Despite a litany of injuries to key players, Villanova rallied to win seven of its final 10 games to secure a berth in the National Invitation Tournament.

The Wildcats will travel to face No. 2 seed Liberty on Tuesday in Lynchburg, Va.

Justin Moore, who ruptured his Achilles in the Elite Eight last season against Houston, missed 20 games this season. Big East Freshman of the Year Cam Whitmore was sidelined for the first seven games following surgery on his right thumb. And Jordan Longino was out for eight games in the middle of the Big East schedule with a hamstring injury.

Villanova (17-16) was ousted by Creighton, 87-74, in the quarterfinals of the Big East tournament.

“Our defense wasn’t bad. I thought they got into transition a little too much and hurt us there,” said first-year head coach Kyle Neptune, who replaced Hall of Famer Jay Wright this season. “As the game went on, we had to play catch up and we got a little loose defensively because of that.”

The Wildcats, who won national championships in 2016 and 2018, last appeared in the NIT in 2004.

Liberty earned its first-ever bid into the NIT and will look to defeat Villanova in the first-ever meeting between the two schools.

The Flames (26-8) picked up a share of the ASUN regular-season title with a 15-3 mark.

Liberty fell 67-66 to Kennesaw State in a memorable conference tournament championship game.

Kyle Rode scored a season-high 23 points and became the 31st player to reach 1,000 points in program history. Rode shot 9 of 14 from the field, including 4 of 7 from 3-point territory.

Rode entered the game with 999 career points.

While Liberty came up just short of an NCAA Tournament bid, it will continue to compete in a loaded NIT field.

“Congratulations to Kennesaw. They were a tough out today,” Liberty coach Ritchie McKay said. “I’m disappointed that we didn’t advance to the NCAA Tournament. That’s something that our program has had the blessing of participating in. It’s a lifelong memory when you make it there. Kennesaw deserved it. I’m really proud of our group, though. I think this is as resilient of a team as we’ve had, and I think there might be some more basketball left for us.”

–Field Level Media

Duke is playing its best basketball at the right time. Seeded fifth in the East Region of the NCAA Tournament, the Blue Devils will put their winning streak on the line against No. 12 Oral Roberts on Thursday in Orlando, Fla.

Since losing back-to-back games at then-No. 19 Miami and then-No. 8 Virginia in early February, Duke (26-8) has won nine straight games. That run was capped off with an Atlantic Coast Conference tournament title last weekend in Greensboro, N.C. as the Blue Devils beat Pitt, Miami and Virginia on consecutive days.

First-year Duke head coach Jon Scheyer became just the third ACC coach to win a conference tournament in his first season on the job. He is also the first to win an ACC title as a player and a head coach.

This Duke roster is a bit different than the one that went to the Final Four last season in Mike Krzyzewski’s final season at the helm. Scheyer brought in six freshmen and four transfers, with veteran guard Jeremy Roach as the lone returning starter.

One of those freshmen is Dereck Lively, who is heading into the tournament with confidence after averaging 8.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.3 blocks and 2.0 assists in the ACC Tournament.

“Oh, we’re going to be real dangerous coming into the tournament,” Lively told the Raleigh News & Observer. “We’re on a hot streak. We just put our mindset to it. Coming into every game with something to achieve and a chip on our shoulder. That’s how we’re going to keep approaching it.”

Lively isn’t the only Duke rookie playing well. Kyle Filipowski won the ACC Tournament’s MVP after averaging 19.7 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game while shooting 66.7 percent from the floor across three games in Greensboro.

“Flip had a look from the beginning that I thought knocked (Virginia) back with how he attacked the basket and how he was moving,” Scheyer said. “It was just at a big-time level.”

Duke is heading to the NCAA Tournament for the 45th time, but for the first time without Krzyzewski on the bench since 1980.

The Blue Devils’ opponent, Oral Roberts, is appearing in the tournament for just the seventh time, but for the second time in the last three seasons. The Golden Eagles were a No. 15 seed in 2021 and upset Ohio State and Florida en route to a Sweet 16 appearance.

Oral Roberts (30-4) is riding a 17-game winning streak and went 18-0 in the Summit League.

