crossorigin="anonymous"> Six things we learned after a thrilling slate of men’s hoops. – Subrang Safar: Your Journey Through Colors, Fashion, and Lifestyle

Six things we learned after a thrilling slate of men’s hoops.


December 14th was a date that college basketball diehards circled on their calendars before the season started. While a number of teams’ poor starts to the campaign took some of the shine off, it was as packed a Saturday as we’ve had in some time, with 18 ranked teams in action.

And it lived up to expectations.

There were buzzers — we’re looking at you, Dylan Harper And Jordan Gainey. There were rivalry games, with Kentucky, Cincinnati, Oklahoma and Rutgers beating their biggest in-state rivals. And there were massive Top 25 upsets, with Dayton over Marquette being the biggest.

As conference play inches closer across the country and narratives begin to take shape, ESPN college basketball writers Jeff Borzello and Myron Medcalf discuss a busy weekend of non-conference showdowns. Break down the biggest points.


UConn’s search for a three-peat is far from over.

After UConn Huskies win at Texas last weekend, coach Dan Hurley made a comment about people killing his team’s chances at a third straight national championship. “Maybe the people with the shovels and the dirt, maybe they were rushing to grab the shovel and throw the dirt at us,” Hurley said. After Saturday’s 77-71 win over Gonzaga at Madison Square Garden, that statement seems even clearer.

Since losing three games in three days at the Maui Invitational, UConn has won four in a row — including Baylor, Texas and Gonzaga Bulldogs In a span of 10 days. The Huskies are playing better defense on the frame, and freshmen Liam McNally. Had a real breakout performance against the Zags: 26 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 0 turnovers. McNeeley was terrific in the second half and looks like the likely go-to guy for the Huskies moving forward.

UConn now enters Big East play — and while any league game, especially on the road, is an easy matchup, the schedule looks friendly for a few weeks. They should be favored in every game in December and January, with road games at Villanova and Xavier likely the toughest on the docket. By the time UConn heads to Marquette on Feb. 1, Hurley has a chance to lead the Huskies back into the top five. — Borzello

Kentucky continues to win, but the defensive challenges shouldn’t be overlooked.

return of Lemont Butler (33 points, 10-for-10) from an ankle injury led to a 93-85 win. Kentucky Wildcats Saturday over rival Louisville, giving Mark Pope another victory to satisfy the program’s fan base. Kentucky’s wins over Gonzaga and Duke, along with other quality wins the program has earned, have put the Wildcats in the early running for the top seed in the NCAA Tournament.

He’s playing at a top-25 pace, connecting on 37 percent of his 3-point attempts, and Pope’s system has also allowed five different players to score more than the team during his 11 games. Against Louisville, however, the Wildcats also surrendered 85 points (116 points per 100 possessions). The Cardinals also committed just seven turnovers in a fast-paced game.

Right now, the Wildcats are ranked 45th in adjusted defensive efficiency on KenPom. Since the 1996-97 season, there has not been a national champion ranked lower than 22nd. While some champions from that span improved in the postseason, the one-month mark of a season is a solid snapshot of where a team stands.

And the truth is, the Wildcats have to be more disciplined on defense to reach their limit. He gave up 50 points in the first half against Gonzaga before a stunning comeback in Seattle earlier this month. He also missed key stops in the loss to Clemson. Part of the challenge is that the Wildcats play a defense that doesn’t involve many gambles to force turnovers. Kentucky entered the week ranked 340th nationally in opponent turnover rate. The Wildcats are so versatile and effective on offense that their defensive shortcomings are far outweighed by their offensive gifts. But even a modest defensive improvement could take the program to another level in the coming weeks and months. — Medcliffe

Arizona is the most disappointing preseason top 10 team.

It’s only mid-December, though Arizona Wildcats‘ The season is already creeping into the danger zone after falling to 4-5. The Wildcats blew a 13-point lead in the final 10 minutes after falling down the stretch against UCLA on Saturday. They didn’t score a basket in the final 8:45, shooting 2-for-16 from 3-point range and turning it over 22 times. Caleb Lovecoming off his best season as a college player, finished 3-for-10 with seven points to continue his big-game struggles as a fifth-year senior. Given that Tommy Lloyd has molded Arizona’s offense into one of the nation’s best over the past three seasons, the offensive struggles are surprising.

Making matters worse is that Arizona will be without. Motiejus Krivas After being sidelined indefinitely, the Wildcats’ 7-foot-2 Lithuanian center suffered a lower leg injury last week. He hasn’t exactly broken through in his first month, but he’s flashed his NBA ceiling and his absence puts more pressure on the freshman. Carter Bryant and redshirt sophomore Henry Vassar.

