Weekend Wrap-Up: Bracket Busters

14 Villanova (22-5) v. 25 Syracuse (19-8)

Villanova and Syracuse are heading in opposite directions as the Big East season rolls on. That continued this weekend after the Wildcats traveled into the Carrier Dome and walked away with their 10th Big East victory of this season, defeating the Orange 89-86. Syracuse had three 3-point tries in the closing seconds of the game, but was unable to get one to go. Syracuse is on its way to getting dangerously close to that bubble that burned them so many times in the past. They have plenty of opportunities to right the ship in the stacked Big East conference. Villanova had six different players in double figures and have shown that they can beat the best this season. Their style of play could prove tough to handle come tourney time. Watch out for Jay Wright and his Wildcats.

22 Butler (23-4) v. Davidson (22-6)

Butler stopped a two game skid after their “Bracket Buster” victory over Davidson. The spectacular Stephon Curry struggled in his return from his sprained ankle (even though he had 20 points) starting off 0-8 from the floor and finishing under 20% from down town for the game. It will be interesting to see how the tournament considers Davidson if they stumble during their conference tournament this year.

23 Utah State (25-3) v. Saint Mary’s (22-5)

The Gaels got a must win victory over the 23rd ranked Utah State Aggies, 75-64 despite the Aggies hitting 40% from beyond the arc. Mickey McConell led the way for St. Mary’s with a career high 22 points. Omar Samhan chipped in with a double double and the Saint Mary’s Gaels showed that they can beat a quality opponent without superstar point guard Patty Mills. The injury still might be the reason you don’t see the Gaels dancing come tournament time. There is still a lot of basketball left to play and St. Mary’s is one of the teams you should keep an eye on.

3 North Carolina (24-3) v. Maryland (17-9)

In the biggest shocker of the week the Maryland Terrapins needed overtime to take down the top team in the Atlantic Coast Conference, North Carolina. Greivis Vasquez had a career game with the Terrapins first triple-double in 22 years. Vasquez scored 35 points, grabbed 11 boards, and had 10 dimes to go along with the huge upset win. The Terrapins rallied from 16 points to put themselves back in the bubble picture for the NCAA Tournament. Vasquez led off the game scoring Maryland’s first 16 points, but got some serious help from his teammates off the bench as they dropped in 41 points and 18 assists (compared to just 5 of each from the thin Tar Heels bench).

Weekend Wrap-Up: One Month Away

5 Duke (20-5) @ Boston College (19-8)

Coach K and his Blue Devils drop another ACC match, this time to BC. Boston College got its first ACC win against Duke with a score of 80-74. This was their first victory over Duke in over 24 years. The Blue Devils have shown some weakness this year with spotty shooting from behind the arc, which was once known as one of Duke’s biggest strengths. They shot 3-16 from 3-point land. Kyle Singler hit all three of them as he continued his powerful play along with Gerald Henderson. The problem is that these are the only two players who show up night in and night out. Coach K might get an early start to concentrating on USA Basketball or working on his golf swing, because I expect an early exit from Duke in this year NCAA tournament.

3 North Carolina (23-2) @ Miami (FL) (15-9)

Miami played well against another top team, but it wasn't enough to topple Ty Lawson and the Tar Heels. Lawson had 17 of his 21 points in the second half as UNC held off the Hurricanes in a 69-65 victory. Jack McClinton led all scorers with his third straight 30+ point effort as he dropped in 35 for the Hurricanes. He was also 7-12 from downtown, scoring more than half of his team’s points. Miami has showed it can play with the nation’s best teams this season, but as of right now it looks like they are on the outside looking in for an NCAA tournament birth. UNC scored over 20 points below their season average, but good teams find a way to win games even when they’re not at their best.

11 Clemson (20-4) @ Virginia (8-13)

It took overtime for Virginia, but they managed to pull off the huge upset over 11th seeded Clemson. Clemson came out flat in the first half trailing by eight points at the break. This was a sloppy contest as each team had over 20 turnovers and 19 or more fouls. Every time Clemson loses a game like this, the players must be haunted by flashbacks of their epic collapse just a few seasons ago. This might have ruined all chances of a regular season conference championship for the Tigers as North Carolina now has a two-game lead in the loss column. Still, I really like the way this Tigers team plays. Their press is too much to handle for some teams, so it should be interesting to see how their energetic style plays out come tourney time.

