Weekly Reflection: March Eve is Here!
...when the hoops stop being polite and start getting real! (RIP MTV)
Welcome to March Eve, Congregation.
We have officially crossed the Rubicon into February, or as we call it, March Eve. Why is it March Eve? Is it just because it’s right before March? Nope. It’s that last stretch before Madness. It’s when the hoops stop being polite and start getting real. The regular season’s final lap, where every game could be the difference between being a chosen one or complaining on ESPN about strength of schedule metrics. This is the stretch where pretenders go back to Ohio, and contenders prove they belong in the after-season.
This weekend didn’t let us down. It was the agent of chaos with a smile. Everything we expect from a February weekend. In like a Wolverine and out like a Wildcat.
Undefeated teams started facing their toughest tests yet, conference races turned into dodgeball derbies, especially in the B1G—a conference sitting pretty with the most projected bids on both sides. But history will remind everyone that having 11-12 teams in the dance doesn’t mean any of them know how to win it all.
Let’s get into what happened while you were complaining about the return of the New England Patriots to the Super Bowl. Let’s tip this off!
In Case You Didn’t Witness:
A little heavy on the women’s side this week, but did you look at that brutal schedule on Sunday??
WBB: #1 UConn 96 - #15 Tennessee 66: Old titans battled it out Sunday in the Huskies’ last regular season speed bump on the Road to the Final Four. The Lady Vols made a game of it…for the first half. Entering the second half tied at 42 all, the UConn outscored the Summiters by 30 in the second. For those scoring at home, UConn has now demolished the other 3 teams participating in the Women’s Champions Classic:
11/4: 79-66 over #7 Louisville
12/20: 90-64 over #8 Iowa (at the Champions Classic)
2/1: 96-66 over #15 Tennessee
MBB: #9 Illinois 78 - #5 Nebraska 69: And suddenly the Cornhuskers are 20-2. For the second time this week, the Fighting Hoibergs of Nebraska fall to an in-conference team ranked in the Top-10. I don’t think it’s time to panic in Lincoln, but while the first loss went to the wire against #3 Michigan in Ann Arbor without freshman forward Branden Frager, this second loss was more defined and at home.
WBB: #9 Michigan 94 - #13 Michigan State 94: The Breslin Center should have a parquet floor because Sunday’s game between tight in-state and conference rivals felt like a chess match. Full back and forth all the way to an overtime session that saw the Wolverines with an 7pt lead with under a minute to go and Mich St. still made it a 3 point game. Spartan center Inés Sotelo almost ended it at regulation with a half court Hail Helena that bounced between the rim and a hard place.
WBB: #2 UCLA 88 - #8 Iowa 65: Maybe the Hawkeyes just miss the cold as their west coast trip was not a happy one with back to back losses to USC and UCLA this week. Iowa started B1G play winning their first 9 before hitting the California drought. Despite foul trouble on both sides down low, the Bruins were not missing shots, going 57.8% from the field as a team, including 6-12 (50%) from 3.
"Having played the No. 1 [UConn] in December and the No. 2 [UCLA], what both games felt like was certainly two of the top teams in the country…they both have lethal actions in every position. - Iowa Head Coach Jan Jensen
The Infoulable!
Tracking the remaining teams who have yet to commit the ultimate sin...of losing.
MBB: And then there were two.
#1 Arizona Wildcats (22-0 overall, 9-0 Big XII):
✅ Saturday: Arizona 87 - Arizona State 74
Next: Saturday 2/7 vs. Oklahoma State (4p, ESPN2)
#24 Miami of Ohio! (23-0 overall, 10-0 MAC!):
✅ Saturday: Miami 85 - Northern Illinois 61
Next: Tuesday 2/3 at Buffalo (6:30p, ESPN+)
WBB: UConn is The Highlander!
#1 UConn Huskies (22-0 overall, 12-0 Big East):
✅ Sunday: UConn 96 - #15 Tennessee 66
Next: Wednesday 2/4 at DePaul (8p, truTV)
NYU Women’s Undefeated Streak: 80!
The Violets had a close call today at home against Carnegie Mellon, taking the victory by 1pt. This is the only single digit victory for season so far, with the other closest being 12pts over Chicago and 13 pts over rival WashU. The largest margin was 80 (114-34) over John Jay(cob Jingleheimer Schmidt.) The Violets go on the road for the next 4 and if they beat Case Western on Friday, they could break the WBB D3 record next Sunday, which would be the revenge game at Carnegie Mellon. Drama! You can stream that on FloSports. (and you should!)
