Busting Brackets
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NCAA Basketball: Baylor’s ceiling, Michigan’s return and more weekly takeaways

By Brian Rauf

WACO, TEXAS - FEBRUARY 22: Jared Butler #12 of the Baylor Bears walks off the court during play against the Kansas Jayhawks in the second half at Ferrell Center on February 22, 2020 in Waco, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
WACO, TEXAS - FEBRUARY 22: Jared Butler #12 of the Baylor Bears walks off the court during play against the Kansas Jayhawks in the second half at Ferrell Center on February 22, 2020 in Waco, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /
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EUGENE, OREGON – JANUARY 09: Payton Pritchard #3 of the Oregon Ducks (Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images)
EUGENE, OREGON – JANUARY 09: Payton Pritchard #3 of the Oregon Ducks (Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images) /

6) Payton Pritchard’s National Player of the Year statement

I had essentially conceded yesterday that Iowa center Luka Garza was going to take home National Player of the Year because of his consistent play while the rest of the top contenders struggled. Oregon’s Payton Pritchard was in that mix, but I acknowledged he really needed to make a statement in their last marquee game of the regular season.

Yeah, safe to say Pritchard did that.

The senior scored a career-high 38 points in Oregon’s 73-72 overtime victory over Arizona as he came up with big bucket after big bucket, almost singlehandedly carrying the Ducks to the victory. He also had six rebounds and four assists to boot.

Pritchard put forth as dominant of a performance as we’ve seen all season, and doing so at this point of the season means something. It feels as though the other top National Player of the Year contenders – Garza, Obi Toppin, Myles Powell, Markus Howard – have been put on notice.

Pritchard just set the bar for late-season heroics, so let’s see who can match it.

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