Four-star wing Marcus Adams Jr. committed to Kansas on Tuesday after a last-minute call from Jayhawks coach Bill Self convinced him to steer away from UCLA.

Adams, a 6-foot-8 junior at Narbonne High School in Harbor City, Calif., is ranked by 247Sports as the No. 29 player in his class. In addition to Kansas, he visited UCLA and Syracuse.

Adams told the Kansas City Star, “Coach Self, (assistant) coach (Kurtis) Townsend were really great people. They helped me out (with) a lot of things during the visit (Feb 24-26) and answered all my questions without a problem. I love the fan base over there.

“I love the people on social media telling me they really need me and they really want me. I felt like that’s a good place for me to go and I fit in really good.”

No. 3 Kansas (25-6) figures to have holes to fill in its lineup next season with two 6-foot-8 players, Big 12 Player of the Year Jalen Wilson and Gradey Dick, expected to head to the NBA.

“Kansas produced the most pros and gives me the best opportunity for playing time,” Adams told 247Sports. “There’s opportunity to play right away with the older guys like Jalen and Gradey leaving after this year and they’ll need a replacement.

“(Self) needs me to score, so that’s what I’m there to do. There’s going to be some older guys there I’ve already spoken to and I’m looking forward to playing with them.”

–Field Level Media

Drew Timme recorded 18 points and six rebounds and became Gonzaga’s all-time leading scorer as the ninth-ranked Bulldogs routed No. 16 Saint Mary’s 77-51 on Tuesday night in the West Coast Conference tournament title game at Las Vegas.

Malachi Smith scored 14 points, Nolan Hickman added 12 points on four 3-pointers and Julian Strawther put up 10 points as the second-seeded Bulldogs (28-5) never trailed while making their 26th consecutive title game appearance. Gonzaga went 2-1 against the rival Gaels this season with the latest win resulting in the WCC’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Logan Johnson scored 20 points and Alex Ducas had 10 points and seven rebounds for top-seeded Saint Mary’s (26-7), which played in the final for the sixth time in the past eight seasons.

Aidan Mahaney (seven points, 2-of-8 shooting) and Mitchell Saxen (five, 2 of 7) had subpar outings for the Gaels, who shot just 33.3 percent from the field and 4 of 16 from 3-point range.

The Bulldogs, who led by as many as 37 points, have played in the WCC championship game in all 24 of coach Mark Few’s seasons. They are 19-5 in the title game during his tenure.

Timme became Gonzaga’s all-time scorer with a 5-foot hook shot with 10:17 left in the first half. He passed school legend Frank Burgess (2,196 points from 1958-61) and finished the game with 2,210 career points.

Gonzaga shot a stellar 58 percent from the field and made 8 of 14 shot attempts from 3-point range. Timme hit 8 of 10 field-goal attempts and Anton Watson contributed nine points, 10 rebounds and five assists.

The Bulldogs led by 18 at the break and continued to pounce on Saint Mary’s in the second half.

Watson made back-to-back baskets to increase the lead to 48-24 with 14:50 remaining. Just over five minutes later, Ben Gregg made two free throws to push the lead to 30 at 59-29 with 9:26 left.

The lead topped out at 72-35 on Smith’s trey with 3:56 remaining.

Timme had 14 points and five rebounds as Gonzaga held a commanding 37-19 halftime advantage.

The Bulldogs took a 17-6 lead on Strawther’s 3-pointer with 12:31 remaining in the first half. The Gaels moved within seven before Timme’s milestone basket started a 9-0 run that boosted Gonzaga’s lead to 28-12 with 6:26 remaining.

Ducas hit a 3-pointer to bring Saint Mary’s within 31-19 with 3:13 left before the Bulldogs scored the final six points of the half.

–Field Level Media

Marques Warrick scored 18 points and Sam Vinson added 16 as Northern Kentucky edged Cleveland State 63-61 to win the Horizon League championship game on Tuesday in Indianapolis.

The Norse (22-12) are headed to the NCAA Tournament for the third time in seven years. They also won the Horizon title in 2020, but the NCAA tourney was canceled that year due to the pandemic.

Northern Kentucky went up by seven with 16 seconds left when Warrick sank two foul shots. Cleveland State’s Deshon Parker sank a layup, and the Vikings got the ball back and got a 3-pointer from Drew Lowder in the last second, but it wasn’t enough.

