Six Takeaways From the Best Day of the College Hoops Season

Saturday’s school basketball slate wasn’t simply one of the best the game has seen this yr up to now; it might find yourself being one of the best of your complete season. With 5 ranked-vs-ranked showdowns, together with battles between title contenders and a number of other different intriguing matchups between high-major groups, the game bought a serious showcase alternative and delivered with a number of terrific video games.

Right here’s a have a look at some main takeaways from an action-packed Saturday.

Houston Takes Massive Step Towards a No. 1 Seed

By nature of enjoying in a weaker convention just like the AAC, No. 5 Houston will get fewer alternatives to bolster its résumé towards elite opponents than groups from extra conventional energy conferences. That has a direct impression on NCAA event seeding, as we noticed final yr when the Cougars got a No. 5 seed regardless of getting into the Massive Dance because the No. 5 group in KenPom. So after lacking a chance to interrupt by final weekend towards Alabama, the stakes had been excessive for Houston’s No. 1 seed hopes on the street at No. 2 Virginia, and the Cougars answered the bell with a 69–61 win.

After recognizing UVA the sport’s first 9 factors, Houston managed the sport. A lot of that got here right down to three-point taking pictures: A streaky Virginia group from deep made three triples within the first 7:02 of the sport, however simply three extra the remainder of the way in which. In the meantime, Houston hit eight threes, a serious raise towards Virginia’s pack line protection that forces numerous perimeter jumpers. The Cougars usually executed effectively offensively regardless of the sport’s gradual tempo, meting out 17 assists on 25 made area targets and turning it over simply eight occasions. It was the kind of efficiency towards a fellow No. 1 seed contender that the choice committee will keep in mind come March.

Houston will now possible be favored in each sport left on its schedule. Based mostly on KenPom, they’re projected to be double-digit favorites in 17 of their 19 remaining video games. It’s arduous to think about a one-loss Cougars group not getting a one seed, and the highest general seed may even be of their sights relying on how different prime groups navigate league play.

Kansas Hasn’t Missed a Beat

The No. 8-ranked defending nationwide champions reminded everybody why they need to be among the many prime contenders to win all of it this yr in an 84–62 drubbing of No. 14 Indiana. The Hoosiers did lose star level guard Xavier Johnson early within the sport to a foot harm, however issues had been already getting out of hand for IU earlier than their ground common went down.

The main query mark with Kansas coming into the season was the group’s lack of a confirmed conventional huge man, as a substitute turning to undersized athletic huge Ok.J. Adams at middle. Adams has performed effectively all season lengthy, and introduced it once more Saturday towards top-of-the-line huge males within the nation in Trayce Jackson-Davis. Jackson-Davis was silenced offensively, notably within the first half when KU took management of the sport. And offensively, Adams’s mobility and talent as a passer provides this offense a special look than the post-up-centric bigs Invoice Self has historically deployed.

Kansas additionally continues to get nice level guard play from Dajuan Harris, who dished out 10 assists and added three steals to go together with his 10 factors on the evening. Harris belongs on any record of one of the best level guards within the nation, constantly getting teammates the ball in the appropriate spots. For Kansas to not simply win, however dominate towards a great Indiana group in a sport their greatest participant in Jalen Wilson shot 4-for-18 from the sphere is a transparent assertion that this group is among the many nation’s elite.

North Carolina Breaks By

It’s far too quickly to know whether or not North Carolina’s 89–84 time beyond regulation victory over No. 23 Ohio State will go down as an aberration. But when the Tar Heels find yourself turning issues round and residing as much as their preseason No. 1 billing, this win (and the way they received it) must be remembered as a possible turning level.

Ohio State led many of the manner, together with by double figures within the second half. The Heels’ protection struggled to get stops, Carolina bought comparatively little from its bench and shot simply 6-for-28 from deep. Regardless of all that, UNC battled again, getting a 28-point, 15-rebound efficiency from Armando Bacot paying homage to the group’s NCAA event run and 20-plus factors every from R.J. Davis and Caleb Love. And after Ohio State regained the lead within the remaining seconds, the Heels executed completely to get a clear search for Pete Nance that tied the sport because the buzzer sounded on regulation.

