IRVING, Texas — Texas Tech sophomore forward JT Toppin was selected by Big 12 coaches as the league’s best player and newcomer of the year in a vote revealed Monday, a day before the start of the 16-team league’s postseason tournament.

Toppin, a transfer from New Mexico, has 14 double-doubles and is the only Big 12 player who ranks top three in scoring (18.1 PPG) and rebounding (9.3 RPG). He is the first Big 12 player in the league’s 29 seasons to be voted by coaches as the top player and top newcomer in the same season.

Houston’s Kelvin Sampson was selected by his peers as the Big 12’s top coach. The second-ranked Cougars (27-4, 19-1 Big 12) have won the conference title in both seasons since joining the league, becoming the first program to join a major conference and win back-to-back regular-season titles since Idaho won the Pacific Coast Conference in the 1921-22 and 1922-23 seasons.

Houston forward Joseph Tugler was voted defensive player of the year and guard LJ Cryer the top scholar-athlete. Baylor’s VJ Edgecombe was voted the Big 12’s top freshman, BYU’s Richie Saunders was chosen as the league’s most improved player, and Curtis Jones of fifth-seeded Iowa State was voted the top sixth man.

Cryer, Jones, Saunders and Toppin joined Caleb Love of Arizona, Norchad Omier of Baylor, J’Wan Roberts of Houston, Hunter Dickinson of Kansas, Darrion Williams of Texas Tech and Javon Small of West Virginia on the coaches’ All-Big 12 first team.

The Big 12 Tournament begins Tuesday with four opening-round games. The championship game is Saturday.

Duke star freshman Cooper Flagg is the Atlantic Coast Conference’s choice for player of the year and rookie of the year.

The league released its all-ACC honors and individual awards on Monday, the day before the start of the league tournament in Charlotte. That came after voting by league head coaches and media members.

Louisville’s Pat Kelsey was named coach of the year, while Cardinals guard Chucky Hepburn was selected defensive player of the year. The list included Boston College’s Donald Hand Jr. as the league’s most improved player and California’s Jeremiah Wilkinson as sixth man of the year.

Flagg was joined by teammates Kon Knueppel (second team) and Tyrese Proctor (third team) on the all-ACC teams for the AP poll-topping Blue Devils.

The Associated Press releases its all-ACC honors Tuesday.

CORAL GABLES, Fla. — Jai Lucas acknowledges his coaching pedigree lacks the vital role of running a team but believes that experience gained through assistant stops at “Blue Blood” programs has prepared him for the massive undertaking that awaits him.

The 36-year-old Lucas was introduced as the men’s basketball coach at Miami on Monday. Lucas replaces Jim Larrañaga, who retired Dec. 26 after guiding the Hurricanes for 14 seasons. Larrañaga attended the introductory news conference as well as Lucas’ father, former NBA player and coach John Lucas.

“I’ve experienced a lot of things except for running a program,” Lucas said. “But through these experiences that I have gone through and the preparation that I have done, I know I’m prepared and ready to lead.”

Lucas, an assistant with No. 1 Duke for the past three seasons, officially began his new job Sunday and will not be part of the Blue Devils’ staff during the postseason tournament cycle.

Two years after a Final Four run, the Hurricanes finished the season at 7-24 and an Atlantic Coast Conference-worst 3-17, eliminating them from the conference tournament. They were 11-39 since winning 11 of their first 13 games in 2023-24.

“It was extremely hard to leave [Duke] just because of the relationships you built there,” Lucas said. “This year we finally had a team that could win it all. You recruited those kids and we have returning players that have been there three years and you build that bond.

“I felt it was my responsibility to get down here as quick as I could and make sure we get started on the right foot and get the program going. That was important to me.”

Before his tenure at Duke, Lucas was an assistant at Kentucky and Texas. Recognized for his recruiting skills, Lucas anticipates a radical team makeover but also is open to retaining Hurricanes players with remaining eligibility.

“It’s going to be a big overhaul,” Lucas said. “My expectation coming in was that I would need to get 13 new players just because that’s the way it is. But you never know of the opportunity of people coming back.”