6 UCLA (19-6) @ Arizona (18-8)

Arizona strengthens its tournament resume with a big home win over number 6, UCLA. This 84-72 win broke an eight-game losing streak against the Bruins for the Wildcats. The PAC-10 has been extremely competitive this season as they are beating up on each other just like the teams of the Big East. I don’t really believe there is too much of an east coast bias in sports, but I myself feel like I am not aware of all the good teams in the PAC-10. These teams are all going to be tourney tested with the competition that they are dealing with in their own conference. Conceivably, five to six different teams could end up winning this conference (depending on the outcome of the USC v. ‘Zona State game which is going on while I write this in-depth article; currently 51-40 Sun Devils). I don’t think that the PAC-10 has the depth of the Big East and I feel the top teams aren’t as good, but this conference should not be overlooked.

On a Side Note: We are a just under a month away from Selection Sunday. The NCAA Tournament is nearly here. The most exhilarating atmosphere in all of sports is coming and I couldn’t be more excited. I don’t think there is anything else that rivals the field of 65 in all of sports. Not only is the tournament extremely exciting, but so is the buildup. Conference tournaments and all the big games that we still have to play leading up to this glorious annual occasion will provide some of the most memorable moments in the sports year. As it approaches, SportsJudge will provide even more coverage of the college basketball season leading up to Tournament. Stay tuned.

Weekend Wrap-Up: Seminoles Going Dancing?

20 Syracuse (18-6) @ 16 Villanova (19-4)

Dante Cunningham took control as Villanova exploded to a big conference victory over #20 Syracuse, 102 to 85. Cunningham matched a career high with 31 points and added 9 rebounds to his stat line in ‘Nova’s fifth straight win. The Orange’s vaunted zone couldn’t handle the guard oriented Wildcats as the put up over 100 points. This is the first season in which Syracuse has allowed 100 points more than once in a season since the ageless Jim Boeheim has reigned as coach. Syracuse could have used Otto the Orange off the bench for some support as Villanova outscored the ‘Cuse 32-12 off the bench. The two Coreys - (not the ever popular Haim and Feldman) - Fisher (14 points) and Stokes (16) gave ‘Nova the depth they needed to turn this match into a laugher (not as big a laugher as Feldman’s singing career; seriously, check this stuff out).

Florida State (18-5) @ 10 Clemson (19-3)

After dominating Duke on national television, the Clemson Tigers’ follow-up act was less than impressive, blowing a 19 point second-half lead. It was almost expected that the letdown would occur as the Tigers were probably exhausted from watching highlight sessions of Trevor Booker dunking the ball through the face of E.T…(I mean Kyle Singler). I get to share a computer with a Duke fan and a Clemson fan at work, so the new background of Booker throwing it down on a couple of Dukies is truly a marvelous sight. After being on the outside of the bubble looking in several times in his coaching career, Florida State Head Coach Leonard Hamilton might finally get to dust of his dancing shoes. This win puts Florida State in very solid position to make the field of 65. Solomon Alabi was the big man on campus for the Seminoles on both ends of the floor with 17 points, 9 rebounds (4 offensive), 5 blocks, and 2 steals.

9 Xavier (20-3) @ Duquesne (15-7)

In yet another upset this week (possibly the biggest) Duquesne surprised the ninth ranked Xavier Musketeers after shooting 81 percent in the first half. No, that isn’t a typo. I will repeat it just to make sure, 81%! Shooting 81 percent, especially against a top 10 team, is as mind boggling as the fact that Duquesne is pronounced “do cane.” Xavier couldn't climb out of the 15 point deficit it faced at halftime after Duquense’s hot start. Although they’ve had 24 opportunities, this is their first win over a ranked opponent since 1997. It is nice to see that an Atlantic-10 team can take down the conference powerhouse, because that is the only way this is a two-bid conference at this point in the season. Xavier is a very experienced and talented team, so I don’t expect a slip-up to occur in their conference tournament. Sorry A-10 fans, nobody has stood out so far to join them come March Madness.

15 Memphis (20-3) @ 18 Gonzaga (17-5)

Memphis spiced up the second half of their season with a road game into Spokane for a meeting with the Gonzaga Bulldogs. They had not played a team quite this strong in a while, but Memphis seemed fully prepared for the tough Bulldogs and blew them out of their own building 68-50. Memphis has been running through Conference USA (another one big “major” conference) and is on a 14 game win streak - which is second longest in the nation after Utah State (18 games). Freshman standout, Tyreke Evans, led the way for Memphis with 22 points and 6 rebounds. Robert Dozier also chipped in a double-double and Memphis cruised to the non-conference victory. Look for both of these teams to continue to dominate their conference and make some noise come tourney time. Analyst Len Elmore has predicted Gonzaga as a final four “lock.” Don’t be surprised if he grows an Adam Morrison ‘stache to prove his support. I sometimes wonder what goes through the minds of color commentators after they make a comment they know they are going to regret. The laugher from their colleagues has to sting.

