Opening tip
When last we met, there were three unbeatens, each of whom had dicey upcoming road games to maintain their status.
Oregon, which had fattened up on so many weak foes that its 12-2 record seemed deceptive, zapped No. 4 Arizona 70-66 on Thursday. Fewer than 40 hours later, No. 21 North Carolina State, by bullying top-ranked Duke 84-76 on Saturday, offered reminders of a forgotten truth: The Wolfpack, not the Blue Devils, began the season as ACC favorites.
Thus did No. 2 Michigan stand alone — for one day. Ohio State, rated 15th, slayed the Wolverines 56-53 on Sunday, and the media surely was confused from reading transcripts of post-game coaches’ interviews.
“This is terrific for us,” said John Beilein of Michigan, according to the print-out.
He really did, as the rest of the quote made clear: “When is the last team that didn’t lose? It doesn’t happen. The prosperous ones get better from it.”
The answer to Beilein’s trivia question: Indiana and coach Bobby Knight in 1976.
Actually, a fourth zero-loss team bowed last weekend, which should be the last time Wyoming is mentioned in this space.
Final Four-cast
Louisville. Somebody had to ascend to No. 1, and the Cardinals promptly bucked the trend of elite teams losing on the road. The nation's most dynamic backcourt, co-starring Peyton Silva and Russ Smith, vaulted the 'Ville over Connecticut 73-58.
Duke. No shame in bowing to N.C. State, though coach Mike Krzyzewski must be concerned about forward Ryan Kelly's foot injury on top of guard Seth Curry's chronic leg issues. Only the Devils have downed Louisville.
Indiana. A tissue-soft pre-league schedule, ranked 65th for degree of difficulty, might not have the Hoosiers ready now. They looked like world-beaters for a while against Minnesota, then were nearly undone by 14 missed free throws.
Kansas. The Jayhawks were in danger of being dropped from the Four-cast until they eviscerated Baylor 61-44 on Monday. Showing some serious muscle, Kansas blocked 13 shots and outscored the Bears 38-14 in what Hubie Brown calls "the painted area."
Conference call
Nothing is forever, except Coach K at Duke, so let’s enjoy the bountiful Big East while we can. Louisville and Syracuse, running 1-2 in the standings, will lead a mass exodus to the ACC. Seven members that do not field teams in a certain popular fall sport intend to form their own league. When the spinning finally stops, only Connecticut and South Florida might be left to play each other 16 times each season.
The league claims only four ranked teams, just two in the top 15, but some computer programs regard it as foremost, even ahead of the Big Ten. But what do they know.
No middling mid-major
Butler has twice crashed the Final Four party in 2010 and ‘11. A three-peat, separated by one year, is possible. Scoring is up, owing in part to offensive rebounds, but premier scorer Rotnei Clarke, a transfer from Arkansas, must sit at least two games after a basket stanchion drew a charge from him. The collision left Clarke with an injured neck. Clarke, when healthy, provides Butler with an outside shot that was absent last year.
On the poll
Silva, channeling Beilein, expressed misgivings about Louisville’s No. 1 perch. “It puts a big bull’s-eye on your back,” he said. Let the target practice begin.
No. 14 N.C. State, by virtue of ambushing Duke, and No. 19 New Mexico (15-2) rose six spots. The steepest fall was by high-octane Missouri, which mystifyingly scored 49 (though without sore-kneed forward Laurence Bowers) against Ole Miss.
We lied about Wyoming. One more mention: The Cowboys drew one vote.
Final Four-eigner
Center Gorgui Dieng of Louisville, by way of Senegal, is on a tear since returning from a broken wrist rehab. The almost 7-footer provides an unusual blend of shot-blocker and outside jump-shooter. (Pronunciation guide: GOR-kie Jyang.)
Profilin’
In football, Texas A&M had Johnny Football, the Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel. So, meet Elston Basketball, whose birth certificate reads Elston Turner. Actually, he is a Jr. The similarly sized Elston Sr. (6-foot-5) registered eight NBA seasons in the 1980s and helps coach the Phoenix Suns. The son, a second-year Aggie after transferring from Washington, dizzied Kentucky with 40 points, becoming the third player ever to hit or exceed the big four-oh against the Wildcats. Top that, Mr. Football.
Final Four-stalled
No. 9, biggest upsets: OK, it was only a No. 2 (Duke) upending a No. 1 (UNLV), but observers thought it safe to inscribe the four capital letters in the title trophy before the 1991 Final Four tipped off. One year after the Runnin’ Rebels bulldozed the Devils by 30 points in the championship game, Duke flipped the script with a 79-77 win in the semis. It was Tark the Shark’s first loss after 34 W’s.
Stat stuffers
As his hyphenated surname suggests, it seems there are two Michael Carter-Williamses on the court at once. The Syracuse guard ranks first in assists nationwide at 9.4 per game and fourth in steals with 3.18. (Kids, get your parents to tag you with two last names. No. 3 in steals is Dyricus Simms-Edwards of Bradley.)
At the buzzer
Taking the name of this category literally, the final buzzer that signaled defeat for the three ranked zero-loss teams triggered the standard fans’ mad rush onto the court. One stood out.
In Raleigh, N.C., the human storm included wheelchair-bound N.C. State pupil Will Privette, rolled out by the student-body president. So confined for his entire 22 years after being born without a tibia in one leg, Privette became ejected from the vehicle.
The Wolfpack’s C.J. Leslie, who earned no assists in the game, collected a big one afterward. He pushed away revelers to clear space and picked up Privette, who celebrated in Leslie’s arms. Neither student nor wheelchair was damaged.
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