Miami athletic director Dan Radakovich and a search committee remained locked in on Lucas despite the great interest in the job.

“From the outset the committee was impressed with Jai,” Radakovich said. “His knowledge of the game. Passion for the game and his commitment to building a basketball program the right way.”

Larrañaga believes Lucas will successfully adapt to the head-coaching role.

“The great thing for Jai is he played the game and comes from a basketball family,” Larrañaga said. “He has worked for some of the best college basketball coaches in the history of the game. He is very well prepared.”

PENSACOLA, Fla. — Tayton Conerway, the Sun Belt Conference player of the year, scored 16 of his 21 points in the second half, Myles Rigsby added 20 points and No. 3 seed Troy beat fourth-seeded Arkansas State 94-81 on Monday night to clinch a spot in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2017.

Troy (23-10) won the Sun Belt Conference tournament championship to earn a spot in the NCAA tournament for the third time in program history.

Arkansas State (24-10) was in the championship game for the second year in a row, battling for its first NCAA berth since 1999 and second in school history.

Troy trailed 66-58 with 10 minutes to go before going on a 24-4 run, sparked by Conerway’s 12 points, to go ahead 82-70 with 2:12 left. It was the first double-digit lead of the game.

The Trojans made seven straight shots at the end of the run, while Arkansas State went 2-of-13 from the field over eight minutes.

Troy shot 65% from the field in the second half, getting 16 points from Rigsby and 11 from Thomas Dowd.

Dowd finished with 14 points and nine rebounds, and Jackson Fields added 10 points for Troy, which won its sixth straight game.

Dyondre Dominguez led Arkansas State with 19 points and Derrian Ford added 17. Terrance Ford Jr. had 11 points and seven assists, and Kobe Julien and Joseph Pinion each scored 10.

Conerway finished the tournament with 61 points after scoring 18 in the quarterfinals against Old Dominion and 22 in the semifinals versus No. 2 seed James Madison. He was 8-of-17 from the field against the Red Wolves.

Penn head coach Steve Donahue is out after nine seasons, the school announced Monday.

The Quakers, whose season ended on Saturday with a 95-71 loss at Princeton, is missing the Ivy League tournament for the second straight season. They finished 8-19 overall, 4-10 in the league.

“I’m appreciative of Steve’s long tenure of leadership and service to Penn basketball and our student-athletes, both as an assistant and head coach,” said Penn’s director of athletics and recreation Alanna Wren. “Steve has been steadfast in his commitment to the program and the development of our student-athletes. I’ve always had great respect for his commitment to Ivy values, and he has been a strong representative of Penn during his career.

“Unfortunately, the competitive success on the court has not been up to our standards. While difficult, a change in leadership is necessary to provide the championship-caliber experience our student-athletes, alumni and fans expect. We wish Steve and his family the best moving forward.”

Donahue led Penn to a regular-season championship and an NCAA tournament appearance in 2018, but the Quakers have struggled the past two seasons. They totaled seven Ivy League wins in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the program’s fewest combined conference wins over two seasons since 1939-40 and 1940-41.

Prior to taking over at Penn in 2015, Donahue was the head coach at Boston College for four seasons. He previously had success in the Ivy League, leading Cornell to three straight NCAA tournament appearances from 2008-10, including a Sweet 16 run in 2010.

Duke and Auburn have excelled all season, so it’s not surprising that the two teams are front and center entering Champ Week.

Following the Blue Devils’ win over the Tigers at Cameron Indoor Stadium, both teams positioned themselves to secure the top overall seed in the NCAA tournament. But this week’s matchups could impact the fight for that spot, in addition to the Wooden Award competition between Cooper Flagg and Johni Broome.

There’s more intrigue across the board as we enter the final stretch of Champ Week. North Carolina needs a run in the ACC tournament to earn an at-large invitation to the dance on Selection Sunday — and help the league avoid its lowest number of NCAA tournament berths in a quarter century. Meanwhile, the SEC has three teams (Florida, Tennessee and Alabama) that could also collect a No. 1 seed based on results from this week. The league has also had a historic season that could lead to a record-breaking number of bids called on Selection Sunday. Kansas will need a rally in the Big 12 tournament to avoid a problematic matchup in the first round. Indiana is looking to lock up a spot while on its head coach’s farewell tour.

