Myron Medcalf, ESPN Staff Writer 9y

Multiple teams rally on Comeback Monday

Change the channel. Nothing to see here, right?

Did you grab the remote when Iowa State, loser of two in a row entering Monday’s matchup against Oklahoma, was down by 16 points with 3:06 to play in the first half against Oklahoma? Or when the Cyclones were down 19 points after Buddy Hield connected on a 3-pointer with 1:54 to go before the break?

Maybe the Fighting Hoibergs’ 21-point deficit 59 seconds into the second half was the final straw for you.

It seemed as if Iowa State had fumbled its opportunity to earn a Big 12 championship with back-to-back losses to Baylor and Kansas State. That feeling carried over Monday, when the Cyclones scored only 18 points in the first half -- at home.

But just as the Cyclones appeared to squander a chance to shine on their home floor, everything changed. A barrage of shots fueled a 32-11 run that ignited Hilton Coliseum and ended with an improbable 77-70 victory over the Sooners. The win also gave Kansas at least a share of its 11th consecutive Big 12 championship. The Jayhawks can win the title outright with a victory over West Virginia on Tuesday or Oklahoma in their season finale.

The Cyclones should be proud of their fortitude. Their 21-point second-half comeback matched Iowa State’s greatest post-halftime rally. They went from finished to alive.

That’s a common theme this time of year. It certainly was on Monday night.

Want to prove something to the NCAA selection committee? Want to feel secure on Selection Sunday and avoid an offseason of regrets?

Fight for it. That's what Texas did.

The Longhorns literally brawled for their postseason future on Monday night.

With nearly two minutes remaining in overtime of a matchup that Rick Barnes’ squad had to win to maintain its tenuous spot in the NCAA tournament picture, Texas guard Isaiah Taylor and Baylor forward Royce O'Neale fought for a loose ball. The skirmish led to seven ejections: Four Longhorns and three Bears.

That tussle was unnecessary and silly. But it was an extension -- albeit extreme -- of the passion that flowed throughout the matchup.

Texas finally played with the vigor of a program that realized how desperate its circumstances had become. It moved from preseason talk about a Final Four trip and a Big 12 title to a four-game losing streak and a must-win home game against Baylor.

That must-win didn't look very winnable when Johnathan Motley gave Baylor a 10-point lead at 48-38 after he hit a jump shot with 6:41 to play. The Longhorns’ struggles had seemingly cost them another key win.

But the Longhorns launched a wild run that led to overtime, where Texas scored a crucial 61-59 victory.

A team with a 7-10 record in conference play, a 3-11 record against the RPI’s top 50, and a 6-12 record against the RPI’s top 100 isn't guaranteed a thing, but had it lost in Austin and missed its shot to grab a quality victory at home, Texas would have found itself in a more troubling situation.

The Longhorns are far from safe, but that rally against Baylor was the life raft that the program needed.

Virginia doesn’t need any sort of life vest. The Cavaliers are still winning without All-American candidate Justin Anderson. The selection committee will seed the Virginia team that it expects to see in the NCAA tournament, so the Cavaliers should be in great shape if Anderson returns for the Big Dance.

The only team that has defeated the Cavs was a Duke team that got hot against Virginia late.

The Cavs haven’t slowed down or played like a team that believes it has a No. 1 seed locked up, though. They’re not taking any chances.

Virginia scored just two points in the first 13:54 of its matchup at Syracuse on Monday, a truly ugly start. But the Cavaliers then scored 21 points in the next 6:06 and 30 more points in the first 15 minutes of the second half of a 59-47 victory for Tony Bennett’s program.

It was a stunning reversal after a messy start.

Virginia could have quit and made excuses after Anderson was sidelined with a hand injury. Instead, it continues to fight.

In March, that’s the only way to operate.

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