What we learned this week: Never bet on Georgia Tech. Ever. Take a look at there last four games: loss at Georgia, win at home over Duke, loss at Virginia, win at North Carolina. In the immortal words of the Twitterati: SMH? To call this year's version of the Yellow Jackets would be, at this point, an understatement. We know that Georgia Tech is talented, especially in the front court. But anyone looking at their roster could tell you that - Gani Lawal, Derrick Favors, and Zach Peacock are as good as any front line in the country. The question this season has been whether or not they have the toughness, and confidence, to win a big game on the road. I think they proved that in Chapel Hill on Saturday.
Iman Shumpert was great against UNC, scoring 30 points in Tech's road win.(photo credit: Charlotte News & Observer)
I may be in the minority on this, but I was much more impressed with Tech's ability to hang on after blowing a 20 point lead than the fact that they built a 20 point lead. UNC was in a rhythm offensively, had the Dean Dome rocking, and rode the coattails of an unconscious Will Graves to a late second half lead after being down 20 in the first half, but Tech didn't given in, making a number of huge shots down the stretch, and getting one very important stop - when Larry Drew missed a tough layup in the paint. Holding on to win that game should give the Jackets a big boost of confidence for the rest of the ACC season.
One last point about Tech - one thing I read quite a bit after this game was a sentence along the lines of "it shouldn't surprise you that a Paul Hewitt-coached team in inconsistent." Hewitt hasn't been inconsistent. He's been consistently unpredictable. In other words, he always seems to have a talented roster than underperforms throughout a given year, but wins a number of games each season that they probably shouldn't win, while losing games they shouldn't lose. Hell, even the year that they made the NCAA Finals, they finished the regular season 22-8 and 9-7 in the ACC. I guess you could call that inconsistentcy, but if you are consistently inconsistent, is that really inconsistent?
For North Carolina, one thing I read a couple times was that the Heels were bailed out in their comeback when Will Graves got hot, questioning what would have happened if Graves hadn't shown up in the second half. But if the Heels had won that game, wouldn't the general theme have been that the Heels can compete even when their big guns have an off-night? That their role players are talented enough to step up and bring them back from a huge deficit? Wouldn't we be talking about this team possibly being deeper and more balanced than first imagined? Should losing a one possession game really skew your opinion that much?
Staying in the ACC, is it time to truly be consider UVa a tournament contender? Maybe. They are 14-3 right now and the only team in the ACC that is undefeated. It hasn't come against cupcakes either, as they've knocked of Georgia Tech and Miami in league play, as well as beating UAB in the non-conference portion of their schedule. But there has been a common them for the Hoos - all three of those wins came at home. Their four losses? At South Florida, to Stanford in Cancun, at home to Penn State (Big Ten cellar dwellar), and at Auburn. That's not a pretty sight. So while the Cavs deserve a tip-of-the-cap for the week they had, let's see them win at Wake Forest next Saturday before we start calling predicting a tourney trip for this team.
Sylvan Landesberg has been a star for the surprising Cavs.(photo credit: WaPo)
Did we write off Oklahoma and Washington too soon? The Sooners picked up two huge wins this week, beating Oklahoma State in the Bedlam Series in overtime before knocking off surging Missouri. The wins moved the Sooners to 11-6 overall and 2-1 in the Big XII. But the Sooners still have a ton of work to do, as those two wins are the only quality wins Oklahoma has. That said, if Oklahoma can get to 11-5 in the league, they may have enough of a resume to earn themselves an at-large simply because the rest of their schedule is as tough as anyone in the country. They have two games left against Texas, Texas A&M, and Texas Tech, have to travel to Kansas and Oklahoma State, and get Kansas State and Baylor at home. If they can go 1-3 against the big three in the league, and avoid losing to any of the teams in the bottom of the Big XII, finishing 11-5 may end up being enough. Given how the Sooners have performed thus far this season, 11-5 may be a stretch, but they certainly have the talent to do it.
Washington is in a different boat. Given how weak the Pac-10 is, the Huskies would likely have to win out, or come very close to it, if they want to earn an at-large bid. But after their performance this weekend, could winning out be all that unlikely? Washington has been a disappointment this season, dropping three straight to fall to the bottom of the Pac-10 after the first two weekends, but the issue has been one of intensity and focus, especially on the defensive end, as opposed to one of talent. After beating Stanford by 33 and Cal by 15, have the Huskies finally figured it out?