That’s just the major leagues. Throughout Champ Week, we’ll learn more about the team’s that can survive March and possibly win the national championship. We’ll also identify the squads that could spoil all of those plans, too. ESPN’s Myron Medcalf, Jeff Borzello and Joe Lunardi address it all.

Is Auburn still the No. 1 overall seed?

Jeff Borzello: I say yes, although the Tigers’ margin for error has gotten smaller after losing two in a row to end the regular season. That said, their résumé is still historically strong. They have 16 Quadrant 1 wins, by far the most in the country, and 21 wins in Quadrants 1 and 2, also the most in the country. They rank No. 1 in all three résumé-based metrics and sit in the top three in each of the other four teamsheet metrics. Auburn won the best league in the country and also handled a difficult nonconference schedule. Could Duke overtake it with an ACC tournament championship and an early Auburn exit in the SEC tourney — taking into account the Blue Devils’ head-to-head win back in December? It’s possible, but I think the committee still gives it to Bruce Pearl’s team.

Myron Medcalf: I agree that the notion of Auburn as the No. 1 overall seed feels less certain than it did a week ago. But the selection committee has been public about promoting that it is also incorporating other metrics to consider its picks. If that’s the case, Auburn’s edge remains. The Tigers are first in KPI. They’re first in strength of record, which considers a team’s record against the caliber of opponents it faced. They’re first in wins above bubble, which measures a team’s success compared to how a bubble team would have fared against the same competition. Plus, Auburn’s sheer advantage in the number of Quad I matchups (20) on its schedule this season compared to Duke (10) matters.

Joe Lunardi: Could Auburn lose its SEC quarterfinal and give up the top spot to a surging Duke or Houston (or a separate champion from its own conference)? I suppose. It would be three losses in a row for the Tigers at that point. At the end of the day, though, no one’s coming close to Auburn’s impressive 16-4 Quad 1 record. Unless the committee has an unexpected change of heart with respect to how it values a team’s overall body of work, the Tigers will be the first to hear their name on Selection Sunday.

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A number of teams have flirted with a 1-seed this season. Who is most likely to join Auburn and Duke on the top line?

Borzello: Going into Champ Week, I think Houston and Florida are in a strong position to earn the final 1-seeds. Houston’s numbers are elite, ranking in the top three in five of the seven metrics used by the selection committee, and it has 11 Quad 1 wins — only Auburn and Michigan State have more. The Cougars have also lost only once since November. Florida looks to have the edge among the SEC options after beating Alabama in Tuscaloosa last week. Do the Gators have to go to the title game to keep that spot? They would likely have to beat Alabama again in the SEC semifinal.

Medcalf: I think Houston’s a lock for the third No. 1 seed. Every year, the committee seems to resent the idea that the “eye test” plays a role in the bracket, but one look at a Houston game during its 23-1 stretch to end the season would show the Cougars are worthy of a top slot. Plus, the key metrics love them. I also think Florida has earned the fourth No. 1 seed because of how the Gators finished off the regular season (seven top-50 wins since Feb. 1). They won their only matchups with Alabama and Auburn, respectively, and split with Tennessee. An Alabama SEC tournament run could change my mind, though.

Lunardi: Houston is going to be a No. 1 seed. The Cougars went 19-1 in the Big 12 and won what’s currently projected to be an eight-bid league by a ridiculous four games. The only race left is among three SEC teams — Florida, Alabama and Tennessee — for the last spot on the top line and a trip to the West Region. If it were me, I’d pick whichever of the three advances the furthest in Nashville. And if all three were to lose their opening game at the SEC tourney, I’d go off the board and promote Michigan State. The top line would then include all four power conference champions. But I’m not the committee, and they are going to pick the SEC survivor.

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Which team has the most at stake entering its conference tournament?

