Overview
- Troy secured the Sun Belt’s automatic berth by beating Georgia Southern 77-61 behind Thomas Dowd’s 23 points and 13 rebounds.
- Georgia Southern’s bid fell short after five wins in five days to reach the final, a rare run that reshaped the Sun Belt bracket.
- Furman earned the Southern Conference title to book an automatic spot, joining recently clinched champions LIU, Tennessee State, Northern Iowa, High Point, Queens and North Dakota State.
- The Big 12 tournament opens in Kansas City with Arizona as the No. 1 seed and Houston No. 2, with bracketologists projecting multiple league teams safely in the NCAA field.
- Bubble outlooks vary by outlet, with differing Last Four In/First Four Out lists, Santa Clara strengthening its case after a WCC semifinal win, and Big East chatter centering on three locks (UConn, St. John’s, Villanova) as others seek a bid via MSG.