Villanova’s senior class of Kris Jenkins, Josh Hart and Darryl Reynolds clinched its fourth Big East regular season title on Saturday with a 79-63 win over Creighton. In the last four years, the Wildcats are 127-13 overall and 27-3 this season. The defending champs are not only one of the best teams in the country over the last couple of years, but a sure-fire bet to be a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. 

Gonzaga has the No. 1 seed in the West Region all but locked up, leaving just two top-seed spots left for the remaining major conference champions in the ACC, Big 12 and Pac-12. With crucial road wins, North Carolina and Kansas not only created some separation in the conference standings on Saturday (clinching top seeds in their respective conference tournaments) but moved ahead in the race for a No. 1 seed. 

Oregon, UCLA and Arizona will continue to battle down the stretch for the Pac-12 regular season and conference titles, but ultimately they could be fighting for the No. 2 seed in the West, at best. As long as Josh Jackson and Justin Jackson continue to play at a high level, the Jayhawks and Tar Heels are not only worthy of a No. 1 seed, but ready to make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament. 

Winner: Miami

The Hurricanes likely locked up an NCAA Tournament bid with their 55-50 win against Duke. The middle pack in the ACC standings will be separated by a few quality wins on Selection Sunday, and now Miami, a No. 8 seed in CBS Sports Bracketology Expert Jerry Palm’s projected bracket before Saturday’s games, has the Duke win to pair with victories against North Carolina and Virginia to boost its profile. 

Duke was playing without Grayson Allen, still nursing an ankle injury. Mike Krzyzewski doesn’t seem overly optimistic about the health of his leaders, Allen and senior forward Amile Jefferson, making the Blue Devils the ultimate wild card for the NCAA Tournament. If some combination of Allen, Jayson Tatum and Luke Kennard are clicking offensively, Duke can beat anyone. It didn’t come together for the Final Four hopefuls at Miami, making that deep run look less likely. 

Loser:  Maryland 

What’s wrong with Maryland? The Terps have one of the best rosters in the Big Ten, a superstar in Melo Trimble and enough momentum with Mark Turgeon to think that 2017 might be their year. In an 83-69 home loss to an average Iowa team, there was enough evidence to bail on the idea of Maryland as a threat to make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament. In fact, if this team doesn’t turn things around quickly, it’s possible Maryland won’t make it to the second weekend of the tournament. 

Winner: Oregon 

The Ducks have been the clutch kinds of the Pac-12 recently. Dillon Brings buried Cal with a 3-pointer earlier this week to cap a furious second-half rally, and then Saturday’s game at Stanford again ended in disappointment for the underdog. This time it was Jordan Bell scoring on a putback with 14 seconds left to clinch a 75-73 win. 

Loser: UConn (and the XL Center advantage)

If UConn is going to make the NCAA Tournament, the only chance is going to be earning the AAC’s automatic bid in the conference tournament. Luckily, the tournament will be held in the XL Center in Hartford. But on Saturday, in Hartford, SMU showed that the Huskies have a ways to go before they are ready to knock off the best teams the conference. Losses to Houston and SMU have slid UConn to the 14-loss mark, and no team has ever made the NCAA Tournament as an at-large team with more than 14 losses. 

Winner: Kentucky

No De’Aaron Fox? No problem. Kentucky split the regular season series with Florida with a 76-66 home win against the Gators, potentially clinching the top seed in the SEC tournament in the process. High-volume scorer Malik Monk showcased his potency during a 30-point second half as the Wildcats grinded out their sixth straight win. 

Loser: The Big Ten

Purdue and Maryland are the class of the Big Ten, and both teams suffered losses (Purdue to Michigan, Maryland to Iowa) that basically guarantee the league won’t be represented with a top seed in the NCAA Tournament. Michigan, meanwhile, may have secured the quality win it will need to land an at-large bid in the tournament. The Wolverines have been playing great basketball recently and could have locked up a spot in the tournament with Saturday’s victory. 

Loser: Baylor 

The Bears have lost five of eight after losing to Iowa State, and it’s reasonable to wonder if their best days this season have come and gone. Baylor was introduced as a 1-seed when the selection committee offered its midseason top-16 seeds on CBS, but now that line is dropping by the week. Iowa State is looking good to make its annual Big 12 tournament run with Monte Morris, but Deondre Burton remains the Cyclones’ X-factor. 

Winner: Providence

Providence beat Marquette in a bubble-popping elimination game, notching its fourth win in a row. This was supposed to be a rebuilding year for the Friars but after four straight wins Ed Cooley is close to getting them back into the NCAA Tournament for a fourth straight season. 

Loser: TCU

Tough way to lose for TCU, falling to West Virginia 61-60 with a questionable late-game whistle. Daxter Miles Jr. drove the length of the floor and drew a questionable foul that sent him to the free throw line. But the foul, upon review, seemed to be questionable given where the contact took place and when the foul was called.