17 Nov27 - Devils(es) Give Thanks
Volume XXII, No. 4 - 17 Nov27 - [] Top 25 Ballot
Devils(es) Give Thanks
You know the schedule: Thanksgiving week means Primo Tourney Time. Plenty of highly touted teams disappointed while plenty of unheralded ones emerged. Seven teams left last week's Top 25 and seven teams (all previously untracked) entered. As many as ten leagues have had their pre-conference favorite re-evaluated.
Purportedly, the strongest draw belonged to the BATTLE 4 ATLANTIS at Paradise Islands BAHAMAS; but Arizona went 0-3 while Purdue went 1-2 (thanks only to an 83-64 rout of AZ for seventh place). Individually, bAllonzo Trier (27p5r in their 84-90 loss to N.C. State) and 7-1 GC cDeAndre Dayton (27p14r vs NCSt; 17p15r in their 60-66 loss to SMU) were fine, but the team was dismal from three-point range (2-for-17 vs NCst; 3-for-17 vs Purd) ... too much "Me Ball" is a failure at point guard. Purdue fell to athletic Tennessee in overtime (75-78[OT]) and to CUSA/Western Kentucky (73-77) getting its best performance from pDakota Mathias(24p6a5r vs AZ). In the end, Villanova went 3-0 (against WeKy, Tenn [85-76 rallying from down by 15 led by pJalen Brunson{25p6a}] and Northern Iowa in the final [64-50 committing only 3 turnovers and DIDN'T ALLOW the Panthers TO SHOOT A FREE THROW!]) to claim the "most coveted crown".
The Naismith (overall) Basketball Hall Of Fame (in Springfield MA) has sponsored at least five different events on the college hoops calendar (nicknamed "HoopHall" by them, labeled as "HALL OF FAME" by me). The College Basketball Hall Of Fame (in Kansas City MO) has only added to the confusion by renaming its CBE (COLLEGE BASKETBALL EXPERIENCE) CLASSIC as the "Hall Of Fame Classic" (still labeled as "CBE CLASSIC" by me). The CBE CLASSIC appeared to match its two strongest teams, Creighton and UCLA, in the semifinals. The Bluejays outran the Bruins (100-89 despite 25p7a from pAaron Holiday) but CU fell in the final to retooling Baylor (65-59 as 7-0 cJo Lual-Acuil Jr[15p15r] controlled the paint).
Xavier had looked to be one of the strongest teams early on (with a Player Of The Year candidate in bTrevon Bluiett) and it even led the LAS VEGAS-A THANKSGIVING INVITATIONAL final at ORLEANS ARENA by 15 points in the first half before being overwhelmed by the onslaught of surprising Arizona State (102-86 as gTra Holder[40p4a] starred while pBluiett[11p6a] faded). The Sun Devils have shown a spectacular three-guard attack from seniors gHolder, gKodi Justice(28p in their 92-90 semifinal win over Kansas State) and gShannon Evans while freshman 6-8 cRomello White(16p15r against San Diego State earlier in the season) brings some much-needed frontcourt presence.
The MAUI INVITATIONAL at Lahaina HI, came down to its expected final between Notre Dame and Wichita State. WichSt led by 16 (but only went 4-for-5 on free throws); ND rallied behind cBonzie Colson[25p11r] and fMartinas Geben sank two free throws to win it (67-66). (Host {Chaminade} claimed a Division-I[B-Major, in fact] scalp, beating a disinterested California team [@96-72] for seventh place.)
At the NIT SEASON TIP-OFF at the BARCLAYS CENTER in Brooklyn NY, depleted Rhode Island edged Seton Hall (75-74 behind Jared Terrell[32p1a;10/10ft]'s star turn) in the semis only to be dumped by retooling Virginia in the final (70-55).
In the B bracket of the PHIL KNIGHT-80 INVITATIONAL at Portland OR, tri-host Oregon was a disappointment, falling to Connecticut (@63-71) and then again to Oklahoma (@80-90 as the Sooners shot 34-for-44 on free throws led by pTrae Young[43p7a;17/18ft]'s star turn) ... so far, the Ducks' new GT and GC would-be stars have yet to step up. The expected final had an unexpectedly one-sided result as Michigan State dumped North Carolina (63-45 controlling the boards 52-36 completely shutting down the Tar Heels: one player in double-figures, 25 percent shooting, 1-for-18 on threes and limiting fLuke Maye to 8p6r;3/13fg) ... UNC had no presence in the paint on either end and fMaye's finesse game was thoroughly stymied; MichSt looked great on defense but still has yet to define its identity offensively.
Meanwhile, in the PK-80 A bracket, Florida and Gonzaga engaged in a double-overtime thriller as the Gators outlasted the "host" Bulldogs (111-@105[2OT] in a stat-stuffer: 17-for-36 on threes, 28-for-35 on free throws, star turns from bJalen Hudson[35p5r] and pChris Chiozza[26p10a5to] despite a 39p12r;16/22fg effort from cJohnathan Williams). Meanwhile, Duke's cMarvin Bagley III is threatening to make this season entirely about him as he moved to the front of not only the GC Of The Year race but Player Of The Year as well ... he rescued the Blue Devils twice: 34p15r in their overtime win over young Texas (85-78[OT] despite their own 3-for-18 three-point shooting and despite 19p5a7r from versatile [Tulane transfer] pDylan Osetkowski); 30p15r in their win against Fla in the final (87-84 rallying from down 17 with ten minutes to go and despite 24p10r from xJalen Hudson). With all its talent, Duke also has another level it can get to on both ends.