Borzello: Xavier. There are a bunch of bubble teams that can play themselves in or out of the field this week, but there’s something about a one-game, potentially win-and-in scenario against a high-level opponent that intrigues me. North Carolina, Texas, Colorado State, etc., could all find themselves in a similar situation, but they need to win games just to get that opportunity. But Sean Miller’s Musketeers open Big East tournament play in the 4 vs. 5 game against Marquette, and I don’t think they can get into the NCAA tournament without a win. Beating the Golden Eagles likely gets them into the field. They’re just 1-9 against Quad 1 opponents, but they’re 8-1 in Quad 2, and their metrics are decent enough across the board. Another Quad 1 on a neutral court would move the needle.

Medcalf: North Carolina. This seems to have become a theme for this team, but the Tar Heels could potentially miss their second NCAA tournament in three years. From 1975 to 2009, North Carolina missed the NCAA tournament only twice. To avoid a rare stretch in program history this time, it will have to beat Pitt or Notre Dame in the second round of the ACC tournament — both of whom it recently defeated in one-point games — and then defeat another bubble team, Wake Forest, on Thursday, before it presumably gets a third shot at Duke on Friday. That seems to be its only certified path to an NCAA tournament berth. If the Tar Heels fail, then the offseason will center on Hubert Davis’ next steps with a program that has struggled to maintain its blue blood status in recent years.

Lunardi: I’m taking a nontraditional path here with VCU. Despite losing their regular-season finale, the Rams are plainly good enough. They have Quad 1 wins at Dayton and Saint Joseph’s. And they got burned in scheduling when Seton Hall and Miami both turned into dust. They are top-35 in all performance metrics and top-30 in the NET. What they can’t take is a bad loss in an Atlantic 10 tourney in which everyone will be rooting against them. If the Rams make the Sunday final, they are also in the NCAA tournament. But the A-10 is known for top seeds losing, so there will be plenty of intrigue in the nation’s capital.

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Which team other than Auburn has the best shot to win the SEC tournament?

Borzello: Florida. I picked the Gators when we had to predict all 31 conference tournaments last week, and I’m sticking with Todd Golden’s team. The Gators are balanced, they’re experienced, they have size and they have depth now that they’re healthy. They also have emerging NBA prospects in Alex Condon and Thomas Haugh, proven shot-makers in Alijah Martin and Will Richard and arguably the best scorer in any game they play in Walter Clayton Jr.

Medcalf: Alabama. In the Crimson Tide’s win over Auburn on Saturday night on the road, they battled the former No. 1 team in the country, despite Mark Sears struggling throughout most of the game until he made the game winner. That’s the kind of win that will give Alabama a confidence boost as it prepares for the SEC tournament. The team’s pace (No. 1 in adjusted tempo on KenPom) is also a difficult style for any opponent to handle in a single-elimination event over consecutive days. Fatigue will be a factor for opponents. Plus, the Tide have played Tennessee and Florida close in recent weeks.

Lunardi: I’ve been leaning toward a Florida-Duke final in the NCAA tournament. The Gators, to me, are the most balanced team in the country. I think they would win a best-of-seven series against every team in the SEC. However, we all know there is no such thing in college basketball. So I’m going with Tennessee in its home state, with an upset of Auburn in the semifinals. I like the Vols’ defense to power them through the grind of three games in three days. What will that mean for the NCAA tournament? Absolutely nothing …

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Which conference tournament most intrigues you?

Borzello: The SEC’s. Is there any other answer? It has every possible storyline for a high-major conference tournament. You want 1-seed drama? Auburn looks likely to hold on to the No. 1 overall seed, but will Florida, Alabama or Tennessee get the last 1-seed? Bubbles bursting? Arkansas should feel good about itself, but Texas is desperate and Oklahoma will probably only feel good with one more win. And then there’s the tournament title itself. With four top-10 teams, plus the likes of Kentucky, Texas A&M and Missouri, there are several teams that could win on three or four consecutive days.

