After a series of close losses, inconsistent Wisconsin will be looking to bounce back against Bradley in the first round of the National Invitation Tournament on Tuesday night in Madison, Wis.

Second-seeded Wisconsin (17-14), which has not won consecutive games since early January, lost 65-57 to Ohio State in the first round of the Big Ten Conference tournament.

Bradley (25-9) had won 12 straight before being denied an automatic NCAA Tournament bid with a 77-51 loss to Drake in the Missouri Valley Conference tournament title game.

“I decided last week that if this was going to be the opportunity in front of us, we were going to do it,” Wisconsin coach Greg Gard said. “I felt it was important not to take away an opportunity from our players. I did not address it with them prior to playing in the Big Ten tournament.”

The Badgers, missing out for just the second time in the last 24 NCAA Tournaments, last played in the NIT in 1996 when they lost to Illinois State, 77-62, in the second round.

After beating Minnesota 63-60 on Jan. 3 for their sixth straight victory, the Badgers were 11-2 and ranked No. 14. They went 6-12 the rest of the way.

Wisconsin had 18 games decided by five points or fewer, going 11-7 in those, and split a school-record six overtime games.

“We had plenty of opportunities to better our position in terms of the NCAA Tournament, and we were not able to do that,” Gard said.

The methodical Badgers average 64.9 points per game, allowing 63.8. Wisconsin is 86-12 under Gard when holding opponents to 60 or fewer points, including 12-2 this season.

Chucky Hepburn leads Wisconsin with 12.0 points per game, followed by freshman Connor Essegian at 11.9, with a team-high 65 3-pointers. Tyler Wahl averages 11.6 points and 6.4 rebounds, with Steven Crowl adding 11.5 points and a team-high 6.9 boards per game.

Bradley earned an automatic bid to the NIT by winning the MVC regular-season title for the first time since 1995-96 and won 25 games for the first time since 1987-88.

Bradley is making its 22nd appearance in the NIT, but its first since 2007 when it lost to Mississippi State in the second round.

The Braves average 70.9 points per contest, giving up 62.2. Rienk Mast averages 13.8 points and 7.9 rebounds, followed by Malevy Leons with 11.3 points and 6.0 boards.

Braves coach Brian Wardle is familiar with Wisconsin over the years. Wardle played at Marquette and then coached at Green Bay for five seasons before taking over at Bradley.

“I’m learning about them right now, have not watched them this season,” Wardle said, per the Peoria Journal Star. “I know the Wisconsin way, how they play. Very tough to beat at home, very disciplined, never foul, low-possession games.”

Wisconsin last played Bradley in 2011, winning 66-43, and leads the all-time series 3-2.

–Field Level Media

Not known for much athletic success outside the baseball diamond, Vanderbilt became one of the darlings of February and March in men’s basketball.

The Commodores’ late push to earn a surprise NCAA Tournament bid came up short, but they will be one of the hottest teams entering the National Invitation Tournament. Vanderbilt earned a No. 2 seed in the NIT and will host Yale in its opening-round game Tuesday in Nashville, Tenn.

Vanderbilt (20-14) has won 10 of its past 12 games, including two victories over Southeastern Conference titan Kentucky in 10 days — once on the road, then again during the SEC tournament. Vanderbilt bowed out in the SEC semifinals Saturday with an 87-75 loss to Texas A&M.

More remarkably, the Commodores have continued winning in spite of the absence of leading scorer and rim protector Liam Robbins, who suffered a season-ending leg injury earlier this month.

“I think you take … any candidate that was up possibly for the Defensive Player of the Year or even a second team All-SEC player, you take them out of the mix, do (other teams) still get where we are right now, still play with the same energy, effort and passion that these kids play for?” Vanderbilt coach Jerry Stackhouse said of his team. “Like I said, they deserve a taste, especially for our guys that have been here four years and labored through this rebuild.”

Tyrin Lawrence (12.5 points per game), Jordan Wright (10.8 ppg, 5.1 rebounds per game) and Ezra Manjon (9.9 ppg, 3.9 assists per game) are all major contributors to the Commodores.

Vanderbilt hasn’t made the NCAA Tournament since 2017, but it reached the NIT quarterfinals last year and lost to eventual champion Xavier. Vandy won the NIT in 1990.

Yale (21-8) earned a share of the Ivy League regular-season title and secured the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament, but it fell to host Princeton 74-65 on Sunday in the championship game with the automatic NCAA bid on the line. It faces a quick turnaround to head from New Jersey to Nashville.

“They’re not in a great place right now, but they’re a resilient group of young men,” Yale coach James Jones said postgame. “There will be a game on our ledger (in the NIT) and I expect them to go out and play it to their fullest.”

The Bulldogs rely on Matt Knowling (14.1 ppg), John Poulakidas (12.2 ppg, 41.0 percent 3-point shooting) and EJ Jarvis (11.4 ppg, 5.4 rpg).

–Field Level Media

A pair of No. 11 seeds led by high-profile coaches square off when Nevada takes on Arizona State in a First Four play-in game Wednesday at Dayton, Ohio.

The winner will advance to play No. 6 seed TCU on Friday in Denver in a West Regional first-round game.

The storylines will be rich in this showdown as Arizona State (22-12) has benefitted greatly from two Nevada transfers who left Steve Alford’s program after the 2021-22 season and are now playing for Arizona State head coach Bobby Hurley.

Desmond Cambridge Jr. is a point guard for the Sun Devils and 7-footer Warren Washington is a force near the basket.

