What we learned from Kentucky, UConn's dominance, and the reveal of the top 16 teams

Saturday marked exactly one month until Sunday's deadline — and if teams weren't aware of the need to feel a sense of urgency moving forward, the imaginary bracket was revealed to the NCAA Tournament selection committee early Saturday afternoon. For teams hoping to sit in the top quarter of the bracket, they suddenly know exactly where they stand in the eyes of the committee and what they need to do moving forward.

UConn knew it was in second place behind Purdue — and then had to play a top-five team in Marquette a few hours later. Auburn was perhaps a point or two short of what was expected and was then scheduled to host a desperate Kentucky team later that night. (For what it's worth, the Huskies and Tigers performed very differently in their respective games.)

What else matters on Saturday? ESPN's Myron Medcalf, Jeff Borzello and Joe Lunardi break down the big events from a packed weekend.

He plays

Adou Thiero rises to the championship

Kentucky's Ado Theroux makes a big dunk for the Wildcats.

Myron Medcalf: Just a few weeks before Selection Sunday during the 2014-15 season, Notre Dame ranked second in adjusted offensive efficiency and 151st — not a typo — in adjusted defensive efficiency, per KenPom. This team ran to the Elite Eight, losing to Kentucky on Andrew Harrison free throws with six seconds to play. The Fighting Irish never became an elite defensive team to extend this run. Kentucky faces a similar challenge. But this week, the Wildcats (102nd in adjusted defensive efficiency entering Saturday) showed they can improve before the 68-team bracket is decided next month.

They held Ole Miss to just 88 points per 100 possessions on Tuesday. During the first half on Saturday, the Tigers were limited to just 28% of their attempts. The same Tigers who had scored at least 80 points in 17 previous games. Kentucky has played with more energy defensively in recent days. If she can consistently put in that effort, it could turn her fortunes around in the postseason.

Jeff Borzello: Kentucky may have found something on Saturday with its powerhouse quarterback duo of Adou Thiero and Ugonna Onyenso. Thiero gives the Wildcats a different level of athleticism and energy at Level 4, especially in up-and-down games against deep, athletic teams like Auburn. He went for 14 and 8 against the Tigers.

Onyenso is someone to keep an eye on moving forward. The arrival of Aaron Bradshaw and the midseason addition of Zvonimir Ivecic appears likely to relegate Onyinso to the bench, but he has started the past six games and his ability on the defensive end gives John Calipari a protector. He had 10 blocks to go with eight points against Ole Miss and seven points, 11 boards and two blocks against Auburn. He also didn't allow the Tigers to dominate the paint. This duo may change when Trey Mitchell returns, but it's working for now.

Joe Lunardi arc effect: Kentucky gained more than Auburn lost in terms of line impact. The Wildcats take a full lead (5 seed, No. 20 overall) thanks to a close wire-to-wire win. The Tigers came in with a slightly bigger cushion in terms of seeding and will retain the No. 4 seed they earned in Saturday's NCAA reveal. However, looking to the future, it is not unlikely that these two rivals will swap positions between now and Sunday.

Medcalf: En route to its second straight national title in 2007, Florida beat then-No. 3 Ohio State 86-60 during a 17-game winning streak. This was a Buckeyes team with Greg Oden's No. 1 pick in the NBA draft and several other NBA prospects, who finished the season with a 22-game winning streak. That streak was snapped by the Gators in the national title game. Ohio State's greatness vanished when it met the true king of the sport.

The same thing happened to No. 4 Marquette on Saturday. Golden Eagles are very good. They had a double-digit win over Kansas, among other highlights. But UConn toyed with them for two halves.

The Huskies' dominant performance was similar to Florida's in 2007 and should be talked about in the same way. If the Huskies are destined to become the first team since the Gators in 2006 and 2007 to repeat as national champions, Saturday's effort over a Final Four-ranked Marquette team was strong supporting evidence of that possibility.

He plays

Hurley on Marquette: “It's a great honor to play with them”

See also  Bob Huggins apologizes for using a "hateful phrase" on a radio show

UConn coach Dan Hurley says he respects the Marquette program after the Huskies' dominant 81-53 win.

Borzello: Donovan Clingan could be the difference between UConn and everyone else in college basketball. There are, of course, an elite group of big men, including a Wooden Trophy favorite who leads the other dominant team in the sport. But the way the Huskies have become absolutely unbeatable since Clingan returned to full health in late January has been remarkable. UConn's offense has always been at championship level, although having someone like Clingan (17 points, 10 rebounds Saturday) running to the rim and finishing is a big boost. But his impact on their defense is unparalleled.

Since Clingan's return, UConn's defense has been up there with Houston and Iowa State's defenses as among the elite in college basketball. Teams simply can't score around the rim when he's on the floor — as evidenced by Marquette going 5-for-15 on layups.

Lunardi arc effect: UConn's case for the overall No. 1 seed continues to improve after this blowout. The Huskies are still a bit shy of Purdue in the CV department, but they're certainly close enough to justify tracking both teams over this final month. As for the Golden Eagles, the committee gave them the No. 2 seed in Saturday's reveal and their seeding will not change, although their place among the seeds will clearly drop.

Quick thoughts

He plays

Jared McCain drops 25 points in the first half for Duke

Jared McCain was unstoppable in the first half as he cooked Florida State for 25 points.

Duke rises again

Duke has now won four straight games and seven of its past eight since losing to rival North Carolina earlier this month. The Blue Devils are hitting their stride at the right time. The emergence of freshman Jared McCain is a promising development. His 35-point effort — tying the Duke freshman scoring record — in a 76-67 win at Florida State was a showcase for a player with NBA dreams and the potential to help this team reach the Final Four.

Mark Mitchell, Kyle Filipowski and Jeremy Roach are truly a trio that only a few teams in the country can match. But when McCain plays the way he did on Saturday — his eight 3-pointers set a record for a Duke freshman — the Blue Devils look like a team that can make a breakthrough come March. –Medcalf

He plays

LSU upsets South Carolina as Jacoby Wright misses potential game-winner

South Carolina falls short against LSU after Jacoby Wright's 3-pointer fails to land.

Not so fast, South Carolina

It's time to check the gut for the Gamecocks, who have been arguably the biggest upset in college basketball this season, going from last in the preseason SEC poll to league title contender. But since rising to No. 11 in the country, Lamont Paris' squad has been unable to sneak up on teams and has lost two straight games this week: at Auburn by 40 and at home to LSU, which has lost six games. Of seven.

So how will the Gamecocks respond to their first real adversity of the campaign? Their defense, which was so impressive in big wins over Kentucky and Tennessee, has now allowed more than one point per possession in five straight games. And here's something else: South Carolina's final five regular-season games are all against teams in ESPN's latest bracket. –Borzello

NCAA vs. Lunardi

The only surprise the committee revealed Saturday was the inclusion of San Diego State as a No. 4 seed. Most people think Creighton or Clemson would be in this spot. The Aztecs came in at No. 14 overall, which is great news for SDSU's chances of retaining its spot and perhaps a sign of how the committee will view the rest of the Mountain West a month from now. For the record, San Diego State actually finished 19th overall, so it's not as if the Aztecs came out of nowhere. It's a fair assessment and good work by the committee overall. –Lonardi