At the WOODEN LEGACY at Fullerton CA (no longer co-hosted as the old ANAHEIM CLASSIC), veteran St. Mary's was expected to come through. Instead, the Gaels tripped in the semis against unheralded Washington State (84-79 as bMalachi Flynn[24p4a7r] starred) and then tripped up in overtime in the third-place game against retooling Georgia (83-81[OT] despite 33p12r;16/25fg from cJock Landale) ... StMary remains a mix of finesse on the perimeter without enough of a physical presence defensively. WashSt went to surprise second-favorite San Diego State in the final (93-@86 behind pFlynn[24p6a5r;6/11 3s]).
Veteran COLON/College of Charleston couldn't join AMERE/Vermont[ISLANDS OF THE BAHAMAS] as a highly touted 1BC team to come through in at 8-bracket draw. The Cougars tripped right away in the GREAT ALASKA SHOOTOUT against Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo (68-73). SKY/Idaho upset Santa Clara (69-59) but tripped against Cal State-Bakersfield (64-62 on Justin Davis' game-winning three). Instead, it was MAC/Central Michigan who beat Sam Houston State, edged CPSLO and edged CSB in the final (75-72). (Host {Alaska-Anchorage} claimed a D-I(Mid-Major) win of its own, edging in overtime against SClara [@78-73{OT}].)
Maybe the only other touted team that had a week as bad as Arizona was CUSA/UAB. Rather than being able to prove itself Splashworthy and challenge for the new CAYMAN ISLANDS CLASSIC crown in GeorgeTown, instead the Blazers went 0-3: falling to Richmond (50-63), tripping in overtime to MAC/Buffalo (91-96[OT]) and finally finishing eighth after losing to Iowa (itself a bust so far) (95-85 as Hawkeyes Jordan Bohannon[30p] and Tyler Cook[29p] starred). Despite having one of the truly special players in all of College Basketball (xMike Daum), SUMMIT/South Dakota State hasn't been able to make much noise as a team: falling right away to Wyoming (65-77) but the Jackrabbits did manage to beat B-Major Iowa (90-82) in Consolation before winding up fifth. Meanwhile, favorite Cincinnati rolled through its draw, including dumping Wyo in the final (78-53).
At the LEGENDS CLASSIC at the BARCLAYS CENTER in Brooklyn, Texas A&M bested two B-Major opponents: dumping Oklahoma State (72-55) and outpacing Penn State in the final (98-87). At the BROOKLYN-THANKSGIVING CLASSIC also at the BARCLAYS CENTER, Minnesota edged Alabama in the final (89-84 in a game that finished 5 on 3 after the entire Bama bench went on-court during a brawl and was ejected; then one guy fouled out and another injured his ankle, leaving only three Crimson Tide players to play the final six minutes ... GC pCollin Sexton[40p5a6r] was very nearly a literal one-man team in defeat). "Host" UNLV won the LAS VEGAS-B MAIN EVENT crown (played at home-away-from-home T-MOBILE ARENA) dumping Utah (@85-58 on GC cBrandon McCoy[26p17r]'s star turn as the Utes were a woeful 2-for-20 on threes). At the A/ORLANDO INVITATIONAL, West Virginia routed "host" UCF (83-@45) and then edged young Missouri (83-79) in the final.
Florida State(3-0) and Tulane(4-0) shared the new JAMAICA CLASSIC crown at Montego Bay (both beating up on Colorado State and Fordham in the final two round-robin rounds; ... those two will settle the score between them on Dec 10 at the HI CLASSIC in Tampa). Likewise, new MVC conferencemates Loyola(Illinois)(4-0) and Valparaiso(4-0) shared the SAVANNAH INVITATIONAL crown (both beating up on Kent State and UNC-Wilmington). TCU edged New Mexico (69-67) and then handled St. Bonaventure (89-79 led by versatile xKenrich Williams[17p12r] despite sending the Bonnies to the line for 44 free throws) to claim the EMERALD COAST CLASSIC at Niceville FL. At the GULF COAST SHOWCASE at Estero FL, SUNB/Georgia Southern edged MVC/Missouri State in a clash of conference favorites (74-73 despite 17p14r4a from xAlize Johnson); but it was COLON/Towson pulling a surprise in the final, edging GaSo (70-67 thanks to 24-for-32 on free throws) to claim a coveted 1BC 8-bracket crown. At the CANCUN CHALLENGE, it was CUSA/Louisiana Tech edging Evansville in the final (63-61 led by 5-11 pDaQuan Bracey[17p5a5r] as Derric Jean hit the game-winning three-pointer).
