Weekly Reflection: The Gods ARE Truly Crazy!
...and damn, it feels good to be a Hannah!
Greetings, Congregation.
Wow, that was fun! And, we have been waiting for it.
Every season at some point, the Gods align to give you a powerhouse weekend that will challenge even Jon Rothstein's perfect memory. We can look at the schedules and guess, but we won’t really know until we get there because it’s everything that led us to this point that makes this weekend special.
On the men’s side, we had all 4 top teams going head to head in a power double header. Duke and Michigan met for the 31st time in program history, but the first since 2013. Lots of 90's feels cutting through like Tyus Edney. This was alongside many upsets to bring late season debates of bracket worthiness and seedings.
Meanwhile, on the women's side, you needed a multiview to watch South Carolina's shellacking of conference foe Ole Miss, who happened to be the #17 team in the country. While, on the second screen, we had #6 Michigan at #13 Iowa to settle who truly gets to settle into second place in the B1G standings, all through the misty eyes of Hannah Stuelke, celebrated on Senior Day at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. (I might have used my Hannah jersey to wipe my eyes…might have.)
In fact, it was a fantastic Sunday if you happen to be a Hannah. So good, I had to report for the first time in a bit. You might be surprised at which Hannah had the best day - hint, she wears orange. Yup! She’s back.
Ok, this is getting out late because there was a lot to write about. But, this is the best kind of late March Eve weekend we could ask for! March (the month) is just 6 days away. Let's jump into it.
In Case You Didn’t Witness:
The Super Saturday Service didn’t disappoint. Two huge games and many other upsets. Crazy!
MBB: #4 Arizona 73 - #2 Houston 66: Game 1 of our Super Saturday pitted former #1 Arizona against in-conference rival Houston. The Wildcats ran out of the desert with full mercury, bringing the dry heat straight into the Fertitta Center's humidity and taking a 10-point lead late in the second half. The Cougars tried to steam them out — getting within 4 with time running out — but Anthony Dell'Orso's 22 points, along with, Arizona scratching out 16 points on 12 Houston turnovers made it too much to overcome. It's Houston's 2nd consecutive loss. Will the Cougars find redemption in the next one? Well, it's rarely found at Kansas where the Jayhawks need some as well. More below.
MBB: #3 Duke 68 - #1 Michigan 63: If that wasn’t fun enough, Game 2 of Super Saturday brought us the clash of the titans. A rare non-conference battle in deep February between two teams with a serious history. Duke led the series 22-8 all time and with the Wolverines as the newly minted #1 team, they had something to prove.
With so much excitement to get this series back - and so late in the season - seats were reportedly selling in the high-hundreds on the secondary market. Someone who had no problem getting a ticket was former Duke star Carlos Boozer (1999-2001), who assumed the ‘Sabretooth’ role against the Wolverines, playing in this series three times, winning all of them.
The Blue Devils didn’t need him as the good luck charm, since they had his two sons on the roster. And Cameron Boozer reminded Michigan faithful just what they feared two decades earlier, as he hit a major 3 with 1:55 left, shoving the trident through the hearts of those lost in the maize. In total, Cam Boozer put up 18 points while pulling down 10 rebounds. Michigan didn’t help themselves shooting 6-of-25 from three while also getting out rebounded 41-28.
This win has Bracketologists projecting Duke as the top seeded team for the Dance. Let’s not forget, they still have another date with that ‘other’ blue team down the road before it’s all done.
WBB: Virginia 74 - #8 Louisville 72: Consider this your bubble watch bulletin. The Hoos have had their challenges this season, but they are a talented bunch who will swashbuckle the win right from underneath you if you are not careful. And Louisville found that out the hard way. Romi Levy's clutch 3-pointer with 13 seconds left clipped the Cardinals' wings, and when Louisville's buzzer-beater rimmed out, Virginia had their 11th ACC win for the first time since winning the regular season title in 1999-2000. These Cavaliers stole the win and were not polite about it. Now the Creme is rising.
