13 Feb18 - Home Is Where The Rout Is

Volume XVII, No. 16 - 13 Feb18 - [] Top 25 Ballot

Home Is Where The Rout Is

No individual on Michigan State is having a spectacular season, but the starting five all contribute and, collectively, they're turned in a quality season -- especially, at home. Meanwhile, Michigan's vulnerability (pTrey Burke's domination of the ball), which was exposed at Indiana and further mined at Wisconsin, was down right exploited at MichSt. The Spartans blew out the Wolverines, @75-52, holding gBurke to 18p4a -- and this time, Batman didn't even have his Robin as gTim Hardaway Jr. was completely shut down: 2p0a;1/11fg. The win not only keeps MSU tied with Indiana atop the BIG 10, but if it can repeat this performance against IU (Tuesday), we're talking #1-seed. (But the Spartans would have to go TiTo to push the Hoosiers out of the Indianapolis Regional.)

    
Kansas looked like its old self with first place on the line at home against state-rival Kansas State. The Jayhawks won easily, @83-62, thanks to 30p7r from superfrosh bBen McLemore as they dominated the boards 39-20. Bill Self switched in 5-11 pNaadir Tharpe at the point for gElijah Johnson and the offense worked better. The Wildcats bounced back with an @81-61 rout of Baylor, behind 22p10a5r from pAngel Rodriguez (while shutting down pPierre Jackson: 7p9a5to). Meanwhile, Oklahoma State's @84-79(OT) win over rival Oklahoma, thanks to 28p7r4a from superfrosh tMarcus Smart, kept the BIG 12 standings in a three-way tie up top between Kans/OkSt/KansSt.

    
Ohio State's weakness (the One-Man Team offense of bDeShaun Thomas) was no problem for Wisconsin at home, as the Badgers rolled @71-49, (as fThomas had 18p6r and Second Banana gAaron Craft was no factor offensively: 4p1a). UW nearly pulled off some magic on the road earlier in the week, but fell in OT at Minnesota, 53-@58(OT).

    
Florida was well on its way to beating Kentucky (@69-52, thanks to far superior guardplay) when the Wildcats' cNerlens Noel injured his knee running into the support under the basket. Unfortunately, cNoel is out for the season (ACL) just when his defensive prowess in the paint had turned UK into a contender. Without him, they were blown out at offensively challenged Tennessee, 58-@88.

In a clash of two of the better defensive teams around, Georgetown knocked off Marquette @63-55. The Hoyas also won at Cincinnati, 62-@55. Meanwhile, Marquette regrouped with a @79-69 win over Pittsburgh. Syracuse dropped a 58-@66 decision at Connecticut (which has no postseason, remember), leaving the BIG EAST in a three-way tie among Cuse/Gtown/Marq.

    
Gonzaga flipped the script on host St. Mary's in the WEST COAST showdown. This time, the game was close in the first half and the Bulldogs pulled away in the second half, cruising to a 77-@60 win to remain undefeated in conference play with a two-game gap with only 4 games left and just a road trip to BYU standing in the way. Other than their gaudy record (24-2 and counting), though, there's nothing on the 'Zags' resume that's worthy of a #1-seed -- wins over KansSt, Baylor and at Oklahoma State won't cut it -- but this team is deep and well balanced, with a player having an All-America season in cKelly Olynyk. This is their best shot at that elusive trip to the Final Four since tAdam Morrison lay crying at midcourt in 2006.

    
It's only a Desperation Trail win, but Maryland beat Duke (@83-81), shooting 60% from the floor and dominating the boards (38-17) as fAlex Len(19p9r) shut down Mason Plumlee(4p3r). North Carolina showed signs of life, even while losing at Duke (68-@73) and even better in a solid @93-81 win over Virginia (as tP.J. Hairston averaged 26p8r in two games). Notre Dame's 5 OT hangover nearly cost it vs DePaul (@82-73[OT]) and did at Providence (54-@71). Arizona fell (58-@71, at Colorado) while UCLA lost (63-@76, at California), allowing Oregon to move back into first place in the PAC-12.

    
Butler has been sputtering of late, falling @67-71 at home to Charlotte (as cAndrew Smith missed the game with a stomach injury) and couldn't put away lowly Fordham on the road, winning 68-@63. Meanwhile, St. Louis had no such trouble, routing Charlotte @75-58. Creighton's third-straight loss (54-@61, at Northern Iowa), and two-straight losses by Indiana State (65-@67, at Missouri State; 68-@80, at Bradley) left Wichita State alone on top of the MISSOURI VALLEY.

