The GIST: The NCAA men’s basketball conference tournaments are officially heating up with automatic berths to the national tourney on the line. Even a college women’s hoops icon is locked in.
- It’ll be a few more days before our Selection Sunday Scroll lands in your inbox ahead of Sunday’s big decision shows, but trust us — the madness is already here. Here’s what’s happening and what to watch this weekend.
Freshman phenom Cooper Flagg injured: The No. 1 Duke superstar is all but guaranteed to be the No. 1 overall pick at this summer’s NBA Draft…as long as the ankle injury he sustained during yesterday’s ACC Tournament quarter-final matchup isn’t serious.
- Flagg is the centerpiece of the Blue Devils’ game plan — without him, they needed a big comeback to avoid an upset loss to Georgia Tech. No word on when he’ll be back, but it’s safe to say Duke’s shot at the ’ship takes a major hit if he’s on the sidelines.
Splashy finishes across conferences: Want a sneak peek of March’s trademark buzzer-beaters and instant classics? These tourneys have ’em. Last night alone, we saw jaw-dropping game winners by Ole Miss and Louisville, Texas’ double-overtime upset of No. 14 Texas A&M, and a record 28 three-pointers in No. 17 BYU’s win over No. 12 Iowa State. Sheesh.
Postseason push continues this weekend: As the clock ticks down to Sunday’s 6 p.m. ET selection show, bubble teams have a lot to prove if they want to lock in a bid to the Big Dance — especially blue-blooded UNC, who has a prime opportunity against potentially Flagg-less Duke in the conference semis tonight at 7 p.m. ET. No pressure.