Did you forget about Wichita State? You can be forgiven for doing so; it’s been that kind of year in college basketball, where there has been no dominant team, and for that matter, it’s far from a given who the top seeds should be if the NCAA Tournament were to begin tomorrow.
The Shockers played a little role in all of this, losing two straight last month and then at Temple to start February, all while the lack of non-conference wins against anyone resembling an NCAA Tournament lock remained. But they still had to play Cincinnati twice as this weekend came, starting with Sunday’s matchup on the road, and they shot 53 percent against one of the nation’s best defenses to leave with a 76-72 win.
The win also snaps the longest home winning streak in the nation, as the Bearcats had won 39 straight at home before this. The game itself didn’t exactly go the way you might expect, either, as the Bearcats shot over 48 percent from the field. Two teams that are known more for their defense than offense, and yet they combined to shoot just over 50 percent for the game.
Wichita State had to hold off the Bearcats, as they had an 11-point lead around the halfway point of the second half that the Bearcats ultimately cut to two with 13 seconds left.
This was the first meeting of the two schools since 1981, though they were members of the Missouri Valley Conference together for a dozen years well before that. This could easily build up into a rivalry now in The American, as both programs appear positioned to be contenders on a regular basis. The Bearcats have been the conference’s most consistent program since it was formed a few years ago after the old Big East broke up, while the Shockers arrive as a program that has become a formidable one nationally. In fact, related to Sunday, they have been a very good road team in recent years, as they are 47-8 away from home over the last five years with a 7-2 mark this season.
Sunday’s win gives the Shockers their second RPI top 25 win of the season (they beat Houston early in conference play as well), and they have two other top 50 wins, aided by Baylor’s recent surge. With seven additional top 100 wins and the worst loss being to SMU (a team just inside the top 100), the Shockers are either a lock for the NCAA Tournament or as close as you can be to that. They still have to play the Bearcats once more, but this one will be at their home arena to close the regular season.
And in case you had forgotten about the Shockers, now you have reason to remember them a little more.
Side Dishes
Once again, it was no Marvin Bagley III, no problem for Duke, but this time the opponent was a little tougher as they Blue Devils went to Clemson. With Bagley sitting a third straight game due to a knee injury, Grayson Allen continued to step into the go-to guy role, though, scoring a game-high 19 points and getting a big double-double from Wendell Carter Jr. (15 points, 10 rebounds) as they took care of the Tigers 66-57. Elsewhere in the ACC, Florida State kept Pittsburgh winless as t hey beat the Panthers 88-75 in Tallahassee.
The nation’s longest winning streak no longer belongs to Vermont, who lost an America East game for the first time in over two years as Hartford finished the game on a 13-4 run for a 69-68 win in Burlington. Vermont’s last conference loss was in the 2015 America East Championship game at Stony Brook on March 12, 2016 (their last regular season loss was just over a month earlier at UMass-Lowell). The Catamounts had a chance to clinch the regular season title, but that will have to wait until Senior Night on Wednesday when they host Binghamton.
Seton Hall badly needed a win to get back on track, and the Pirates got an 82-77 win over DePaul largely on the backs of Desi Rodriguez (career-high 33 points and eight rebounds) and Angel Delgado (16 points, 19 rebounds). The win snapped a four-game losing streak and got them back to .500 in Big East play.
Purdue edged Penn State 76-73, but more importantly, they did not have Vincent Edwards as he sat out with a sprained left ankle he suffered in practice on Saturday. The senior forward is a Big Ten Player of the Year candidate, and the injury is severe enough that he may not return for the final two regular season games.
Canisius traveled to Rider for a big showdown in the MAAC on Sunday, with both teams tied at the top. Cansius got within 83-82 with 1:13 left, but neither team scored the rest of the way as Rider held on for the win and sole possession of first place in the MAAC.
We already knew Andy Kennedy would not be the head coach at Ole Miss next year, but after some consideration, the winningest coach in program history has decided to step away immediately. Since the announcement last Monday, the Rebels have lost two games by double digits, including by 17 to arch-rival Mississippi State on Saturday. Assistant coach Tony Madlock will run the team through the end of the season.
Senior Day/Night happens all over the country, and some ceremonies are more emotional for those involved than others. Michigan‘s was one that would stand out, as they paid tribute to Austin Hatch, a survivor of two plane crashes. At one time one of the elite prospects in the country, Hatch’s life was instantly changed when he had a brain injury so severe he was in a coma for months. He has rarely played, and at one point stepped away from basketball, but his story remains an inspiring one and head coach John Beilein made sure to let everyone know how much Hatch has touched him. The Wolverines went on to hand Ohio State a second straight loss, winning 74-62.
Tonight’s Menu
It’s hard to believe that conference tournaments will get going next week. That alone tells you many of the games on tap now will appear to take on increased importance.
- Early on, Miami tries to stop a three-game losing streak at Notre Dame in a crucial ACC matchup (7 p.m.)
- Maryland goes to Northwestern in a game where both teams really need a win to keep any remote hope of an NCAA Tournament at-large bid alive (7 p.m.)
- A full MEAC slate includes conference leader Savannah State traveling to Hampton for a big game (7 p.m.)
- A busy slate in the SWAC includes Texas Southern going to Arkansas-Pine Bluff in a battle of two teams vying for second behind Grambling (8:30 p.m.)
- Two Big Ten teams that have had disappointing seasons match up as Minnesota visits Wisconsin (9 p.m.)
- Oklahoma goes to Kansas in a key game for both teams, though for decidedly different reasons (9 p.m.)