Need more evidence this is a down year? This late in the season, only 4 of the top tier BCS/MM leagues are close to being settled: ACC/Miami(Florida)[u+3], SEC/Florida[+2], WCC/Gonzaga[u+2] and C-USA/Memphis[u+2] have gaps. Meanwhile, PAC-12/Ore and MVC/WichSt have slim leads. Everyone else is either tied or virtually so: BIG 10(IU/Mich[+2]), BIG EAST(Cuse/Gtown/Marq), MWC(NM-ColoSt[+3]), A-10(VCU-StLou), BIG 12(Kans/OkSt/KansSt[+2]). And none of the leading candidates for Player of the Year -- tDoug McDermott(Creighton), pTrey Burke(Michigan), cMason Plumlee(Duke) -- is even on a first-place team. Yikes.

Because there's no conference tournament, the IVY LEAGUE always lags behind the rest. Harvard's @69-57 win over Princeton wasn't even that close and it secures first place for the Cantabrigians at the MidConference break.

- - - IVY:
Harvard came through in first place; Princeton was second; Cornell was third. (Yale couldn't hang.)

La Salle beat St. Joseph's, @76-@64, at The Palestra to go 3-0 in the BIG 5, setting up a winner-take-all showdown at Temple.

    
Western Illinois could only split its big road trip week, beating North Dakota State (49-@36) but falling at South Dakota State (55-@64, thanks to 28p6a from pNate Wolters) -- SDakSt/WeIll are tied atop the SUMMIT. Stony Brook's @65-48 rout of Vermont gives the Seawolves a two-game gap in AMERICA EAST with 4 to go. Both Bucknell (62-@63 at Lafayette, despite 27p13r from cMike Muscala) and Lehigh (60-@64 at Colgate) stumbled ahead of Monday night's showdown. Bryant dropped two (70-@84 at Mount St. Mary's, as 25p10r from cAlex Francis couldn't counteract 44p from gSam Prescott; and 75-@89 at Wagner), allowing Robert Morris and resurrected Long Island to move on top of the NORTHEAST. Charleston Southern beat UNC-Asheville, 73-@65, to gain back the lead in the South Division; but North-leader High Point is a half-game ahead overall in the BIG SOUTH. Stephen F. Austin stumbled at Southeast Louisiana, 50-@54, allowing Northwestern State to rise and tie for the SOUTHLAND lead. Weber State more than paid back its earlier squeak road loss with an @87-63 blowout of first-place Montana (but UM still leads BIG SKY by a game with 4 to go). Savannah State spared the MEAC the embarrassment of having two undefeated co-champs, knocking off North Carolina Central (@44-36), leaving still unbeaten Norfolk State alone on top. Texas Southern got back in the SWAC race with a @75-69 win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff to virtually tie Southern for first place. New Jersey Tech clinched a share of the GREAT WEST title with its @63-55 win vs Utah Valley (but it still has to win the conference tournament to earn the automatic CIT bid).

First place in the BIG 10, a #1-seed, and maybe even the Indianapolis Regional are on the line in Tuesday's showdown (Indiana at Michigan State). BIG EAST originals Syracuse and Georgetown clash for (maybe) the last time at the Carrier Dome (Saturday) with first place at stake -- fitting. Uncle Mo is on the side of the Tar Heels this time around when North Carolina hosts N.C. State (Saturday). Don't be fooled by the close scores -- the MOUNTAIN WEST WARS are for real; Colorado State has its roughest week ahead (at UNLV, Wednesday; vs New Mexico [for first place outright], Saturday). St. Louis can take over the cluttered ATLANTIC 10 with a big week (Tuesday, vs VCU; Friday, at Butler). Wouldn't have thought Kansas at Oklahoma State was for first place at the beginning of the year, but here it is (Wednesday). Florida may get a test with a tough road trip to Missouri (Tuesday) and a payback home game vs Arkansas (Saturday). Wichita State still has work to do in the MISSOURI VALLEY, including Tuesday (at Indiana State).

    
This year's BIG 5 race comes down to 3-0/La Salle at 2-1/Temple (Thursday). Lehigh gave back its edge from its big road win first time around and needs to do it again against visiting Bucknell in the PATRIOT showdown (Monday).

    
One of the consequences of Butler's and VCU's jumping to the ATLANTIC-10 is that both have pulled out of BRACKETBUSTERS, which takes away some of the luster. Maybe they would have been pitted against each other (which we'll still get in A-10 play), but it means the event may not feature a future Sweet 16 as it has in the past (Ohio U, last year). Wichita State deserves a better opponent than Detroit (Sat). Look for tDoug McDermott to turn it on with a national audience (Creighton at St. Mary's, Sat). Tune in for pNate Wolters vs pIsaiah Canaan (South Dakota State at Murray State, Sat). pfBrian Voelkel leads his team in assists from the power forward spot (Vermont vs Canisius, Sat). Would have loved to see Middle Tennessee, Louisiana Tech, Bucknell/Lehigh, Harvard/Princeton, Stony Brook, Northeastern, Robert Morris/Bryant/Long Island participating. SUN BELT, PATRIOT, IVY LEAGUE and NORTHEAST, ATLANTIC SUN teams have rarely if ever opted in, and the COLONIAL (which used to be a big participant) has chosen to opt out completely this year as well. None of those teams are going to get an at-large bid if they fail to win their 1BC tournaments, but that's a function of preseason results this year, not any perennial impossibility. (In particular, MTenn and LaTech will be big mysteries come tourney time.)

