Tom Izzo tied Jud Heathcote for all-time wins at MSU with last night's victory.
Amid the drama on the fooball field and the mild hangover that was expected following the basketball at the Graden, I hope you kept tabs on a few good games Saturday and Sunday. As I suggested in a post from over the weekend, UCLA suspended Nikola Dragovic for another game. It was the right move.
—UPSET—Kansas State 83, No. 18 Dayton 75. Dayton deserves better. I still think the team is a top 25 one — just not this week. The Wildcats are on the road to proving they can build a rep after the brief Michael Beasley era by putting a label on the Denis Clemente one. He had 21. Long-term, Dayton probably needed the win more, though. The Big 12 should be solid and give Kansas State its chances. If both teams are close in record and RPI in March, you could see K-State rewarded with the higher seed.
No. 2 Michigan State 90, Valparaiso 60. The win is No. 340 for Izzo. The next one will move him past Jud Heathcote as the all-time winningest coach in school history.
No. 5 Villanova 79, Mississippi 67. From nearly being upset by George Mason to winning the Puerto Rico tournament. Wildcats are 5-0 and fly home plenty proud. Antonio Pena had 16 rebounds for the Wildcats. That’s a welcomed sign for a team that will be even more vertically challenged than it’s normally accustomed to. That’s saying something.
No. 7 Purdue 85, St. Joseph’s 60. Game was a lot closer than this in the first half. The Boilers opened up the second 20 with a 23-3 run to knock Phil Martelli’s boys out of the gym. We’ve got an intriguing final in the Paradise Jam, as Purdue will face quite a foil in …
No. 10 Tennessee 57, DePaul 53. … the Vols. But first: How about Jerry Wainwright getting his team to show up in the early going, huh? Blue Demons made Tennessee play the kind of game it didn’t want to. I’m impressed Bruce Pearl’s guys eked out a win in the 50′s, but the opponent must be considered, too. While DePaul’s effort is to be lauded, it does not have half the talent Tennessee does. Scotty Hopson was held to four points. Is that they key to keeping Tennessee under 90?
No. 20 Louisville 90, Morgan State 81. The Cardinals can thank a 33-for-41 performance at the foul line for the win. Don’t think for a second Rick Pitino is accepting how this young team is playing.
No. 21 Georgia Tech 85, Boston University 67. You think Georgia Tech would’ve taken a 3-1 record come Sunday night? I don’t think it would have. But Derrick Favors is as good as advertised.
Notable:
Miami 85, South Carolina 70. Miami outrebounded South Carolina by more than 20 rebounds despite having more than 20 turnovers. The big news coming out of this one was the ugly injury to Dominique Archie’s knee, which came after the Gamecock landed awkwardly after throwing one down. Not an easy thing to see. I’ve spared you the video.
Vermont 77, Rutgers 71. Always going to give my hometown (grew up five miles from UVM’s campus) a shoutout with a worthwhile win. The Catamounts should be playing in the Legends Classic semis this week, but the Gazelle Group is running a joke of a tournament.
George Mason 69, Indiana 66. Mason deserved to get one after teasing victory in the face in that Villanova game last week. Indiana continues to take its lumps.
Penn State 59, Davidson 57. Davidson now 0-4 and Penn State avoids really killing its non-con resume.