There are nonetheless some structural flaws with this Carolina group, however possibly the Heels are beginning to get their March mojo again. Bacot and Love made clear throughout PK85, which marked the beginning of the group’s four-game shedding skid that knocked them from No. 1 to unranked, that the group was nonetheless gelling regardless of returning 4 starters. Wins like this one have a manner of bringing a bunch collectively, and there’s no debating the Heels have the items to make noise nationally nonetheless.

Gonzaga Explodes Offensively Towards Alabama

For No. 15 Gonzaga to push for a nationwide championship, the Bulldogs should be elite on the offensive finish. A group constructed round Drew Timme at middle with out an eraser like Chet Holmgren blocking photographs on the again finish is all the time going to have its flaws defensively. Saturday’s 100–90 win in Birmingham towards No. 4 Alabama was the primary time this season Gonzaga’s offense has actually felt overwhelming, an important signal for a group that has handled query marks within the backcourt all through a loaded nonconference schedule.

Timme getting no matter he needs offensively typically seems like a given with the Zags. The distinction towards Alabama was how effectively the group’s supporting solid performed. Nolan Hickman appeared much more in charge of the offense than he has at occasions this season, because the sophomore level guard didn’t pressure something and tallied 13 factors and 4 assists with only one turnover. Malachi Smith and Rasir Bolton bought into the lane and made issues occur. Plus, x-factor Anton Watson had top-of-the-line offensive video games of his profession, placing up 17 factors and 5 rebounds along with his always-steady defensive work.

To win in what was primarily a street sport towards an Alabama group coming off wins over Houston and Memphis within the final week was extremely spectacular, and confirmed off the blueprint for this group to make a deep March run. It might take some scoring outputs within the 90s and 100s for the Zags to go to a Ultimate 4, however they proved Saturday towards top-of-the-line groups within the nation that they’re up for the problem.

UCLA Provides to Successful Week

After lacking two huge alternatives in shut video games towards Illinois and Baylor in November, No. 16 UCLA entered this week needing résumé-topping wins earlier than getting into Pac-12 play. And after beating Maryland resoundingly in Faculty Park Wednesday, the Bruins stayed on the East Coast and bought an enormous 63–53 win over No. 13 Kentucky within the second sport of the CBS Sports activities Basic.

As they’ve for a lot of the season, UCLA relied closely on its “Massive 3” of Tyger Campbell, Jaime Jaquez and Jaylen Clark. That trio accounted for almost 80% of the group’s photographs within the sport, making huge performs when it mattered to assist stem the tide of a Kentucky comeback and are available away with a powerful victory. This was a grind-it-out affair paying homage to the video games Mick Cronin’s groups received often when he led Cincinnati, battling their strategy to victory regardless of making simply two threes within the sport. The Bruins leaned on their protection, holding defending Nationwide Participant of the 12 months Oscar Tshiebwe to simply eight factors on 4-for-12 taking pictures. In the meantime, Kentucky guards Cason Wallace and Antonio Reeves by no means bought going, taking pictures a mixed 4-for-26 from the sphere.

UCLA wants extra from freshmen Amari Bailey and Adem Bona, who scored simply three mixed factors and struggled to make an impression after showing to have turned the nook during the last month. Bailey particularly might show to be a pivotal piece come March due to his capacity to create his personal shot, a talent set not replicated on this Bruins roster.

No. 1 Purdue Survives a Scare

Final season, Purdue climbed to No. 1 within the AP Ballot in early December, then rapid misplaced its first sport as No. 1 to Rutgers and by no means regained the highest spot.

The Boilermakers had been in a position to keep away from an identical destiny this time round with a 69–61 win over Davidson, however its first foray because the nation’s No. 1 didn’t go as easily as had hoped. Purdue struggled to place away a Wildcats group with losses to Charlotte and Delaware on its latest ledger, and for the second straight sport struggled offensively after being nearly unstoppable in November. A few of that offensive slowdown will be attributed to taking pictures variance: Purdue shot simply 3-of-25 from deep Saturday after a 7-for-29 efficiency towards Nebraska final weekend, two of the three worst marks the Boilers have shot this season.

Nonetheless, with No. 3 UConn as soon as once more cruising in a 19-point win at Butler on Saturday, anticipate the talk over who ought to prime the polls to accentuate this week. The Huskies are ranked No. 1 on KenPom, whereas Purdue is available in at No. 7 on the analytics-based rankings platform.