Tristan Enaruna paced Cleveland State (21-13) with 17 points, and Parker scored 14 points.

Charleston 63, UNC Wilmington 58

A late 12-0 run carried the Cougars to a victory over the Seahawks in the Colonial Athletic Association final in Washington.

Down 53-45 with just over six minutes left, Charleston (31-3) got six points from Ryan Larson in the game-changing surge. Larson finished with 23 points, and teammate Ante Brzovic added 16 points and eight rebounds for the Cougars, who are NCAA Tournament-bound for the first time since 2018.

Trazarien White and Amari Kelly each had 16 points for UNC Wilmington (24-10).

Merrimack 67, Fairleigh Dickinson 66

Jordan McKoy sank a tiebreaking free throw with eight seconds to go and the Warriors defeated the Knights in the Northeast Conference final in North Andover, Mass.

Despite the result, Fairleigh Dickinson (19-15) earned the conference’s automatic NCAA Tournament bid because Merrimack (18-16) is ineligible while still transitioning from Division II to Division I. The Knights are headed to March Madness for the first time in four years.

Ziggy Reid paced the Warriors with 23 points while Jordan Minor added 19. The Knights got 15 points and six assists from Demetre Roberts plus 13 points and nine rebounds from Cameron Tweedy.

Oral Roberts 92, North Dakota State 58

Max Abmas scored 26 points and dished out 11 assists as the Golden Eagles routed the Bison in the Summit League tournament final in Sioux Falls, S.D.

Patrick Mwamba put up 20 points and Connor Vanover contributed 10 points, 10 rebounds and six blocks as Oral Roberts (30-4) captured an NCAA Tournament berth for the second time in three years. The Golden Eagles led 51-20 at halftime and pushed the advantage to as many as 38 points.

North Dakota State (16-17) got 18 points from Boden Skunberg, 13 from Andrew Morgan and 10 from Damari Wheeler-Thomas.

–Field Level Media

Seventh-seeded North Carolina will make a final push to land in its 12th straight NCAA Tournament when it faces 10th-seeded Boston College in the second round of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament on Wednesday in Greensboro, N.C.

The Tar Heels, who opened the season atop the AP poll, were inconsistent throughout the regular season, which they ended with a 62-57 loss to visiting Duke on Saturday.

North Carolina (19-12) needs a deep run in the ACC tournament to boost its chances of making the NCAA Tournament. But Boston College (16-16) likely needs to win the conference tournament to make the field of 68.

“The ACC tournament is definitely huge for us,” said North Carolina forward Armando Bacot, whose team lost in the NCAA title game last season. “We’re just going in there with the mindset: We just gotta go win, really. That’s all we can do.”

While North Carolina received a first-round bye, the Eagles used a second-half surge against 15th-seeded Louisville to overcome the Cardinals’ three-point halftime advantage for an 80-62 win on Tuesday.

Four Eagles finished in double figures, led by Makai Ashton-Langford’s 16 points and five rebounds. Jaeden Zackery added 15 points and eight assists, while Prince Aligbe and Devin McGlockton chipped in 14 and 11 points, respectively.

The Eagles’ performance was even more impressive considering Quinten Post, who averages 15.2 points and 5.7 rebounds per game, was sidelined with a sprained ankle he suffered against Georgia Tech on Saturday. Post, who was recently named ACC Most Improved Player, is a game-time decision against the Tar Heels.

If Post can’t play, Boston College will rely even more on Ashton-Langford (12.2 ppg) and Zackery (10.6 ppg), the only other Eagles with scoring averages in double figures.

North Carolina features a balanced attack featuring Caleb Love (16.7 ppg,), Bacot (16.5 ppg, 10.8 rpg), RJ Davis (15.8 ppg) and Pete Nance (10.1 ppg, 6.0 rpg).

The Tar Heels, who last won the conference tournament in 2016, average 76.5 points per game, considerably more than Boston College’s 66.2. The Eagles are seeking their first ACC tournament crown since joining the league prior to the 2005-2006 season.

“We need to figure out how to slow (the Tar Heels) down because they can score quickly,” Ashton-Langford told ESPN after defeating the Cardinals. “They shoot it from wherever. They take tough shots and they make tough shots.”

