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LATE NIGHT SNACKS: Is Duke back?

ACC Basketball Tournament - Semifinals

NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 10: Grayson Allen #3 of the Duke Blue Devils reacts after Luke Kennard #5 hit a three point shot against the North Carolina Tar Heels during the Semi Finals of the ACC Basketball Tournament at the Barclays Center on March 10, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

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FRIDAY’S THINGS TO KNOW

Is Duke back?

The Blue Devils took advantage of Joel Berry II’s foul trouble by going on a 29-8 run en route to a 93-83 win over arch rival North Carolina in the ACC Tournament title game. Jayson Tatum, Luke Kennard and Grayson Allen were all clicking. Harry Giles showed flashes of the potential he had when he enrolled in Durham. ... Isn’t this what we’ve been waiting for from Duke all season long? If so, it couldn’t be happening at a better time. CBT’s Rob Dauster was in Brooklyn and had several takeaways from Duke’s massive comeback win.

Josh Hart made a late push for national player of the year with a 19-point, 10-rebound effort in Villanova‘s Big East Tournament semifinal win over Seton Hall on Friday night. The senior wing made key plays on both ends off the floor, none bigger than a putback lay-in in the final seconds, which ended up being the deciding bucket in a 55-53 win. He gave the Wildcats their first lead of the game after the Pirates led for more than 30 minutes. He and Jalen Brunson, Villanova’s other first-team all performer, scored the team’s final 19 points. The Wildcats are still in line to be the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament.

After a harrowing beginning to Michigan’s trip to the nation’s capital, it wouldn’t have been shocking if the Wolverines were one-and-dones in the Big Ten Tournament. However, Michigan has strung together consecutive wins in D.C., the most recent being a 74-70 overtime win over top-seeded Purdue in the quarterfinals. D.J. Wilson led with 26 points. CBT’s Rob Dauster has more here.

One of the concerns around Kentucky is how it will play when Malik Monk has an off-night. With Monk being limited to only two points, off 1-of-7 shooting, the rest of the Wildcat backcourt answered the call in an SEC Tournament win over Georgia. Isaiah Briscoe had 20 points, six rebounds and two assists. De’Aaron Fox also looked to be back in rhythm. CBT’s Rob Dauster explains why that’s important for Kentucky’s tournament hopes here.

Vanderbilt may have secured its berth in the NCAA Tournament by defeating No. 17 Florida for the third time this season. The Commodores outscored the Gators 14-4 in overtime to earn a marquee 72-62 victory.

STARRED

Semi Ojeleye, SMU -- The American Player of the Year scored 17 of his career-high 36 points in the first half, building SMU a comfortable lead. While Mustangs got a scare from East Carolina, they move on to the AAC semifinals. Ojeleye also added 12 rebounds.

D.J. Wilson, Michigan -- Back to wearing their regular uniforms, Michigan landed another victory in the Big Ten Tournament, defeating top-seeded Purdue in overtime to advance to the semifinals. Wilson had 26 points and eight boards, all while keeping All-American Caleb Swanigan in check. He had three blocks, none bigger than a rejection on Carsen Edwards which sent the contest to an extra frame.

Jack Gibbs, Davidson -- For the sixth time this season, one of the nation’s leading scorers registered a 30-point game. Gibbs dropped 34 points in a win over top-seeded Dayton. The Wildcats advance to the A-10 Tournament semifinals.

Josh Hart, Villanova -- The Big East Player of the Year made several key plays, as mentioned above, in a thrilling victory over Seton Hall. His 19 points and 10 rebounds not only serve as the latest proof that he could be the nation’s best player, but it keeps the Wildcats near the top of the list when the selection committee determines the No. 1 overall seed.

