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All TV info is courtesy Matt's College Sports on TV site.
All times are Eastern.
Battle 4 Atlantis Finals
Championship: Iowa Hawkeyes (7-0) vs. Villanova Wildcats (6-0), approx. 9:30 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
3rd/4th Place: UTEP Miners (4-3) vs. Kansas Jayhawks (5-1), 7 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
5th/6th Place: Tennessee Volunteers (4-2) vs. Wake Forest Demon Deacons (6-1), approx. 3:30 p.m. ET (AXS.tv)
7th/8th Place: Xavier Musketeers (5-2) vs. USC Trojans (4-3), 1 p.m. ET (AXS.tv)
To say this tournament's championship matchup is a surprise is an understatement. This event looked almost assuredly to be the Kansas Invitational once it was announced. Thanks to the young Jayhawks' struggles, the final will instead match a pair of teams perceived to be in the middle of the pack in deep conferences. The Hawkeyes' place in the final was never really in doubt, as they blasted UTEP in the first semifinal, while Villanova's upset victory should serve notice to the rest of the Big East that the Wildcats will be in the title hunt.
In the consolation bracket, the big story is Xavier, who Tennessee handled easily on Friday. Is it possible for the Musketeers to leave Paradise Island with three straight losses after coming in with five consecutive wins? Yes, but they should have too much for a USC squad that struggled against Wake Forest.
Barclays Center Classic Finals
Championship: Mississippi Rebels (5-0) vs. Penn State Nittany Lions (6-1), approx. 4:30 p.m. ET (NBC SN)
Consolation: Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (5-2) vs. St. John's Red Storm (4-2), 2 p.m. ET (NBC SN)
Yesterday's semifinals featured a pair of contrasting contests. Ole Miss opened with a resounding win over Georgia Tech -- and some more Marshall Henderson controversy postgame. That blowout happened to be televised. Penn State's overtime win over St. John's was not, which was a shame. (It was streamed on the Barclays Center website for $10! Come on, NBC...why didn't you put it on the Live Extra app?)
Both of today's games will be on NBC SN. The consolation game features two teams who looked to be at least on the bubble come March, so it's worth a look for that reason alone. The stakes may be a bit higher for Georgia Tech, who doesn't have a quality win on its profile yet, with few chances remaining out of the ACC. As for the championship, both squads have been a bit of surprise, though in the Rebels' case that's because no one knew what was going to happen when Marshall Henderson came back. A victory this afternoon might just set the winner on course to surprise in its league race and to contend for a place in the field of 68.
Corpus Christi Challenge Finals
Championship: Virginia Cavaliers (6-1) vs. Missouri State Bears (6-0), approx. 9 p.m. ET (CBS SN)
Consolation: SMU Mustangs (5-2) vs. Texas A&M Aggies (6-1), 6:30 p.m. ET (CBS SN)
The Cavaliers needed some late SMU errors to reach this event's final, while the Bears rallied in the second half to shock the Aggies and their traveling support. Obviously, Joe Harris and UVa are heavy favorites in this, but Missouri State will look to grab an excellent upset win for a Missouri Valley that's had a mixed week (Indiana State's struggles in Alaska on the minus side, Wichita State's CBE Hall of Fame title on the positive side).
Visitors' Finals
Championship: Sam Houston State Bearkats (5-2) vs. Liberty Flames (2-5), approx. 3:30 p.m. ET
Consolation: Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions (2-5) vs. Hampton Pirates (2-5), 1 p.m. ET
Yesterday, I said that Morehead State would probably prove to be superior to Gardner-Webb to claim the Las Vegas Invitational visitors' crown. I won't give the same kiss of death to SHSU today.
Great Alaska Shootout Finals
Championship: TCU Horned Frogs (4-2) vs. Harvard Crimson (6-1), approx. 12:30 a.m. ET (CBS SN)
3rd/5th Place: Tulsa Golden Hurricane (1-5) vs. Green Bay Phoenix (3-2), 10 p.m. ET (CBS SN, delayed at 2:30 a.m. ET)
4th/6th Place: Indiana State Sycamores (4-2) vs. Pepperdine Waves (5-2), approx. 6:30 p.m. ET
7th/8th Place: Denver Pioneers (0-4) vs. Alaska-Anchorage Seawolves (5-3), 4 p.m. ET
Both the Horned Frogs and Crimson faced feisty opposition in their respective semifinals. TCU had to hold off Tulsa, while Harvard's 12-point margin of victory doesn't adequately reflect their struggles against a Green Bay squad that wouldn't go away. This contest may be the first time in modern college basketball history where an Ivy League team enters a game as a heavy favorite to defeat a Big 12 one. Then again, the Ivy has rarely produced a squad with the talent and depth of this Crimson outfit.
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