North Carolina defeated visiting Boston College 72-64 in the teams’ regular-season meeting on Jan. 17 behind Bacot’s 20 points and 16 rebounds. Davis and Love added 18 and 16 points, respectively.

The Eagles were led by Post’s 17 points and five rebounds, while Zackery finished with 14 points.

–Field Level Media

Pittsburgh exceeded most projections during the regular season, and the Panthers would like to do that again in the postseason.

They will be favored in their first game of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament when they clash with Georgia Tech in a second-round matchup on Wednesday afternoon at Greensboro, N.C.

“I feel really, really good about our team, about what we have accomplished and what we can accomplish going forward,” Pitt coach Jeff Capel said. “That’s my focus.”

Fifth-seeded Pittsburgh (21-10) received a first-round bye, but there could have been much more for the Panthers. They went into the regular-season finale Saturday with a chance to secure the top seed for the league tournament, but instead a loss to then-No. 16 Miami along with other results in the league had Pitt sliding down.

“We’re not panicked,” Capel said. “I think we’ll stick to what we’ve been doing. We move on. Now it’s the postseason.”

The loss to the Hurricanes gave Pittsburgh back-to-back defeats following a setback at Notre Dame.

No. 13 seed Georgia Tech (15-17) has already had tournament excitement with Tuesday afternoon’s 61-60 victory against Florida State. The Yellow Jackets came back from 11 points down in the second half, scoring the final six points of the game.

The Yellow Jackets, who used only six players Tuesday, have won four games in a row since losing 76-68 on Feb. 21 at Pittsburgh.

“I thought we played really well against Pitt,” Georgia Tech coach Josh Pastner said. “If we’re going to beat Pittsburgh, we’re going to have to be really good.”

Pittsburgh had some notable All-ACC recognition, with Jamarius Burton (15.6 points per game) a first-team choice and Blake Hinson (16.1) a second-team pick. Nike Sibande averaged 9.7 points per game in conference play on the way to being selected as the ACC Sixth Man of the Year. Capel was named ACC Coach of the Year.

The Panthers hold their highest seed for the ACC tournament in nine years. They swept Georgia Tech during the regular season.

“You should be pretty familiar with them for the third time and have a feel for what they do,” Capel said, knowing Wednesday’s game would be against a team Pittsburgh had already faced twice. “You may tweak a few things, but just trying to be as fresh as you can be.”

Capel said there has been some defensive slippage lately, something the Panthers will look to restore.

Georgia Tech won the 2021 ACC tournament, which was also held in Greensboro.

–Field Level Media

Arizona State’s hopes for an at-large bid in the NCAA Tournament took a hit with two losses last week, but coach Bobby Hurley remains confident in his squad.

The sixth-seeded Sun Devils aim for a fresh start on Wednesday when they face No. 11 seed Oregon State in the first round of the Pac-12 tournament in Las Vegas.

Arizona State (20-11, 11-9 Pac-12) closed the regular season with three road games, beating then-No. 7 Arizona before falling to then-No. 4 UCLA and USC.

“I’m happy with my team,” Hurley said. “I am very proud of our team. We’re now 20-11; we had a very tough finish to the regular season. Take any NCAA team and ask them to go to Arizona, UCLA and USC with their last three games and see what their record is. So I’m happy for my guys.”

Oregon State (11-20, 5-15) lost both meetings against the Sun Devils this season. Arizona State won 74-69 in Corvallis, Ore., on Jan. 14 before pulling away late in a 68-57 victory on Feb. 2.

“Oregon State has played us well both games,” Hurley said. “They have young players. I’m sure they’ll play freely with nothing to lose.”

The Beavers snapped a four-game losing streak with a 69-66 win over Cal on Saturday. Sophomore guard Glenn Taylor Jr. scored a career-high 28 points in the victory.

Oregon State boasts a young roster led by freshman guard Jordan Pope, who leads the team in scoring at 12.6 points per game. Eleven different players have started at least one game this season for the Beavers, whose resume includes wins over USC and Colorado.

“We knew this was going to be a rough year. Have we left some out there? For sure. But it is all about doing things the right way,” Oregon State coach Wayne Tinkle said. “I’m proud of them. Yes, it hasn’t been pretty at times. … But they stay together, keep taking coaching and they enjoy each other.”

The winner of Wednesday’s contest advances to face No. 3 seed USC in Thursday’s quarterfinals.

