14 Dec22 - D Facts

Volume XIX, No. 7 - 14 Dec22 - [] Top 25 Ballot

D Facts

This year's Kentucky team is being touted as being The Greatest Defensive Team in recent memory (and maybe even of all time) -- Eh. The Wildcats are, for sure, the tallest team in the nation (and taller than all but one or two NBA teams, in fact). They certainly did nothing to alter that perception at the SPORTS CLASSIC in Chicago, starting the game 24-0 against young UCLA (who only shot 27 percent from the floor) on the way to an staggering @83-42 win.
     Almost as impressive was Virginia's @76-27 throttling of Harvard (holding the Crimson to just one field goal for the entire first half -- [it was 39-8 at the break] -- and just 16 percent shooting from the floor). (This humbling result could have lasting repercussions for Fair Harvard -- for sure now, no at-large bid safety net awaits in March. It will still be the favorite to win the IVY LEAGUE, but noisy upsets by both Yale [at Connecticut] and Brown [at city-rival Providence] in the preseason won't leave any margin for error and the pressure will be all on Crimson shoulders.)
     Northern Iowa also turned in an elite defensive effort, beating state-rival Iowa (@56-@44) in their BIG FOUR CLASSIC matchup on Drake's campus in Des Moines (holding the Hawkeyes to 28 percent shooting themselves). (Not only is the MISSOURI VALLEY likely headed for two bids this season, but also the Panthers may well emerge as league champs ahead of heralded Wichita State.)

Coming off of 40p (cAmida Brimah, against Coppin State) and 25p20r (freshman cJahlil Okafor, against Elon) performances, the Connecticut-Duke matchup at the CQAP CLASSIC was expected to be a classic battle of 7-footers. Didn't happen -- cOkafor had a modest 12p8r and cBrimah was no factor at all [0p1r]; instead, it was freshman bTyus Jones(21p4a6r) and bRyan Boatright(22p2a7r5to) who took the lead in Duke's 66-56 win in East Rutherford, NJ.
     Washington bolted out to a 37-17 lead on Oklahoma in the LAS VEGAS-SHOWCASE at MGM before the Sooners fought all the way back to make it an endplay result for the Huskies (69-67). Ohio State couldn't earn its first quality win as North Carolina scored at will in the paint in its 82-74 win in the SPORTS CLASSIC undercard.
     Blame exams and the holiday season on Miami(Florida)'s dumbfounding @44-72 home rout loss to 6-4 Eastern Kentucky (but, remember, the Hurricanes were dumped at home earlier by Green Bay as well) -- Ugh. Meanwhile, Georgia delivered its second-straight quality home win (after beating Colorado previously), thumping Seton Hall (@65-47; as no Pirates reached double-figures). Cincinnati emerged in overtime over San Diego State (@71-62[OT]) in yet another defensive scrap for those two clubs. (But the Bearcats collapsed at home later in the week, falling @47-68 to VCU [as the Rams sank 15 three-pointers; UC coach Mick Cronin missed the game with a health issue, sidelined after being diagnosed with an unruptured aneurysm -- it's unclear when he'll be able to return.)

At the CROSSROADS CLASSIC in Indianapolis: Indiana beat Butler (@82-@73) while Notre Dame throttled Purdue (@94-@63). In the feature matchup of the GOTHAM CLASSIC at Madison Square Garden in New York City, West Virginia handled N.C. State (83-69). At the ORANGE BOWL CLASSIC in Sunrise, FL: Florida handled Wake Forest (@63-50) while Florida State took out South Florida (@75-@62). Illinois emerged with annual BRAGGIN' RIGHTS over Missouri (@62-@59) in St. Louis. Gonzaga had no trouble winning THE BATTLE IN SEATTLE (@63-50) over lowly Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo. In undercards, Utah handled home-standing UNLV (59-@46) at LAS VEGAS-SHOWCASE; Iowa State throttled host Drake (@83-@54) at the BIG FOUR CLASSIC.

Maryland continued to surprise (still without bDez Wells, mind you) with a nice road win, 73-@64, at Oklahoma State (as xJake Layman[21p11r] starred). Syracuse showed some improvement, getting out to a 15-point lead on the road at Villanova, but the tough-minded Wildcats battled all the way back to win in overtime (@82-77(OT); behind 25p10r5to from cJayVaughn Pinkson and sinking 26-of-32 free throws overall). Host BYU edged Stanford (@79-77; in a slightly slower affair than last year's track meet).
     After handling upset-minded Eastern Michigan with ease (@66-46), Michigan State slept on 2-8 Texas Southern and fell at home (@64-72(OT); as a wrist injury to gBranden Dawson is the bigger worry long-term). Yale gave back much of its preseason juice with a disappointing @60-64 home loss to weak 4-6 Albany. Creighton continued to turn back into a pumpkin with a 58-@62 loss at North Texas.

South Dakota State gave the SUMMIT an Unwelcome Guest crown at the GF/WV CLASSIC with a 68-@65(OT) win over host Utah State.

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It could well be The Game Of The Year -- it's most certainly the last big obstacle standing in the way of Kentucky and an UNDEFEATED SEASON when the Wildcats travel for a true road game to visit arch-/state-rival Louisville (Saturday) at the HALL OF FAME SHOOTOUT. (Don't expect Lville cMontrezl Harrell [who should be back from his one-game suspension for throwing a punch against Western Kentucky] to be able to avoid foul trouble against the huge and deep UK front line.)