Medcalf: The answer is the SEC. But I also like the Big Ten’s storylines. Wisconsin is 2-3 in its final five games of the regular season, which could move the Badgers into a dangerous first-round matchup in the NCAA tournament. Illinois ended the regular season on a three-game winning streak. Indiana hopes to get Mike Woodson into the NCAA tournament in his final season in Bloomington. Maryland has looked like a real Final Four team in recent weeks; Purdue, which has gone 2-5 in its past seven games, has not. The Big Ten tournament will be full of teams with something to prove to themselves and perhaps the committee, too.

Lunardi: I’ve always wanted to go to the Big 12 tournament in Kansas City. No reason other than it’s a perfect extension of Big Monday from the regular season. Those are among the rarest of games, when I get to just sit still and watch. Plus, the Big 12 tourney has two more of my favorite things: Fran Fraschilla on the call and Joe’s BBQ after the game. What a way to spend Champ Week!

Louisiana is hiring Houston associate head coach Quannas White as its next men’s basketball coach, sources told ESPN.

White is expected to remain with Houston through the end of the postseason, sources said. The Cougars won the Big 12 regular-season title and are a projected 1-seed in the NCAA tournament.

White has worked under Kelvin Sampson at Houston since 2017, after spending one season at Western Kentucky and two seasons at Tulane. He was also a longtime coach in the Louisiana Dynasty AAU program.

During his time with the Cougars, the program has gone to six NCAA tournaments, earning a 1-seed in each of the past two years and going to the Final Four in 2021. Since moving to the Big 12 in 2023, Houston is 34-4 in conference play.

White’s relationship with Sampson dates back to his time as a player under Sampson at Oklahoma in the early 2000s. He helped lead the Sooners to a 58-12 record in 2002 and 2003, going to the Final Four in 2002 and the Elite Eight in 2003.

He replaces longtime Louisiana head coach Bob Marlin, who was fired in December midway through his 15th season with the Ragin’ Cajuns.

Duke ended Auburn’s eight-week stay at No. 1 in the AP Top 25 men’s college basketball poll on Monday, while the Tigers dropped to third behind Houston as all three programs began preparing for their conference tournaments.

The Blue Devils took advantage of back-to-back losses by Auburn to ascend to the top spot for the first time since November 2021, when Duke spent a week there in Hall of Fame coach Mike Krzyzewski’s farewell season. The Blue Devils received 52 of 61 votes from the national media panel, while the Cougars picked up five and the Tigers held onto the other four.

“Just my luck to be No. 1 going into the postseason when it really doesn’t matter,” Duke coach Jon Scheyer said with a laugh. “We haven’t talked about it one time. We have talked about being No. 1 when this thing is all said and done.”

The Blue Devils, who will be the No. 1 seed in the ACC Tournament when they begin play in Thursday’s quarterfinals, beat Wake Forest in a rout last week before topping rival North Carolina on Saturday in Chapel Hill.

The Cougars, the top seed in the Big 12 Tournament, climbed to their highest ranking of the season. Auburn fell three spots but will still be the No. 1 seed in the SEC Tournament, despite its close losses to then-No. 23 Texas A&M and then-No. 7 Alabama.

“Those are two teams capable of getting to the Final Four,” Auburn coach Bruce Pearl said after watching the Crimson Tide’s Mark Sears hit a buzzer-beater for a 93-91 overtime win in Auburn’s home finale Saturday.

Florida, which beat Alabama earlier in the week, moved up one spot to fourth while the Crimson Tide climbed two spots to fifth in Monday’s poll. St. John’s remained sixth after its overtime win over then-No. 20 Marquette on Saturday. Michigan State was seventh, Tennessee dropped four spots to eighth, Texas Tech was ninth and Clemson rounded out the top 10.

While some conferences are already crowning champions and awarding NCAA tournament berths, the ACC and Big 12 are among the power leagues that begin play Tuesday. The Big Ten and SEC tournaments open Wednesday.

“My standards are probably a little bit different. I think there’s areas we need to continue to get better in,” said Houston coach Kelvin Sampson, whose team rolls into the Big 12 quarterfinals on Thursday riding a 10-game winning streak.

“I’m never going to say we’re playing our best ball because I prefer to think our best ball’s ahead of us,” Sampson said, “so we’ve just got to continue to work. That’s the bottom line. Stay humble and just keep working.”

