ADAM FLAGLER

RJ Davis scored a career-high 30 points and eighth-seeded North Carolina beat defending champion Baylor 93-86 in overtime in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Matthew Mayer scored a career-high 22 points and defending national champion Baylor opened the NCAA Tournament with an 85-49 victory over Norfolk State.

Kansas senior guard Ochai Agbaji is the unanimous pick as The Associated Press Big 12 player of the year.

Adam Flagler and James Akinjo each scored 19 points to send No. 3 Baylor over No. 21 Texas 68-61, as the Bears spoiled the final Longhorns men’s game in the 45-year-old Frank Erwin Center.

Christian Braun and Ochai Agbaji each scored 18 points and No. 10 Kansas bolted to a big lead and routed No. 8 Baylor 83-59 to hold the top spot in the Big 12 Conference race.

Jaden Shackelford scored 19 points and had nine rebounds as Alabama toppled No. 4 Baylor 87-78 in the Big 12/SEC Challenge.

Oklahoma St Baylor Basketball Oklahoma State guard Bryce Thompson scores over Baylor guard Adam Flagler (10) in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Saturday, Jan. 15, 2022, in Waco, Texas. 1 Baylor 61-54 on Saturday, giving the Bears consecutive home losses for the first time in nearly six years. The reigning national and Big 12 champions led for only 16 seconds Saturday against an Oklahoma State team playing its third Big 12 road game in five days. The only time Oklahoma State (9-7, 2-3) trailed was after Kendall Brown’s basket that made it 4-3 only 2 1/2 minutes into the game. Baylor hadn't had consecutive losses since the last three regular-season games of the 2018-19 season and its Big 12 tournament opener.

APTOPIX Texas Tech Baylor Basketball Texas Tech guard Adonis Arms celebrates with a teammate after they defeated No. (AP Photo/Jerry Larson) (Jerry Larson)WACO, Texas — (AP) — Texas Tech ended No. Texas Tech beat then-No. Obanor had a dunk for Texas Tech only 10 seconds into the second half that started a quick 7-1 run. BIG PICTURETexas Tech: The Red Raiders wrapped up a three-game stretch of games against top-11 teams, falling 51-47 at No.

The nation's longest winning streak is over after No. 19 Texas Tech won 65-62 at top-ranked Baylor.

TCU Baylor Basketball Baylor guard Kendall Brown (2) smiles as he, forward Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua, center back, and guard Adam Flagler (10) walk off the floor after an NCAA college basketball game against TCU in Fort Worth, Texas, Saturday, Jan. 8, 2022. 1 in The Associated Press men's college basketball poll once again, while fifth-ranked Southern California climbed to its highest ranking in nearly five decades. The reigning national champion Bears earned all 61 first-place votes in Monday’s poll for the fourth time in five weeks. That came after the AP Top 25 featured no new teams for each of the past two weeks. ___Follow Aaron Beard on Twitter at https://twitter.com/aaronbeardap___More AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25Copyright 2022 The Associated Press.

Baylor is once again the unanimous No. 1 in The Associated Press men’s college basketball poll, and fifth-ranked Southern California climbed to its highest ranking in nearly five decades.

TCU Baylor Basketball Baylor guard James Akinjo (11) looks to pass the ball to a teammate in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against TCU in Fort Worth, Texas, Saturday, Jan. 8, 2022. 1 Baylor with 18 of his 22 points in the second half, and the Bears extended their national-best winning streak to 21 games with a 76-64 victory over TCU on Saturday. The freshman from England had to be helped off the court and came out with his teammates for the second half with crutches and a walking boot. Baylor had nine turnovers in the first half, which helped fuel a 14-0 TCU run, but just three in the second half. TCU is trying to incorporate eight newcomers, and will move on in Big 12 play with confidence off this showing.

Adam Flagler rallied No. 1 Baylor with 18 of his 22 points in the second half, and the Bears extended their national-best winning streak to 21 games with a 76-64 victory over TCU.

Oklahoma Baylor Basketball Baylor guard Adam Flagler shoots a 3-pointer over Oklahoma guard Elijah Harkless during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2022, in Waco, Texas. (AP Photo/Jerry Larson) (Jerry Larson)WACO, Texas — (AP) — James Akinjo matched his career high with 27 points, Adam Flagler scored 22 and top-ranked Baylor stretched its national-best winning streak to 20 games with an 84-74 win over Oklahoma on Tuesday night. In a game with not too many missed shots, Baylor outscored Oklahoma 19-0 on second-chance points. Baylor: The Bears have only the fourth 20-game winning streak in Big 12 history. Baylor set the conference record with a 23-game winning streak two seasons ago, while Kansas has two such streaks: 22 games in 1997-97 and a 20-game 10 years after that.

James Akinjo matched his career high with 27 points, Adam Flagler scored 22 and top-ranked Baylor stretched its national-best winning streak to 20 games with an 84-74 win over Oklahoma.

Baylor Iowa St Basketball Iowa State guard Tre Jackson (3) fouls Baylor guard Adam Flagler (10) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game, Saturday, Jan. 1, 2022, in Ames, Iowa. Baylor won 77-72. 1 in The Associated Press Top 25 men's college basketball poll, with few changes at the top and no new teams entering the rankings Monday. 8 Iowa State, marking its 19th straight win going back to last year's title run in the Indianapolis bubble. ___Follow Aaron Beard on Twitter at https://twitter.com/aaronbeardap___More AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25Copyright 2022 The Associated Press.

Baylor kept its firm hold on No. 1 in The Associated Press Top 25 men’s college basketball poll with few changes at the top and no new teams entering the latest rankings.