Max Abmas was a breakout national star for the Golden Eagles team that went to the Sweet 16 in 2021. He scored 29 points against Ohio State, 26 against Florida and 25 in a 72-70 loss to third-seeded Arkansas.

Abmas leads the team in scoring this season with 22.2 points per game and has buried 117 3-pointers.

“We got to experience what it was like to play at the highest level and to win games in the tournament,” Abmas told Sports Illustrated. “We understand what it takes.”

Oral Roberts is coached by Paul Mills, who is in his sixth season as the Golden Eagles’ head coach. He was previously an assistant at Baylor for 14 seasons.

“We obviously would have been happy with whoever we played, but everybody’s familiar with Duke,” Mills said. “It’s a historical, storied program. Thursday we’ll tip it off and we’ll be ready to go.”

–Field Level Media

Texas is cramming to get to know Tucker Richardson and Colgate as the Longhorns prepare for the No. 15 seed in the Midwest Region and a Thursday night NCAA Tournament first-round matchup in Des Moines, Iowa.

Richardson had 14 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists in Colgate’s Patriot League championship game, becoming the only Division I player with a triple-double in a conference title game over the last 25 seasons.

Texas (26-8) and Colgate (26-8) play before seventh-seeded Texas A&M meets 10th-seeded Penn State, and the winners will play Saturday.

Interim head coach Rodney Terry said the second-seeded Longhorns aren’t looking ahead at old rival A&M, or to the top of the Midwest bracket at Houston.

“Colgate will be on our minds, and that’s what we’re going to start working on,” Terry said.

Terry, who replaced head coach Chris Beard on Dec. 12 following the domestic violence arrest that led to his dismissal at UT, also insists he’s not worried about peeling off the interim label from his coaching title.

“I always tell our guys, live where your feet are, live in the present,” Terry said. “This team has been on an incredible journey. I’ve enjoyed being with them on this incredible journey. We’re going to try to go as far as we can. Really, that’s been my focus the entire time.”

Texas has potent senior guards with Marcus Carr leading the team in scoring at 15.9 points per game and Sir’Jabari Rice close behind. Rice has five 20-point games in the Longhorns’ last 13 outings.

Both teams launch 3-pointers at a liberal clip, with Colgate shooting 41 percent on the season and averaging 78.6 points per game. Texas shoots 34 percent from deep and averages 77.9 points.

It’s the fourth NCAA Tournament appearance in five years for Colgate, but the Raiders are 0-3 in those first-round games. Coach Matt Langel said he will have Colgate ready after winning 20 of its past 21 games entering Thursday’s date with the Big 12 tournament champion Longhorns.

“You’re gonna have to finish plays at the rim, make open shots, be connected on the offensive end and run good offense against a team that’s athletically and size-wise different from what you’ve been playing against,” Langel said.

The Raiders are attempting to repeat the run of No. 15 Saint Peter’s in 2022, and know Oral Roberts also advanced from the 15 line in 2021. Saint Peter’s was the first 15 to get past the Sweet 16 on a run that began by knocking off Kentucky.

A win over Texas would make Colgate the 11th No. 15 seed to advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. No. 15 seeds have a 10-138 record against second-seeded teams.

Texas last won two games in the NCAA Tournament to advance to the Sweet 16 in 2008.

–Field Level Media

Temple’s Aaron McKie will not continue as coach and will serve as a special adviser to the athletic department, the university announced Monday.

McKie went 52-56 in four seasons at Temple, including a 16-16 record this season. The Owls concluded the season by being routed 84-54 by Cincinnati in the American Athletic Conference tournament quarterfinals.

“I want to thank Temple for the opportunity and privilege to serve as the head men’s basketball coach,” McKie, 50, said in a press release. “I wish nothing but the best for Temple’s student-athletes and the University moving forward. Temple has been and always will be home for me and I wish the program nothing but success.”

McKie was a star player for Temple from 1991-94 and averaged 17.9 points and 6.4 rebounds over three seasons. He was a first-round draft pick (17th overall) by the Portland Trail Blazers in the 1994 draft and played 13 NBA seasons.

