Closest to home, Marquette completed a 3-game gauntlet most fans saw as an 0-3 outcome. At Butler & Creighton, home to Villanova. Instead, they come out of it 2-1 and are now projected to finish the Big East with a 14-4 record. That's a dicey proposition at best with a lot of tossups but I'm guessing the fans will be giddy just seeing the possibility. In reality, they should be 7-1 in league play, having blown winnable games at Butler & Seton Hall.
They have the 8th best offense in the nation. They have 4 players with real shooting percentages over 64% and 3 in the top 100 of offensive rating. The defense isn't very good and will let them down but you're looking at a tournament team as of now.
Number 2 Kansas went to Morgantown and lost, giving up 85 points. In analytics world and Vegas, it simply wasn't an upset. However, it did highlight serious defensive issues for the Jayhawks. They're 41st in efficiency now and while that doesn't sound bad, that's not a legit championship contending defense.
Kentucky's loss to Tennessee is baffling. The Vols are 42 in KenPom, so it's not shocking in the analytic sense Tennessee won at home but it still seems shocking. Maybe we look back at this one at the end of the season and say Tennessee was one of the most improved teams over the course of the year.
There were three other games that were important as well. Virginia got a nice win at Notre Dame, winning easily by 17. Louisville beat Pitt by 55 at Pitt! They scored 106 points which if you've followed them is mind boggling. Purdue got a good win at Michigan State. The Spartans are now 12-9 and 4-4 in league play. They're firmly on the bubble.
Great night. Great answer to the national press who love the committee February dog and pony show. The game doesn't need "eyeballs" when we have nights like that.
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