There wasn’t a lot happening tonight, but we’ll write about it anyway. This won’t be the longest post in bracketology history (that might be after Wednesday’s Thunderdome slate), but we are here to provide complete wraparound coverage.
And also to call Texas potentially a fraud?
Duke 76, NC State 64
NC State was going to need more than this to get on the bubble, but Duke might have put their protected seed in jeopardy with a loss (they’re a No. 4 in Joe Lunardi’s Bracketology as of now).
Despite the Blue Devils going down 9-2 early, and a very fun 27 point performance on 12-19 from the floor by NC State’s DJ Burns, there wasn’t much doubt in Raleigh. Jeremy Roach chipped in 21 for Duke, who coasted despite shooting just 9-30 from three-point range.
Baylor 93, Texas 85
This game was 30-16 Longhorns after eight minutes, and it looked like we might be in for a big upset in Waco. But as they have done so often under Scott Drew, the Bears just kept fighting and found a way to defend their home floor.
Max Abmas was once again the star for the Longhorns with 33 points on 13-21 from the field, but the loss of center Dylan Disu in the second half to what the broadcast called an ankle injury killed any chance of a big road win. The Bears went a gaudy 9-13 from three-point range, not a huge surprise for a team that shoots an eye-popping 40.4% from downtown on the season.
As far as the brackets, this would have locked it up for Texas, but who project between a No. 7 and No. 9 seed depending on where you look. For Baylor, their case for a protected seed improved as they get closer to the No. 3 line and relative safety.
The bigger issue in this one was sadness for Longhorns bettors, who even after the Disu injury only lost by the hook as Baylor closed as a 7.5-point favorite.