Welcome to the latest edition of Talking Hoops With Ted Sarandis. Selection Sunday is less than three weeks away and the start of conference tournaments is just days away, but an off-court matter leads the way.
We start with an oddity in Providence, where the court at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center had condensation owing to higher than normal temperatures in the area that affected the ice underneath. The arena is set up for hockey as well, and unseasonably warm temperatures played a role. The game will finish up at Providence’s on-campus gym, Alumni Hall, starting at noon on Thursday. Seton Hall led 56-47 with 13:03 left when play was halted for good.
Next, we get into the biggest story of the week. Louisville had appealed its punishment from the NCAA after the investigation into allegations that a former staff member arranged for striptease dances and sex acts for players and recruits during parties at a dorm on campus between 2011 and 2015. On Tuesday, the NCAA upheld the punishment, which included vacating the Cardinals’ 2013 national championship and the 2012 Final Four appearance. What’s worse, there may be more hits to come, meaning that no matter how much they may want to move on, doing so likely won’t be easy.
After that and associated issues, we turn to the Big 12, where the race for the regular season title has a new twist as Texas Tech lost on Wednesday night. Still, this will likely come down to what happens when Kansas goes to Lubbock on Saturday, with the Red Raiders winning the first meeting in Lawrence. If Kansas wins, they make history, as they will clinch at least a tie for the regular season title for the 14th straight year. (The Jayhawks have shared the regular season title on multiple occasions during this amazing streak.) The health of Red Raider guard Keenan Evans has been in question, but he did play on Wednesday night.
Staying in the Big 12, we look at a team in freefall – Oklahoma. The Sooners were once ranked in the top 5 in the polls and looked like they could be the best challenger to Kansas, while Trae Young became a household name. But a six-game losing streak, including an annihilation in Lawrence on Monday night, has changed that. The Sooners are now 6-9 in Big 12 play, which would put a lot of teams out of the NCAA Tournament discussion, but not here. They have five Top 25 wins and a win over USC, with the worst loss being at Oklahoma State – and that’s not bad.
We later talk about how the ACC is shaping up, where there appears to be some separation behind Virginia. Duke and North Carolina are playing very well, while Clemson has now lost three straight.
Finally, we talk about how a couple of weeks ago, about a dozen teams were undefeated in conference play, but now there are none. Also, Ted mentions a couple of mid-majors who could make it to the second weekend.
We hope you enjoy the show and share it with your fellow college basketball fans. Be sure to join us again next week, when conference tournaments are underway.
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