Jayson Tatum, Luke Kennard and Grayson Allen, Duke -- The trio combined for 62 points, off 17-of-32 shooting. Harry Giles also had an impactful 15 minutes, scoring six points and grabbing seven boards.
RELATED: Get caught up on all of today’s bubble action

REST OF THE TOP 25


  • Dillon Brooks was saddled with foul trouble, but No. 5 Oregon still held off Cal, 73-65, in the Pac-12 Tournament semifinals. Even though Cal was without Jabari Bird, who reportedly suffered a concussion, it bodes well for the Ducks to find a way to win when Brooks isn’t at his best. For Cal, this likely spells N-I-T.
  • No. 11 West Virginia scored only 16 first-half points, but rallied, and held on, in the second half against Kansas State. The Mountaineers won, 51-50, and advance to the Big 12 Tournament title game. K-State may have done enough with a win over Baylor on Thursday, but the Wildcats might have to sweat it out on Sunday.
  • No. 12 SMU, the top seed in the American Athletic Conference Tournament, nearly surrendered a 22-point lead, but held on to an 81-77 win over East Carolina in the quarterfinals. Semi Ojeleye had 36 points in the win.
  • Kyle Washington had 21 points, followed by Jacob Evans’ 20, as No. 15 Cincinnati rolled past Tulsa in the AAC quarterfinals.
  • It got closer than Mike Brey would have liked it to be, No. 22 Notre Dame is going to meet Duke the ACC Tournament title game after defeating No. 16 Florida State, 77-73, in the second semifinal from Brooklyn. Duke won the first meeting, led by a combined 56 points from Tatum, Allen and Kennard.
  • Playing its third game in as many days, fatigue may have caught up on TCU. The Horned Frogs trailed by double digits at half en route to an 84-63 loss to No. 23 Iowa State. Deonte Burton led the way with 22 points.
  • No. 24 Wisconsin defeated Indiana for the third time this season, ending the Hoosiers’ 2016-17 with a 70-60 victory in the Big Ten quarterfinals. The usual suspects led the way for the Badgers with Bronson Koenig scoring a game-high 16 points, followed by Ethan Happ with 14. Nigel Hayes was a rebound-shy of a double-double.
  • A 20-2 second half run propelled Northwestern to a 72-64 win over No. 25 Maryland. The Wildcats went on a 31-0 run in the previous round against Rutgers.

NOTABLE


  • The game of the night may have been in the WAC. In the semifinals, top-seeded CSU Bakersfield needed four overtimes to defeat Utah Valley, 81-80. How will the length of that game impact the Roadrunners in Saturday’s championship game?
  • Middle Tennessee State advanced to the Conference USA title game. The Blue Raiders need one more win, and they won’t have to worry about being left on the cutting room floor by the selection committee. The top seed in the C-USA will play No. 6 Marshall in the championship game.
  • Rhode Island, which sits squarely on the bubble in Pittsburgh, landed an A-10 Tournament quarterfinal win over St. Bonaventure behind 19 points and eight rebounds from Hassan Martin.
  • The top seed in the SWAC, Texas Southern, landed a 62-57 win over Grambling. The Tigers are one win away from their third NCAA Tournament appearance in the past four years.
  • Kevin Hervey scored 18 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in UT-Arlington‘s 71-54 win over Coastal Carolina in the Sun Belt quarterfinals. The top-seeded Mavericks boast a win at Saint Mary’s this season. They could be a trendy pick for an upset if they reach the NCAA Tournament.
  • Top-seeded Akron is one step closer to an automatic berth, defeating Ball State, 74-70, in the MAC semifinals. The Zips were led by 19 points apiece from Isaiah Johnson and Antino Jackson.
  • Davidson upset top-seeded Dayton in the Atlantic 10 quarterfinals. Jack Gibbs, all all-first team selection, came up big with 34 points. It was the sixth time this year he recorded a 30-point performance. Watch the highlights here.
  • New Orleans had a double-bye in the Southland Conference Tournament. After its first postseason win, the Privateers are halfway to an NCAA Tournament appearance. New Orleans, led by conference player of the year Erik Thomas’ 18 points, downed Sam Houston State by a dozen on Friday night.
  • North Carolina Central is one-win away from the program’s second NCAA Tournament appearance, as Eagles defeated Maryland-Eastern Shore, 77-49, in the MEAC semifinals. NC Central’s average margin of victory in the tournament is 31.5 points.
  • The second Big East Tournament semifinal of the evening, ending like the first: in the final seconds. After Xavier‘s Trevon Bluiett tied the score with a step-back three, Marcus Foster buried a triple with 8.3 seconds left to lead Creighton to Saturday’s title game.
  • Texas Southern and Alcorn State, the two top teams in the SWAC, meet for an automatic bid. Texas Southern won both regular season meetings by a combined seven points.