Hoops notes: Vols' win highlights exciting day

College basketball always provides a heavy dose of drama. That’s why we are drawn back to the game season after season. But there haven’t been many days like this past Saturday. There truly was something for everybody.

There was so much going on, this production required three stages. One was in Memphis, another in Bloomington, Ind., and yet another in Indianapolis. Each was unique. Each offered a different emotion. Let’s look back and give a quick review of all three.

The Game of the Year: Priscilla Presley led the countdown and Graceland was bathed in blue lights on the eve of No. 1 vs. No. 2. It was the most hyped game of the season and Memphis vs. Tennessee didn’t disappoint – unless you are a Memphis fan. After losing to No. 2 Tennessee 66-62, it’s going to be interesting to watch the reaction from coach John Calipari and the Tigers. They were singing the blues Saturday night.

“You guys all said we needed to lose one, so we lost one,” Calipari told the media after the game. “Great game. I have to give them credit. They scrapped, they battled."

Memphis was exposed. The Vols owned the boards, got to every loose ball, patiently waited for the Tigers to start missing from three-point range, and then wisely sent Memphis to the free throw line with the game on the line. Tennessee can celebrate being No. 1 for right now, but all this game did was throw the national title chase wide open.

View photos from this game in Scenes from the Hardwood

The Hoosier Soap Opera: Tired of hearing about Kelvin Sampson and the great Indiana buyout? So am I. But it’s not going away because the Hoosiers are good enough to make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament, possibly all the way to the Final Four. Dan Dakich now has a chance to do what Steve Fisher did at Michigan in 1989.

But this is about the Indiana players right now. You can’t help but root for them after everything they’ve been through. The criticism aimed at the six players who boycotted practice on Friday was unbelievable. The system doesn’t give college players any rights or a chance to speak for themselves.

“We just miss him,” freshman guard Eric Gordon said of Sampson.

“We weren’t going to sit out the game,” guard Armon Bassett said after the Hoosiers defeated Northwestern 85-82.

They just needed some time to sort things out. Is there a rule against that in the NCAA handbook? 

The Breath of Fresh Air: You can have the hype. You can keep the controversy. It seems to me the best place in college basketball Saturday was Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. That’s where Drake beat Butler 71-64 in the biggest BracketBusters game of the weekend.

It was a great victory for Drake but this delightful atmosphere wasn’t about pulling for one team or the other. It was about the love of the game and playing for all the right reasons. Drake vs. Butler wasn’t about No. 1, or celebrities, or buying out contracts, or future NBA stars.

It was about coaches, players and programs that do it the right way. It was about walk-ons who start, a player with four majors, and not caring about preseason predictions. It was about glorious sunshine streaming through the windows of a basketball shrine.

It was about Jimmy Chitwood and “Hoosiers” and living the dream. That’s the breath of fresh air. Boy, did we need it.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Notre Dame’s Kyle McAlarney took extra shooting practice by himself at the Joyce Center Saturday night and did a little fantasizing about Syracuse’s 2-3 zone defense. On Sunday, he lived his fantasy. McAlarney hit 9 of 11 three-point shots, breaking the school record for made 3s, and finished with 30 points in a 94-87 victory over the Orange. Included in his three-point arsenal were a 26-footer and a four-point play early in the game.

FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK

Michael Beasley of Kansas State could command this award on a weekly basis. In the interest of fairness, we’ve tried to move it around to as many other freshmen as possible. But it’s pretty hard to ignore Beasley when he scores a Big 12-record 44 points – even if the Wildcats lost to Baylor 92-86. Missouri’s Clarence Gilbert and Texas’ Reggie Freeman shared the previous Big 12 record of 43 points.

GAMES OF THE WEEK

Monday, Feb. 25
Marquette at Villanova
Villanova is trying to scramble back into the NCAA Tournament picture. The Wildcats took advantage of one opportunity, beating UConn on Saturday. Can they do it again?

Texas at Kansas State
The Longhorns have turned in some extraordinary defensive efforts during a seven-game winning streak. The challenge in Manhattan will be to stop Michael Beasley and Bill Walker.

Tuesday, Feb. 26
Ohio State at Indiana
The Hoosiers remain in the Big Ten spotlight as part of a three-way race for first place. They beat Northwestern in their first game without coach Kelvin Sampson. Now it’s time to move on.

Tennessee at Vanderbilt
How will the Vols react after beating Memphis – a game that was hyped like the Final Four – and moving up to No. 1 in the rankings? Bruce Pearl’s team has to take care of business in the SEC and Vandy is so dangerous at home.

Wednesday, Feb. 27
Kansas at Iowa State
The Jayhawks have lost three of their last four road games in the Big 12 and need to bounce back after falling at Oklahoma State Saturday. KU beat the Cyclones 83-59 in Lawrence last month.

Thursday, Feb. 28
Notre Dame at Louisville
This is a huge game in the Big East, with both teams nipping at the heels of first-place Georgetown.

USC at Arizona
Another big game in the Pac-10 Conference, featuring two teams on the NCAA bubble. USC needs this one a little more, but the Wildcats expect to win at home.

