Top 25 roundup: Duke, Arizona, St. John's nab conference tourney titles

Isaiah Evans, Koa Peat and Zuby Ejiofor lead their teams to conference championship victories

Mar. 15, 2026 at 12:10pm

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

No. 1 Duke, No. 2 Arizona and No. 13 St. John's all won their respective conference tournament championships on Saturday. Duke defeated No. 10 Virginia 74-70, Arizona beat No. 5 Houston 79-74, and St. John's routed No. 6 UConn 72-52. Other top teams like No. 3 Michigan, No. 4 Florida, and No. 17 Arkansas also advanced to their conference title games.

Why it matters

These conference tournament wins for the top teams are important as they jockey for the best seeds in the upcoming NCAA Tournament. Winning a conference tournament title is a significant accomplishment and can boost a team's resume and seeding for the Big Dance.

The details

In the ACC final, Isaiah Evans scored 20 points to lead Duke to a repeat championship. In the Big 12 title game, Koa Peat had 21 points for Arizona before fouling out, while Brayden Burries also scored 21 for the Wildcats. Zuby Ejiofor was a force for St. John's, totaling 18 points, 9 rebounds, 7 blocks and 3 steals in the Big East final win over UConn.

  • The ACC, Big 12 and Big East tournament championships were all played on Saturday, March 15, 2026.

The players

Isaiah Evans

A key player for No. 1 Duke, scoring 20 points in the ACC tournament championship game.

Koa Peat

The leading scorer for No. 2 Arizona with 21 points in the Big 12 tournament final.

Zuby Ejiofor

Dominant two-way performance for No. 13 St. John's in the Big East tournament title game, with 18 points, 9 rebounds, 7 blocks and 3 steals.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“Winning the conference tournament is always a goal of ours. I'm proud of the way our guys competed and executed down the stretch to get this championship.”

— Mike Krzyzewski, Head Coach, Duke University

“We knew coming into this game that Houston would be a tough opponent. I'm really pleased with how our team stepped up and made the plays we needed to win the Big 12 title.”

— Tommy Lloyd, Head Coach, University of Arizona

“This championship means a lot to our program. The guys have worked so hard all season and it's great to see them rewarded with a conference tournament title.”

— Mike Anderson, Head Coach, St. John's University

What’s next

The NCAA Tournament selection show is scheduled for Sunday, March 16, 2026, where the full 68-team bracket will be revealed.

The takeaway

The top teams in the country continued to show their dominance by winning their respective conference tournament championships. These victories will help solidify their positioning for the upcoming NCAA Tournament, where they will look to make deep runs and compete for a national title.