everyone still talks about about the milk story. I took a bowl of milk and put it under Chace Stanback’s bed until it got all old and nasty. He didn’t find it for about two weeks. The smell started seeping out of his room into the living room. It got so bad that he couldn’t sleep at night. I finally had to tell him what it was.

For full coverage of the Michigan State-Ohio State matchup, click here.

Friday

Iona at Loyola (ESPNU, 7 p.m. ET): Loyola coach Jimmy Patsos was peeved that his squad was left out of the TV BracketBusters games. Well, this one is on TV and it’s a shot for the Greyhounds to let the rest of the country know that the more publicized Gaels aren’t the only team in the MAAC. The teams are tied atop the league. This should be the MAAC tournament final, with one of the two earning the bid in Springfield, Mass., next month.

Saturday

Louisville at West Virginia (ESPN, noon ET): The Cardinals are rolling while the Mountaineers haven’t been the same since losing to Syracuse and failing to get that goaltending call on Jan. 28. If West Virginia doesn’t stop Louisville in transition, the Mountaineers are in serious trouble. But you have to expect WVU will get this win at home.

Virginia at North Carolina (ESPN3, 1 p.m. ET): The Cavaliers can disrupt the Tar Heels and control the tempo. The key will be how the Heels respond to their disheartening loss Wednesday to Duke. UNC is the more talented team, but are the Tar Heels mentally tough enough to bounce back and beat a disciplined Cavs squad?

Miami at Florida State (ESPN3, 1 p.m. ET): The Seminoles had to take care of business against the bottom of the ACC. But they didn’t for the second time when they were stunned at Boston College on Wednesday. Miami comes in on a roll after following up its win Sunday over Duke with a victory over Virginia Tech on Thursday. This could be one of the most evenly matched ACC games -- not involving Duke or Carolina -- the rest of the conference season.

Connecticut at Syracuse (1 p.m. ET): The Huskies need to show some pride and play well at Syracuse. Orange coach Jim Boeheim wasn’t at all pleased with his team’s effort Wednesday against Georgetown. UConn, meanwhile, is coming off a brutal performance Monday at Louisville. The Orange have more talent, depth and experience. UConn needs to create havoc on the defensive end to have a shot and Andre Drummond and Alex Oriakhi better play one of their best games to control the post.

Baylor at Missouri (ESPN3, 1:30 p.m. ET): The Bears got worked over by Kansas at home; Missouri is coming off a gritty victory at Oklahoma after beating Kansas in Columbia last Saturday. Separation has occurred in the Big 12, with Missouri and Kansas a game ahead of Baylor. The Bears had better find a way to defend. Missouri already proved it can win against a taller set. If Missouri wins, Baylor would not have beaten Mizzou or Kansas this season.

VCU at Old Dominion (2 p.m. ET): This should come as no surprise: VCU is on a roll and atop the CAA with Drexel and George Mason. ODU is a game behind after losing last week at Mason. If the Monarchs want a shot at the CAA title, they probably have to win this game. ODU gets one more shot at one of the leaders, hosting Drexel to end the season. All four are postseason teams, but only one might be in the NCAAs.

Wyoming at New Mexico (3:30 p.m. ET): The Lobos won where UNLV could not -- at Wyoming. New Mexico has quietly put together a potential MWC title season. UNM is tied with UNLV and a game behind San Diego State. This is another chance to stay in stride with the Rebels and Aztecs.

San Diego State at UNLV (4 p.m. ET): The Aztecs knocked off the Rebels in the final second Jan. 14 at Viejas Arena. Each has suffered a surprising road loss since, at Colorado State and Wyoming, respectively. Thomas & Mack will be rocking. The key will be if the Aztecs can again keep the Rebs off the backboards in key moments.

Wichita State at Creighton (ESPN2, 5 p.m. ET): The Bluejays are reeling, by their Missouri Valley standards, after losing two straight. Wichita State lost at home to Creighton on Dec. 31, and if the Shockers want to win the Valley regular-season title, they need to win this game. Don’t be surprised if this ends up being game two of three between these two Valley favorites. A meeting in St. Louis seems inevitable.

Kentucky at Vanderbilt (ESPN, 9 p.m. ET): The Wildcats have reached the toughest part of their road schedule -- at Vandy, at Mississippi State and at Florida before the end of the regular season. The Commodores certainly have the talent, experience and some beef to deal with Kentucky. But can they finish against UK, or any elite team? Vandy isn’t going to win the SEC. But this is a huge confidence game for the NCAAs.

Xavier at Temple (ESPN2, 9 p.m. ET): The Musketeers have been erratic. Temple hasn’t always been healthy. The Owls appear to be the front-runners in the A-10 -- at least at this point -- but X can upstage Temple with a victory in Philadelphia. This could be a decisive win for the Owls in their quest to win the league outright.

Here are five observations I have as we head into a compelling week of games:

1. The Mountain West is underrated: UNLV’s road loss at Wyoming on Saturday spoke to the entire Mountain West’s potency. The Runnin' Rebels' setback capped a stretch that included Air Force pushing UNLV into overtime, San Diego State getting crushed at Colorado State, and the Aztecs barely escaping Boise State. Joe Lunardi's most recent bracket included four Mountain West squads, as many projected bids as the ACC. But where’s the national love for this exciting league that’s much deeper than it appears to be on the surface? Pay attention to this conference in February.

2. The Pac-12 race is actually exciting: Let’s ignore the fact this could still be a one-bid league and the overall conference has been bested by multiple mid-major conferences this season. The Pac-12’s title race is compelling right now. Washington beat Arizona on the road last weekend and then overcame a late double-digit deficit to beat UCLA on Thursday. The Wildcats overcame Cal’s early 22-9 lead in one of the better matchups of the week: a 78-74 road win for Arizona, which it followed up with a victory at Stanford. The Pac-12 might end up with the most captivating finish in the country simply because so many teams possess questionable NCAA tourney résumés.

3. This might be Thad Matta's year: The Buckeyes have a killer instinct right now that the bulk of the country lacks. I’m usually annoyed by the nonstop mean-mugging in college basketball, but Jared Sullinger's scowl speaks to his passion. He wore it all afternoon during Ohio State’s win at Wisconsin. And I think his team is playing with that fire right now. I don’t think this Bucks squad is as good as the Greg Oden team from 2007, but it might be more aggressive. OSU's intensity and swagger are so high. This could be the one for Matta.

4. Missouri and Kansas might play three more times this season: One more in the regular season. Maybe one more in the Big 12 tourney. And maybe even another in the late rounds of the NCAA tournament. I didn’t come away from Missouri’s come-from-behind victory over Kansas with many reasons to criticize either squad. Both teams embraced the moment and the amazing atmosphere. They both have star power. And they’re equally relentless. I don’t know where the NCAA selection committee will put the two teams once the field of 68 is announced, but it was obvious Saturday that they’re both Final Four good.

5. The SEC is about to get interesting: Florida can beat Kentucky on Tuesday. I’m not saying the Gators will, but the way they spread the floor and Brad Beal's emergence as a stud have changed my entire outlook on this group. They beat a good Vanderbilt squad Saturday and they’re really creating all sorts of matchup issues in the SEC. Can’t wait to see what happens when they play at Rupp.

Andy Katz, Doug Gottlieb and Joe Lunardi share their thoughts on Kansas-Missouri and the biggest winners and losers of Saturday.