McKie’s best mark at Temple was 17-12 in 2021-22 but he was unable to steer the Owls into postseason play.

“Aaron has been a role model both as a student-athlete, a professional player and as our coach, representing the university and the program in the finest manner,” Temple athletic director Arthur Johnson said in a statement. “We are extremely grateful for his service to Temple and the men’s basketball program.”

–Field Level Media

San Diego State was grateful to earn a No. 5 seed for the NCAA Tournament, but coach Brian Dutcher said that number won’t matter when the Aztecs tip off against 12th-seeded Charleston on Thursday afternoon in Orlando, Fla.

“You have to go play, and the better team will win on Thursday,” Dutcher said. “We have to be prepared and we have to be the better team.”

San Diego State (27-6) was the best team in the Mountain West Conference during the regular season and again during last week’s conference tournament.

The Aztecs won the MWC by two games over Utah State, and then beat the Aggies 62-57 to win the tournament title on Saturday in Las Vegas.

“We know we’ve got a lot of potential to make some noise in March Madness,” said San Diego State leading scorer Matt Bradley. “We’re not putting a number on what it’s going to be, but we’re just going to do the best we can.”

Depth has been the strong suit for San Diego State this season.

Three different players led the Aztecs in scoring during their three-game sweep at the MWC tournament, and seven different players led the team in scoring during conference play.

Bradley is the only player who averages double figures in scoring (12.9) for San Diego State.

“We have to play up to our standard and I think, for the most part, we’ve done that,” Dutcher said. “So, that’s what the message is going to be playing on Thursday. We have to play at our best. If they play better than that, then we’ll tip our hat to them, but at our best we’re pretty hard to beat.”

San Diego State will have a disadvantage when it comes to travel.

The Aztecs will fly 5 1/2 hours to Orlando, while Charleston is about the same proximity by bus.

“Obviously, a lot closer for them than it is for us, but we can’t control that,” said Dutcher, who has yet to win an NCAA Tournament game in three prior appearances. “All we can worry about are the things we can control and that’s getting ready, preparing and trying to be our best when our best is required.”

Charleston (31-3) enters the tournament riding a 10-game winning streak. The Cougars beat Towson and UNC Wilmington in back-to-back five-point games last weekend to win the Colonial Athletic Association tournament title and earn a berth in the NCAA Tournament for just the second time since 1999.

“There’s nothing like the national tournament,” Charleston coach Pat Kelsey said. “Some people say the Super Bowl is the greatest spectacle in American sports, but I say it’s the NCAA Tournament.”

Charleston has five players who average double figures in scoring, but none averages more than 12.3 points.

Ante Brzovic, a 6-10 forward from Croatia, could pose the biggest challenge for the Aztecs. He averaged 16.7 points and eight rebounds in the three wins at the CAA tournament last weekend.

San Diego State and the Cougars have one common opponent this season.

Charleston beat Colorado State 74-64 on Nov. 18 at the Shriner’s Children’s Charleston Classic.

The Aztecs won all three meetings against the Rams this season. One game went to overtime, and San Diego State barely squeaked by Colorado State 64-61 in a quarterfinal game on Thursday.

–Field Level Media

Even though Iowa and Auburn entered the 2022-23 campaign trying to replace their top performer from last season, neither missed a beat.

The Tigers watched the Houston Rockets select Jabari Smith Jr. with the third overall pick of the 2022 NBA Draft, and the Hawkeyes felt the exit of Keegan Murray, who went to the Sacramento Kings at No. 4.

Now eighth-seeded Iowa and ninth-seeded Auburn measure up in mid-March without those pieces clash on Thursday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Birmingham, Ala.

Smith led the Tigers to the second round of the NCAA Tournament last season, while Murray and the Hawkeyes were a first-round exit. Both squads will be hoping to improve upon last year’s showing, although neither has necessarily been peaking at the right time.

Auburn (20-12) has dropped three of its last four games, most recently falling 76-73 to Arkansas last Thursday in the second round of the Southeastern Conference tournament.

