Wacky Wednesday in college basketball
It has already been a wild season in college basketball. The road to March Madness should be something special, but when you think you have things figured out, more crazy results happen.
Just look at some of the recent scores and it has been shocking. The actually winner may not have been a total surprise, but the margins have been incredible, baby!
Some of these results simply blow my mind. It just shows how much balance there is, and on any given night anything can happen. Consider the following:
Clemson 74, Duke 47
The Tigers had lost 20 straight regular-season meetings to the Dukies. My friends, Oliver Purnell has a legitimate top 10 team this season. Trevor Booker had a big performance, posting 21 points and eight rebounds while dominating inside. KC Rivers had seven steals and four assists as the Blue Devils suffered one of their worst losses in years. Mike Krzyzewski wanted his kids to remember this one and learn from it. Duke scored its fewest points since 1995.
Miami-Florida 79, Wake Forest 52
The start of a rugged stretch for the Hurricanes provided a big-time opportunity. Facing Wake, Duke and North Carolina in a three-game run is challenging, but Frank Haith's squad was well prepared and came through with a big second half. The 'Canes broke open a close contest with a 50-26 advantage in the second half. Jack McClinton was brilliant, finishing with 32 big points as Miami enhanced its NCAA tournament chances. The Demon Deacons have struggled since taking over #1. Yes, Wake did beat Duke, but losses to Miami, Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech stand out.
Minnesota 59, Illinois 36
Tubby Smith's team obviously played terrific defense, but the Illini couldn't do much. None of the Illinois starters had more than three field goals. The Illini hit just two-of-16 trifectas and actually had more fouls (19) than made baskets (15) in the ugly loss. It was stunning because Bruce Weber's team came in at 17-3, including a 5-2 mark in Big Ten play.
Connecticut 68, Louisville 51
When I went to call the game on Monday night, I figured it would be a battle. The Cardinals came in with a nine-game win streak and an unblemished Big East mark. The Huskies showed why they are currently numero uno in the polls. Hasheem Thabeet and Jeff Adrien dominated inside, while AJ Price, Craig Dyson and Kemba Walker played well on the perimeter. Thabeet can really take an opponent out of their offensive rhythm by changing their field goal attempts and blocking shots.
There are four reasons why you should watch college hoops ... it has been wild and wacky and the big dance should be incredible too. The Super Bowl was so much fun, and maybe that was an indication of what to look forward to in March Madness.