#1 New York University Violets (18-0 overall, 7-0 UAA):
✅ Sunday: NYU 58 - Carnegie Mellon 57
Next: Sunday 2/8 at Case Western Reserve University (Noon, FloSport Streaming)
NYU’s Path To Infoulability: Lets follow The Violet’s Stairway to the Rafters
Women’s D3 Record: 81 - WashU (St. Louis) (Feb 20, 1998 - Jan 12, 2001)
Men’s Record (all division): 88 - UCLA (Jan 30, 1971 - Jan 17, 1974)
Overall Record: 111 games - UConn WBB (Nov 23, 2014 - March 31, 2017)
CoB Saturday School!
What did we learn from the weekend that will help us win the office pool?
UConn WBB passed the Midterm: Ok, as referenced above, the UConn Huskies have passed their midterms in their game against the #15 Tennessee Lady Vols. And they crushed them by 30. As the Huskies sit at the dining table for a second round on the Big FEast, you have to ask yourselves, who can stop them. Sure, it’s always possible, but with games against all teams in the conference except Seton Hall and Xavier, I would put my money on UConn running the table to The Dance. Villanova is the 2nd best team with a NET ranking of 40. The Wildcats are the only other team from the Big East projected to make The Dance according to Charlie Creme as well. If anyone knows how to navigate the dog days of March Eve, it’s the Huskies.
It’s maybe B1G country, but they are renting it: As we get into the last month of the regular season, it’s the B1G that seems to be rising up. According to both ESPN’s resident Bracketologists, the B1G have the most projected bids in both the men’s (11) and the women’s (12) sides. Just looking at the week’s schedule is like trying to run through a mine field in steel-toed Doc Martens. That said, don’t forget that the B1G doesn’t always fare well in March. The last time the B1G won titles were:
WBB: 1999 - Purdue
MBB: 2000 - Michigan
Seriously, it’s like the B1G was hit with the actual Y2K virus. That said, I’m a lifelong Red Sox fan so streaks or droughts are meant to be broken. So, Michigan sweep? Nah, UConn will never let that happen.
Nebraska will be fine! After all, Nebraska is a basketball school, right? That is how balance was brought back to the universe after Indiana ran the field for an undefeated championship run in .. football?!?. Yes, Indiana is now a football school, so it only makes sense that Nebraska is a basketball school.
Ok, all joking aside, the Huskers made it through a great 20-game win streak but have now dropped two in a row. This is a Fred Hoiberg coached team. They are going to be fine. Besides, there is no better way to have a proper harvest than against Rutgers, who they play next. Expect them to get a couple more dings along the way to the B1G tourney (#12 Purdue is coming after Rutgers) but with two against Iowa, and one against Northwestern, Maryland, and Penn State, you don’t need Clarence Beeks to give you evidence of a good crop report coming.
We Got Next: Games to watch this week! (all times EST)
Lots of fun action this week, including all the Infoulables. See key games below:
MBB: Infoulable Watch in Buffalo!
Tuesday - 6:30p: #23 Miami (OH) at Buffalo (ESPN+) The ultimate revenge game.
Wednesday - 7p: UCF at #8 Houston (FS1) Johnny Dawkins’ Knights are the upset kings this season.
Wednesday - 7p: Texas A&M at Alabama (SECn) Yes, the Aggies are atop the SEC.
Friday - 8p: #3 UConn at #22 St. John’s (FOX) A Friday night gem.
WBB: Make no plans for Thursday!
Wednesday - 6:30p: #22 Maryland at #12 Michigan State (B1G+) The Spartans need a strong comeback after this weekend’s loss.
Thursday - 6:30p: Georgia at #19 Tennessee (SECN+) …same for Tennessee.
Thursday - 7p: #17 Duke at #6 Louisville (ESPN) Just another Girl in the ACC.
Thursday - 7p: #7 Vanderbilt at #16 Kentucky (SECN) I have been waiting for this one.
Thursday - 9p: #5 LSU at #4 Texas (ESPN) A schedule only Vic Schaffer could complain about.
Thursday - 9p: #9 Ohio State at #24 Washington (Peacock) Every day in the B1G!
Thursday - 9p: #13 Ole Miss at #21 Alabama (SECN) Codie with a Rebel Yell. I want mo-mo-mo.
Final Seconds
Ok, friends! March is coming!
40 days until Selection Sunday (March 15)
44 days until First Round (March 19-20)
60 days until Final Four (April 4)
And remember, to do these three things: Like, Share and Subscribe.
Always live One Shining Moment at a time. Never be boring.