K.D. Johnson had a game-high 20 points and Allen Flanigan added 15 for the Tigers, but Auburn’s defense struggled, allowing the Razorbacks to shoot 56 percent from the field.

Tigers coach Bruce Pearl is banking on Thursday’s venue providing an atmosphere that helps Auburn break out of its cold spell.

“To be in Birmingham, for our fans and for our students, it’s just awesome,” Pearl said. “Hopefully, we’ll get great support and see if we can have a shining moment or two.”

However, Iowa guard Connor McCaffery thinks otherwise.

“What you’ve got to know is we’re playing in Birmingham and Alabama’s there, so they’re going to be rooting for us,” McCaffery said. “Because they hate Auburn.”

The Hawkeyes (19-13) could use some fan support considering they have lost four of their last six games. Like the Tigers, Iowa also got bounced in the second round of its conference tournament, dropping a 73-69 decision to Ohio State.

Filip Rebraca paced the Hawkeyes with 20 points and seven rebounds, while Kris Murray and Tony Perkins supplied 17 and 16 points, respectively. Iowa was within two with 20 seconds left, but the Buckeyes’ Justice Sueing converted a pair of foul shots with 10 seconds remaining to ice the game.

With his brother now in the NBA, Kris Murray has stepped into the spotlight for the Hawkeyes. He’s averaging 20.4 points and 7.9 rebounds per game and is eager to carry the team well past the first round.

“Just get our mojo back, especially just shooting the ball,” Kris Murray said of what it will take for Iowa to make a deep run in the tournament. “Defensively we’re gonna be locked in these next few games ‘cause we know it’s gonna be win or go home.

“We don’t got another opportunity to play at this level, so we definitely have to understand that.”

Savoring the moment has been a common theme on both sides, especially for Pearl, who will be coaching a team in the NCAA Tournament for the 12th time.

“No matter how old you get or how long you’ve been doing it, it’s still very special to see your name and hear your name called,” Pearl said. “I just cannot take making this tournament for granted.”

–Field Level Media

Azuolas Tubelis has been Arizona’s best player all season, but the junior big man has some unfinished business in the NCAA Tournament as the second-seeded Wildcats take on No. 15 seed Princeton in the South region’s first round Thursday in Sacramento, Calif.

Tubelis is on pace to become the seventh player to lead the Pac-12 in scoring (19.8) and rebounding (9.3), and he is coming off a double-double in a win against UCLA that gave Arizona (28-6) its second consecutive conference tournament title.

What he is sure to hear plenty of this week is how he performed in last season’s NCAA tourney, which ended for Arizona in the Sweet 16.

In the final two games — against a pair of rugged defensive teams in TCU and Houston — Tubelis had as many turnovers as points (seven) and shot 2-of-15 from the field. He was 0-for-8 in the loss to Houston.

“I know last year he had some bad games,” Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd said. “I know he’s playing well right now. I know he’s had a great year, and I know he’s a really good player. And the look he has in his eye right now, I would assume he’s going to stay focused and keep playing at a high level.”

Tubelis and the rest of Arizona’s high-scoring cast — the Wildcats average 82.7 points, fifth nationally — will try to keep the momentum going against Princeton (21-8), which earned an automatic bid into the NCAAs by defeating Yale 74-65 in the title game of the Ivy League tournament. This is the Tigers’ first appearance in the Big Dance since 2017.

Arizona will have the edge up front with Tubelis and burly 7-footer Oumar Ballo (14.2 points, 8.5 rebounds per game), but Princeton rebounds well for its size. The 6-foot-8 Tosan Evbuomwan averages a team-high 15.0 points per game and is second in rebounding at 6.2. Caden Pierce pulls down 7.1 rebounds per game and has double-doubles in three consecutive games.

“We can match up with a very physical group,” Princeton coach Mitch Henderson said. “The way we play, we’re putting a lot of shooting on the floor, and it’s an unusual thing.”

Princeton has four players who have attempted more than 100 3-pointers, including Matt Allocco at 40.7 percent (44 of 108). The Tigers shot 34.4 percent as a team. Arizona can match and then some, hitting at 38.2 percent behind the arc.

