The final weekend of the college basketball regular season delivered statement wins, stunning upsets and shifting conference races as teams jockeyed for position ahead of conference tournaments and Selection Sunday.
In the SEC, No. 7 Florida clinched at least a share of the regular-season title with a dominant 111-77 win over Arkansas, capping an unbeaten February and cementing its status as a top contender heading into postseason play.
The Big Ten saw one of the weekend’s biggest surprises when Ohio State knocked off No. 8 Purdue, 82-74. The Buckeyes leaned on a 21-point performance from John Mobley Jr. to secure the upset and strengthen their postseason résumé.
Notre Dame delivered late drama in the ACC, rallying past N.C. State, 96-90, in overtime. Cole Certa poured in 32 points, including 12 in the extra session, as the Irish dented the Wolfpack’s hopes for a top-four conference finish.
Elsewhere, No. 12 Nebraska dealt USC an 82-67 loss in a setback compounded by news that leading scorer Chad Baker-Mazara is no longer with the Trojans. In a marquee matchup, Kansas topped No. 17 Tennessee, 81-76, adding another quality win as tournament seeding approaches.
At the top of the ACC, Duke continued its steady dominance with a 77-51 rout of Virginia, locking in its position atop the conference standings. Michigan remained in the upper tier of the Big Ten with additional wins over Minnesota and Illinois, while Kentucky closed its regular season with a narrow 75-74 loss to Auburn.
On the women’s side, South Carolina and LSU delivered a thriller billed as an instant classic in front of a sold-out crowd, while Radford rolled to a 95-54 victory over Presbyterian to reinforce its standing as a Big South favorite.
Conference tournaments begin Monday, officially ushering in the chaos of March. The NCAA tournament bracket will be revealed March 15.
In the NBA, playoff positioning tightened across both conferences. The New York Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs, 114-89, while the Cleveland Cavaliers edged the Brooklyn Nets, 106-102. The Memphis Grizzlies handled the Indiana Pacers, 125-106, and the Detroit Pistons beat the Orlando Magic, 106-92.
The Boston Celtics topped the Philadelphia 76ers, 114-98, and the Los Angeles Lakers rolled past the Sacramento Kings, 128-104. In the Western Conference, the Minnesota Timberwolves outlasted the Denver Nuggets, 117-108, the Chicago Bulls defeated the Milwaukee Bucks, 120-97, and the Atlanta Hawks overwhelmed the Portland Trail Blazers, 135-101. The Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Dallas Mavericks, 100-87, and the Los Angeles Clippers cruised past the New Orleans Pelicans, 137-117.
In the NHL, the Pittsburgh Penguins blanked the Vegas Golden Knights, 5-0. The Chicago Blackhawks topped the Utah Mammoth, 4-0, while the Florida Panthers fell to the New York Islanders, 5-4. The Winnipeg Jets edged the San Jose Sharks, 2-1, and the St. Louis Blues beat the Minnesota Wild, 3-1. The Anaheim Ducks secured a 3-2 shootout win over the Calgary Flames.
Source: nba.com, nhl.com, The Athletic, ESPN