James Akinjo scored 16 points, LJ Cryer had 10 of his 13 in the second half, and top-ranked Baylor beat No. 8 Iowa State 77-72 for the Cyclones’ first loss.

James Akinjo had 16 points with seven rebounds and second-ranked Baylor defensively dominated No. 6 Villanova 57-36.

Scott Drew uttered the far-fetched idea of Baylor being national champion when he was introduced as coach nearly 18 years ago.

Baylor knew it would need to play to near-perfection to end Gonzaga’s flawless season.

The fresh-as-can-be Baylor Bears obliterated wobbly-legged Gonzaga’s march to perfection in an 86-70 runaway in the national title game.

Baylor is the national champion in college basketball.

Jared Butler scored 17 points to lead five Baylor players in double figures, and the Bears roared to a 78-59 victory over Houston in the Final Four.

Davion Mitchell, a 46% shooter from 3 this season, went 0 for 3 from long range on a 14-point day. Jared Butler scored nine points on 1-for-9 shooting from 3, and MaCio Teague had five points without a 3. The guards did a great job of not settling and probing more.”Because of that, Baylor shot 53% in the second half, even though it made only one 3. Constantly harassing Villanova shooters who'd carved out space in the first half, Baylor held Villanova to 37.5% shooting in the second and 0 for 9 from 3. Forward Brandon Slater left the game about midway through the second half after landing awkwardly during a fight for a rebound.

3 Baylor, fresh off clinching its first Big 12 title on the road two days earlier, beat No. 17 Oklahoma State 81-70 on Thursday night to end the Cowboys' five-game winning streak. Freshman standout and Big 12 leading scorer Cade Cunningham had 24 points and Kalib Boone 10 for Oklahoma State (17-7, 10-7), whose winning streak was the longest active in the Big 12. That came right after Matthew-Alexander Moncrieffe had a dunk for Oklahoma State, prompting a timeout by Baylor coach Scott Drew. ... Oklahoma State was without guard Isaac Likekele (hand) for the fifth time in six games.

6 West Virginia 94-89 Tuesday for the Bears' first Big 12 regular-season title. Ad“At the end of the day, they just did more of the little stuff at the end to win the game," West Virginia coach Bob Huggins said. But the Bears went scoreless for nearly six minutes before halftime, allowing West Virginia to keep it close the rest of the game. They shot 51% (36 of 70) from the floor against West Virginia. West Virginia hosts TCU on Thursday.

Baylor guard Adam Flagler (10) drives the ball against Iowa State guard Tre Jackson (3) in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game, Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2021, in Waco, Texas. They finally overcame some of the rust and Iowa State for a 77-72 victory Tuesday night that made them 18-0 for the first time in school history. Iowa State (2-17, 0-14) jumped out to a 15-4 lead in less than 6 1/2 minutes on a jumper by Tre Jackson. Teague and Butler combined for the last nine Baylor points. They have been close and led in some of them, including in the second half at home against Baylor in a 76-65 home loss on Jan. 2.

Baylor forward Flo Thamba (0) celebrates a score against Texas during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2021, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)AUSTIN, Texas – Texas played Baylor tougher than most teams have this season. 2 Baylor used a big run to pull away for an 83-69 victory over sixth-ranked Texas on Tuesday night. Texas (11-4, 5-3) was within six points late before Baylor pulled away behind open 3-pointers from Adam Flagler and Mitchell. Instead of rallying the Longhorns, Jared Butler made his free throws and another quick basket put Baylor up by 10.

(AP Photo/Chuck Burton)WACO, Texas – This Baylor win was for Davion Mitchell, and the junior guard did his part against his former team. Mitchell swished a 3-pointer after losing a shoe and finished with 13 points and seven assists, helping the Bears stay undefeated with an 84-72 win over Auburn in the Big 12/SEC Challenge on Saturday. “And that’s OK, because Butler, and Teague and Davion Mitchell and Flagler are all really good,” Pearl said. "That conversation down the court, that was pretty cool.”AHEAD TO STAYButler made two free throws with 4:50 left in the first half for a 23-22 Baylor lead. Baylor: Baylor is 7-1 in Big 12/SEC Challenge games, the best record by any team in either league in the annual showdown.

And after an uncharacteristic first half, Drew understood why his players might have been a little unnerved. “It was a frustrating night," Illinois coach Brad Underwood said. Baylor forward Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua started the decisive stretch by making two free throws with 12:51 left. After Illinois made a 3-pointer, Baylor scored five more points and then took control with another run, this time 9-0. ... MaCio Teague added 11 points and Tchamwa Tchatchoua had nine points and nine rebounds.

FILE - Gonzaga players celebrate after defeating Saint Mary's in an NCAA college basketball game in the final of the West Coast Conference men's tournament in Las Vegas, in this Tuesday, March 10, 2020, file photo. Gonzaga will begin the college basketball season No. 1 for the first time after coach Mark Few's bunch earned 28 first-place votes in the preseason AP Top 25 poll released Monday, Nov. 9, 2020. (AP Photo/John Locher, File)

Iowa was picked fifth behind national player of the year front-runner Luka Garza, its highest preseason ranking in school history. The Bears, who also have their highest preseason ranking, spent five weeks at No. THE REST OF THE POLLCreighton lost Ty-Shon Alexander to the NBA and Davion Mintz to Kentucky but still landed the highest preseason ranking in school history at No. 17, its highest preseason ranking since the final Phi Slama Jama team of Hakeem Olajuwon began the 1983-84 season at No. 6 in the final poll last season but losing Mountain West player of the year Malachi Flynn and two other elite producers.