Michigan State at Wisconsin
The Big Ten playoffs continue with Wisconsin trying to hold on to first place.

Saturday, March 1
Pittsburgh at Syracuse
Both lost key Big East games on Sunday. And both feel a little more desperate, as a result. Pitt has lost three straight, only the second time that has happened during Jamie Dixon’s tenure as coach of the Panthers.
 
Kansas State at Kansas
Michael Beasley makes his first – and most likely his last – visit to Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence. Since K-State beat KU in Manhattan, the Jayhawks haven’t been quite the same.

Sunday, March 2
Kentucky at Tennessee
If Kentucky wants an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, beating Tennessee would make a powerful statement.

Indiana at Michigan State
Another huge test for the Hoosiers and the Izzone should be ready to taunt. Can you hear me now?

THEY SAID IT:

“All my guys I’ve had, when they see that zone, they start drooling. You almost need a towel to wipe their chin off because they can cut and move.” – Notre Dame coach Mike Brey after the Irish solved Syracuse’s 2-3 zone in a 94-87 win Sunday.

“The final score shows that two people can’t be a team. We came out and played as a team.” – Baylor’s Kevin Rogers after the Bears beat Kansas State 92-86, despite 44 points from K-State’s Michael Beasley and 31 more from Bill Walker.

“I have made the very difficult decision to leave my position as head coach of the men's basketball team at Indiana University. While I'm saddened that I won't have the opportunity to continue to coach these student-athletes, I feel that it is in the best interest of the program to step aside at this time.” – Coach Kelvin Sampson, in a statement after agreeing to a $750,000 buyout.

“I’ve been hearing things about when Coach Sean [Sutton] is out at the end of the season, and I don’t want that to happen. I’m going to try to do whatever I can do for my coach to stay here and for me to have a great senior year.” – Oklahoma State junior point guard Byron Eaton after scoring a career-high 26 points in a 61-60 victory over Kansas.

“I don’t pay attention to any of that stuff. People always talk in this business every year. I’m just excited about finishing strong with our team. All that other stuff is for you guys in the media to banter around.” – Providence coach Tim Welsh, on speculation he will be replaced after the season is over. The Friars (13-14) lost their fifth straight game and ninth in 10 games, an 80-53 setback to West Virginia, Saturday.

NOTES:

While you were sleeping Saturday night, Kent State scored the biggest surprise of BracketBusters weekend. The Golden Flashes traveled to Saint Mary’s and gave the Gaels a taste of defense, Mid-American Conference style. Jordan Mincy of Kent shut down Saint Mary’s standout Patty Mills, who went 2-for-11 from the field and finished with five points. The Golden Flashes may have the resume they need for an NCAA at-large bid after the 65-57 win. It was Kent State’s first regular season victory over a ranked opponent. Ever.

UCLA is the only team to shoot 50 percent against Stanford this season. The Bruins just made it at 50 percent even. Stanford has held 18 opponents below 40 percent from the floor.

It’s all over for NJIT. The New Jersey Institute of Technology completed its season Saturday night with a 76-50 loss to Utah Valley State, finishing with a 0-29 record. That goes in the NCAA record book for most losses in a season. NJIT actually is on a 33-game losing streak, dating back to Feb. 19, 2007.

UConn guard Jerome Dyson has been reinstated to the team after missing nine games. He will be eligible to play Tuesday night against Rutgers. Dyson first was suspended for breaking team rules and then failed a drug test. Dyson was averaging 14 points before his suspension. “We’ll see where he fits in,” coach Jim Calhoun said. “I fully expect I would start the same team. There’s no reason why I wouldn’t start the same team at Rutgers that we have right now.”

Stock Up: Cornell. The long domination by Penn and Princeton in the Ivy League is about to end. The Big Red (18-5, 10-0) defeated second-place Brown (15-9, 7-3) for the second time Saturday night in Ithaca. The 74-65 victory moves Cornell closer to the regular season title and the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The Big Red can clinch the Ivy title with a home sweep of Harvard and Dartmouth this weekend. It’s been 20 years since anyone other than Penn or Princeton represented the Ivy League in the Big Dance.

Stock Down: Ohio State and Florida. You might remember these two teams as the participants in last year’s national championship game. Both have a lot of work to do if they are going to even make it to the NCAA Tournament this year. Florida, the two-time defending national champion, is 20-7 with four games remaining (at Georgia, Mississippi State, Tennessee, at Kentucky). The Gators (RPI: 58) may need to win three of those four and reach 10 wins in the SEC.  Ohio State (17-10, RPI: 46) lost to Wisconsin Sunday and finishes up with a tough Big Ten run (at Indiana, at Minnesota, Purdue, Michigan State). The Buckeyes have defeated Syracuse and Florida and lost to Tennessee, Texas A&M, North Carolina and Butler.

Stat of the week: Point guard D.J. Augustin has 44 assists and 12 turnovers during Texas’ seven-game winning streak. Augustin and the Longhorns will try to make it eight straight against Kansas State Monday night in Manhattan.

Del.icio.us | Digg it | Athlon Sports RSS Feeds