Five days ago, Iowa State rallied from 17 points down against Kansas in Kansas City to win the Big 12 Conference tournament champoinship.

Just before 3 p.m. Eastern time this afternoon, the Cyclones’ season is done.

Iowa State pulled a massive choke job in their first NCAA tournmaent game, falling to No. 14 seed UAB 60-59.

Not only was UAB a 14 seed, but the Blazers were 19-14 in a weak Conference USA, one which has not one basketball power to speak of. There was a time when C-USA was almost on par with the major conferences, thanks to Cincinnati, Lousville and Memphis. Now, there’s a bunch of nothing. 

The Cyclones GAGGED. No ifs, ands or buts about it. UAB would not have made the NIT had it not won the C-USA tourney, which, by the way, was played in Birmingham. 

The happiest people about this outcome, other than the dozens of UAB fans, was Jayhawk Nation.

First, Iowa State is out. 

Second, the Blazers are coached by KU alum Jerod Haase, who played on the Jayhawks’ 1993 Final Four team, Roy Williams’ second in three seasons. That KU squad was the lone non-No. 1 seed in that Final Four, which was played at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans. North Carolina, Michigan and Kentucky were the other teams. 

And now the Big 12 is in danger of another No. 3 seed losing to a 14. 

Georgia State just took a 57-56 lead on Baylor with 2.8 seconds to go. The Panthers won the Sun Belt Conference tournament by defeating rival Georgia Southern 38-36. Come on. 74 points COMBINED in the 35-second shot clock era? That’s pitiful. 

However, Baylor is doing it to itself. The Bears have given up 13 unanswered points to turn their 12-point lead into a deficit. 

And it’s over. Another undeserving team in the next round. That’s why I am not nearly as interested in college basketball as I am in baseball or football. Or even the Natoinal Hockey League.