–Field Level Media

A five-game losing streak ended any lingering hopes Utah had of claiming an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.

The seventh-seeded Utes will need to win the Pac-12 tournament to go dancing, and their journey will begin on Wednesday when they face 10th-seeded Stanford in Las Vegas.

Underdog teams making a run through the Pac-12 tournament is not unprecedented. Oregon State did it in 2021 and used that as a launching pad for a run to the Elite Eight in that year’s NCAA Tournament. The Utes are taking inspiration from past Cinderella stories as they work to write one of their own.

“Crazy things happen in March,” Utah coach Craig Smith said. “That’s just how it is around the country. We have seen it all. So hopefully we catch a spark here and find a little mojo and catch lightning in a bottle and find a way to make some things happen.”

One factor in Utah’s favor is that starting guards Rollie Worster and Gabe Madsen are fully healthy again. Both players were sidelined late in the season with injuries, contributing to the five-game skid for the Utes. They did return for a 69-60 loss to Colorado in the regular-season finale.

Utah (17-14, 10-10 Pac-12) struggled on offense in their absence, averaging 60.2 points per game over its final five regular-season games. Over their past nine contests, the Utes have shot 40 percent or better from the field only twice.

In terms of momentum, Stanford seems better positioned to make a splash in the Pac-12 tournament.

The Cardinal (13-18, 7-13) won two of three games to close out the regular season and pushed Oregon to the limit in their finale before falling 73-68. They averaged 82 points in victories over Washington and Oregon State ahead of the loss to the Ducks and have shot 45 percent or better from the field in six of their last seven contests.

Spencer Jones has paced Stanford’s attack with 13.9 points and 4.7 rebounds per game and earned All-Pac-12 second team honors this week.

“Spencer, I describe him, you know there’s people that are described as low maintenance, Spencer is no maintenance,” Cardinal coach Jerod Haase said last week. “He’s the one that just handles his business, he goes hard in every drill, it’s just, he handles his business like a professional.”

–Field Level Media

Justyn Mutts scored 18 points and threw down the game-winning dunk with 30 seconds remaining to help Virginia Tech slide past Notre Dame 67-64 in the first round of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament on Tuesday in Greensboro, N.C.

Grant Basile led the Hokies (19-13) with 20 points on 7-of-11 shooting, Sean Pedulla added 13 and Hunter Cattoor finished with 11 while hitting 3 of 4 shots from 3-point range.

Marcus Hammond scored a season-high 23 points and Cormac Ryan posted 18 for 14th-seeded Notre Dame (11-21) in coach Mike Brey’s final game. Brey steps away as Notre Dame’s all-time wins leader; he compiled 483 victories throughout his 23-year tenure.

Tied at 64, Mutts used a screen and dribbled down the left side of an open lane to put the 11th-seeded Hokies ahead with his two-handed flush.

Rodney Rice swatted Ryan’s layup attempt on the other end and Notre Dame fouled to send Pedulla to the line with 10 seconds to play. Pedulla went 1 of 2 from the line, however, keeping it a one-possession game.

Nate Laszewski found a clean look from the right wing, but his 3-point attempt rolled off the rim as the buzzer sounded. That ended a see-saw game that featured 16 lead changes.

Virginia Tech trailed 62-61 with just over a minute to play when Pedulla lost the handle on a behind-the-back dribble but hustled to steal the ball from Ryan on the other end. As both teams scrambled, Pedulla found Mutts under the basket to put the Hokies ahead 63-62 with 1:02 to play.

Pedulla was initially whistled for a foul on the ensuing Notre Dame possession, but replay showed Matt Zona elbowed Pedulla in the face and bloodied his lip. Officials upheld the foul on Pedulla but charged Zona with a dead-ball technical.

Zona ultimately fouled out, so Trey Wertz knocked down two free throws in his place to put Notre Dame ahead. Pedulla split the dead-ball technical free throws to knot the score at 64, setting up Mutts’ heroics.

The Hokies raced out to a 12-point lead in the first half, but the Fighting Irish heated up from beyond the arc and clawed back to 33-32 at the break, which set up a neck-and-neck second stanza.

Virginia Tech will face No. 6 seed N.C. State in the second round on Wednesday.

The Wolfpack edged Virginia Tech 73-69 in the teams’ only regular-season meeting on Jan. 7 in Blacksburg.

–Field Level Media