“It’s ironic that it played out the way it did,” said Arizona State coach Bobby Hurley, who hosted players at his home before jumping in a swimming pool to celebrate. “It was chaos in my house. I’ll get their thoughts as we go. I don’t know how much more motivation you need, really. You’re in the NCAA Tournament. Yeah, it is a subplot, certainly, of a storyline certainly for the NCAA Tournament.”

Cambridge was named to the Pac-12 All-Tournament Team after averaging 16 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.7 assists while adding a tournament-best 3.0 steals per game. In the victory over USC, Cambridge led the way with 27 points and seven rebounds.

Cambridge was extremely active defensively in the semifinal loss to Arizona, setting a new career-high with five steals. Cambridge landed on the All-Pac-12 second team after winning the Pac-12 in Player of the Week Award on three different occasions.

Washington started all 32 games he played in this season, averaging 9.2 points and 6.9 rebounds.

The Wolf Pack (22-10) are making their 10th appearance in the NCAA Tournament and captured the final at-large bid to the tournament after losing to San Jose State in the quarterfinals of the Mountain West tournament.

“I’m extremely excited and couldn’t be happier for our guys,” Nevada’s Alford said. “They have they worked their tails off to turn around the season like last year. They’ve been working hard since April. We just had one bad week. And in that bad week, we had two OT losses.”

Other Mountain West teams joining Nevada in the tournament are San Diego State, Boise State and Utah State.

“I’m so appreciative of the (selection) committee giving our league the respect that I think our league deserves,” said Alford, who is in his fourth season at Nevada and previously spent six seasons at New Mexico. “This my 10th year in this league, and top to bottom is filled up the hardest, best league of those 10 years.”

The selection marks the Pack’s first appearance in the NCAA Tournament since 2019 and will be Alford’s 12th career appearance in the tournament. It will also represent the fifth different school that Alford has taken to the NCAA Tournament, which ties the NCAA record with Lon Kruger, Tubby Smith and Rick Pitino.

Nevada holds an all-time record of 6-9 in the NCAA Tournament with two Sweet Sixteen appearances (2004, 2018).

Alford is 11-11 all-time in the NCAA Tournament and has advanced to the Sweet Sixteen four different times (1999, 2014, 2015, 2017).

The Sun Devils have made the NCAA Tournament for the 17th time in program history and third under Hurley. It is the second-most tournament appearances for a Sun Devils head coach.

Arizona State is coming off a crucial run at the Pac-12 tournament that improved its tournament resume, making the semifinal round for only the fourth time in program history. Arizona State was seeded No. 6 after finishing the regular season at 11-9 in conference play.

–Field Level Media

Looking for an excuse to believe Northern Kentucky can become the second No. 16 seed to shock a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament’s first round? Here you go:

Cincinnati served as one of the two common opponents between Northern Kentucky (22-12) and top-ranked Houston (31-3) during the regular season. The Cougars defeated the Bearcats three times by an average of 13.3 points per game – while the Norse knocked off the Bearcats by 13 on Nov. 16.

There you have it: Proof that Houston and Northern Kentucky will be pretty much equals when they meet Thursday night in Midwest Regional first-round action in Birmingham, Ala.

Of course, once you parse their other common opponent (Kent State, which Houston beat by five points and Northern Kentucky lost to by 22) as well as the rest of their schedules, it’s clear the Cougars boast a far superior resume than the Horizon League tournament champs.

But anything can happen in one two-hour stretch, right?

“They’re a No. 1 seed for a reason,” Northern Kentucky coach Darrin Horn told reporters Sunday. “There’s no pressure on us. Stay in the moment. It helps you play in the moment.”

But Houston isn’t your typical top seed. This marks the school’s first No. 1 seed since 1983 — when Hakeem (then known as Akeem) Olajuwon, Clyde Drexler and the rest of the top-ranked Cougars lost to North Carolina State in perhaps the most fabled national championship game in NCAA history.

“We’re honored to be a 1 seed, but our kids have earned the right to be a 1 seed,” Houston coach Kelvin Sampson told reporters. “Happy for our program, but more importantly, I’m happy for our kids who did all the work.”

Houston is used to making deep runs. The Cougars advanced to the Final Four two seasons ago and the Elite Eight last year.

No team in the tournament is as renowned for its work ethic as Houston. The Cougars are ferocious defenders. They rank fourth according to KenPom in defensive efficiency (89.6 points allowed per 100 possessions) and first in blocked shot percentage (they reject one out of every six opponents’ attempts).

Houston attacks with the same tenacity when shooting the ball. The Cougars rebound 37.1 percent of their own misses — the fourth-best showing in the country.

One potential issue? Leading scorer and perimeter defender Marcus Sasser (17.1 points per game) sat out Sunday’s loss to Memphis due to a strained groin, though he told reporters Sunday he envisions playing against Northern Kentucky.

If Sasser plays, surely he’ll get his chances to defend Northern Kentucky junior guard Marques Warrick. The 6-foot-2 son of Syracuse immortal Hakim Warrick averages a team-high 19.1 points and owns 86 3-pointers.

Overall, the Norse could be viewed as a low-major version of the Cougars. They rank fourth nationally in steals (14.1 percent of possessions), which is nine spots ahead of Houston.

The Norse also prefer an ultra-patient offensive style. They rank 358th out of the nation’s 363 Division I teams in KenPom’s Adjusted Tempo statistic with just 62 possessions per game. Houston, meanwhile, ranks 343rd with 63.3 possessions per game.

–Field Level Media

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