The Big 12 tournament semifinals are set, and second-seeded No. 9 Texas Tech will square off against third-seeded Arizona on Friday night in Kansas City. Both teams survived tough quarterfinal matchups, setting the stage for a battle between two of the conference’s most physical teams. Texas Tech (25-7) nearly let a big lead slip away but held on for a 76-74 win over Baylor on Thursday. JT Toppin led the way with a dominant 26-point, 10-rebound performance, while Darrion Williams added 14 points. Despite shooting just 19.4% from the field in the second half, including 3-of-15 from beyond the arc, the Red Raiders found a way to win. McCasland knows his team will need to be better against an Arizona

Two of the ACC’s top teams—No. 13 Louisville and No. 10 Clemson—clash in the conference semifinals on Friday night in Charlotte, with both squads looking to build on hard-fought quarterfinal victories. Third-seeded Clemson (27-5) had all it could handle against sixth-seeded SMU, escaping with a 57-54 win on Thursday. The Tigers leaned on their defense, holding SMU without a field goal for the first six minutes of the game and making key stops late. Clemson’s Chase Hunter stepped up with 21 points—his highest output in nine games—and Ian Schieffelin praised his ability to come through in big moments. However, Clemson may be without Dillon Hunter, who suffered a potential broken hand in the first half and is awaiting X-ray results.

Ryan Kalkbrenner has had one goal all season—winning the Big East Championship. The Creighton center is now one step closer, but to reach the final, the second-seeded Bluejays must get past third-seeded UConn in Friday’s semifinal showdown at Madison Square Garden. Creighton (23-9) has won three straight games, with the 7-foot-1 Kalkbrenner dominating the stretch, scoring 79 points over that span. He was the difference-maker in Thursday’s 85-81 double-overtime quarterfinal win over DePaul, pouring in 32 points while playing 47 minutes. Creighton erased an eight-point deficit in the first overtime before Kalkbrenner hit the go-ahead shot in double OT, keeping the Bluejays’ title hopes alive. The Huskies (23-9) appear to be peaking at the perfect time, seeking their second straight

The stakes are high as third-seeded Alabama begins its SEC tournament run against sixth-seeded and No. 15-ranked Kentucky in a quarterfinal showdown on Friday night in Nashville. The No. 5-ranked Crimson Tide (24-7) have won the SEC tournament twice in the past four seasons but have yet to turn that success into a deep NCAA Tournament run. Last year, they were eliminated in the first round of the conference tournament but made it all the way to the Final Four. Head coach Nate Oats is focused on adding another SEC championship to Alabama’s résumé. Alabama enters the tournament on a high note, coming off a thrilling 93-91 overtime win against then-No. 1 Auburn last Saturday. The Crimson Tide are led