After a couple of home games to close out non-conference play, Arizona begins its first Big 12 campaign. A home game against a depleted TCU team isn’t a bad opener, but road games in Cincinnati and West Virginia in 2025 will immediately test the Wildcats’ mettle. — Borzello

Purdue’s challenges seem to have opened the door for another Big Ten contender, Illinois.

Entering the season, the void left by Zach Eddy — the first back-to-back Wooden Award winner in 50 years — was palpable. A player cannot replace him. But Purdue Boiler Manufacturers Still looks to be the team to beat in the Big Ten with key players — Trey Kaufman-Ren, Braden Smith, Fletcher Lower –. After Purdue’s loss to returning Texas A&M, however, the league race looks much more open than preseason projections suggested.

While it’s still a formidable offensive team, Purdue has struggled on defense without Ade. And that slump led to Purdue’s third loss on Saturday, a year after the team didn’t lose its third game until mid-February.

And Illinois is his biggest threat. While Brad Underwood’s program suffered a 66-64 loss to Tennessee, the No. 1 team in the nation, on Saturday, the Vols needed a buzzer-beater to leave Champaign with a victory. (Rick Barnes used a play by famed high school coach Morgan Wootton to win the game.) But Illinois managed its most successful defensive effort against Tennessee that season, holding the Vols to just 100 points per game. held to 100 points, their lowest total of the 2024-25 campaign. Illinois Guard Casperus Jacocionis (42% from beyond the arc) is a likely All-American and a projected first-round pick. He had 22 points and seven turnovers in a tumultuous contest, but at that rate he’ll be in the running for Big Ten Player of the Year.

Elsewhere in the Big Ten, UCLA has won eight in a row (a run that includes wins over Arizona and Oregon) with Ken Pom’s defensive rating. Michigan State made 59% of its shots inside the arc to keep pace with a top-20 defense. Dusty May’s Twin Towers lineup would be a nightmare for any team with a pair of 7-footers.

Also among the contenders, Oregon (wins over Texas A&M, Alabama and San Diego State) is interesting, as is Maryland, whose star Derek Quinn (17.5 ppg, 8.7 rpg) continues to rise. At the end of the season, the Boilermakers may be on top. But it seems as though their own challenges and the league’s growing list of potential contenders have certainly complicated that path to the Big Ten title. — Medcliffe

Maybe more buzz about Texas A&M.

It wasn’t always pretty — but that’s not the brand of basketball. Texas A&M Aggies Don’t play, TCU thrives when things get ugly. In their 70-66 victory over Purdue, ranked in the top 10 in adjusted offensive efficiency per Ken Pom, Buzz Williams coached a team loaded with defensive talent to another impressive win. And they accomplished the feat at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, essentially a home game for the Purdue team 65 miles away.

Trey Kaufman-Renn, who has been the respected successor to two-time Wooden Award winner Zach Eddy, finished 3-for-9 and committed five turnovers. Braden Smith, a preseason Associated Press All-American, committed six turnovers and missed every shot inside the arc.

The Aggies, the top offensive rebounding team in America, know how to neutralize the biggest opposing threat on the court and put the burden on lesser players. All this is happening like this. Wade Taylor IV (38% from beyond the arc over the past three games) has found a rhythm. The offensive woes have been troubling for the Aggies (31% from 3-point range this season), but their defensive prowess has helped them pick up wins over four top-50 KenPom teams (Ohio State, Creighton, Texas Tech, Purdue). is This could be an SEC sleeper worth admitting. — Medcliffe

Don’t expect a second-half collapse from Memphis.

gave Memphis Tigers A team had about as strong a bounce-back performance as a team can, coming off a humiliating 13-point loss to Arkansas State last weekend at No. 16 Clemson — snapping a six-game winning streak. I Was and Didn’t lost at home on Feb. 17 of last season — and beat it in overtime. Penny Hardaway’s team now owns home wins against UConn, Michigan State and Clemson, all of which were in last week’s Top 25.

Yes, it was just last season that Memphis started 15-2 and finished in the top 10 of the AP poll before going 7-8 in its final 15 games and missing postseason play altogether. Made it. So this is theoretically within range of results for the Tigers. But this team feels different. This is the best offensive team — and the best shooting team — Hardaway has had in Memphis with veteran shot makers. Tyrese Hunter, PJ Hagerty And Colby Rogers lead the way. They are also one of the oldest teams in the country.

The AAC is also worst from a year ago, which makes Memphis’ current four games so important. The Tigers play at Virginia on Wednesday, then return home for games against Mississippi State and Ole Miss before beginning league play — where they should be favorites in each game. If Memphis can get a few more quality wins in its next three games, it will be remembered for Selection Sunday. — Borzello



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