There was simply too much that went on to not break this down into two separate posts, so although it's a little late, here's a look at some of the highlights from last week's tournaments that took over the airwaves during Thanksgiving.
Phil Knight Motion Bracket
What Happened: Duke overcame second half deficits in all three of its games to take the title. While the Blue Devils struggled at times on the defensive end, they showed that this year's team is more than likely a much more cohesive and talented team than in 2016-17. Florida showed that despite losing the title game against Duke that it can win the SEC and contend for the Final Four. Gonzaga and Texas also both showed inklings that they might be better than many expected, with Texas taking both Duke and Gonzaga to overtime before losing. The Zags lost a good deal from last season's national runner up, but showcased the fact that its experience in the backcourt, and the tandem of Johnathan Williams and Killian Tillie inside will make them a factor once again in March.
Key Storyline Going Forward: It has to be how good Duke can be? It is off to an 8-0 start and have the potential Player of the Year who should still be in high school (Bagley, Marvin). As mentioned in the above paragraph, the defense is still a concern. But the talent of the starting five alone makes this one of the scariest teams of the last ten years. Can the Blue Devils avoid the drama (Allen,Grayson) that has plagued them in seasons past and continue to steamroll everyone all season?
Best Three Players: Bagley was incredible and could go on to have a freshman season that rivals the productivity of Kevin Durant and Michael Beasley years ago. He had double-doubles in all three games, going for over 30 points in the wins against Texas and Florida. A lot of times with freshmen the hype doesn't match the on-court product. Bagley has shown both in this tournament, and in the eight games he's played so far as a college player that the hype is real. Two seniors also showed they could be heading for big seasons with Chris Chiozza from Florida and Williams from Gonzaga taking over games at various points of the event.
Phil Knight Victory Bracket:
What Happened: North Carolina played one of its worst games of the Roy Williams era in losing the title game to Michigan State. Sparty won the title tilt despite turning the ball over a whopping 24 times. The games on this side of the bracket weren't nearly as competitive or entertaining as the other side. Arkansas looked outstanding at times, but then like garbage against Carolina. There are still plenty of question marks going forward as well with UConn, Oklahoma, and Oregon.
Key Storyline Going Forward: It's a safe bet to assume that Michigan State is one of a handful of teams that can cut the nets down at the end of the season. Two concerning variables that could ruin this are the health of Miles Bridges, and the turnover concerns. Bridges hasn't come out of the blocks nearly as productive as people thought, He only scored 17 points in the two games he played in Portland, and although he doesn't need to score 30 for Michigan State to win, he does need to be its best player and be more assertive. As more the turnover issue, only two of its top seven rotation players have turnover rates under 20 percent. This obviously has to change. The Spartans are doing some really good things in terms of crashing the offensive boards and defending the rim, but they can't turn the ball over at this level if they expect to win the Big Ten and go to a Final Four.
Best Three Players: Luke Maye has gone from the former preferred walk-on, to the guy who hit the shot against Kentucky, to a "maybe legitimate" candidate for awards in March. Maye got shut down against Michigan State, but he was insane against Arkansas with 28 points, 16 rebounds, and five assists. He also had a 20-10 game in the first round against Portland. Cassius Winston stood out for Michigan State with his ability to both score and distribute, while Jaylen Barford averaged 21.3 PPG for the event on 50 percent shooting from deep. Barford and Daryl Macon give Arkansas one of the best guard duos in the SEC.
Best of the Rest
What Happened: Virginia won the preseason NIT by doing what Virginia does. The Cavs held Vandy to 0.68 points per possession, and then squeezed Rhode Island to 0.89 PPP. They've now moved into the top 25 and once again have the nation's top defense per KenPom. West Virginia had to fight a bit to come back against Missouri in the Advocare Invitational and win the title, while Washington State pulled off probably the most shocking tournament win by winning the Wooden Legacy.
Key Storyline Going Forward: St Mary's might have ruined its chances of getting an at-large bid to the field of 68 by losing to Washington State and Georgia in Anaheim. The Gaels only play Cal and Dayton in terms of quality opponents before conference play starts. That means they may be in a situation where they have to beat Gonzaga once or twice to have any hope at an at-large bid.
Best Three Players: Isaiah Wilkins doesn't get nearly enough credit and is one of the most underrated players in the country. Wilkins just does so many blue collar things for UVA that don't flash on the stat sheet, and he was a steady and dominant presence for the Hoos in New York. Jevon Carter terrorized opposing guards in West Virginia's press all weekend, while unknown and unheralded Washington State guard Malachi Flynn averaged 19.7 PPG in Anaheim on 50 percent shooting from behind the arc and 100 percent shooting at the free throw line.
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