ALONDES WILLIAMS

The fifth-seeded Demon Deacons had no trouble in the first meeting, beating the Eagles (12-19) by 30 points at home on Jan. 24. But the 23-win season comes in a down year for the ACC, while the Demon Deacons are just 1-4 in Quadrant 1 games and 4-3 in Quadrant 2. Led by league player of the year Alondes Williams and coach of the year Steve Forbes, the Demon Deacons were one of the last four teams to avoid a play-in round in ESPN’s mock bracket on Tuesday. Xavier: The Musketeers (18-12) are firmly on the bubble entering the Big East Tournament against Butler. ___Follow Aaron Beard on Twitter at http://www.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.

Wake Forest meets Boston College in the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament looking for another win on its NCAA Tournament resume.

Paolo Banchero had 24 points and eighth-ranked Duke hit 13 straight shots to blow it open after halftime and beat Wake Forest 76-64 on Wednesday night with Hall of Fame coach Mike Krzyzewski sidelined by illness.

Gonzaga forward Drew Timme (2) celebrates with teammate Corey Kispert (24) after defeating Oklahoma in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Monday, March 22, 2021. Drew Timme scored a career-high 30 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, and the top-seeded Bulldogs beat No. “Thought we got a little better feel for the pace of things in the second half,” Oklahoma coach Lon Kruger said. SECOND WEEKENDThe last time Gonzaga was eliminated before the tournament's second weekend was in 2015, when the Bulldogs were a No. Oklahoma failed to reach the second week for the third straight tournament appearance since reaching the Final Four in 2016.

De'Vion Harmon scored 18 points to help No. I thought these guys (Oklahoma), they play hard to begin with, and then when they’re down two starters, they really bought in. “Anytime you can win a game like that is big from a resume standpoint, big from a confidence standpoint, momentum. A pair of free throws by Keon Ellis gave Alabama a 60-59 lead with just under four minutes to play. Alabama could take a significant hit with this loss, especially given the players Oklahoma was missing.

Baylor guard Jared Butler (12) drives around Oklahoma guard Alondes Williams (15) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Norman, Okla., Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2020. The sophomore guard scored 11 of his 22 points during a crucial five-minute stretch in the second half, and No. 1 Baylor beat Oklahoma 65-54 on Tuesday night for its Big 12-record 23rd consecutive win. Bears guard MaCio Teague, the team's leading scorer in Big 12 play, sat out for the second straight game with a wrist injury. "I was really pleased how our guys responded in the second half," Drew said.