On a Side Note: The Big East is truly a BEAST this season. If you look all around college basketball, the teams falling the most into obscurity are teams in the Big East because the competition is so tough. Notre Dame is all but out of hope for making the tournament this year when they were ranked just a few weeks ago. Georgetown is almost right there with them, clinging onto their last hopes of making the dance. Syracuse is falling fast and if they don’t recover quickly, they could find themselves in the same sinking boat (their road doesn’t get any easier traveling to #1 UConn). I think they should just give the Big East one bracket in the tournament and let the rest of the conferences fight it out for the other three. The bottom of the Big East (Rutgers, DePaul, St. John’s) would have more of a chance than your average 14 to 16 seeds. There are too many good teams in this conference and they are beating themselves out of the tournament. It no longer looks like the super conference is going to easily get in 8 or 9 teams.

Weekend Wrap-Up: Golden Eagles Still Soaring

Penn State (17-5) v. 9 Michigan State (17-4)

The big surprise this Sunday was dealt to Michigan State after falling to PSU 72-68. This is the Nittany Lions’ first win ever in East Lansing. This also gives PSU a quality road victory to put on their resume for their surprise run at a birth in the NCAA Tourney. Poor shooting at the line almost cost PSU the game as they went from trailing by 13 to pulling out a 12-point lead that they were barely able to hold onto. The Spartans still look like a top squad as they are 7-1 against the RPI Top 50. I think that is something worth repeating...7-1 against the top 50! Come tourney time, watch out for Izzo’s Spartans. This upset also sparks another debate as well...

4 Wake Forest (17-2) v. Georgia Tech (10-10)

What is with Wake Forest? They fell into what could be considered a trap game and overlooked a very resilient Yellow Jacket squad. The buzzer beater victory (76-74) was Georgia Tech’s first ACC win this season. Wake has two wins over #1 squads this season, but has two disappointing losses on their resume that will hurt them if they want a #1 seed. Things should be interesting in the top-heavy Atlantic Coast Conference. Brothers Al-Farouq Aminu (Wake Forest) and Alade Aminu (Georgia Tech) each had double-doubles in the contest with Al-Farouq dropping in 17 points and snagging 11 rebounds. Older brother Alade had 10 points and 13 boards, but got the most important stat of the night, a W.

23 Georgetown (12-8) v. 8 Marquette (19-2)

Fans of the Hoyas have to be worried after Georgetown dropped its 5^th straight on Saturday. However, Marquette fans couldn’t be happier as their team sits on top of the deepest conference in college basketball, the Big East. The Golden Eagles have received stellar guard play all season from Wesley Matthews, Jerel McNeal, and Dominic James. Add in the versatile Lazar Hayward and the experience all these players bring to the court and it’s no wonder that they are finding such success. Team chemistry is something that is highly underrated and overlooked in the college game, but this team has it and it defines their winning success. The Golden Eagles could conceivably start 14-0 in conference play with only one game (@ Villanova) in its next six against a team in the top half of the Big East standings. Every game is a battle in the Big East so they could easily drop any one of them, but I feel that this team has the perseverance and experience to make it through this tough conference season without too many hiccups. Georgetown can say goodbye to the top 25, and if this play continues, goodbye to the NCAA Tournament. They face two must-win games at home against Rutgers and Cincinnati.

22 Notre Dame (12-8) v. 3 Pittsburgh (19-2)

The old adage “Live by the Three, Die by the Three” has never been more appropriate than with the Fighting Irish in their match up against the Panthers. I understand that this game took a backseat to Super Bowl (Congrats Steelers) but every Big East win is a big deal. After shooting 50% (11-22) from long range in the first half, Notre Dame hit just one in the final twenty minutes. Just like Georgetown, ND has dropped five straight in the daunting Big East, but I think the Irish are still in good shape for making the tournament because they have the hardest working man in college hoops, Luke Harangody. They need to turn it around quick before they dig themselves a hole too deep for even the luck of the Irish to help them come Selection Sunday. Pitt is hanging with the leaders of the B-East behind their dominant force in the middle, DeJaun Blair, who had 23 points and a career-high 22 rebounds in the 93-80 victory. The Panthers are a legitimate title contender come March.

