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Tuesday, December 31, 2024
Three more tickets are punched, and all three seemed unlikely in one way or another. Plus a few semifinals are set while others are right behind them, an unexpected outright regular season title, and a couple of Big Ten teams need to stop the bleeding.
Marquette looked in control at Seton Hall before a stunning finish. The Pirates were the rare team to post a big win Wednesday while a number of others took head-scratching losses. Plus, Horizon, NEC and OVC tourneys rolling.
With a little still left to decide, the MAAC will end up with six teams very close to each other. Plus a little salvation for an Atlantic 10 team, little changes on Friday in an academic league, and a big Buckeye is suspended as a big game beckons.
A triple-overtime game between Quinnipiac and Siena in the MAAC between two of many teams battling for the top had a pair of individual offensive eruptions on Sunday. Also, Missouri State’s remarkable in-season improvement, St. John’s with a stunning rally and Michigan State dominates second half against Ohio State.
The big showdown of the day was one where the winning team kept a great story of unexpected success going. Plus last-second finishes in the Big Ten, a bigger lead in the Valley, and a very tight race in a conference known for its competitiveness.
At the end of last season, it looked like this could be a long season for a long-time powerhouse out west, but maybe that won’t be the case. Plus more Big Ten play includes the end of a tough week for one team, while out west another team is handed their first loss of the season.
It’s an unfortunate fact of the current college hoops climate that schools like Northeastern taking on an Alabama are facing a must-win in mid-November, but the Huskies capitalized big.
Some games just need to be played between schools that are in the same geographic area, and we got one of them on Wednesday night. Plus the Bison aren’t going away quietly, and a couple of injuries come into play including one that will end a player’s season.
Another season beckons, and this one after an eventful off-season. Plus one of two suspensions has some up in arms, a heart condition has thankfully been handled, and a Buckeye leaves just ahead of the season start.
After a distinctly dull first round a year ago, it can be argued-quite easily, in fact-that the first round of the 2018 NCAA Tournament already has delivered more. And college hoops fans can be most thankful for it.