There were quite a few Unwelcome Guests champions (teams winning brackets/round-robins at the expense of participating host schools): 2-2 BIGW/UC-Santa Barbara won the LEGENDS CLASSIC Consolation crown (including a 92-@84 win over host Pepperdine). San Diego took out host Grand Canyon (72-@62 behind pIsaiah Wright[16p10a]) on the way to the 4-rr GRAND CANYON CLASSIC title. SKY/Northern Colorado won the 3-rr SANFORD-B SHOWCASE at the PENTAGON in Sioux Falls SD (including edging "host" @South Dakota 63-@62 behind Andre Spight[28p;GWFTs]). 3-1 SLAND/Southeast Louisiana won SAVANNAH INVITATIONAL Consolation (including edging at Kent State [70-@66] in Warm-Up; beating host Samford [77-@71]). 2-2 PAT/Bucknell took the 2-rr PK-80 B Consolation crown (including winning at Stony Brook 85-@76 on cZach Thomas[38p11r]'s star turn). 3-1 SUNB/Texas-Arlington won the BROOKLYN-THANKSGIVING Consolation crown (including a Warm-Up 89-@75 road win at BYU; edging host Niagara [95-@90]). SLAND/Abilene Christian(2-1) and MAC/Bowling Green(2-1) shared the honors at the 3-rr CREEK CLASSIC (AbilX edged BowlG head-to-head [88-83]; both beat host Campbell). 3-1 OVC/Jacksonville State claimed the new CAYMAN ISLANDS CLASSIC Consolation crown (including road-dumping at Richmond [94-@61 in Warm-Up]; edging in overtime at host Chattanooga 77-@75[OT] on Marlon Hunter's game-winner).
2-2 SOCON/Furman and 2-2 Utah State shared the PK-80 A Consolation crown at Nashville TN (both beating up on New Hampshire and Northeastern).
Cruising through 4-round-robin home showcases were Indiana[HOOSIER CLASSIC], Rutgers[SHOWCASE ON THE BANKS], Kentucky[ADOLPH RUPP CLASSIC] and Illinois[GS INVITATIONAL]. Winning 3 round-robin home games were Florida Gulf Coast[EAGLE SHOOTAROUND], UNC-Greensboro[SPARTAN CLASSIC] and Wright State[RAIDER CLASSIC].
The BIG 12 actually cooled off (to a mere 38-7 in high-profile interconference play) but is still far above any other league in the ratings. The BIG EAST (39-14), ACC (40-14), BIG 10 (53-18) and SEC (49-17) are all tightly bunched with each other but all well separated from anyone else below them. The surprising MISSOURI VALLEY (24-12) and MOUNTAIN WEST (25-17) have hung in with the disappointing PAC-12 (28-19) and fortified AMERICAN (28-18) as solid winners. The SUN BELT (23-22), OHIO VALLEY (15-17), MID-AMERICAN (22-21) and disappointing WEST COAST (17-17) all at least have skirted .500. Perhaps most disappointing of all has been the ATLANTIC-10 (24-29), whose rating (along with the WCC) has them barely above The Great Red (Swirl) Spot of Jupiter's Bands (i.e., run-of-the-mill 1BC-land).
In terms of tournament triumphs: the BIG 12[5 crowns], ACC[3.5], PAC-12[3], BIG EAST[2] and BIG 10[2] all won draws that included ranked opponents; the AMERICAN[2.5] and MID-AMERICAN[1.5] won Splashworthy draws; the MOUNTAIN WEST[2] and SEC[1] took home B-Major crowns; the COLONIAL[1.5], CONFERENCE USA[1], PATRIOT[1], MISSOURI VALLEY[1], AMERICA EAST[1], BIG WEST[1], WEST COAST[1] and BIG SKY[1] conquered Mid-Major teams; the SOUTHLAND[1.5], SUN BELT[1], SOUTHERN[.5] and OHIO VALLEY[1] only beat 1BC opponents.
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Thanks to a strong showing over Thanksgiving, the ACC (40-14; 3.5 tourneys) has overtaken the BIG 10 (53-18; 2 tourneys) in the overall ratings. Look for a 9-5 ACC win (with Duke [over host Indiana] and Florida State [over host Rutgers] being the only likely winners on the road).
Even though the MISSOURI VALLEY (24-12; 1 tourney) has had a great preseason overall, the top of the MOUNTAIN WEST (25-17; 2 tourneys) is much stronger. Look for a 6-4 MWC win (with road victories for UNLV [over host Northern Iowa] and Air Force [over host Indiana State] countering one by Loyola[Illinois] [over host Boise State]).
Baylor has a brutal week: on the road at Xavier (Tuesday) and at home against Wichita State (Saturday) ... both opponents looking to rebound from disappointment. Seton Hall has a tough week: facing Texas Tech at MADISON SQUARE GARDEN at the NYC-C UA REUNION (Thursday) and then visiting Louisville for the BILLY MINARDI CLASSIC (Sunday). It's one of the best head-to-head GC matchups all year when 7-1 cDeAndre Ayton(Arizona) visits 6-11 cBrandon McCoy(UNLV) (Saturday). Xavier has double-duty at home: (Tuesday) vs Baylor, and (Saturday) in its annual city-grudge match with Cincinnati in the CROSSTOWN SHOOTOUT. Gonzaga will have its hand full hosting Creighton in the new JESUIT BASKETBALL CLASSIC (Friday).
Rhode Island hosts Providence (Saturday) in one of the higher-profile editions of their annual State Title showdown (Saturday).
