It was a crazy 24 Hours of Hoops and the Blogosphere is still buzzing about it. I’ve heard from quite a few blogs that have expressed interest in being part of this, but we always have room for more, so if you’re interested in participating in this feature, e-mail us at rushthecourt@gmail.com.
Top 25 Games
- #3 Ohio State 93, Florida 75: “It was the week of halftime speeches for Ohio State athletics. First was football coach Jim Tressel’s fiery number on Saturday against Penn State. Thad Matta took the stage Tuesday night. And boy did he deliver.” (Eleven Warriors) or “The takeaway from tonight’s loss is that Ohio State is really good, and Florida might just be good. The Buckeyes have NBA prospects, while UF has guys who were told not to go pro. If anything, you should be pleased Florida stayed with Ohio State for 30 minutes. The true value of this game won’t be realized until late in the season, when the experience of playing a very athletic team in game two helps Florida clinch an NCAA bid.” (Alligator Army)
- #3 Kansas State 73, #21 Virginia Tech: “K-State didn’t waste any time jumping into the meat of its schedule with today’s game against Virginia Tech. With Curtis Kelly out and Jacob Pullen limited due to foul trouble, Wildcat fans had reason to worry about the outcome. But K-State, behind impressive performances from Will Spradling (solid minutes spelling Pullen), Jordan Henriquez-Roberts (10 points, eight rebounds) and Rodney McGruder (13 points, nine rebounds), dropped the No. 24 Hokies, 73-57.” (Bring On The Cats)
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#6 Villanova 88, Marist 47: “Villanova, designated the “North Region Pod Site” for the 2010 NIT Tip-Off hosted the Red Foxes of Marist University in first round action Tuesday night at the Pavilion on the Mainline campus. They were not very good hosts as they crushed the Red Foxes 84-47 and ran their Pavilion winning streak to 37 consecutive games. For Marist, a team that logged a 1-29 record last season, this was no way to open their 2011 campaign.The Wildcats took a 3-0 lead two minutes in on a Corey Stokes three pointer, and the two teams “played tag” for the next four minutes. Villanova retook the lead for good on a Maalik Wayns three point jumper at the 13 minute mark of the first period. Fueled by a 16-1 run in the middle of the first period, the ‘Cats stretched the lead to 15 points, 24-9, before the Red Foxes broke back with a 10-4 run to trim Nova’s lead to eight points. The ‘Cats broke back with a 8-2 run before Marist guard Anell Alexis hit a three pointer to close out the half, leaving Villanova with an 11 point lead, 36-25 going into the locker room. Villanova used the first 10 minutes of the second half to take a 19-10 run and pad their lead out to 20. Marist offered resistance, but steadily surrendered points as Villanova spent the last 10 minutes padding the lead. Marist failed to score at all in the last five minutes as the ‘Cats tallied the last 16 points of the game and bringing the total to 88-47.” (Villanova by the Numbers)
- Louisville 88, #12 Butler 73: “Honestly, that game was such crap. Howard had like 3 fouls in the first part of the second half that weren’t called, each of which would have been his 4th and totally changed that game. He also got the NBA treatment at our end, and Butler clearly made “getting to the basket and getting fouled” their offensive strategy in the second half. Meanwhile, we let our foot off the gas a bit, Butler kept it in the half-court, which is clearly our weak spot this season, and who is going to step up and take the big shots? Honestly, I turned it off when Howard had two free throws to cut it to 9. I assume we lost.
[Checking internet]
Wooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!” (Card Chronicle)
Other Games of Interest
- Tennessee 85, Belmont 76: “Referees are human beings, which is what people say when they’re feeling especially kind after a bad call. But I’ve never seen their humanity on display the way it was tonight [. . .] The good news is, the Vols picked the right night to prove they’ve learned how to shoot free throws after all.” (Rocky Top Talk)
- Indiana 71, Mississippi Valley State 54: “It’s not always perfect. It’s not always pretty. There will be tougher tests ahead, especially when Big Ten play rolls around. But it’s taking care of business when business should be taken care of — something this team in Crean’s third year is proving we should come to expect, not see as a pleasant surprise.” (Inside the Hall)
Analysis
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Breakdown: Offense in Minnesota: “Was the offense good when it slowed down? What can the Saints learn from Monday’s loss in Minneapolis? Siena Saints Blog breaks down whether or not the Saints should play more high-tempo offense or slow it down coming off a 24-turnover night.” (Siena Saints Blog)