MOVING IN; MOVING OUT

Oregon, the eighth seed in the Big Ten Tournament, returned to the poll at No. 23 while Illinois — the seventh seed — is back in at No. 24. Their spots came at the expense of Arizona, which lost at Kansas, and Mississippi State, which did not receive a single vote after losing close games to Texas and Arkansas last week.

WHO’S RISING; WHO’S FALLING

Texas A&M made the biggest move in the poll, climbing eight spots to No. 14 after wins over then-No. 1 Auburn and LSU. BYU jumped six spots to No. 17 after a double-overtime win over then-No. 10 Iowa State and a victory over Utah.

Wisconsin and Missouri tumbled six spots apiece this week. The Badgers fell to No. 18 after losing to Penn State on Saturday while the Tigers fell to No. 21 after losing to Oklahoma and then-No. 19 Kentucky.

CONFERENCE WATCH

The SEC and Big Ten led the way with seven teams apiece in the Top 25, though the SEC had three of the top 5 and six in the top 15, while the Big Ten had one in the top 10. The Big 12 had four ranked teams, the ACC three, the Big East two and the American Athletic and West Coast conferences one each.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — JJ White scored 29, Marquel Sutton totaled 22 points and a career-high 18 rebounds and Omaha beat St. Thomas-Minnesota 85-75 on Sunday night in the championship game of the Summit League Tournament.

The top-seeded Mavericks (22-12) had already earned the automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament entering the game because the Tommies (24-10) — the No. 2 seed — are in their final year of postseason ineligibility after making a rare leap from Division III to Division I.

The Mavericks will play in the NCAA Tournament for the first time after transitioning to D-I play in 2011. Omaha’s 22 victories this season are its most since the move up.

White and reserve Lance Waddles both scored 11 in the first half and combined to make 5 of 6 shots from 3-point range to guide Omaha to a 39-33 advantage. Sutton, the Summit League player of the year, had his eighth double-double this season by halftime with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

Sutton opened the second half with a dunk and White followed with a 3-pointer to push Omaha’s lead to double digits. A Waddles 3-pointer gave the Mavericks their largest lead at 51-36 with 14 minutes remaining.

St. Thomas got within six points four times, the final one at 79-73 on two Minessale free throws with 1:58 left. Sutton followed with two foul shots and White added a layup to wrap up the title.

White made 10 of 14 shots with three 3-pointers, adding five assists for the Mavericks. Waddles hit four 3-pointers and scored 15.

Minnessale had 20 points to lead the Tommies. Miles Barnstable scored 14.

Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry has accepted a role with his alma mater Davidson College as an assistant general manager for the basketball programs, university officials told ESPN.

Curry becomes the first active player in U.S. major professional sports to take an administrative job with an NCAA team.

In his new role, Curry, who played three seasons at Davidson (2006-09), will provide guidance and advice to the male and female athletes through his experiences in college and professionally.

He’ll work with general manager Austin Buntz, a former Under Armour global sports marketing team member. Curry first signed with Under Armour in 2013 and launched his own Curry Brand as a standalone venture with the company in 2020, signing a lifetime contract shoe deal in recent years.

Curry, his wife Ayesha Curry and longtime Davidson College supporters Don, Matt and Erica Berman will also start an eight-figure fund for both the men and women’s programs. Matt Berman, who played soccer for three seasons at Davidson as a member of the 2005 class, will serve as another assistant GM.

As a sophomore at Davidson, Curry set the NCAA single-season record for 3-pointers, was named conference player of the year twice and, after his junior year, became the No. 7 overall pick in the 2009 NBA draft by the Warriors.

The future Hall of Famer went on to win two Most Valuable Player awards and four championships with the Warriors and is in his 16th season with the team.

Curry returned to Davidson in 2022 to complete his undergraduate degree as a member of the class of 2010. He was also inducted into the school’s Hall of Fame.

In a similar move, retired NFL quarterback Andrew Luck accepted a general manager position at his alma mater Stanford last year.