-- Ron

Key games this week:

Monday:

@Pittsburgh-NotreDame, @Lehigh-Bucknell(PA),

Tuesday:

Indiana-@MichiganSt, @MiamiFL-Virginia, Florida-@Missouri, @StLouis-VCU, WichitaSt-@IndianaSt, @SanDiegoSt-Wyoming, @BYU-UtahSt(UT),

Wednesday:

Kansas-@OklahomaSt, ColoradoSt-@UNLV, @OhioSt-Minnesota, @BoiseSt-AirForce, @Baylor-IowaSt, @CalStBakersfield-SDState, @Northeastern-JamesMadison,

Thursday:

@Oregon-California, @Connecticut-Cincinnati, @StMarys-BYU, @MidTennessee-SAlabama, @Temple-LaSalle(PhiladephiaPA)(BIG_5), @SacredHeart-Quinnipiac(CT)(CT_6),

Friday:

StLouis-@Butler,

Friday-Saturday:

BRACKETBUSTERS on-campus [122 teams/61 games]

Friday:
@ [^uMAC   ]Akron             v [**SUMMIT]ND State               (TV)

@ [+^BIG W ]Long Beach St     v [^^SLAND ]Stephen F Austin       (TV)

Saturday:
@ [^^WCC   ]St Mary's         v [**MVC   ]Creighton              (TV)

@ [^*MVC   ]#23 Wichita St    v [**HORIZ ]Detroit                (TV)

@ [*^OVC   ]Belmont           v [*^MAC   ]Ohio U                 (TV)

@ [*^SOCON ]Davidson          v [*^SKY   ]Montana                (TV)

@ [**OVC   ]Murray St         v [*^SUMMIT]SD State               (TV)

@ [**HORIZ ]Valparaiso        v [**OVC   ]Ea Kentucky       (BG) (TV)

@ [**SUMMIT]We Illinois       v [~-HORIZ ]Cleveland St                

@ [**SOCON ]Col of Charleston v [++BIG S ]Gardner-Webb                

@ [*+WAC   ]Utah St           v [+~MVC   ]Illinois St                 

@ [+*OVC   ]Tennessee St      v [**MAAC  ]Loyola-MD

@ [+*MAAC  ]Niagara           v [*^SLAND ]Northwestern St        (TV)

@ [+*AMER E]Vermont           v [++MAAC  ]Canisius               (TV)

@ [+*MAC   ]We Michigan       v [+*BIG W ]Pacific                (TV)

@ [+*SLAND ]Oral Roberts      v [*^SKY   ]Weber St

@ [+*BIG S ]UNC-Asheville     v [+~OVC   ]Jacksonville St             

@ [+*BIG S ]High Pt           v [-~MEAC  ]Morgan St                   

@ [++MVC   ]No Iowa           v [*^WAC   ]Denver                 (TV)

@ [++MVC   ]Indiana St        v [++MAAC  ]Iona                   (TV)

@ [++HORIZ ]Wright St         v [~~MVC   ]Evansville        (BG)      

@ [++BIG W ]Hawaii            v [-~SKY   ]No Arizona                  

@ [++WAC   ]TX-Arlington      v [~~BIG W ]UC-Irvine                   

@ [+~HORIZ ]IL-Chicago        v [+~MVC   ]Bradley           (IL)      

@ [+~HORIZ ]Youngstown St     v [-_MAC   ]C Michigan                  

@ [+~MAAC  ]Fairfield         v [*+AMER E]Albany                      

@ [~*MAC   ]Toledo            v [-_SLAND ]McNeese St                  

@ [~+SUMMIT]Oakland           v [~~OVC   ]Morehead St                 

@ [~+BIG W ]Cal Poly-SLO      v [__WCC   ]Loyola Marymount  (CA)      

@ [~+MAAC  ]Rider             v [+*BIG S ]Charleston So

@ [~~OVC   ]SE Missouri St    v [-_MAC   ]Ball St                     

@ [~~BIG W ]UC-Davis          v [-~SKY   ]No Colorado                 

@ [~~MAC   ]Ea Michigan       v [_-MVC   ]Missouri St                 

@ [~_HORIZ ]Loyola-IL         v [~~MAC   ]Kent St

@ [-*MEAC  ]Hampton           v [__MAAC  ]St Peter's                  

@ [-~SOCON ]We Carolina       v [~~BIG S ]Co Carolina

@ [-~MAC   ]Buffalo           v [_~MAAC  ]Manhattan         (NY)      

