What’s Trending is a column examining the week that was in college basketball social media. Griffin Wong (@griffwong90) is your weekly host.
#AveryStrong
This past Saturday’s game in Lincoln was Nebraska’s #AveryStrong game to raise both money and awareness for victims of pediatric cancer. Avery’s father is Chris Harriman, a former Nebraska assistant who is now at New Mexico. Avery, seven years old, has already suffered through and beaten Leukemia three times. It’s pretty cool to see Nebraska continue its tradition of honoring Avery, even though his father is no longer in Husker red.
Zebras Going Back to their Cage
Before we continue any further, watch this incredible sequence that gave Ball State a double overtime victory over Eastern Michigan last Saturday.
If all you saw was the shot, take a closer look. The officials clearly missed multiple calls: fouls, travels, even a jump ball. College officiating is seemingly always a hot topic, but many found the MAC’s decision to suspend two members of the crew for two games very refreshing.
#MACtion!
The Last of the Unbeatens Goes Down
And that’s a wrap for the SMU undefeated talk. The Mustangs, who are ineligible for postseason play this season, had been drawing significant attention as the nation’s last undefeated team. Some argued their schedule was too soft, others lamented their ineligibility, but now all the chatter is over. Though SMU’s success this season was offered limitations from the beginning this season, there’s no doubt they had an incredible run.
A New Champion for the Big 12?
It’s been 11 years since Kansas didn’t win at least a share of the Big 12 regular season. 11 years. But, as we know, all great things must come to an end, and this might be the year Kansas can’t extend the streak. With the conference arguably as strong as it’s ever been at the top, the Jayhawks find themselves just 5-3 through eight games. However, we shouldn’t get too far ahead of ourselves, as Kansas lies just a game behind Oklahoma, Baylor, and West Virginia at the top of the standings.
- Georgia State wins a thriller over Appalachian State with a four-point play with just 0.8 seconds left. Talk about nerves of steel from freshman Mike Hughes.
- UVA comes back from a seven point deficit with under 20 seconds left against Wake Forest last night. The comeback was capped by a three-pointer banked-in by sophomore Darius Thompson at the buzzer. Better to be lucky than good, right?
- Iowa forward Jarrod Uthoff showing off his incredible and varied skillset.
- Wright State’s Grant Benzinger with the heave to end the half.
- Senior Josh Hagins with the buzzer-beater to pull Arkansas-Little Rock over Texas State in a Sun Belt showdown.
- How badly did Louisville guard Donovan Mitchell want this one to count?
- Miami point guard Angel Rodriguez with the smooth no-look pass to big man Kamari Murphy for the slam.
- Texas A&M Corpus Christi guard Ehab Amin getting flashy on the alley-oop to forward Rashawn Thomas.