Cady Lalanne just might be the missing link for UMass. His play of late seems to indicate as much, and on Saturday, he was a difference-maker in the Minutemen’s 76-66 win over Dayton.
Your Phil of Hoops
Defense has been a struggle for Central Connecticut
Central Connecticut has had their struggles this season, primarily on the defensive end. The Blue Devils will need a strong finish to make the Northeast Conference Tournament, and defense is one area that may hold them back from getting there.
Maryland just can’t keep momentum from the win over Duke
Maryland got a big win on Saturday night to get back into the NCAA Tournament conversation. But this young team couldn’t keep that going on Tuesday night and might be back on the outside looking in right now.
Providence is hitting their stride in February
Providence has hit their stride, albeit later than they surely hoped. The Friars have now won four straight games and have the look of a dangerous team down the stretch, as Saturday’s win over Notre Dame demonstrates.
Loss at Providence an aberration for Notre Dame
Notre Dame didn’t play well in losing at Providence on Saturday. The game will go down as an aberration for this team, in part because they lost to a team that has been playing very well of late.
Delaware could finish this season like they did last season
Delaware has had to battle through quite a bit to reach the point they are at this season. After a big win at Northeastern, they could be poised to have a similar finish to the one they had last season.
Clemson shows promise and room for growth in loss at Boston College
Clemson didn’t look ready to play on Saturday and lost at Boston College despite a rally that was too late to change the outcome. The Tigers showed some of their potential as well as where they have room for growth, especially with a young roster.
Missed opportunities make for a missed opportunity for Providence
Providence had plenty of chances to pull out Thursday night’s game against Connecticut. They missed on too many of them, and as a result missed an opportunity to get a win they could use.
Win over Richmond shows how UMass is adjusting after a key injury
UMass recently lost a key player to a season-ending injury. They have had to adjust to that not only in terms of players’ minutes and roles but also in how they have to play, and their win over Richmond was a sign of how they are doing that.
New Hampshire is searching desperately for answers
Mired in a nine-game losing streak, New Hampshire is clearly not in a good place right now. Bill Herrion and his staff have tried a lot of things to get this team going, to no avail as of yet.