The BIG 10 moved its conference schedule up a week (ostensibly so it can play its tourney at MADISON SQUARE GARDEN [a week ahead of the BIG EAST]) ... that means two regular season games have been backed up to pre-Christmas in December. Most notably, stumbling Purdue hosts disappointing Northwestern (Sunday) with both teams looking for a much-needed reset.
-- Ron
P.S. Look for the Official Invitation for the 11TH ANNUAL Pigskin Pool Party (Ron's College Football Bowl Season Pool) shortly.
Top 25 - 17 Nov27 - [] Column
Devils(es) Give Thanks
You know the schedule: Thanksgiving week means Primo Tourney Time. Plenty of highly touted teams disappointed while plenty of unheralded ones emerged. Seven teams left last week's Top 25 and seven teams (all previously untracked) entered. As many as ten leagues have had their pre-conference favorite re-evaluated.
The gaudiest of the events was this year's new twin 8-bracket PHIL KNIGHT-80 INVITATIONAL, a "celebration for Nike-founder Phil Knight's 80th birthday" (please read: "advertisement for Nike's brand"). Only schools signed to Nike shoe/apparel deals were invited. And if there was any confusion about which "team" you were playing for, no one wore their own school uniforms ... instead, each school was issued a generic outfit [in the primary color of their school]. You're not #24 for Duke; you're #24 for the "Blue Nike team". The weird hubris of this event is probably lost on most people. Is it really something to celebrate that so much money has been made on shoes/apparel -- to the point where people were killing each other over an exclusive/expensive pair of sneakers!? It's a warped Capitalist mindset that has us exalting (and bowing) to this man as some kind of cultural hero.
Purportedly, the strongest draw belonged to the BATTLE 4 ATLANTIS at Paradise Islands BAHAMAS; but Arizona went 0-3 while Purdue went 1-2 (thanks only to an 83-64 rout of AZ for seventh place). Individually, bAllonzo Trier (27p5r in their 84-90 loss to N.C. State) and 7-1 GC cDeAndre Dayton (27p14r vs NCSt; 17p15r in their 60-66 loss to SMU) were fine, but the team was dismal from three-point range (2-for-17 vs NCst; 3-for-17 vs Purd) ... too much "Me Ball" is a failure at point guard. Purdue fell to athletic Tennessee in overtime (75-78[OT]) and to CUSA/Western Kentucky (73-77) getting its best performance from pDakota Mathias(24p6a5r vs AZ). In the end, Villanova went 3-0 (against WeKy, Tenn [85-76 rallying from down by 15 led by pJalen Brunson{25p6a}] and Northern Iowa in the final [64-50 committing only 3 turnovers and DIDN'T ALLOW the Panthers TO SHOOT A FREE THROW!]) to claim the "most coveted crown".
The Naismith (overall) Basketball Hall Of Fame (in Springfield MA) has sponsored at least five different events on the college hoops calendar (nicknamed "HoopHall" by them, labeled as "HALL OF FAME" by me). The College Basketball Hall Of Fame (in Kansas City MO) has only added to the confusion by renaming its CBE (COLLEGE BASKETBALL EXPERIENCE) CLASSIC as the "Hall Of Fame Classic" (still labeled as "CBE CLASSIC" by me). The CBE CLASSIC appeared to match its two strongest teams, Creighton and UCLA, in the semifinals. The Bluejays outran the Bruins (100-89 despite 25p7a from pAaron Holiday) but CU fell in the final to retooling Baylor (65-59 as 7-0 cJo Lual-Acuil Jr[15p15r] controlled the paint).
Xavier had looked to be one of the strongest teams early on (with a Player Of The Year candidate in bTrevon Bluiett) and it even led the LAS VEGAS-A THANKSGIVING INVITATIONAL final at ORLEANS ARENA by 15 points in the first half before being overwhelmed by the onslaught of surprising Arizona State (102-86 as gTra Holder[40p4a] starred while pBluiett[11p6a] faded). The Sun Devils have shown a spectacular three-guard attack from seniors gHolder, gKodi Justice(28p in their 92-90 semifinal win over Kansas State) and gShannon Evans while freshman 6-8 cRomello White(16p15r against San Diego State earlier in the season) brings some much-needed frontcourt presence.
The MAUI INVITATIONAL at Lahaina HI, came down to its expected final between Notre Dame and Wichita State. WichSt led by 16 (but only went 4-for-5 on free throws); ND rallied behind cBonzie Colson[25p11r] and fMartinas Geben sank two free throws to win it (67-66). (Host {Chaminade} claimed a Division-I[B-Major, in fact] scalp, beating a disinterested California team [@96-72] for seventh place.)
At the NIT SEASON TIP-OFF at the BARCLAYS CENTER in Brooklyn NY, depleted Rhode Island edged Seton Hall (75-74 behind Jared Terrell[32p1a;10/10ft]'s star turn) in the semis only to be dumped by retooling Virginia in the final (70-55).
