Well that was fun. College basketball has proven once again just how unpredictable it can be. February is all about teams enhancing their resume and conference positioning. Saturday provided more chaos and very little clarity as there is only a month left until conference tournaments begin. Let’s recap:
(Photo by Nick Krug)
The Jayhawks ended a two-game losing streak by blowing out Texas Tech at Phog Allen. There may not be another team in the country who plays so well at home, but so poorly on the road. Everyone should know by now that Bill Self’s team can’t be counted out, but there are several challengers to the Jayhawks this year.
Kansas State and Baylor, two teams with a lot of momentum, are currently tied atop the Big 12. Sitting at 6-3 are the Jayhawks and Cyclones of Iowa State, with Texas Tech not far behind at 5-4. If there were a time to end Kansas’ reign of the Big 12, this is the year to do it.
The Bulls suffered their second MAC loss as they were stunned by Bowling Green on Friday. Dylan Frye led the way for the Falcons with 25 points in the upset win. The Bulls’ Massinburg and Caruthers’ combined 54 points were not enough as Buffalo’s defense allowed a whopping 92 points. Even with a December win at Syracuse, the Bulls have very little room for error in the final month of the season. One or two more losses could significantly damage their at-large chances.
(Photo by Al Goldis / the AP)
The Hoosiers had lost seven in a row and looked like a team ready to call it quits. Welcome to college basketball. Indiana played tough and together, and they had to when their best overall player Juwan Morgan missed the entire second half with a shoulder injury.
Freshman Romeo Langford stepped up big-time, tallying 19 points and scoring clutch buckets late. Michigan State shot themselves in the foot at the free throw line, shooting an abysmal eight for 22 from the stripe. The Spartans have suddenly lost two in a row, while Indiana got a much-needed win.
The numbers following this should be accompanied with a “Viewer Discretion is Advised” warning beforehand. The 23rd-ranked team in the country NC State Wolfpack scored 24 points in 40 minutes against Virginia Tech. They shot 16% from the floor and 7% from three. It was the fewest points scored by a ranked team in the shot-clock era (1985-86). Sharpshooter Braxton Beverley scored a goose-egg and went 0-12 from the field. Who would’ve thought the Hokies would score 47 points and win by double digits in a conference road game? The Wolfpack have now lost three of four and travel to Chapel Hill to face a red-hot Tar Heels team. Yikes.
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