Dietz’s Debrief is a weekly column dedicated to the ever changing college basketball landscape. There will be weekly updates to recap the games of the week, upcoming matchups and bracket implications for March Madness.
This college basketball week was one for the books as the rankings shifted, and the on-court rivalries heated up. The latest AP Top 25 was released with a dramatic shift for the first time in weeks. After Duke’s crushing 71-68 loss to North Carolina and UConn’s defeat to Saint John’s, the Huskies dropped in the standings while Duke remained No. 4, making room for the Houston Cougars to climb all the way to the No. 3 spot. Arizona is still the consensus No. 1 overall followed by Michigan, but that could change this week as Arizona has the hardest remaining schedule out of anyone in the nation.
Games of the Week:
It is hard to highlight the games of the week without mentioning No. 11 North Carolina’s (19-4, 7-3) buzzer beater win over rival Duke (21-2, 10-1). This rivalry is historic in college basketball, and the matchup never disappoints. Despite struggling against Duke last year, the Tar Heels got their revenge in what was widely considered the best game of the season. Duke dominated the game throughout, but crumbled when it mattered.
Arizona transfer center Henri Veesaar came up big in the second half for UNC, tallying 13 points and 11 rebounds in the game. Freshman forward Caleb Wilson was also big for North Carolina. His 23 point performance helped earn him Naismith Trophy National Player of the Week honors. In the end, a drive and a kickout to a wide open three from senior guard Seth Trimble led the Tar Heels to a monumental and season-defining win.
The Houston Cougars (21-2, 9-1) have bounced back nicely ever since their second loss of the season to No. 16 Texas Tech, and continued their momentum with a road win against No. 22 BYU. Freshman guard Kingston Flemings had 19 points and senior guard Emanuel Sharp added 14 in Provo. Head coach Kelvin Sampson always has his guys ready to play come March and after falling just short in the National Championship last year, look for the Cougars to be out for revenge.
Kentucky (17-7, 8-3) had a rough start to its season, but the Wildcats have found their stride, winning seven of their last eight with their most recent win being a come-from-behind victory over Tennessee. Second-year coach Mark Pope had big shoes to fill replacing Kentucky legend John Calipari, but this program is no stranger to winning and Pope has continued that. Senior guard Otega Oweh has been big for Kentucky averaging 17.1 points per game and putting the team on his back. The Wildcats have now fought their way into the Top 25 and have a big game Saturday versus the red hot Florida Gators.
The No. 14 Florida Gators (17-6, 8-2) are another team that disappointed many to start the season with some uncharacteristic losses, but has picked up the pace and started to look like the team who won the national championship last year. Junior center Rueben Chinyelu has dramatically improved this year and could win SEC Defensive Player of the Year. The Gators could climb as high as the No. 2 seed by next week and are trending upwards.
Notable Upcoming Games:
Tonight, No. 7 Nebraska (21-2, 10-2) will take on No. 13 Purdue (19-4, 9-3) in a Big Ten matchup that would be a huge boost for either team. Nebraska started the season undefeated, but has since dropped two games and would love to get back on track. Purdue has faced some ups and downs this season, but could use a big ranked win after barely beating unranked Oregon last weekend.
A top-10 matchup between No. 5 Iowa State (21-2, 8-2) and No. 9 Kansas (18-5, 8-2) on Saturday will likely yield a packed house in Ames. Iowa State is another team that could really benefit from a ranked win after losing to Cincinnati and Kansas earlier in the season. Freshman guard Darryn Peterson has been the difference maker for the Jayhawks and when he is on the court, the Jayhawks can compete with anybody.
No. 20 Clemson takes on Duke this coming Saturday at Cameron Indoor Stadium, which is always a difficult place to play. The Blue Devils will look to take care of business against Pittsburgh tomorrow and defend home court against a tenacious Clemson team on Saturday.
Bracket Implications:
Mid-major teams, Miami of Ohio and Saint Louis, will both look to keep their historic seasons going with only one combined loss between the two of them. They both have conference matchups on Thursday against Ohio and Loyola Chicago, respectively. The No. 18 Billikens (23-1, 11-0) have likely secured an at-large bid in the Tournament, while the RedHawks (24-0, 11-0) can only afford to lose around one game with their weak strength of schedule if they want to secure an at-large bid.
The USC Trojans (18-6, 7-6) escaped a scare at Penn State (10-14, 1-12) on Saturday with a game winning drive from freshman guard Alijah Arenas. They look to get a win on Wednesday against another bubble team in Ohio State (15-8, 7-6). The Trojans are no longer in the “last four in” category, but need to keep winning the games they are supposed to in order to make the field.
The San Diego State Aztecs (17-6, 11-2) are currently projected in the “first four out” category, and are fighting for the top spot in the Mountain West with the Utah State Aggies (20-3, 11-2). This is not a terrible position to be in for the Aztecs, and with lots of tournament experience, I would expect to hear their name called on Selection Sunday.
March is inching closer, with every game becoming more pivotal for a team’s Tournament chances. There is still room for lots of shifting within the rankings, so keep an eye on the college basketball season now that football is over!