In the B bracket of the PHIL KNIGHT-80 INVITATIONAL at Portland OR, tri-host Oregon was a disappointment, falling to Connecticut (@63-71) and then again to Oklahoma (@80-90 as the Sooners shot 34-for-44 on free throws led by pTrae Young[43p7a;17/18ft]'s star turn) ... so far, the Ducks' new GT and GC would-be stars have yet to step up. The expected final had an unexpectedly one-sided result as Michigan State dumped North Carolina (63-45 controlling the boards 52-36 completely shutting down the Tar Heels: one player in double-figures, 25 percent shooting, 1-for-18 on threes and limiting fLuke Maye to 8p6r;3/13fg) ... UNC had no presence in the paint on either end and fMaye's finesse game was thoroughly stymied; MichSt looked great on defense but still has yet to define its identity offensively.
Meanwhile, in the PK-80 A bracket, Florida and Gonzaga engaged in a double-overtime thriller as the Gators outlasted the "host" Bulldogs (111-@105[2OT] in a stat-stuffer: 17-for-36 on threes, 28-for-35 on free throws, star turns from bJalen Hudson[35p5r] and pChris Chiozza[26p10a5to] despite a 39p12r;16/22fg effort from cJohnathan Williams). Meanwhile, Duke's cMarvin Bagley III is threatening to make this season entirely about him as he moved to the front of not only the GC Of The Year race but Player Of The Year as well ... he rescued the Blue Devils twice: 34p15r in their overtime win over young Texas (85-78[OT] despite their own 3-for-18 three-point shooting and despite 19p5a7r from versatile [Tulane transfer] pDylan Osetkowski); 30p15r in their win against Fla in the final (87-84 rallying from down 17 with ten minutes to go and despite 24p10r from xJalen Hudson). With all its talent, Duke also has another level it can get to on both ends.
At the WOODEN LEGACY at Fullerton CA (no longer co-hosted as the old ANAHEIM CLASSIC), veteran St. Mary's was expected to come through. Instead, the Gaels tripped in the semis against unheralded Washington State (84-79 as bMalachi Flynn[24p4a7r] starred) and then tripped up in overtime in the third-place game against retooling Georgia (83-81[OT] despite 33p12r;16/25fg from cJock Landale) ... StMary remains a mix of finesse on the perimeter without enough of a physical presence defensively. WashSt went to surprise second-favorite San Diego State in the final (93-@86 behind pFlynn[24p6a5r;6/11 3s]).
Veteran COLON/College of Charleston couldn't join AMERE/Vermont[ISLANDS OF THE BAHAMAS] as a highly touted 1BC team to come through in at 8-bracket draw. The Cougars tripped right away in the GREAT ALASKA SHOOTOUT against Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo (68-73). SKY/Idaho upset Santa Clara (69-59) but tripped against Cal State-Bakersfield (64-62 on Justin Davis' game-winning three). Instead, it was MAC/Central Michigan who beat Sam Houston State, edged CPSLO and edged CSB in the final (75-72). (Host {Alaska-Anchorage} claimed a D-I(Mid-Major) win of its own, edging in overtime against SClara [@78-73{OT}].)
Maybe the only other touted team that had a week as bad as Arizona was CUSA/UAB. Rather than being able to prove itself Splashworthy and challenge for the new CAYMAN ISLANDS CLASSIC crown in GeorgeTown, instead the Blazers went 0-3: falling to Richmond (50-63), tripping in overtime to MAC/Buffalo (91-96[OT]) and finally finishing eighth after losing to Iowa (itself a bust so far) (95-85 as Hawkeyes Jordan Bohannon[30p] and Tyler Cook[29p] starred). Despite having one of the truly special players in all of College Basketball (xMike Daum), SUMMIT/South Dakota State hasn't been able to make much noise as a team: falling right away to Wyoming (65-77) but the Jackrabbits did manage to beat B-Major Iowa (90-82) in Consolation before winding up fifth. Meanwhile, favorite Cincinnati rolled through its draw, including dumping Wyo in the final (78-53).
At the LEGENDS CLASSIC at the BARCLAYS CENTER in Brooklyn, Texas A&M bested two B-Major opponents: dumping Oklahoma State (72-55) and outpacing Penn State in the final (98-87). At the BROOKLYN-THANKSGIVING CLASSIC also at the BARCLAYS CENTER, Minnesota edged Alabama in the final (89-84 in a game that finished 5 on 3 after the entire Bama bench went on-court during a brawl and was ejected; then one guy fouled out and another injured his ankle, leaving only three Crimson Tide players to play the final six minutes ... GC pCollin Sexton[40p5a6r] was very nearly a literal one-man team in defeat). "Host" UNLV won the LAS VEGAS-B MAIN EVENT crown (played at home-away-from-home T-MOBILE ARENA) dumping Utah (@85-58 on GC cBrandon McCoy[26p17r]'s star turn as the Utes were a woeful 2-for-20 on threes). At the A/ORLANDO INVITATIONAL, West Virginia routed "host" UCF (83-@45) and then edged young Missouri (83-79) in the final.