A couple of injuries to watch for Arizona: Point guard Kerr Kriisa subluxed his right shoulder in the Pac-12 quarterfinals, and Ballo said he broke his left hand in Friday night’s semifinal. Kriisa’s shooting seemed affected at times, but he played the next two games with only two turnovers. Ballo had 13 points and eight rebounds in the title game against UCLA.

“So we’re just going to keep riding that out. I’m sure everybody has nagging injuries. I mean, it’s just that time of year,” Lloyd said. “We have a tough, resilient group. I think our guys love each other and love playing for each other, and if they have to endure a little bit of pain to do that, I think they’re willing to do that.”

Arizona and Princeton have played only once, on Dec. 27, 1985, in Tucson, Ariz. The Wildcats won 54-41.

–Field Level Media

Coaches Steve Pikiell and Speedy Claxton are aware today’s college basketball players don’t remember the days when the NIT was viewed as a prestigious postseason tournament.

But Pikiell and Claxton fondly remember those days, and part of their preparation time Sunday and Monday was spent offering a history lesson to their Rutgers and Hofstra players and reminding them that playing in the NIT is an opportunity most of their peers will not receive.

No. 1 seed Rutgers is slated to host Hofstra in the first round of the NIT on Tuesday night in Piscataway, N.J.

Rutgers, one of the top four seeds in the 32-team field, last played Friday, when the Scarlet Knights’ NCAA Tournament hopes ended with a 70-65 loss to Purdue in the Big Ten quarterfinals.

Hofstra’s bid to reach the NCAA Tournament ended March 6, when the Pride fell to UNC Wilmington 79-73 in overtime in the CAA tournament semifinals.

While Hofstra has spent the last week-plus readying for an NIT appearance — the Pride earned the CAA’s automatic bid by winning the regular-season championship — the Scarlet Knights (19-14) watched the NCAA Tournament selection show Sunday night with hopes of receiving an at-large bid for the third straight season.

But Rutgers’ weak nonconference schedule, ranked No. 314 nationally per the NET, and 3-7 record since forward Mawot Mag suffered a season-ending knee injury on Feb. 4, resulted in the school’s 15th trip to the NIT and its first since 2006.

Pikiell said he has fond memories of winning the NIT with UConn in 1988 — when the Huskies were feted with a parade in downtown Hartford — and hoped the Scarlet Knights would be rejuvenated by the ability to continue their season.

“Today they don’t want to hear those things,” Pikiell told reporters Sunday night. “But (Monday) we’ll get them in a room and try to make them understand that other teams are hanging up their uniforms. We’ve got a chance to keep playing as a group.”

Clifford Omoruyi has led the Scarlet Knights in scoring (13.2 points per game), rebounding (9.7) and blocks (2.2) this season.

Hofstra (24-9) is appearing in the NIT for the seventh time. All seven bids have been earned since 1999, when Claxton was the star point guard for the then-Flying Dutchmen.

Claxton didn’t play in the 1999 NIT game — a 58-45 loss to Rutgers in New Jersey — due to a thigh injury that Hofstra kept secret because the school was worried it wouldn’t get a bid if the committee knew Claxton was hurt.

“It is tough because (Pride players) have their hearts set on going to the Big Dance,” said Claxton, who is in his second season as head coach. “Once that doesn’t happen, it’s a letdown. They’re not used to knowing that the NIT is a big deal.

“But I think (Sunday) night, once they found out who we’re playing, their spirits kind of brightened up a little bit.”

The Pride are led by two-time CAA Player of the Year Aaron Estrada, who’s averaging 20.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game.

–Field Level Media

The last time Utah State coach Ryan Odom coached in the NCAA Tournament, he scored an upset for the ages.

Odom guided No. 16 seed Maryland-Baltimore County to a 74-54 rout of No. 1 seed Virginia in 2018. Now he hopes to capture some of that magic when his No. 10 seed Aggies (26-8) face No. 7 seed Missouri (24-9) on Thursday in a South Region game in Sacramento.

“This team is confident like (UMBC); that team was very confident,” Odom said. “They felt like they could play with anybody regardless of what anybody said.”