18 Saint Mary’s (18-3) v. Portland (15-7)

The mid-majors took a serious blow to their chances with the injury of Gales superstar, Patty Mills. Saint Mary’s couldn’t handle conference foe, Portland, without Patty (this kid doesn’t have an Australian name, they really should check his visa) running the show. Mills is reportedly out for a month due to injury, and if the Gales can’t handle a team like the Portland Pilots (maybe the third best team in the WCC, but still a team St. Mary’s should take care of) they could be staring at the NIT in March. Gonzaga is up again in less than two weeks and I just don’t think the Gales have a chance in this must-win game without Mills running the offense. They still don’t have a win against the RPI top 50 (not many chances, 0-1 this season) but I like their style of play. I think they would be a great “unknown” team to spice up the brackets in March, but their entry might have to be through the WCC tourney and Gonzaga.

On a Side Note: There has been a lot of talk about not letting teams with a sub-.500 conference record into the NCAA tournament. I have to say I strongly disagree with this. I think you might see a team like Georgetown or Notre Dame finish under that threshold in the overloaded Big East. I don’t think that a team like Saint Mary’s, who will have no problem finishing well over that barrier in their conference, should be getting in over these teams. Maybe the Big East is the exception to this rule, I’m not sure, but what I am sure of is that when Selection Sunday arrives, Georgetown and Notre Dame will have more quality wins than Saint Mary’s and similar squads. I’m just glad I’m not on that committee come selection time.

Weekend Wrap Up: Hoyas Continue Fall, This Time to the Hall

12 Louisville (15-3) v. 8 Syracuse (17-4)

The Cardinals are flying high after another huge Big East win over a ranked opponent as they handed Syracuse its first home Big East loss of the season, 67-57. It was a knockdown drag-out Big East battle as the Orange shot under 40% from the field for the first time this year. Louisville is making a strong case for the Big East crown so far this season. They are tied atop the standings at 6-0 with the Golden Eagles of Marquette (who took down DePaul over the weekend).

14 Georgetown (12-6) v. Seton Hall (10-9)

This might be the only opportunity I get to sneak my alma mater into this column, so I’m taking full advantage. The Hall pulled out its first Big East win upsetting fourteenth ranked Georgetown 65-60. This was a very sloppy game featuring a lot of fouls, turnovers, and not much else. Neither team filled up the stat sheet, but Jeremy Hazell dropped in 23 points even while shooting 0-10 from 3-point range. It was the first time that the Pirates did not score a 3-point basket in a game since 1991, a span of 504 games. G-Town needs to rebound quickly to remain as much a contender in the Big East race as they have last their last 3 games.

11 UCLA (15-4) v. Washington (15-4)

There is a surprise leader on top of the Pac-10 so far this season, the upstart Washington Huskies. The Huskies have won 13 of their last 14 games (their only loss coming in overtime to Cal) and have a one game lead over Arizona State, California, and UCLA. Washington looks like they will be returning to the NCAA tournament this year and might be the most feared team in the Pac-10. The backcourt of Justin Dentmon and Isaiah Thomas (not the Thomas that ruins NBA franchises) lead the way for Washington shooting a combined 19-22 from the foul line and stepping up for the Huskies in key moments throughout the game.

23 Baylor (15-4) v. 5 Oklahoma (19-1)

To summarize this game you only have to mention one name: Blake Griffin. He has truly become a dominant force in the college game. As long as he continues to play at this level, you can’t count the Sooners out as legitimate title contenders. Griffin powered his way to his 16^th double-double of the season with 20 points and 17 rebounds. The eldest Griffin, Taylor, also had a big night on both ends of the floor (18 points, 7 rebounds, 3 steals, 4 blocks). There isn’t a much more enjoyable scenario in sports than watching brothers perform at such a high level. The Sooners had this game won by halftime taking a 27 point lead into the locker rooms. Oklahoma shot 58% from the floor and 47% from downtown in the blowout victory.

3 Connecticut (18-1) v. 19 Notre Dame (12-6)

The streak is finally dead. I thought the aforementioned Pirates of Seton Hall might have been the team to do it, but the streak is over nonetheless. UConn did what no team has been able to do in 45 games, grab a win in South Bend at the Joyce Center. The Huskies proved to be too much for ‘Gody and the Irish as Cool Hand Luke didn’t get much support from his teammates on his 24 point night. Kansas now holds the longest home win streak with 35 games.

