OPENING TIP
Kentucky has stockpiled 113 NCAA Tournament wins, North Carolina 108. No other institution of higher learning approaches either total. Between the two, 13 championship banners flutter in their cavernous arenas.
So, when the schools were omitted last week from several projections on the 68-team tourney cast, it might have seemed that bracketologists were smoking something other than tobacco, a product long associated with the states.
But their absences made sense. Both were 10-5. Kentucky had lost two in Rupp Arena, the first ending a 55-game home win streak. The Tar Heels had lost two consecutive and three of five.
Blame inexperience. Kentucky unwrapped a new lineup this season, with three freshmen. UNC, while more experienced than the Wildcats, replaced four starters.
Also blame the basketball gods. Their annual series, dating to 2000, ceased after last season’s game, with each coach citing a reluctance to dabble in difficult non-league games. Fans are poorer for it.
Each basketball blue-blood won twice last week, thus restoring their place on the imaginary brackets — and setting the hoops globe back on its axis.
ON THE POLL
Another weekend, another No. 1 bites the dust. Duke, which leased out the top spot to Louisville, evicted the Cardinals after a week and slid back in. There is a tie at No. 3 (Kansas and Syracuse).
The biggest upwardly move was by Wichita State, which rode an upset of Creighton from unranked to No. 20. San Diego State, which endured a single-digit scoring half, plunged from 15th into the purgatory that is the “also receiving votes” category.
FINAL FOUR-CAST
Duke: Can preserve its 1998-99 ancestors' status as the last unbeaten ACC team in league play by beating Miami on Wednesday night. If Ryan Kelly (foot) is not back by mid-February, as scheduled, trouble lies ahead.
Louisville: One loss, even at home, does not bump the Cardinals from this quintessential quartet. Center Gorgoi Dieng is still regaining his bearings after a layoff with a broken wrist.
Kansas: The Jayhawks spotted underachieving Texas an 11-point second-half lead on the road, then awakened to win by five. Final Four gigs have become a birthright.
Syracuse: The Orange outmuscled physical Louisville and more physical Cincinnati within two days, despite No. 2 scorer James Southerland out as NCAA digs into his academics.
CONFERENCE CALL
There is no more competitive league, top to bottom, than the Mountain West. Eight of the nine teams — shame on you, Fresno State — began the week well above .500.
What does this have to do with the Final Four? Plenty. The conference’s RPI ranking is second, behind only the Big Ten. Bracketologists envision five or six MWCers dancing in March. New Mexico, UNLV and San Diego State could secure high enough seeds to boogie into April.
You probably were unsure if Boise State, of royal football repute, fielded a team. Yet the Broncos (14-4) are in the NCAA mix. No, they do not play on a blue court.
MID-MAJOR REPORT
This year’s Butler, which crashed the Final Four in 2010 and ’11, might be … Butler. The No. 9 Bulldogs are 16-2, even with a bold schedule glittered with wins over power-league members Indiana, Marquette, North Carolina, Northwestern and Vanderbilt (Also, Gonzaga. See below.) Three victories followed last-second hoops, which creates confidence for close tournament games.
“These guys make you believe,” said coach Brad Stevens, who somehow remains at Butler after an abundance of offers to move up. Maybe he is enamored of players such as former walk-on Alex Barlow, who chose the school because he aspires to coach and wishes to learn from Stevens. Barlow’s bucket that sealed the win over Indiana earned him a scholarship.
PROFILIN’
Trey Burke returned to Michigan this season after a dalliance with the NBA draft. He has turned the race for recognition as the nation’s primo point guard into a no-contest. Burke’s turnover-to-assist ratio is 3.79, fourth best in the land, and his scoring average of 18.0 ranks third in the Big Ten.
One reason cited by Burke, who has been on the NBA fast track since high school, to opt for college sophomore over NBA rookie was his team’s promise. Good call, kid. The Wolves are ranked second.
SON OF A GUN
David Stockton, whose father, John, is a Hall of Famer primarily because of his deft passing, is a backup guard for Final Four-contender Gonzaga. David seemed like a distant relative when his errant inbounds toss was intercepted for a beat-the-buzzer basket last weekend by Butler.
FINAL FOUR-STALLED
Biggest Final Four upset, No. 8: Defending champion Kentucky, a No. 1 seed, should not have been surprised. Arizona, a fourth seed, had kneecapped two other No. 1’s before the 1997 championship game. Arizona, with nine losses, won 84-79 in overtime on 30 points from Miles Simon, who sounds like a character from “Downton Abbey.”
STAT STUFFERS
Wisconsin guard George Marshall was scoreless in his previous game and averaged 3.5 over his past dozen. He pummeled Iowa with 20 points, all but two in the last 7 1/2 minutes, but the Hawkeyes held on 70-66.
AT THE BUZZER
Borrowing a custom from football, a player dumped water — surprisingly, not Gatorade — on coach Billy Donovan after his 400th win Saturday at Florida. While the Gators are a notch below Final Four level, their schedule in the soft SEC is so friendly that enough wins could be accumulated to ensure a favorable seed.
The next celebratory bath could come at the Georgia Dome, this time drenching Billy D. with the lemony drink invented by a Florida professor.
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