Florida State(3-0) and Tulane(4-0) shared the new JAMAICA CLASSIC crown at Montego Bay (both beating up on Colorado State and Fordham in the final two round-robin rounds; ... those two will settle the score between them on Dec 10 at the HI CLASSIC in Tampa). Likewise, new MVC conferencemates Loyola(Illinois)(4-0) and Valparaiso(4-0) shared the SAVANNAH INVITATIONAL crown (both beating up on Kent State and UNC-Wilmington). TCU edged New Mexico (69-67) and then handled St. Bonaventure (89-79 led by versatile xKenrich Williams[17p12r] despite sending the Bonnies to the line for 44 free throws) to claim the EMERALD COAST CLASSIC at Niceville FL. At the GULF COAST SHOWCASE at Estero FL, SUNB/Georgia Southern edged MVC/Missouri State in a clash of conference favorites (74-73 despite 17p14r4a from xAlize Johnson); but it was COLON/Towson pulling a surprise in the final, edging GaSo (70-67 thanks to 24-for-32 on free throws) to claim a coveted 1BC 8-bracket crown. At the CANCUN CHALLENGE, it was CUSA/Louisiana Tech edging Evansville in the final (63-61 led by 5-11 pDaQuan Bracey[17p5a5r] as Derric Jean hit the game-winning three-pointer).
There were quite a few Unwelcome Guests champions (teams winning brackets/round-robins at the expense of participating host schools): 2-2 BIGW/UC-Santa Barbara won the LEGENDS CLASSIC Consolation crown (including a 92-@84 win over host Pepperdine). San Diego took out host Grand Canyon (72-@62 behind pIsaiah Wright[16p10a]) on the way to the 4-rr GRAND CANYON CLASSIC title. SKY/Northern Colorado won the 3-rr SANFORD-B SHOWCASE at the PENTAGON in Sioux Falls SD (including edging "host" @South Dakota 63-@62 behind Andre Spight[28p;GWFTs]). 3-1 SLAND/Southeast Louisiana won SAVANNAH INVITATIONAL Consolation (including edging at Kent State [70-@66] in Warm-Up; beating host Samford [77-@71]). 2-2 PAT/Bucknell took the 2-rr PK-80 B Consolation crown (including winning at Stony Brook 85-@76 on cZach Thomas[38p11r]'s star turn). 3-1 SUNB/Texas-Arlington won the BROOKLYN-THANKSGIVING Consolation crown (including a Warm-Up 89-@75 road win at BYU; edging host Niagara [95-@90]). SLAND/Abilene Christian(2-1) and MAC/Bowling Green(2-1) shared the honors at the 3-rr CREEK CLASSIC (AbilX edged BowlG head-to-head [88-83]; both beat host Campbell). 3-1 OVC/Jacksonville State claimed the new CAYMAN ISLANDS CLASSIC Consolation crown (including road-dumping at Richmond [94-@61 in Warm-Up]; edging in overtime at host Chattanooga 77-@75[OT] on Marlon Hunter's game-winner).
2-2 SOCON/Furman and 2-2 Utah State shared the PK-80 A Consolation crown at Nashville TN (both beating up on New Hampshire and Northeastern).
Cruising through 4-round-robin home showcases were Indiana[HOOSIER CLASSIC], Rutgers[SHOWCASE ON THE BANKS], Kentucky[ADOLPH RUPP CLASSIC] and Illinois[GS INVITATIONAL]. Winning 3 round-robin home games were Florida Gulf Coast[EAGLE SHOOTAROUND], UNC-Greensboro[SPARTAN CLASSIC] and Wright State[RAIDER CLASSIC].
The BIG 12 actually cooled off (to a mere 38-7 in high-profile interconference play) but is still far above any other league in the ratings. The BIG EAST (39-14), ACC (40-14), BIG 10 (53-18) and SEC (49-17) are all tightly bunched with each other but all well separated from anyone else below them. The surprising MISSOURI VALLEY (24-12) and MOUNTAIN WEST (25-17) have hung in with the disappointing PAC-12 (28-19) and fortified AMERICAN (28-18) as solid winners. The SUN BELT (23-22), OHIO VALLEY (15-17), MID-AMERICAN (22-21) and disappointing WEST COAST (17-17) all at least have skirted .500. Perhaps most disappointing of all has been the ATLANTIC-10 (24-29), whose rating (along with the WCC) has them barely above The Great Red (Swirl) Spot of Jupiter's Bands (i.e., run-of-the-mill 1BC-land).
In terms of tournament triumphs: the BIG 12[5 crowns], ACC[3.5], PAC-12[3], BIG EAST[2] and BIG 10[2] all won draws that included ranked opponents; the AMERICAN[2.5] and MID-AMERICAN[1.5] won Splashworthy draws; the MOUNTAIN WEST[2] and SEC[1] took home B-Major crowns; the COLONIAL[1.5], CONFERENCE USA[1], PATRIOT[1], MISSOURI VALLEY[1], AMERICA EAST[1], BIG WEST[1], WEST COAST[1] and BIG SKY[1] conquered Mid-Major teams; the SOUTHLAND[1.5], SUN BELT[1], SOUTHERN[.5] and OHIO VALLEY[1] only beat 1BC opponents.
- - - - - -
Thanks to a strong showing over Thanksgiving, the ACC (40-14; 3.5 tourneys) has overtaken the BIG 10 (53-18; 2 tourneys) in the overall ratings. Look for a 9-5 ACC win (with Duke [over host Indiana] and Florida State [over host Rutgers] being the only likely winners on the road).