I don’t know anyone who shows more effort play after play than Luke Harangody. It’s possible that Tyler Hansborough shows the same work ethic as ‘Gody, but for some reason Harangody seems to avoid getting popped in the face night after night. Hansborough has his own version of the critically acclaimed “Manning Face” that happens after an elbow, fist, knee, or whatever else flies at his face.

Weekend Wrap-Up: One Unbeaten Remains

13 Notre Dame (12-5) v. 8 Syracuse (17-2)

In what will be one of many recaps of ranked Big East battles, Syracuse showed yet again that they are an elite team this season (and probably my NCAA Champion, since I rotate back and forth between ‘Cuse and Kansas in my brackets until they are the champs) with a home win over Notre Dame. The Orange jumped on the Irish early and didn’t let up with a balanced scoring attack led by Arinze Onuaku, 19 points. Syracuse had 6 players in double figures. Kyle McAlarney (48% from 3-PT land) was 7-14 from beyond the arc and had 24 points for the Irish who drop to 3-3 in the Big East.

2 Duke (16-1) v. 12 Georgetown (12-4)

Duke had a big statement game for those who still feel that the ACC is the top conference in college basketball after a win over Big East powerhouse Georgetown. Gerald Henderson led the Blue Devils with some hot shooting, and Kyle Singler added a double-double (14 points and 16 rebounds). Georgetown has three losses, all against ranked teams, in its last five games. The final, Duke beats G-Town 76-67.

3 Wake Forest (16-0) v. 9 Clemson (16-1)

Clemson attempted to repeat its record feat of 17 wins to open a season (which was set two years ago and the ’86-’87 season), but ran into arguably the best team in the country at Wake Forest. Clemson fell apart two years ago after their 17-0 start by finishing 2-9 and missing the NCAA tournament. Things don’t get easier as they travel to face North Carolina, where they are 0-53. Wake set its own school record by opening the season with 16 wins and is the only unbeaten team remaining in Division 1. Jeff Teague led the Demon Deacons with 24 points and 5 assists. Wake Forest wins the battle of the unbeaten 78-68.

15 Arizona State (15-3) v. 7 UCLA (14-3)

To give the PAC-10 and the west coast some love, we go to Arizona State and UCLA. Since I’m a bit disgusted with anything from Arizona after the NFC Championship game crushed my hopes of Philadelphia becoming the newer better Boston, we will make this short. Arizona State brought the 15 game home win streak for the Bruins to a halt. The Sun Devils pulled out the overtime upset 61-58. James Harden (24.1 PPG, 4.3 APG, 5.7 RPG) is the real deal and a player of the year contender as he dropped in 24 to help the Sun Devils to the road victory.

1 Pittsburgh v. 20 Louisville (13-3)

Louisville remains unbeaten in Big East play after a sluggish start to their season. They look to be back on track and a contender for the Big East title after their 69-63 win over top ranked Pittsburgh. Earl Clark celebrated his birthday with a double-double and the game winning shot with under a minute to go. Louisville has now won 8 of its last 10 against ranked opponents and 9 of its last 10 against conference ranked opponents. On the other hand, the Panthers have lost 8 of their last 9 on the road against ranked opponents and 9 of their last 10 against ranked conference opponents away from the Petersen Events Center. The Cardinals will be contenders come March, watch out for a deep tourney run.

14 Marquette (16-2) v. Providence (11-6)

If you were pushing for the Big East to get 10 teams In the NCAA tourney this year, this wasn’t the result you were looking for. Providence (believed by many to be the 10^th possible team to come out of the Big East) led most of the way in the Dunkin Donuts Center only to falter in the final minutes to some hot outside shooting by the Golden Eagles. Marquette battled to stay in this game, as it was Providence who had the hot hand early on. Lazar Hayward and Jerel McNeal each had 25 points in the 91-82 victory.

On a side note: One of the weirdest moments I have seen in sports in a long time occurred after Providence guard, Jeff Xavier, was unintentionally elbowed in the eye on a drive to the basket. There was no foul called on the Xavier drive, but Geoff McDermott was fouled on the same possession. During the ensuing free throws, Xavier’s brother walked from the stands, over the bench, and onto the court. Now Xavier’s brother came on to the court looking like he was about to start a whirlwind of trouble, only to “discuss” his issues with the referee before being escorted off. It was so awkward to see a random spectator walk onto the court and signal a timeout to call a conference with the officials; a very dangerous situation that turned out to just be a laugh for anyone watching.