The college basketball regular season came to a close last week. This only means one thing: March Madness is back.
Several conference tournaments have begun, with teams across the country fighting for an automatic bid to the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament. For others, the next few days will determine if their name is worthy of being called on Selection Sunday.
Before the madness truly begins, let’s look at college basketball’s biggest upsets and top performers from last week, followed by my predictions for this week’s Power conference tournament champions.
Biggest Upsets
Saturday, Mar. 7: BYU 82, No. 10 Texas Tech 76
You can’t get any more unpredictable than 2025–26 BYU. After falling out of the top 25 due to several losses to unranked opponents, the Cougars rallied from an eight-point halftime deficit to stun No. 10 Texas Tech.
The duo of Robert Wright III and AJ Dybantsa has been nothing short of impressive this season. Wright, who transferred from Baylor, accounted for 27 points, six rebounds and two assists. Not to mention, 24 of his 27 points came in the second half.
Meanwhile, Dybantsa chipped in with a respective 21 points, six rebounds and four assists. He finished the regular season averaging 25.2 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.9 assists, boosting his claim for college basketball’s freshman of the year accolade.
Saturday, Mar. 7: Marquette 68, No. 4 UConn 62
Experts had the fourth-ranked UConn Huskies penciled in to win at least a share of the Big East regular season title on Saturday with a win over 11-19 Marquette. But then again, this is March.
The Huskies led the Golden Eagles throughout the majority of the first half, clinging to a measly 35-33 halftime lead.
Then, Marquette came back. Guard Royce Parham drilled a three-pointer nearly six minutes into the second half to give the Golden Eagles their first lead of the game, and rallied for a 68-62 win.
UConn head coach Dan Hurley was ejected in the game’s final seconds for arguing with an official, triggering a $25,000 fine by the Big East for unsportsmanlike conduct.
With the loss, the Huskies remain the two-seed for the Big East tournament, while St. John’s clinched the regular season title and the one-seed.
Saturday, Mar. 7: George Mason 86, No. 25 Saint Louis 57
The Robbie Avila-headed Saint Louis Billikens took their fourth loss of the season on Saturday to Atlantic 10 rival George Mason in crushing 86-57 fashion for both squads’ regular season finale.
The Patriots’ defense was stellar from start to finish, holding Avila to only two points throughout the whole game. Senior guard Jahari Long complemented their defense by adding 21 points and nine rebounds, followed by Korey Mincy’s 15 points, five rebounds and five assists.
The win marks George Mason’s first win over a ranked opponent since February of 2024, when they defeated then-No. 16 Dayton.
Though the now 23-8 Patriots are a long shot to receive an at-large bid for the Big Dance, an A-10 conference tournament victory is certainly not a long shot.
Top Performers
Cameron Boozer (forward), Duke, recorded a 26-point, 15-rebound and nine-assist double-double in top-ranked Duke’s 76-61 rivalry victory over North Carolina.
Brayden Burries (guard), Arizona, scored a career-high 31 points in the Wildcats’ 89-79 come-from-behind victory against Colorado.
Eian Elmer (guard), Miami Ohio, helped clinch the MAC regular season title and an undefeated regular season by recording 32 points and 12 assists in their overtime victory against Ohio.
Yaxel Lendeborg (guard), Michigan, scored 27 points, including 19 in the first half, in the No. 3 Wolverines’ 90-80 win over No. 8 Michigan State.
Xavier Amos (forward), Loyola-Chicago, added 25 points, four rebounds and one assist in a loss to No. 25 Saint Louis.
Conference Tournament Predictions
Big 12: Houston
The No. 5 Cougars, under the helm of head coach Kelvin Sampson, are a mark of consistency amongst the college basketball world. Entering the tournament as the two-seed, they’re poised to make a deep run in the Big Dance and are a favorite to defend their Big 12 crown. Though their road to the championship game will not be easy by any means, they have freshman guard Kingston Flemings in their back pocket, who is averaging 16.5 points, 3.9 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game. Coupled with their traditionally strong defense, the Cougars are my favorite to win the conference tournament.
ACC: Duke
How can you not pick Duke for this one? The No. 1 Blue Devils cruised to an ACC regular season title and have been, by far, the most dominant team in the conference. They’re led by forward Cameron Boozer, son of NBA legend Carlos Boozer, who is averaging 22.7 points, 10.2 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game. Not to mention, their rival, North Carolina, is banged up and without star freshman guard Caleb Wilson. Regardless, the Blue Devils are clear-cut favorites for this one.
Big Ten: Purdue
The No. 18 Boilermakers are fresh off a loss to unranked Wisconsin but have all the pieces of the puzzle to make a run and win the Big Ten title. With big man Trey Kaufman-Renn and two-time All-American guard Braden Smith, the “Spoiler Makers” possess one of the most balanced duos in the conference. If they can withstand the intensity of the loaded Big Ten tournament bracket, they have a strong shot at cutting down the nets at the United Center.
SEC: Florida
This one is tough. The SEC is as even a playing field as it gets, with five of its teams holding a spot in this week’s AP Top 25. However, it’s hard to pick against the defending national champions. After a slow start to the season, the No. 4 Gators soared up the rankings and clinched the regular season title. On top of that, they return many key players from last year’s season, like Thomas Haugh, Alex Condon and Rueben Chinyelu. They’re also joined by former Princeton star Xavian Lee, who seems right at home in Gainesville. Again, it’s hard to pick against this Florida team, despite such an even pool of teams.
Big East: UConn
If there’s anything I’ve learned about a Dan Hurley-coached UConn team, it’s that they always respond. We saw that last year when the Huskies were seconds away from upsetting the eventual national champion Florida in the Round of 32 after a fairly bad season for program standards. We saw what the Huskies are capable of doing earlier in the season, with wins over BYU, Kansas, St. John’s, Florida and Illinois. If they play like they did then, winning the tournament is the farthest thing from a pipe dream.