it’s officially march madnessand madness has come to college basketball.
Although Selection Sunday is still a few days away, automatic offers are in play this week, as Conference tournaments begin.
Iowa State guard Eli King reacts to being tackled to the ground during the Big 12 Tournament game between the Baylor Bears and the Iowa State Cyclones at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Mo., on Thursday. (Nick Tre. Smith/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
In the Big 12, No. 10 Baylor played Iowa State in the quarterfinals on Thursday, and a court issue gave him college basketball fans a first.
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Late in the second half, play was briefly delayed because a protruding nail needed to be driven into the pitch for play to resume.
«We have a new one for you,» ESPN analyst Fran Fraschilla said on the broadcast. «There’s a nail sticking out of the floor… They think it’s sharp enough that they have to go in. Here comes the guy with the hammer and he’s going to drive this nail in.»
«That’s the first time,» he added.
After the strike, the Cyclones defeated Baylor 78-72, beating the Bears for the third time this season.
Iowa State earned 24 points from senior guard Gabe Kalscheur to advance to the Big 12 Tournament semifinals for the first time since 2019.
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«Gabe’s confidence right now is through the roof and his teammates are really looking for him,» Cyclones coach TJ Otzelberger said, according to the Des Moines Register.
Iowa State guard Gabe Kalscheur gestures after making a 3-point shot during the Big 12 Tournament game between the Baylor Bears and the Iowa State Cyclones at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Mo., Thursday. (Nick Tre. Smith/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Iowa State entered the game focused on the glass and beat Baylor 44-17, including grabbing 21 offensive boards.
Baylor forward Jalen Bridges led the Bears with 28 points, knocking down seven of eight shots from beyond the 3-point line, but it wasn’t enough to beat the Cyclones.
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Baylor guard LJ Cryer reacts after losing possession of the ball during the Big 12 Tournament game between the Baylor Bears and the Iowa State Cyclones at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri on Thursday. (Nick Tre. Smith/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
«We tried to get Jalen involved in that matchup, and that worked. Twelve assists and 11 turnovers, that worked,» Baylor coach Scott Drew said. «It all came down to rebounding. Period. That’s it. Simple thing. Football, it’s turnovers. Basketball, you have to rebound. Normally, we always win second chance points. Even if we break even, we win the game. It’s that simple.»
Iowa State will play No. 3 Kansas in the semifinals.
Associated Press contributed to this report.