WBB: #3 South Carolina 85 - #17 Ole Miss 48: ESPN GameDay was in Columbia. A'ja Wilson was courtside. And unfortunately for #17 Ole Miss, the Gamecocks put on a show worthy of both — after all, when is Dawn Staley ever frightened by little numbers? The Empire of the South completely suffocated the Rebellion, limiting SEC Red Leader Cotie McMahon to just 2 points on 0-of-9 shooting. Madina Okot mastered the force to lead with 17 points, 10 rebounds and 4 blocks. This win clinched a share of the SEC regular season title for the 5th straight year. All with the Queen in the house. When all my dime dancin' is through, I run to you.
MBB: Upsets! Upsets! Upsets!
Cincinnati 84 - #8 Kansas 68: Will the real Cincinnati team please stand up? Actually, that also goes for the Jayhawks too. In what should have been a blowout, the Bearcats had no problem seeing in the Phog. Moustapha Thiam dropped a career-high 28 points and Cincinnati shot 12-of-21 from three while Kansas went a woeful 4-of-18. This is Kansas' first double-digit home loss to an unranked opponent since 1993 and the worst in Bill Self's tenure. Redemption on the menu tonight. More above. (Update: The Jayhawks were redeemed!)
#23 BYU 79 - #6 Iowa State 69: Iowa State hasn't stumbled much this season, but with AJ Dybantsa putting up 29 points, 10 rebounds, and 9 assists, BYU had the Cyclones spinning the wrong way in the paint and on the glass. Incidentally, the Cyclones had also just been named a #1 seed in the committee's Top 16 reveal earlier that day. The old saying goes, the Bracket Gods must be crazy. That's why they play the games.
UCLA 95 - #10 Illinois 94 (OT): Remember that 90's flashback we were talking about with Duke/Michigan? We did not expect it also in the UCLA game Saturday. But it happened. The Bruins were down 23 in the first half before clawing all the way to force OT. Then Donovan Dent showed the new B1G what going coast-to-coast really means, doing his best Tyus Edney imitation for a layup with 1 second left to capture the upset for a true Wooden Watch.
Tennessee 69 - #19 Vanderbilt 65: The Volunteer State. In the time of NIL, who is really doing it for free? Well, Rick Barnes got a good bang for his buck. This was not an interstate love song. The back-and-forth SEC battle saw 20 lead changes, the most in any game this season. The civil war was finally settled by Nate Ament's go-ahead turnaround jumper with under a minute left leaving the #19-ranked Commodores to go down with the ship.
The Infoulable!
Tracking the remaining teams who have yet to commit the ultimate sin...of losing.
MBB: Four more games left in the regular season to go.
#22 Miami of Ohio! (27-0 overall, 14-0 MAC!):
✅ Saturday: Miami 91 - Bowling Green 77
Next: Tuesday 2/24 at Eastern Michigan (6:30p, ESPN+)
WBB: UConn is The Highlander! There is only one.
#1 UConn Huskies (29-0 overall, 18-0 Big East):
✅ Sunday: UConn 81 - Providence 38
Next: Thursday 2/26 at Georgetown 7p, (TNT/truTV)
NYU Women’s Undefeated Streak: 82 - RECORD BROKEN!!!
#1 New York University Violets (86-0 overall, 24-0 this season, 13-0 UAA):
✅ Sunday: NYU 57 - University of Chicago 52
Next: Saturday 2/28 vs. Brandeis University (3p)
NYU’s Path To Infoulability: Let’s follow The Violet’s Stairway to the Rafters
✅ Women’s D3 Record!! (Nov, 2023 - current)
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)
Keeping up with The Hannahs: Special Edition!
We haven’t reported on the Hannahs recently, but Sunday was a big day for Hannahs…and not just the ones we keep up with…so we just couldn’t wait until the next Post to report on it!
Happy Birthday Hannah Hidalgo (Junior / Guard / Notre Dame)!
