Just when it seemed as if Pittsburgh's NCAA Tournament hopes were dead, the Panthers delivered their best performance of the season Saturday against Notre Dame. Two days after defeating the eighth-ranked Fighting Irish, the Panthers cannot afford a letdown Monday against visiting Bryant. This will mark the toughest opponent for the Bulldogs since they faced defending champion Connecticut in their season opener, a game they led by nine in the second half before losing 66-53.

Virginia looks to rebound from its first loss of the season when it faces another tough test against a ranked opponent Monday night. The No. 2 Cavaliers had their 19-game winning streak snapped with a 69-63 loss to Duke on Saturday, and the difficult stretch continues with a trip to No. 14 North Carolina for another ACC showdown. The Tar Heels also are facing their second straight ranked opponent after a 78-68 overtime loss at Louisville on Saturday.

With consecutive victories over Kansas, No. 16 Iowa State has already proven it can be a serious contender for the Big 12 crown. The Cyclones can take another huge step in that direction Monday as they eye a regular-season sweep of the 11th-ranked Jayhawks. Iowa State, which beat Kansas 94-83 last March en route to its first conference tournament title in 14 years, edged Kansas 86-81 at home on Jan. 17 for its first back-to-back wins in this series since 2001.