The SEC-Big 12 Challenge and a top five clash in the ACC highlighted the last three days of college basketball, that of wish I actually got to watch a fair amount for the first time in a while. So that's why after a brief hiatus, I'm back to provide analysis of what went down. Here's a brief look at some of the highlights and other random thoughts from the games I watched over the last three days.
UVA to a two-point win at Duke (AP Photo).
Best Win: With apologies to Big Blue Nation and its mammoth road win in Morgantown, the Wahoos get the nod here for winning at Duke for the first time since 1995. To put that into context for those that know me, I was 5'4, in the 8th grade, and weighed about 100 pounds at the time. Coming into the game, it was known that this would be decided by Virginia's defense and whether it would be able to stop Duke's offense. The Cavs ended up holding the Blue Devils to 0.97 points per possession, and kept them under 70 points for the first time all season. Marvin Bagley and Wendell Carter gave them problems in the paint, but Duke's perimeter players couldn't do anything against the pack-line defense. Ty Jerome hit the key three-pointer late, and Kyle Guy scored 17. There was also nothing better than Guy almost causing another Grayson Allen meltdown at the end of the game. Virginia is for real, whether you find them boring or not. This might be the year they break through in March.
Worst Loss: Kentucky potentially salvaged its season by erasing a 17-point deficit at West Virginia. The Mountaineers really had no business losing this game, especially at home. There are still too many question marks on offense to really take this team seriously in the grand scheme of things. They still really much too heavily on Jevon Carter, and aside from some deep shooting from Beedle Bolden, had no shows from Daxter Miles, Lamont West, and Esa Ahmad. That trio combined for 3-for-20 shooting for the game from the field, which combined with the fact that Kentucky stopped turning the ball over after halftime, enabled the freshmen-dominated Kentucky squad to get the win. If they can't cause turnovers, how does West Virginia figure out its offensive woes?
Player of the Weekend: I tend to go off the grid a bit with these, and so even though it wasn't the flashiest performance, Jaren Jackson Jr. keyed Michigan State's comeback win at Maryland. Only a freshman, Jackson is already one of the best rim protectors in the land, and he had four blocks as Sparty picked up a 74-68 win in College Park. He only took six shots, but made both of his three-pointers he took in a key stretch at the beginning of the second half that helped them silence the crowd that was beyond hyped with Maryland in desperate need of a resume-boosting win. Jackson also had eight rebounds, as he and Nick Ward did their usual work contesting and blocking shots at the rim for one of the best defenses in the land.
Most Efficient Performance: Surprisingly Purdue gets the nod here because it struggled a bit with Indiana in knocking off its in-state rival in Bloomington The Boilermakers are one of two teams that are ranked in the top ten in both offensive and defensive efficiency per KenPom, and it held Indiana to 3-for-16 shooting from three. The Boilermakers didn't turn the ball over, and made 15-for-18 from the free throw line to offset a cold shooting day from deep. People seem to think that they just bomb threes and always beat people that way, but Sunday's game showed that Matt Painter's team can pound the ball inside, get stops on defense, and find other ways to win as they now sit at 21-2 overall with an undefeated mark in Big 10 play.
Random Miscellany:
- Florida Gonna Florida: There might not be a more widespread range of March outcomes for any team in the country than Florida. Its win at home against Baylor showed that this is one of the best teams in the country when they're hot from the outside. The Gators have looked really good, and also really terrible multiple times this season. Good luck figuring out what to do with them in your bracket.
- Props to Donta Hall: All the talk going into Saturday's Oklahoma-Alabama game was justifiably centered around the matchup between Trae Young and Collin Sexton. But the Crimson Tide has a solid defense anchored by Hall, who ended the game with eight blocks. The combination of the Tide's defense with the abilities of Collin Sexton and John Petty to set the Earth ablaze from the perimeter at any time will make the Tide a tough out going forward.
- Eff You Phil: I recently went to a Villanova-Depaul game here in Chicago, and since I'm a Carolina fan and Phil Booth had the game of his life in the National Championship game two years ago against UNC, I dislike him. I literally said "Eff you Phil" any time he did anything positive in game. Booth is now out for a couple of weeks with a broken hand, meaning that Donte DiVincenzo now has to start. Nova still was able to beat Marquette on the road Sunday, but they may slip up a time or two with freshman Collin Gillespie essentially taking up the extra minutes. Gillespie has been solid, but is also coming off an injury that kept him out of eight games earlier. Without much depth and with Jalen Brunson tweaking an ankle, one more injury could ruin things for the number one team in the country.
- Ukainmaker Making it Rain: Kansas dismantled Kansas State fairly easily, and are once again the favorites to win the Big 12 for about the 98th year in a row. Svi Mykhailuik isn't getting enough love as Kansas continues to devour Big 12 opponents. He was only occasionally effective his first three seasons in Lawrence, but he might be the most improved player in the country this season. Svi had 22 points Monday night, and is shooting an insane 47.9 percent from three in 2017-18. He's automatic from deep, can get to the rim, and is finally starting to show the promise that had him touted as a future NBA player.