Northwestern knocked off Purdue at home on Saturday improving their record in the Big Ten to 2-3 against a brutal early season schedule (their losses are to Michigan State, Wisconsin, and Illinois). Things will get more difficult before they get easier, as the Wildcat's next four games are at Ohio State, at home versus Illinois, at Minnesota, and at Michigan State. But if they can pick up a win somewhere in those four games, Northwestern should win at least seven of their last nine games in the league (the only two are at home against Minnesota and at Wisconsin). Would 10-8 in the Big Ten, 21-9 overall, with wins over Purdue, Iowa State, Notre Dame, and at Michigan be enough to get a bid?
Northwestern may have saved their season with a win over Purdue.(photo credit: Chicago Tribune)
Purdue, on the other hand, has dropped their last three games, and has head coach Matt Painter questioning their effort. Maybe he has a point. The last three games have been by far the Boilermakers worst in terms of defensive efficiency. They have been far from great offensively, but the defensive end is where Purdue hangs their hat, and as we all know, how good you are defensively is a direct result of effort.
GAME OF THE WEEK: Georgia Tech 73, UNC 71
Led by 17 points and 4 assists from Iman Shumpert in the first 20 minutes, the Yellow Jackets opened up a 20 point lead on the Tar Heels in the Dean Dome. But the Heels had a comeback in them. On the strength of 22 second half points from Will Graves, UNC came all the way back, taking the lead midway through the second half. This set up an electrifying finish.
After Graves hit a three to put UNC ahead 64-63, Brian Oliver answered with a short jumper. After a Ginyard jumper and a bucket from Derrick Favors, Graves hit another three, this one from about 25 feet, to give the Heels a 69-67 lead with just under two minutes left. Iman Shumpert would answer for Tech with a three-point play, and after UNC regained the lead on a bucket from Travis Wear, Zach Peacock scored what would eventually be the winning basket with 28 seconds left. Larry Drew missed a tough layup in the paint, and after Tech hit one free throw, Graves missed a 30 footer at the buzzer and Tech came away with the win.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Scottie Reynolds, Villanova
We've already written in depth about Reynolds this week, but he deserves another mention after yet another fantastic outing against a top tier Big East opponent. In two games this past week, Reynolds averaged 31.5 ppg as Villanova won on the road against Louisville and hung on to beat Georgetown after the Hoyas made a frantic comeback in the second half. Reynolds didn't get his points in garbage time, either. Against Louisville, Reynolds had 30 in the second half, hitting big shot after big shot to lead the Wildcats back from a 17 point first half deficit. Against Georgetown, he hit his first four shots from the field, scoring 12 points as Nova jumped out to a 40-23 first half lead. After the Hoyas made a run to get back into the game, Reynolds scored on a tough drive to the rim to break a 69-all tie before hitting six free throws down the stretch to seal it.
Scottie Reynolds looks to be the favorite for Big East POY.(photo credit: TSN)
The biggest improvement in Reynold's game has been his efficiency. Early in his career, he was the only scorer for the Wildcats, and as such Jay Wright needed him to be aggressive in trying to create scoring opportunities. As a result, Reynolds would post big scoring numbers, but on a very high volume of shots. These days, Reynolds is making the most of his more limited opportunities, and this week was a prime example. In the two game, Reynolds scored his 63 points on just 25 shots, hitting 68% from he floor, 75% of his threes, and 80% from the charity stripe. Against Louisville, he scored his 36 points on just 10 shots, hitting nine of them and going 5-5 from three.
They were good too:
- Hassan Whiteside, Marshall: The best player you've never heard of might also be the best fantasy player in the country, period. Whiteside's averages of 12.5 ppg, 9.4 rpg, and 5.6 bpg only improved this week as he averaged 17.0 ppg, 13.0 rpg, and 9.0 bpg, including a triple double against Central Florida. We get a real sense of how good this kid is in the next few weeks. He hasn't played much competition yet this year, and Marshall's next five games are rough: West Virginia, UAB, Memphis, @ Houston, @ Tulsa.
- Evan Turner, Ohio State: Ohio State thrust themselves back into the picture in the Big Ten as they knocked off Purdue and Wisconsin, and Turner put himself back into the player of the year race as he averaged 23.5 ppg for the week, including a 23 point second half performance to almost single-handedly bring OSU back from 10 down in the final four minutes against Purdue.