The last few preseason tournaments conclude this week. Wichita State won't have it all to itself against a tough field (George Washington, Colorado, Nebraska and even host Hawaii) at the DIAMOND HEAD CLASSIC (Monday through Thursday). Houston is already 0-2 at home but still gets a pre-set semifinal with Boise State at the LAS VEGAS-CHRISTMAS CLASSIC at ORLEANS (Monday-Tuesday) -- but Texas Tech should take the crown. Richmond has already done the hard lifting to claim the GOTHAM CLASSIC (Tuesday, Saturday). Green Bay should knock off UC-Irvine for its second crown of the preseason in the LAS VEGAS-HOLIDAY final at SOUTH POINT (Monday). Host UTEP should take DON HASKINS/SUN BOWL (Monday) vs Kent State.
     Wisconsin won't have it easy on the road at upstart California (Monday). Host Texas shouldn't be troubled by visiting Stanford (Tuesday). Both Miami(Florida) and Providence need to shore up their preseason repuations when they meet as part of the BROOKLYN-HOLIDAY CLASSIC (Monday).
     The WEST COAST title race could be over before it barely gets started if Gonzaga can knock off host BYU right off the bat
(Saturday).

-- Ron

Key games this week:

Monday:

Wisconsin-@California, @WVirginia-Wofford, @Tulsa-{IncarnateWord}, @StMarys-Northeastern,
BROOKLYN-HOLIDAY CLASSIC DblHdr @ BrooklynNY/BARCLAYS/
-(MiamiFL-Providence, @Fordham-@Manhattan[NewYorkNY]),
(new)JACK JONES CLASSIC 1Off @ SouthavenMS
-(@Mississippi-SEMissouriSt),
LAS VEGAS-HOLIDAY CLASSIC Finals @ LasVegasNV/S POINT/
-(GreenBay-UCIrvine;
   3rd: Bradley-ARLittleRock),
DON HASKINS/SUN BOWL INVITATIONAL Finals @ ElPasoTX/UTEP/
-(@UTEP-KentSt;
   3rd: NDState-AlcornSt),

Monday-Tuesday:

LAS VEGAS-CHRISTMAS CLASSIC Semis @ LasVegasNV/ORLEANS/
-(TexasTech-LoyolaIL, Houston-BoiseSt;
  Cons: {AbileneChristian}-SCState, SoUtah-ARPineBluff),

Monday-Tuesday, Thursday:

DIAMOND HEAD CLASSIC Qtrs @ HonoluluHI/Hawaii/
-(WichitaSt-LoyolaMarymount, @Hawaii-Nebraska, GeoWashington-OhioU, Colorado-DePaul),

Tuesday:

@Villanova-NJIT, @Texas-Stanford, CABLE CAR CLASSIC RndRob2/2 @ SantaClaraCA/SantaClara/
-(@SantaClara-CalPolySLO[CA]),

Tuesday, Saturday:

GOTHAM CLASSIC RndRob4 on-campus
-(Pepperdine, Richmond, SAlabama, IUPUI, Howard),

Saturday:

(2P):HALL OF FAME SHOOTOUT-(Kentucky-@Louisville[KY]),

Gonzaga-@BYU, ColoradoSt-@NewMexicoSt, @SanDiegoSt-{SanDiegoChristian}(SanDiegoCA), @GreenBay-GeorgiaSt, @Jacksonville-JacksonvilleSt,
(new)NYC-CHRISTMAS/I INVITATIONAL 1Off @ NewYorkNY/MSG/
-(Indiana-Georgetown),

Sunday:

@Connecticut-CConnecticutSt(CT),
BROOKLYN-WINTER CLASSIC TrplHdr @ BrooklynNY/BARCLAYS/
-(@StJohns-Tulane, @Hofstra-@LongIsland[NewYorkNY], LoyolaMD-Fairfield),

- - - - - -

Monday week:

@Duke-Toledo, @Oregon-UCIrvine.

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Top 25 - 14 Dec22 - [] Column

1. Kentucky (11-0) (@@CHAMPS) [rr4vLEDFORD] (vBIG12) (:vSPORTS)
   
2. Duke (10-0) (@@CHAMPS) [2v2:CVC] (@BIG10) (:CQAP)
   
3. Arizona (12-0) [v3:MAUI]
   
4. Virginia (11-0) [2v2:BROOK-THANX] (@BIG10)
   
5. Louisville (10-0) (:ARMED) [rr4vGS-A] (vBIG10) (:JIMMY.V)
   
6. Villanova (11-0) [2v2:LEGENDS] (:JIMMY.V)
   
7. Texas (10-1) [2v2:2KS]
   
8. Wisconsin (9-1) [v3:ATLANTIS]
   
9. Gonzaga (10-1) [2v2:NIT.T-O] (:SEATTLE)
   
10. Washington (10-0) [3:WL/ANAHEIM] (:LV-SHOW)
    
11. Kansas (9-1) [3:ORLANDO] (vSEC)
    
12. Utah (8-2) (@LV-SHOW)
    
13. Wichita State (7-1) (:SANFORD)
    
14. TCU (11-0) [2v2:CORPUS.X] (@SEC)
    
15. West Virginia (9-1) [3:P.RICO] (@@CAPITAL) (:GOTHAM)
    
16. Maryland (11-1) [2v2:CBE]
    
17. Iowa State (9-1) (vSEC) (@CY-HAWK) (@@BIG4)
    
18. Oklahoma (7-3) (vSEC)
    
19. North Carolina (8-3) (:SPORTS)
    
20. Notre Dame (11-1) (vBIG10) (@@XROADS)
    
21. St. John's (8-1)
    
22. Northern Iowa (10-1) [2v2:CANCUN] (@@BIG4)
    
23. Miami(Florida) (9-2) [3:CHARLESTON] (vBIG10)
    
24. Colorado State (10-0) [v3:GREAT.AK]
    
25. California (10-1)
    

Honorable Mention:

Eastern Kentucky (6-4), Georgia (6-3), Cincinnati (7-3), South Dakota State (9-3) [3@GF/WV].