Even though the MISSOURI VALLEY (24-12; 1 tourney) has had a great preseason overall, the top of the MOUNTAIN WEST (25-17; 2 tourneys) is much stronger. Look for a 6-4 MWC win (with road victories for UNLV [over host Northern Iowa] and Air Force [over host Indiana State] countering one by Loyola[Illinois] [over host Boise State]).
Baylor has a brutal week: on the road at Xavier (Tuesday) and at home against Wichita State (Saturday) ... both opponents looking to rebound from disappointment. Seton Hall has a tough week: facing Texas Tech at MADISON SQUARE GARDEN at the NYC-C UA REUNION (Thursday) and then visiting Louisville for the BILLY MINARDI CLASSIC (Sunday). It's one of the best head-to-head GC matchups all year when 7-1 cDeAndre Ayton(Arizona) visits 6-11 cBrandon McCoy(UNLV) (Saturday). Xavier has double-duty at home: (Tuesday) vs Baylor, and (Saturday) in its annual city-grudge match with Cincinnati in the CROSSTOWN SHOOTOUT. Gonzaga will have its hand full hosting Creighton in the new JESUIT BASKETBALL CLASSIC (Friday).
Rhode Island hosts Providence (Saturday) in one of the higher-profile editions of their annual State Title showdown (Saturday).
The BIG 10 moved its conference schedule up a week (ostensibly so it can play its tourney at MADISON SQUARE GARDEN [a week ahead of the BIG EAST]) ... that means two regular season games have been backed up to pre-Christmas in December. Most notably, stumbling Purdue hosts disappointing Northwestern (Sunday) with both teams looking for a much-needed reset.
-- Ron
P.S. Look for the Official Invitation for the 11TH ANNUAL Pigskin Pool Party (Ron's College Football Bowl Season Pool) shortly.
- Key games this week:
- Monday:
- @
MtStMarys-MorganSt,
- Monday-Wednesday:
- [K/WILDCAT]ADOLPH RUPP CLASSIC RndRob4 on-campus
-(@Kentucky, Troy, FtWayne, Troy, ETennesseeSt, ILChicago, DelawareSt),
- Monday-Thursday:
- ACC[11-5;2]/BIG 10[5-11;2] CHALLENGE on-campus
[Pittsburgh does not play.]
-(Mon week: @Virginia-Wisconsin; @Syracuse-Maryland
Tue week: @Purdue-Louisville[BG], @VirginiaTech-Iowa, (7P):@GeorgiaTech-Northwestern, @Rutgers-FloridaSt, @WakeForest-Illinois;
Wed week: Duke-@Indiana, @Minnesota-MiamiFL, @NCarolina-Michigan, @NCState-PennSt, @OhioSt-Clemson, @Nebraska-BostonCol;
Thu week: NotreDame-@MichiganSt),
- Monday-Friday:
- [GT]RAMBLIN' WRECK SHOWCASE RndRob4 on-campus
-(@GeorgiaTech, TXRGValley, NTexas, BethuneCoookman, GramblingSt),
MABC-A HOOPS IN THE HEARTLAND RndRob4 on-campus
-(@MississippiSt, NDState, StephenFAustin, GreenBay, Stetson, FloridaA&M),
- Monday, Monday week:
- BATTLE OF THE BOULEVARD HomeAway2 on-campus
-(Mon: @Belmont-Lipscomb[NashvilleTN];
Mon week: @Lipscomb-Belmont[NashvilleTN]),
- Tuesday:
- Baylor-@Xavier, @RhodeIsland-Brown(RI),
[NCG]SPARTAN CLASSIC CoolDown1/1 on-campus
-(@UNCGreensboro; Tue: @Longwood-{BluefieldSt}),
- Tuesday-Saturday:
- HALL OF FAME-D-MIAMI INVITATIONAL RndRob4 on-campus; Feature DblHdr @ MiamiFL/MiamiFL/
-(Main: Kansas, Syracuse, Toledo, Oakland, TexasSo;
Feature Sat: Kansas-Syracuse, @MiamiFL-Princeton),
- Tuesday-Sunday:
- MWC[3-1;2]/MVC[1-3;2] CHALLENGE on-campus
[Fresno State does not {officially} play.]
