When Georgetown lost 63-48 at home against Creighton and dropped to 5-10 overall on February 9, it seemed that the only good case for coach Patrick Ewing to keep his job for the fifth season could be the solid five-man recruiting class that he rode in the 2021 cycle. The Hoyas seemed lost in court, as they often did during the early years of Ewing’s term.
But after what Georgetown did on Friday night in a 66-58 Big East Tournament semifinal victory over Seton Hall, there is finally an achievement on the court for Ewing to tout. The No. 9 Hoyas are heading for the Big East Tournament title dispute for the first time in a decade, with their former central ace leading the wings.
This recruiting class – ranked tenth nationally now by 247Sports – is still coming, and now there is some tangible progress to pair with the group. Winning Saturday’s final is the only way for Georgetown (12-12) to qualify for the NCAA Tournament, but even if Hoyas falters, the end-of-season turnaround Ewing planned should be considered in high regard.
Unlike last season, when Hoyas lost seven in a row to close the year, this team is showing up on time, and that makes Georgetown and Ewing one of Friday’s obvious college basketball winners.
Spoiler: Ewing was not the only big-name coach in the sport to lead a No. 9 seed into a qualifying game for the NCAA Tournament as we approach Selection Sunday.
Winner: Rick Pitino and Iona
It looks like there might be a Pitino in this year’s NCAA tournament, after all. While Richard Pitino’s team in Minnesota faltered in the final stretch to get out of contention for a free offer at the Big Ten Tournament, his father’s first team in Iona is about to win automatic qualification. The number 9 of the Gaelic championship won its third game of the week by dropping Niagara’s 5th place in Friday’s semifinals to reach the title game on Saturday. If Iona wins, Pitino will join Lon Kruger and Tubby Smith as one of only three coaches to lead five programs for the NCAA Tournament.
Be careful, however, that the Gaels probably shouldn’t have been seed # 9, after 6-3 in the league game during the regular season. They only got that bad seed because MAAC sowed their tournament by the total number of victories instead of the percentage of victories. – Cobb
In a normal year, Virginia and Kansas would have no reason to worry if they were playing in the NCAA tournament. Both teams had solid seasons, which makes them very worthy of receiving general proposals for Big Dance. Instead, however, both programs will be awaiting pins and needles for COVID-19 results and contact tracking measures after being eliminated from their conference tournaments on Friday, as each had a positive player test. .
His problems with COVID-19 have disrupted two of the most attractive conference tournaments and have reminded everyone that the virus will be a force to be reckoned with during the NCAA Tournament. – Cobb
Winner: Arkansas remains strong, SEC tournament advances
Arkansas won its 12th (!) Consecutive game against an SEC opponent on Friday in Missouri’s 70-64 defeat. Few teams have been as hot or lethal as in the past two months, and this was a picturesque example of how that team can be balanced. Check it out: freshman star Moses Moody – the team’s top scorer – scored just five points in the win. But JD Notae, who averages less than 13 points per game and was dealing with an illness, took the day off and scored 27 points on the bench.
“He played phenomenally,” said Arkansas coach Eric Musselman of Notae. “He threw up at one point, so he threw up again at halftime. I didn’t know if he was going to go out and play in the second half. I think it was some food, to be honest with you.”
This is a dangerous squad coached by Musselman who is gaining confidence every day and improving his seed line quickly in the process. They entered the 3rd seed in Jerry Palm’s Bracketology and were unable to avoid victory. If there is a team that is not receiving the proper title as a true and legitimate candidate for the title, it is Arkansas. – Boone
Loser: Blueblood dominance in the ACC tournament
Duke was forced to flee the ACC tournament because a player tested positive and North Carolina was eliminated on Friday with a 69-66 loss to the state of Florida. This means that the ACC tournament title game on Saturday will be the first since 1996 in which neither Duke nor North Carolina will be featured. 1996! The year “Macarena” ended the year in the Billboard Top 100. Does it make you feel old? – Boone
Winner: Iowa defeats the Badgers peat
Iowa picked up the broom and started sweeping Friday night, when he knocked Wisconsin down in the Big Ten Tournament 62-57 quarterfinals. It was the Hawkeyes’ third victory over Wisconsin this season, but arguably the most important, as it kept Iowa alive for the tournament title and marked the team’s eighth victory in nine games. – Boone
Winner: Cade Cunningham, Cowboys continue cruising
Oklahoma State won their eighth game in their last nine games on Friday, when they surprised runner-up Baylor – the best-placed team in the Big 12 Tournament – with an 83-74 win. It was a continuation of dominance for the Cowboys and freshman star Cade Cunningham, who led the way with 25 points and led his team through the final stretch. OSU entered the day with the seed projected third in the key of the CBS sports Bracketology specialist Jerry Palm, but a victory over a first seed designed in Baylor and perhaps another on a Saturday in the title game against Texas has this team on the rise as fast as any sports team now. – Boone
There has been a sense of celebration around Wichita state basketball in recent weeks. The Shockers forcefully closed the regular season to win first place in the AAC Tournament and removed coach Isaac Brown’s provisional label as a reward for the work he did leading the team this season after Gregg Marshall’s resignation.