Sunday saw a new milestone for Notre Dame’s Energizer Bunny. But this time it was off the court. Sunday was her 21st birthday! Do you remember turning 21? You shouldn’t if you did it right. But, this Hannah won’t forget this night. The Irish rolled over SMU 88-63 for their 3rd win in a row (and 5th in their last 6th). But, as usual, Hannah led the team with 31 points, 11 steals and 9 rebounds before calling it night. This is her 71st game scoring over 20 points and continues her streak of scoring in double digits for every game of her college career. Wow. Now, go celebrate!
Hannah Kohn (Junior / Guard / Clemson): HUGE 3 for #5 (and the upset)!!
Remember Hannah Kohn? I highlighted her in the Higher Post from December 21, 2024:
Suddenly, a player comes on to the floor and starts running all about with a ton of energy, getting open and then hit back-to-back 3’s when she did.
Hmm, sounds like my kind of player. Then, her name popped on screen and got to see her name was Hannah. That makes too much sense.
Well, she is back in the highlights. Still coming off the bench as Shawn Poppie’s sharpshooter at Clemson, she did what she does best against Duke on Sunday, capping a 14 point comeback against the #9 ranked Blue Devils. Coming out of a timeout, Kohn caught a pass at the top of the arc and with a quick release buried the 3 to put her Tigers on top by 2 with 3.1s left. Ironically, she had been 0-4 from behind the arc so far. That one shot was all they needed to break Duke’s 17-game winning streak and stick a blemish on the Blue Devils’ ACC record.
Hannah Stuelke (Senior / Forward / Iowa): Senior Day at Carver-Hawkeye!! (Yes, there were tissues.)
One reason I have become a fan of Hannah Stuelke is her story. Born and raised in Cedar Rapids, just 30 mins from Iowa City, she grew up an Iowa fan. She got the attention of Coaches Lisa Bluder and Jan Jensen going to youth camps and was offered a scholarship her sophomore year of high school. She not only gets to play for her childhood team, but has become their star. It’s a touching story and one that has stuck with me the more I watch her play.
Whether you played sports as a kid or not, we all had that dream of being the hometown hero, but she got to do it. Wherever she goes from here, this dream has come true.
Coming back to Sunday for a huge game against #6 Michigan. Both teams fighting for 2nd place in the B1G. Michigan came out strong at the start to hold a small lead in the first, but the physical play of the Hawkeye bigs, Stuelke and center Ava Heiden, were just too much for the smaller Wolverine squad. Hannah played all but 2 mins, exiting the game with hugs, cheers and tears - and not just hers. (I admit, I’m a big old softy)
I’m excited to see Hannah’s future, be it in the W, where it is hard to stay on a roster, or oversees. Wherever she goes, she’s got a fan with me.
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:
WBB: Solid in conference battles!
Wednesday - 8p: #8 Michigan at #13 Ohio State (Peacock)
Thursday - 6p: Tennessee at #6 LSU (ESPN)
Thursday - 7p: Georgetown at #1 UConn (TNT/truTV) Infoulable Watch!
Thursday - 7p: #21 North Carolina at Virginia (ACCX)
Thursday - 7p: Syracuse at Notre Dame (ACCX)
Thursday - 7:30p: #24 Alabama at #5 Vanderbilt (SEC)
Thursday - 10p: #23 Georgia at #4 Texas (SEC)
MBB:
Tuesday- 6:30p: #21 Miami (OH) at Eastern Michigan (ESPN+) Infoulable Watch!
Tuesday - 7p: NC State at #11 Virginia (ACCN)
Tuesday - 7p: #23 Saint Louis at Dayton (ESPN+)
Wednesday - 7p: #15 St. John’s at #6 UConn (Peacock/NBCSN)
Wednesday - 9p: Portland at #9 Gonzaga (ESPN+) Revenge game!
Wednesday - 11p: Santa Clara at Saint Mary’s (CBSSN)
Thursday - 8p: #13 Michigan State at #8 Purdue (Peacock)
Thursday - 8p: #3 Michigan at #10 Illinois (FOX)
Friday - 6p: #21 Miami (OH) at Western Michigan (CBSSN) Infoulable Watch!
Final Seconds
Ok, friends! March is coming!
21 days until Selection Sunday (March 15)
25 days until First Round (March 19-20)
41 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.