-(Tue: @MissouriSt-ColoradoSt, @BoiseSt-LoyolaIL, @Valparaiso-UtahSt;
Wed: @Nevada-IllinoisSt; UNLV-@NoIowa, @IndianaSt-AirForce, @NewMexico-Evansville;
Sat: @Wyoming-Drake, @SoIllinois-SanJoseSt;
Sun: @SanDiegoSt-Bradley),
- Wednesday:
- @Villanova-Penn(PhiladelphiaPA)(BIG5), @LittleRock-CArkansas(AR), @WeKentucky-EaKentucky(KY), @Niagara-Buffalo(NY)(BIG4), @UTValley-BYU(UT),
CHARLESTON[SC] CLASSIC CoolDown1/1 on-campus
-(Temple; Wed: @Dayton-Auburn),
[FGC]EAGLE SHOOTAROUND CoolDown1/1 @ FtMyersFL/FLGulfCoast/
-(@FLGulfCoast-{WebberInternational}),
- Thursday:
- @SanDiego-SanDiegoSt(SanDiegoCA),
NEW YORK-C UA REUNION DblHdr @ NewYorkNY/MSG/
-(TexasTech-@SetonHall, SCarolina-Temple),
A/ORLANDO INVITATIONAL CoolDown1/1 on-campus
-(WVirginia; Thu: @UCF-Missouri),
- Friday:
- @NCarolina-@Davidson(NC)(@CharlotteNC),
(new)JESUIT BASKETBALL CLASSIC 1Off on-campus
-(Creighton-@Gonzaga),
THE CITY GAME 1Off @ PittsburghPA/PPG/
-(@Pittsburgh-@Duquesne[PittsburghPA]),
- Friday-Saturday:
- (new)HALL OF FAME-E-BELFAST CLASSIC Semis @ BelfastNORTHERN_IRELAND
-(LaSalle-Towson, HolyCross-Manhattan),
(new)[C]BULLDOG BASH Semis @ CharlestonSC/TheCitadel/
-(@TheCitadel-Marist, MDBaltimoreCo-ArmyWP),
- Saturday:
- @Baylor-WichitaSt, @Nevada-
UCIrvine, @UNLV-Arizona, @TCU-Yale, Providence-@RhodeIsland(RI), @Bucknell-Vermont, @SDState-MissouriSt(@SiouxFallsSD/PENTAGON/), @LoyolaIL-ILChicago(ChicagoIL), @UtahSt-BYU(UT), @UTEP-NewMexico, @Buffalo-StBonaventure(NY)(BIG4), @KentSt-ClevelandSt(OH)(NEO),
THE HOLY WAR 1Off on-campus
-(Villanova-@StJosephs[PhiladelphiaPA][BIG5]),
CROSSTOWN SHOOTOUT 1Off on-campus
-(Cincinnati-@Xavier[CincinnatiOH]),
(new)CREEK CLASSIC CoolDown1/1 on-campus
-([1stB:]BowlingGreen; Sat: @[1stA:]AbileneChristian-{Schreiner}),
- Sunday:
- @Purdue-Northwestern, @Vanderbilt-KansasSt
(SEC/BIG 12 CHALLENGE),
BILLY MINARDI CLASSIC 1Off @ LouisvilleKY/Louisville/
-(@Louisville-SetonHall),
BB&T CLASSIC DblHdr @ WashingtonDC
-(@Georgetown-CoppinSt, @GeoWashington-Temple),
- - - - - - -
- Monday week:
- Monday week:
- @Florida-FloridaSt(FL),
WOODEN LEGACY/ANAHEIM CLASSIC CoolDown1/1 on-campus
-(WashingtonSt; Mon week: @StMarys-SacramentoSt[CA]).
Top 25 - 17 Nov27 - [] Column
- Arizona State (6-0) [2v2:LVA-THANX]
- Duke (8-0) (@@CHAMPS) [v3:PK80-A]
- Baylor (5-0) [2v2:CBE]
- Texas A&M (6-0) [2v2:LEGENDS]
- Notre Dame (5-0) [v3:MAUI]
- Villanova (6-0) [v3:ATLANTIS]
- Florida (5-1)
- Michigan State (5-1) [v3:PK80-B]
- Minnesota (7-0) (@BIG.E) [2v2:BROOK-T]
- Kansas (5-0) (@@CHAMPS)
- Washington State (6-0) [3:WOODEN]
- Creighton (5-1) (@BIG10)
- Virginia (6-0) [2v2:NIT.T-O]
- Kentucky (6-1) [rr4vRUPP]
- Nevada (6-0)
- Texas Tech (6-0) [2v2:HOF-C TO]
- Cincinnati (6-0) [v3:CAYMAN]
- UNLV (3-0) [2v2vLVB-MAIN]
- Xavier (6-1) (@BIG10)
- West Virginia (6-1) [v3:A/ORLANDO]
- Wichita State (4-1)
- Miami(Florida) (5-0)
- TCU (6-0) [2v2:EMERALD]
- Gonzaga (5-1)
- Providence (5-1) [2v2:2K]
- Honorable Mention:
- Purdue (5-2) (@BIG.E)/SMU (5-2)/North Carolina State (5-2), Tennessee (5-1)/Western Kentucky (3-2), Rhode Island (3-2), Connecticut (4-2)/Oklahoma (4-1),
Georgia(5-1),
Central Michigan (3-1) [3:GREAT.AK],
Florida State (5-0)/Tulane (5-1) [2v2:JAMAICA],
Louisiana Tech (4-0) [2v2:CANCUN],
Pacific (3-4)/Air Force (3-2) [rr4:MABC-B],
Towson (4-1) [3:GULF.CST],
Bucknell(3-4) [2@PK80-Bcons],
Loyola(Illinois) (6-0)/Valparaiso (5-0) [2v2:SAVANH],
UC-Santa Barbara (4-2) [2@LEGENDScons],
San Diego (5-0) [rr4@GRD.CAN],
Northern Colorado (4-3) [rr3@SANFORD-B],
Furman(3-2)/Utah State (4-3) [2:PK80-Acons],
Texas-Arlington (4-1) [2@BROOK-Tcons],
Abilene Christian (2-3)/Bowling Green (4-2) [2@CREEK],
Southeast Louisiana (3-3) [2@SAVANHcons],
Jacksonville State (3-2) [2@CAYMONcons].
posted by Ron @ Friday, December 15, 2017
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