@ [-~BIG S ]Campbell          v [+^MEAC  ]Savannah St

@ [-~SKY   ]So Utah           v [~_BIG W ]Cal St-Northridge           

@ [-~SKY   ]Montana St        v [__SUMMIT]S Dakota                    

@ [--SUMMIT]IPFW              v [-~MAC   ]Bowling Green     (BG)

@ [--BIG S ]Winthrop          v [-+SLAND ]SE Louisiana                

@ [-_MVC   ]Drake             v [++HORIZ ]Green Bay                   

@ [-_MVC   ]So Illinois       v [__MAC   ]Miami-OH                    

@ [-_SLAND ]C Arkansas        v [--OVC   ]SIU-Edwardsville            

@ [_~SUMMIT]{NE-Omaha}        v [-~SKY   ]N Dakota                    

@ [_-BIG S ]Liberty           v [__OVC   ]Austin Peay                 

@ [_-SKY   ]Ea Washington     v [+~SLAND ]Sam Houston St              

@ [__OVC   ]Tennessee Tech    v [__SUMMIT]MO-Kansas City              

@ [__OVC   ]TN-Martin         v [__BIG S ]Longwood                    

@ [__SUMMIT]IUPUI             v [__HORIZ ]Milwaukee                   

@ [__BIG W ]UC-Santa Barbara  v [~~SKY   ]Sacramento St     (CA)      

@ [__WAC   ]TX-San Antonio    v [_-SLAND ]Nicholls St                 

@ [__MAAC  ]Siena             v [-~BIG S ]Radford                     

@ [__MAAC  ]Marist            v [~~BIG S ]VMI                         

@ [__MAC   ]No Illinois       v [_-OVC   ]Ea Illinois       (IL)      

@ [__SLAND ]Texas A&M-CC      v [~-BIG W ]Cal St-Fullerton           

@ [__SLAND ]Lamar             v [__WAC   ]Texas St          (TX)      

@ [__BIG S ]Presbyterian      v [__SOCON ]The Citadel       (SC)      

@ [__SKY   ]Portland St       v [__BIG W ]UC-Riverside               

@ [__SKY   ]Idaho St          v [-_WAC   ]Idaho             (ID)     

Saturday:

@Florida-Arkansas, @Syracuse-Georgetown, NewMexico-@ColoradoSt, VCU-@Xavier, @Memphis-SoMississippi, @Wyoming-UNLV, @Kentucky-Missouri, @NCarolina-NCState(NC), @Oklahoma-Baylor, @Wagner-LongIsland(NY), @SacredHeart-CConnecticutSt(CT)(CT_6),
@DelawareSt-NorfolkSt, @Cornell-Princeton,

Sunday:

MichiganSt-@OhioSt, @Michigan-Illinois, @NotreDame-Cincinnati(BG), @Lafayette-Lehigh(PA), @Charlotte-Temple,

Monday week:

@IowaSt-Kansas, @Marquette-Syracuse, @CConnecticutSt-Quinnipiac(CT)(CT_6).

---

Top 25 - 13 Feb18 - [] Column

1. Indiana (23-3)
   
2. Michigan State (21-4)
   
3. Miami(Florida) (21-3)
   
4. Florida (21-3)
   
5. Gonzaga (24-2)
   
6. Kansas (21-4)
   
7. Duke (22-3)
   
8. Michigan (21-4)
   
9. Syracuse (21-4)
   
10. New Mexico (22-4)
    
11. Georgetown (19-4)
    
12. Wisconsin (17-8)
    
13. Louisville (21-3)
    
14. Colorado State (19-4)
    
15. Marquette (18-6)
    
16. Ohio State (19-5)
    
17. Oklahoma State (19-5)
    
18. St. Louis (19-5)
    
19. VCU (21-5)
    
20. Butler (20-5)
    
21. Kansas State (19-5)
    
22. Pittsburgh (20-6)
    
23. Wichita State (22-5)
    
24. Oregon (21-5)
    
25. Memphis (22-3)
    

Honorable Mention:

Connecticut (17-7), Maryland (18-7), Charlotte (18-7), Minnesota (18-8), Colorado (18-7), Tennessee (14-10), Providence (14-11), South Dakota State (17-7), Stony Brook (18-6), Charleston Southern (11-9), Harvard (14-7), Weber State (17-5), Savannah State (13-10), Texas Southern (12-14), New Jersey Tech (10-11).