But the Shockers almost suffered a shocking defeat in the quarterfinals of the AAC Tournament on Friday. They were losing in 9th place in South Florida by 41-32 at the break before fighting for a 68-67 victory. A defeat would have been a crushing blow to their hopes for a general offer for the NCAA Tournament, and this team may not yet be free. Wichita State needs to win its semifinal game against No. 5 seed Cincinnati on Saturday, because even that would be considered a bad loss in the diluted AAC. If the Shockers manage to win another victory, they may finally be able to exhale and enjoy what has been a season of renewal. – Cobb
Loser: Seton Hall’s hopes in general suffer a big blow
An already unstable CV from Seton Hall suffered a blow on Friday when it fell 66-58 to Patrick Ewing’s Georgetown Hoyas. The Pirates (14-13) may be kissing their hopes of goodbye from the NCAA Tournament with that one. They have lost five of their last six games with just one win over bubbly St. John’s in the past three weeks. After entering the day in need of quality victories and still outside looking at Jerry Palm’s tournament projections, this stumbling block may cost them the chance to go dancing. – Boone
Winner: Alabama looks lethal
So, if Alabama wins the SEC tournament, can it steal the fourth seed No. 1 in the NCAA tournament? It’s a topic worth considering, as the Crimson Tide looked absolutely lethal in an attack on the SEC’s quarter-finals tournament in Mississippi on Friday. The 85-48 prank on the number 9 Bulldogs offered a perfect display of the stubborn defense and 3-point aim that led Alabama to the SEC’s regular season title. If that leads to a SEC tournament title as well, you can make a compelling case for the Crimson Tide to be at the top of the seed line. – Cobb
Loser: Big Ten’s sporting spirit
Apparently, there was some persistent disagreement between Michigan and Maryland over the two regular season meetings. Whatever the issue, it spread significantly during the Wolverines’ 79-66 Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal victory. Michigan coach Juwan Howard received two technical fouls and had to be stopped from stepping on Turgeon in the middle of the second half. Turgeon also provoked T, and the ordeal seemed to benefit Maryland at first. But after a brief 5-0 run for the Terrapins, Michigan shot off the home stretch for its third win in the series this season. – Cobb
Winner: the state of Ohio looks like itself
After losing four games in a row to end the regular season and then struggling to make it past a faltering Minnesota team in Thursday’s second round of the Big Ten Tournament, the State of Ohio has finally started to look like itself again on Friday. Buckeyes’ number 4 surpassed 5th Purdue by 87-78 in overtime, despite losing striker Kyle Young to an injury early in the second half after he exploded to 18 points in the first half. Resilience continued into overtime after top scorer EJ Liddell missed the Buckeyes. This team has already been on Palm’s projected # 1 seed line in Bracketology and fell to the # 2 seed line during their fights at the end of the season. Purdue’s victory should help to stabilize things, however. – Cobb
Loser: Jackson State tournament dreams are dashed
March can be as cruel as it is cool, and no team has learned firsthand the agony of defeat and the truth of that claim than Jackson State, which fell 84-81 in overtime for Texas Southern in the SWAC semifinals. The Tigers were a perfect 11-0 in the SWAC regular season game and suffered a defeat last time on December 20, 2020, but the impressive stumble dashed their hopes at the NCAA Tournament after a brilliant season. Texas Southern will face the winner of Grambling State and Prairie View A&M for the league’s automatic offer on Saturday. – Boone
Winner: State of Florida dismisses uncomfortable UNC team
In its third appearance in the ACC Tournament semifinals in four seasons, Florida State successfully advanced to the title game on Friday by defeating North Carolina 69-66. The Seminoles, a seed in Jerry Palm’s Bracketology, stopped a Tar Heels team that exploded in the second half to beat them by 42-34, behind Balso Koprivica with 17 points and 11 rebounds. They face Georgia Tech on Saturday with a chance to win their second ACC tournament championship. – Boone