The Other 26: Week Three
Posted by rtmsf on December 10th, 2011
I. Renko is an RTC columnist. He will bring you his analysis of the 26 other non-power conferences each Friday going forward.
Astute readers already noticed two things by the time they read this sentence: (1) this column has been on a brief two-week hiatus, and (2) the byline at the top of this column has changed. Good eye, astute readers!
It’s with a mixture of regret and excitement that I report that the originator of this outstanding column has passed the reins to this humble writer. Kevin did such a great job of reporting on mid-major hoops that I hesitate to suggest that I can fill his large shoes. But I’ll do my best, knowing that at the end of the day, nothing has changed about what drives fan and reader interest in the TO26 — the breadth and depth of Division I college basketball, the stories of the unheralded and underhyped, and the extraordinary things that can happen in ordinary basketball gyms across the country.
Tu Holloway's Musketeers Are #1 in TO26's Top 15 This Week
You may see some tweaks to the format as we go forward, but the core of the column (and the entirety, for today’s debut edition) will remain: the top 15, a look back, and a look forward.
Top 15 Rankings
Looking Back: The Five (or Six) Biggest Wins of the Last Three Weeks
- UNLV 90, North Carolina 80 — Needless to say, this monumental upset over the top-ranked team in the country was as big a win as you can get in the non-conference season. The Runnin’ Rebels showed that they have the talent, athleticism, and range of offensive weapons to compete with the best teams in the country.
- Central Florida 68, Connecticut 63 — Down 17 in the second half, the Knights mounted a tremendous rally to upend the national champions in the Battle 4 Atlantis semifinals. Marcus Jordan and Keith Clanton each scored 20 points, and UCF held UConn scoreless for a key six-minute stretch in the second half to bag the huge win.
- Harvard 46, Florida State 41 — In the other Battle 4 Atlantis semifinal, the Crimson served notice that they are for real by grinding out a low-scoring win over Florida State. Despite getting shut down by the Seminoles’ vaunted defense, Harvard put its own clamp on the FSU offense, holding them to 36.2% FG shooting and causing 17 turnovers. Most impressively, the Crimson more than neutralized FSU’s strength on the offensive glass, as Harvard pulled down almost 85% of FSU’s missed shots.
- Xavier over Vanderbilt — Though this wasn’t as big an upset as the first three games on this list, Xavier’s comeback on the road from a second half, double-digit deficit against a top 25 team was as gutsy a win as we’ve seen all season. Holloway and Lyons showed that there is perhaps no greater asset in the college game than a backcourt with experience, poise, and talent.
- Wichita State 89, UNLV 72 / Creighton 85, SDSU 83 — We’re cheating a bit by combining these two results into one entry, but the Shockers’ pounding of UNLV at home and the Bluejays’ win on the road at SDSU clearly established the MVC as one of the top — if not the top — TO26 conference in the country. It also bolstered the at-large resumes of Creighton and Wichita State, at least one of whom be relying on the selection committee to go dancing this March.
Looking Forward: What to Watch This Week
As is often the case with mid-major hoops, whittling the list of dozens and dozens of games down to a manageable number of “important” ones to keep an eye on is a daunting task. But we can group this week’s bounty into a few major categories.
(1) Intra-city rivalries
They’ll be battling for bragging rights in Cincinnati and Philly this weekend.
- Cincinnati at Xavier (12/10, 12:30pm) — It got ugly in the Cintas Center this afternoon as Xavier demolished Cincinnati before the game devovled into an ugly fracas with nine seconds remaining. Xavier did nothing to dispel the notion that its the best team in TO26, but how will suspensions play out?
- Villanova at Temple (12/10, 5pm) — Villanova has also been a bit of a Big East disappointment, and Temple will try to take advantage, as they adjust to life without starting center Michael Eric.
(2) In Search of Quality Wins
Some of the TO26 teams will be looking to impress the NCAA Selection Committee with a quality non-conference win against upper-level BCS competition.
- Michigan St. at Gonzaga (12/10, 9pm) — A chance for the Zags to make up for their loss against Illinois and prove worthy of their preseason top 25 ranking. They’ll have their hands trying to keep Michigan State off the boards — not a strong suit for Gonzaga.
- Long Beach State at North Carolina (12/10, 7pm) — Dan Monson’s team continues its brutal schedule with a road game at North Carolina. The Tar Heels may not be in a mood to cough up a third non-conference victory after starting the season at the top of the polls.
(3) Knocking on the Top 15 Door
A few of the TO26 top 15 teams will be taking on non-conference opponents who are looking to take their spot in the rankings.
- Murray State at Memphis (12/11, 6pm) — Murray State has quietly “raced” out (see what I did there) to a 9-0 start, including recent wins over Southern Mississippi and Dayton. Led by Isaiah Canaan, the Racers are one of the best three point shooting teams in the country and their defense generates a lot of turnovers. This will be a real test for Memphis a week before their big game against Louisville.
- Iona at Marshall (12/11, 2:30pm) — Marshall hasn’t gotten much national press, but they’re lurking as a C-USA contender. Forward Dennis Tinnon is an active scorer and rebounder, who may have his way against a somewhat undersized Iona frontcourt.
- Belmont at Middle Tennessee (12/13, 8pm) — This is the return trip of an unusual home-and-home series scheduled for the same season. Belmont won the first round at home in double-overtime, the only blemish on Middle Tennessee’s season so far.
