Saturday night was a night of determining conference champions, four crowned on the night, two via a blowout. Villanova and Arizona cruised to Big East and Pac-12 titles, while Notre Dame and Iowa State outlasted close games for ACC and Big 12 championships.
Jerian Grant led the Fighting Irish with 24 points, as they used a 26-3 2nd-half run to defeat the North Carolina Tar Heels 90-82. Notre Dame trailed by as many as 9 points, but they finished shooting 54 percent from the floor to erase the deficit. Pat Connaughton added 20 points for the Irish in the victory.
Notre Dame wins their first ACC title after never reaching the conference title game in their 18 years in the Big East, reaching the semifinals 6 times.
Grant was named tournament MVP after shooting 15-for-18 from the free throw line and adding 10 assists. He is a key component for Notre Dame, and that was obvious when the 2nd-year ACC team lost 17 games while Grant was suspended last season.
13th-ranked Iowa State mounted a comeback of their own, taking down the 9th-ranked Kansas Jayhawks 70-66 for the Big 12 title. The Cyclones trailed by as many as 17 in the game, but Georges Niang led the comeback with 19 points. Abdel Nader hit the go-ahead free throws with 48 seconds remaining.
It was the 5th straight game that Iowa State rallied from a double-digit deficit, including all 3 tournament games. Nader finished with 13 points, while Jameel McKay and Monte Morris each added 11 in the win. It is the second straight Big 12 tourney title for the Cyclones, as they defeated the same Kansas team a season ago.
4th-ranked Villanova had no problem clinching their Big East title, blowing out Xavier 69-52 on Saturday. Josh Hart scored 15 points to lead the Wildcats to their 2nd tournament title. Dylan Ennis added 16, while Darrun Hilliard added 12 for a Nova team that is entering the NCAA tournament on a 15-game winning streak.
Meanwhile, the 5th-ranked Arizona Wildcats had the same success, clinching the Pac-12 title with an 80-52 blowout of Oregon. It is their first Pac-12 tourney title in the last 13 years, as they were playing in their second straight title game.
Brandon Ashley won the most outstanding player of the tournament following his 20-point performance. Stanley Johnson added 14 and T.J. McConnell recorded 12 points and 6 assists. The Wildcats finished shooting 54 percent from the floor, as they are a favorite to be a No. 1 seed in the tournament.
4 of the power 6 conferences have been determined, with the other 2 being decided on Sunday. Michigan State and No. 6 Wisconsin will battle for the Big Ten title, while top-ranked Kentucky will continue their pursuit of perfection when they battle No. 21 Arkansas for the SEC title.
Jerian Grant led the Fighting Irish with 24 points, as they used a 26-3 2nd-half run to defeat the North Carolina Tar Heels 90-82. Notre Dame trailed by as many as 9 points, but they finished shooting 54 percent from the floor to erase the deficit. Pat Connaughton added 20 points for the Irish in the victory.
Notre Dame wins their first ACC title after never reaching the conference title game in their 18 years in the Big East, reaching the semifinals 6 times.
Grant was named tournament MVP after shooting 15-for-18 from the free throw line and adding 10 assists. He is a key component for Notre Dame, and that was obvious when the 2nd-year ACC team lost 17 games while Grant was suspended last season.
13th-ranked Iowa State mounted a comeback of their own, taking down the 9th-ranked Kansas Jayhawks 70-66 for the Big 12 title. The Cyclones trailed by as many as 17 in the game, but Georges Niang led the comeback with 19 points. Abdel Nader hit the go-ahead free throws with 48 seconds remaining.
It was the 5th straight game that Iowa State rallied from a double-digit deficit, including all 3 tournament games. Nader finished with 13 points, while Jameel McKay and Monte Morris each added 11 in the win. It is the second straight Big 12 tourney title for the Cyclones, as they defeated the same Kansas team a season ago.
4th-ranked Villanova had no problem clinching their Big East title, blowing out Xavier 69-52 on Saturday. Josh Hart scored 15 points to lead the Wildcats to their 2nd tournament title. Dylan Ennis added 16, while Darrun Hilliard added 12 for a Nova team that is entering the NCAA tournament on a 15-game winning streak.
Meanwhile, the 5th-ranked Arizona Wildcats had the same success, clinching the Pac-12 title with an 80-52 blowout of Oregon. It is their first Pac-12 tourney title in the last 13 years, as they were playing in their second straight title game.
Brandon Ashley won the most outstanding player of the tournament following his 20-point performance. Stanley Johnson added 14 and T.J. McConnell recorded 12 points and 6 assists. The Wildcats finished shooting 54 percent from the floor, as they are a favorite to be a No. 1 seed in the tournament.
4 of the power 6 conferences have been determined, with the other 2 being decided on Sunday. Michigan State and No. 6 Wisconsin will battle for the Big Ten title, while top-ranked Kentucky will continue their pursuit of perfection when they battle No. 21 Arkansas for the SEC title.
