Great College Basketball Action!
What a great day of college basketball we enjoyed last night. There was a lot to feast on and digest. Here’s a look at the five most interesting games played:
Kansas and Memphis – Kansas got the win, but it was surprising difficult against a scrappy Memphis team. The Tigers get a lot of credit for their play, but the real lesson from this is that Kansas has some work to do. There is no reason that this team should have had to barely squeak out a win. They turned the ball over 21 times, and were far, far too sloppy. It was also the first time in two years that Kansas has scored less than 60 and still won. The game also showed how long it can take for even the best freshmen to find their stride consistently. Xavier Henry wasn’t terrible, but some things were better than others. He had 11 points after potting 27 last time around, and he turned it over four times. He did have six rebounds and three steals so there were bright spots, but it seems like it will take a while for him to settle in and become the steady beast we know he will.
Michigan State and Gonzaga – The Bulldogs aren’t supposed to be quite the team that they were in recent years, but they still almost managed a big upset at Michigan State. It was a gritty, hard fought game that came right down to the end. There was a lot of good play, but one player in particular stood out on each side. Raymar Morgan showed just how incredibly tough he is. He entered the game while recovering from a sprained left ankle, and then he tweaked his right ankle as well. Despite that, he came off the bench and provided 16 points. That kind of attitude is what is going to make this team so dangerous. On the other side, Gonzaga’s freshman forward Elias Harris was a revelation – he tied for the team lead with 17 points, and added nine boards for good measure. Harris came over from Germany, so it wasn’t certain how quickly he would fit in. The other top scorer for Gonzaga was also a good sign – seven foot sophomore center had 17 points in just 19 minutes. Michigan State got a character win, but Gonzaga earned a lot of respect in my eyes with the win.
Duke and Charlotte – after a rocky offseason and some discipline issues, no one needed a bigger start than point guard Nolan Smith. He has the potential to be a real star, but only if he can keep his mind on the game and stay out of trouble. He got off to a big start – 24 points, 5 assists, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals. It came against a very outmatched opponent, but it was still a good sign. Smith probably isn’t the most talented player on the team, but he may be the most important.
UConn and Hofstra – If UConn senior guard Jerome Dyson plays like he did for the first 25 minutes of the game then the Huskies could be in trouble. If he plays like he did in the last 7:11 – 15 consecutive points – then this team can do some real damage.
Oklahoma and Louisiana-Monroe – Willie Warren needs to be the man in Oklahoma, and he played like he knows it tonight. He had 24 points and four assists and was the best player on the court for much of the game. Despite that, and despite the win, coach Jeff Capel was not a happy man. The team needs to rely heavily on their freshman class, and they mostly played lousy this time around. They combined for 64 points in their first game but came back with just 20 the second time around. They need more consistency if they want to be a serious contender in March. This is the deepest recruiting class they have ever had at Oklahoma, so they need to take care of business.
