Pittsburgh's controlling win over Syracuse Saturday was, perhaps, the biggest storyline.
Let’s get right to it.
Syracuse falling by 10 at home to Pittsburgh, 82-72, was probably the biggest story of the day. While at the URI-Oklahoma State game, people’s reaction of this was a collective double-take. Syracuse fans, some of the most pessimistic-yet-righteous fans of all, actually want to lay blame on the officials for this one.
Kansas made the biggest statement Saturday. Temple likes to keep the points low, it just did a bad job of making KU oblige to that philosophy in the 84-52 letdown. Fran Dunphy was actually happy with the result, in a way. He thinks the humbling defeat will keep his team grounded entering A10 play. Combine KU’s lashing with Texas’ six-point home win over 5-7 Texas A&M Corpus Christi, and the Jayhawks should further their points in lead in the polls Monday afternoon. As for the A10, it was a bit of a rough day overall; Charlotte couldn’t get over the hump against Georgia Tech.
The other top-25 matchup yesterday took place in Evanston, Ill. Spartans 91, Wildcats 70. Say goodbye to the polls, Northwestern. The Wildcats won’t get back into the rankings the rest of the season. That’s a promise.
Kentucky is now 15-0, tied for the team’s fourth-best start in history. The game against Louisville turned out to be more hype and harm than a worthwhile watch. And in case you missed some of the extracurricular stuff, here’s a few things that didn’t make the airwaves. I’m all for hate in sports; it makes rivalries more intense and brings a level of drama that has been lost amid the glad-handing and AAU circuit. A one-sentence thought on this game: Louisville’s tactic of trying to verbally intimidate Kentucky backfired, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see some other teams try to emulate this. Kentucky can be baited.
Illinois' Brandon Paul.
Gonzaga’s 85-83 win overtime win in The House that Jordan Built was vintage Zags. Mark Few continues to be the most likeable guy in the game:
Connecticut’s 82-70 win over Notre Dame was telling. Couldn’t you see the Huskies losing that type of game? But they didn’t. They showed some authoritative tendencies. It was the second time all season I had seen that from this team.
Did you see Boston College’s 52-51 home loss to … wait for it … still … wait for it … the Maine Black Bears. The 7-5 juggernaut from the Pine Tree State. There hasn’t been a team more helter skelter in the past eight years than the Eagles. This blog believes patience is the problem.
Seton Hall lost its third straight close game. The Hall fell 103-94 in overtime to Virginia Tech down in Cancun. The Pirates have now dropped four out of five close games, the only win coming against Navy. It’s conceivable Seton Hall could sink to the bottom of the ocean soon, as it’s next favorable game doesn’t come until Jan. 28, and even that’s a road tilt at South Florida.
24th-ranked UAB needed a defensive brainfart from Arkansas to escape in Fayetteville. The Blazers won 73-72 over the Razorbacks. Fans are now starting to really push for John Pelphrey to be fired before the season is over.
Considering a ban of Pac-10 talk on this site if play doesn't improve.
I suppose it’s time to take a whip to the Pac-10 again. This conference is a bona fide dumpster fire. The scores: USC 47, Arizona State 37; Oregon 90, No. 17 Washington 79; Arizona 77, UCLA 63. The reaction: Uh, it seemed like a funny, tongue-in-cheek joke to suggest the Pac-10 may struggle to get two bids, but how can that not be the case now?
Old Dominion fell on the road to George Mason, 71-55. If the CAA wants two teams, it can’t have this happening. George Mason’s resume would look drastically different if it had won two really, really close games.
Two teams that moved to 11-3 yesterday that might surprise you: Minnesota and Missouri.
Baylor looked strong, improved to 11-1 with a win on the road over injured South Carolina, who is now 8-5. The SEC, in general, has some issues. See: LSU’s 61-59 home loss to average Utah yesterday. Mike DeCourcy has a point: Kentucky is going to have to start making up challenges in its head since it won’t see many in the next two months.