- Elias Harris, Gonzaga: The Zags have all but wrapped up the WCC crown, and we are only three games in. In their first three games in league play, they won on the road against Portland, St. Mary's, and San Diego, the other three teams thought to have a chance to contend, and the latter two this week. Harris was sensational in both, averaging 25.5 ppg, 11.0 rpg, and 2.0 bpg, including a 31-point, 13-board, 3-block performance against St. Mary's.
TEAM OF THE WEEK: Kansas State Wildcats
Kansas State officially announced that the Big XII was a three-team race as they knocked off No. 1 and then undefeated Texas at home on Monday night. We've touched on that win already today, but what shouldn't be lost in the shuffle is the other two wins the Wildcats had this week. On Tuesday, they blew out Texas A&M, a team expected to contend for an at-large berth, before holding on to pick up a rare road win by holding on to beat Colorado.
Jamar Samuels had a breakout performance against Texas.(photo credit: Mercury News)
The question now becomes how good at the Wildcats? Are they really a Final Four contender? They should be considered one, albeit a bit of a dark horse. Kansas State's biggest strength right now is their back court. Both Denis Clemente and Jacob Pullen are talented senior leaders, and great, experienced guard play is what prevents upsets in the tournament. And if you took anything out of their win against Texas, it should be that all suspicions of their front court being underrated were substantiated. They play defense, they score in transition, and they were the best in the country at hitting the offensive glass heading into Monday's game. But if they have an achilles heel, it is the ability to score in the half court. Well coached teams don't generally give up easy baskets in transition or off of second chances, and the Wildcats may have an issue if they run into a team like Purdue early in the tournament. That said, with a little luck of the draw, Frank Martin's club could very well make a Final Four run.
They were good too:
- Virginia Cavaliers: The Hoos lent some credibility to their gaudy record by knocking off Georgia Tech and Miami at home. UVa is now alone atop the ACC standings with a 3-0 record. Win at Wake on Saturday, and we'll officially buy the Cavs.
- Ohio State Buckeyes: The Buckeyes put themselves right back into contention in the Big Ten avenging a loss to Wisconsin and knocking off Purdue in Mackey. With Evan Turner back, OSU may be the best team in the Big Ten not playing in East Lansing.
- Clemson Tigers: Clemson blew out UNC at home, picking up a much needed marquee victory. But more impressive may have been beating NC State on the road with Demontez Stitt leaving the game early in the second half with a foot injury. While it is just NC State, winning on the road is never easy and something Oliver Purnell has not been known for, especially when you lose your starting point guard with so much time left in the game.
- Pitt Panthers: The Panthers just keep rolling along, as this week they won at UConn then knocked off Louisville at home to remain undefeated atop the Big East standings.
- Syracuse Orange: The Orange won three league games on the road this week, including Monday night's victory over Notre Dame, but none more impressive than their win at West Virginia. With their performance this week, the Orange ensured that they would be in the thick of the title hunt in the league.
- Xavier Musketeers: The Musketeers were though to be in a rebuilding year, but they week knocked off both Charlotte and Dayton to improve to 4-0 in the A-10 as they sit atop the league standings.
MATCHUPS OF THE WEEK
- 1/19 - 7:00 pm: Clemson @ Georgia Tech
- 1/19 - 7:00 pm: Northwestern @ Ohio State
- 1/19 - 9:00 pm: Purdue @ Illinois
- 1/19 - 9:05 pm: Northern Iowa @ Wichita State
- 1/20 - 7:00 pm: Wake Forest @ UNC
- 1/20 - 7:00 pm: Xavier @ Temple
- 1/20 - 7:00 pm: Georgetown @ Pitt
- 1/20 - 9:00 pm: Baylor @ Kansas
- 1/23 - 12:00 pm: Michigan State @ Minnesota
- 1/23 - 2:00 pm: Marquette @ Syracuse
- 1/23 - 2:00 pm: Ohio State @ West Virginia
- 1/23 - 4:00 pm: Texas @ UConn
- 1/23 - 4:00 pm: Virginia @ Wake Forest
- 1/23 - 4:00 pm: Oklahoma State @ Kansas State
- 1/23 - 6:00 pm: Rhode Island @ Xavier
- 1/23 - 7:00 pm: Old Dominion @ William & Mary
- 1/23 - 9:00 pm: Duke @ Clemson
- 1/23 - 10:00 pm: BYU @ San Diego State
- 1/23 - 10:30 pm: Washington @ USC
- 1/24 - 12:00 pm: Georgia Tech @ Florida State
- 1/24 - 2:00 pm: Pitt @ Seton Hall
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