This game features two of the highest-scoring teams at the Division I level. Missouri averages 80.1 points per game, which ranks 21st, and Utah State averages 79.1, which ranks 28th.

Utah State went 13-5 in the Mountain West Conference this season and finished two games back of regular-season champion San Diego State. The Aggies reached the title game of the league tournament but fell 62-57 to San Diego State.

Missouri posted an 11-7 record in the Southeastern Conference and finished fourth. The Tigers reached the semifinals of the league tournament and lost to Alabama 72-61.

Both teams prefer a fast offensive pace and launch a lot of 3-point shots. The Aggies average 9.5 makes per game from beyond arc while the Tigers have connected on 9.4 shots per game from 3-point range.

Missouri is led by forward Kobe Brown, who averages 15.8 points per game and shoots 44.7 percent from 3-point range. Utah State is led by guard Steven Ashworth, who averages 16.3 points per game and shoots 44.3 percent from beyond the arc.

Both teams are offensively balanced. The Tigers feature five players averaging 9.5 points or more while the Aggies have five players averaging in double figures.

“Ultimately, I think we’re really happy with where we’re at,” Ashworth said. “We’re going to have a really good matchup with Missouri. … To be able to go out to Sacramento and compete against a team like that is going to be a lot of fun.”

Missouri coach Dennis Gates recently connected with Ryan Odom’s father Dave Odom, a former head coach at Wake Forest and South Carolina. But he had some catching up to do on Ryan’s work at Utah State the last two seasons.

“I have a lot of respect for the Odom family,” Gates said. “Actually, I spoke to his dad probably less than a month ago. (Ryan) does a great job. It’s well documented what coach Odom was able to do with his run the last two, three years. He’s a tremendous coach, a great coach, nothing but respect for he and his program.

“Again, we’re excited to learn more about them as they’re going to learn more about us. That’s the best part of Selection Sunday. Both opponents get to start from scratch.”

Missouri hasn’t won a NCAA Tournament game since 2010. This just the Tigers’ third trip to the event since 2013.

Utah State is making its third NCAA Tournament in the past five years.

–Field Level Media

After not being selected to play in the NCAA Tournament, Michigan accepted a bid to play in the NIT as a No. 3 seed and will host Toledo on Tuesday night in Ann Arbor, Mich.

The Wolverines, who were ranked No. 22 in the NCAA preseason poll, had a disappointing season, finishing 17-15 overall and 11-9 in the Big Ten. In their last outing, they were bounced from the Big Ten tournament in their first game, falling to Rutgers 62-50 Thursday.

Hunter Dickinson led the Wolverines with 24 points and seven rebounds, but no other Wolverine would score in double figures. Kobe Bufkin did contribute in multiple ways, scoring nine points while grabbing seven rebounds and dishing five assists.

“At times we got a little out of character as far as what we would do,” Michigan coach Juwan Howard said after the loss. “Being able to coach this team again means a great deal. These guys have put their hearts and souls into this year despite all the adversity, and we are looking forward to the opportunity to suit up and compete again.”

Toledo (27-7) had a highly successful season, winning the MAC regular-season championship outright for the third year in a row. Going into the MAC tournament as the No. 1 seed, they cruised to wins against Miami (OH) and Ohio. But they came up short against the No. 2 seed Kent State, which won 93-78 Saturday and earned the automatic bid for the NCAA Tournament.

The Rockets were led by the duo of RayJ Dennis and Setric Millner Jr., who each scored 25 points, with Millner also leading the team with 10 rebounds. Ra’Heim Moss added 13 points.

The loss snapped Toledo’s 17-game winning streak, which was tied for the longest in the nation with Oral Roberts.

“Obviously it was a tough pill to swallow,” Toledo coach Tod Kowalczyk said. “We were extremely confident. Everyone talks about how you want to be playing your best basketball down the stretch. That was us. That was us last year, too. This one hurts more than any of them.”

The all-time series between these programs dates to 1949, with only one matchup since 1983. Michigan defeated Toledo 91-71 at home on Dec. 9, 2020.

This will also be the second time these teams meet in the NIT after Michigan beat Toledo in the second round of the tournament in 1981.

–Field Level Media