A Shocker In The Big East ... Kansas Heads To NCAAs On A Roll
(AP) - A shocking upset in college basketball -- for the first time since 1993, Seton Hall is Big East tournament champion.
The unranked Pirates stunned third-ranked Villanova 69-67 behind 26 points from Isaiah Whitehead. The third-seeded Pirates earned the Big East's automatic bid into the NCAA tourney. It's the first time in 10 years Seton Hall is going to the NCAA tourney.
In other conference tournament action:
- Top-ranked Kansas rolls into the NCAA tournament on a 14-game winning streak. The Jayhawks beat ninth-ranked West Virginia 81-71 for their 10th Big 12 title. Devonte (deh-VAHN'-tay) Graham led the Jayhawks with a career-high 27. Wayne Selden Jr. added 21. West Virginia's Devin Williams led all scorers with 31 points and 10 rebounds.
- Texas A&M and Kentucky will battle it out for the Southeastern Conference championship on Sunday. The 17th-ranked Aggies rolled over LSU 71-38 as Tonny Trocha-Morales scored 13 points. Before the game A&M announced a new five-year deal with coach Billy Kennedy.
In the second semifinal Jamal Murray had 26 points and Tyler Ulis added 25 as the 16th-ranked Wildcats beat Georgia 93-80.
- In Sunday's Big Ten title game Purdue, the 13th-ranked team in the AP poll, is going to face second-ranked Michigan State. The Boilermakers got 27 points and 11 rebounds from A.J. Hammons in their 76-59 win over Michigan. In the Spartans' 64-61 win over 18th-ranked Maryland Denzel Valentine had 18 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds.
No. 4 Virginia looks to stake a claim to the ACC Tournament title when it takes on seventh-ranked North Carolina, which is also eyeing a top seed. The Tar Heels are in the final for the fifth time in the past six years. They have gone 0-4 in that span. It's a nail-biter with North Carolina holding a 46-44 lead midway through the second half.
- The winner of the Conference U.S.A. tournament is Middle Tennessee. The Blue Raiders are headed to the NCAA Tournament after a 55-53 win over Old Dominion.
- Marvelle Harris scored 18 points to lead Fresno State to a 68-63 victory over San Diego State to win the Mountain West Tournament title and earn its first NCAA berth since 2001.
- Hampton wins the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference title by beating South Carolina State 81-69. Brian Darden led the Pirates with 22.
- Fresno State is Mountain West champion after beating San Diego State 68-63. It's Fresno's first tourney appearance since 2001.
- Buffalo is in the NCAA tourney for the second straight year. The Bulls posted a 64-61 win over Akron in the title game on Blake Hamilton's 3-pointer with 2 seconds left.
- And Vermont is going to the NCAAs after beating New Hampshire 63-56 to win the America East.
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