Regular Features – Rush The Court

Overnight 5: February 21, 2023

Matthew Eisenberg — Wed, 22 Feb 2023 05:11:00 +0000

What a strange CBB media cycle today was, but luckily there were games to play tonight. Let’s do an #overnight5 (@matteisecontributing)…

1. Since starting BE play 0-3 last yr, @MarquetteMBB has gone 25-8 since – incl. conf-leading 14-3 this yr. Despite being chosen 9th of 11 in preseason BE poll, Shaka has Eagles in line for 1st BE title since ’13 w/ DePaul, Butler & St. John’s remaining.

126 days later, Tyler Kolek hit the shot over the reigning defensive player of the year to put Marquette on top in the closing seconds. The Golden Eagles now have a stranglehold [...]

Overnight 5: Weekend Edition, February 19, 2023

Matthew Eisenberg — Mon, 20 Feb 2023 05:20:00 +0000

It’s only 1 week until the start of #championshipfortnight, 2 weeks until #championshipweek & 3 weeks until #selectionsunday. Let’s do a #weekend10 (@matteise contributing)…

1. On Sat the selection committee gave us their bracket preview. Despite 3 recent Ls, Purdue is still a #1 seed; B12 has 5 teams in top 4 seed lines; & Mick Cronin is agitated. That fall of Gonzaga? Zags sit at #15 overall.

Coaches are truly the most paranoid people on earth. Here is Mick Cronin on why he thinks the NCAA selection committee had Arizona above UCLA in their mock seeding. https://t.co/O1H8NOlQTt pic.twitter.com/HWhCzpSGjD

— Stewart [...]

Overnight 5: February 16, 2023

Matthew Eisenberg — Fri, 17 Feb 2023 04:25:00 +0000

What Thursday lacked in intrigue it made up for with a full-coverage RTC in College Park. Let’s examine in an #overnight5 (@matteise contributing)…

1. A 29-4 Maryland run had Xfinity Center rocking like old days on way to beating #3 Purdue, 68-54. Beyond Edey & BrSmith, rest of Boilers limited to 18 pts on 27% FG. After losing 3 of 4, will returning home get Purdue back on #1 seed track?

10 years ago, today, Maryland upset #2 Duke and stormed the court. Today, they did the same after beating #3 Purdue @wusa9 @TerrapinHoops pic.twitter.com/vxrAyydHlU

— Darren M. Haynes (@DarrenMHaynes) February [...]

Eight Questions for the Final Four

Matthew Eisenberg — Fri, 02 Apr 2021 14:31:00 +0000

Sixty-three NCAA Tournament games down, three more to go. After regional final games playing on Monday and Tuesday of this week, the Final Four teams are looking at a slightly shorter turnaround than usual heading into this weekend. Here are four questions for each game set to take place on Saturday in Indianapolis.

#1 Baylor vs. #2 Houston

1) Will Jared Butler break out of his tournament slump? Jared Butler was a first team AP All-American who averaged 17.1 points per game, shot 48.8 percent from the field and 42.9 percent from three-point range prior to the start of the NCAA Tournament. [...]

Eight Key Questions for the Sweet Sixteen

Matthew Eisenberg — Thu, 25 Mar 2021 13:31:00 +0000

What started with 68 is now down to just 16.

While the opening two rounds of the NCAA Tournament brought the usual surprises, the Sweet Sixteen is not without familiar faces. Three #1 seeds and a pair of #2 seeds are joined by the powerful programs of Florida State and Villanova, a quartet of Pac-12 teams, a pair of mid-majors, and of course, Syracuse. Here are eight questions that could define each match-up:

Saturday’s Games

#8 Loyola (Chicago) vs. #12 Oregon State (2:40 PM EST, CBS), If Oregon State can limit its turnovers, do the Beavers have enough firepower to pull off [...]

16 Questions For First Round Saturday of the NCAA Tournament

Matthew Eisenberg — Thu, 18 Mar 2021 19:37:44 +0000

After 16 games of wall-to-wall NCAA Tournament action on Friday, another 16 games are set to tip on Saturday. Here are questions I have for each game that will be played on First Round Saturday.

#1 Gonzaga vs. #16 Play-In Winner of Appalachian State/Norfolk State: What will a senior Corey Kispert look like in the NCAA Tournament? In Corey Kispert’s first two seasons at Gonzaga, he averaged 6.1 points per game in 24.8 minutes across seven NCAA Tournament games. No longer a secondary option, Kispert is poised to shatter his previous averages.#1 Michigan vs. #16 Play-In Winner of Mount St. [...]

16 Questions for First Round Friday of the NCAA Tournament

Matthew Eisenberg — Wed, 17 Mar 2021 19:53:08 +0000

With the first round of the NCAA Tournament now just days away, here is a question I have for each of Friday’s 16 match-ups.

#1 Illinois vs. #16 Drexel: Can the Illini’s Trent Frazier and Adam Miller begin the Tournament by finding their three-point shot? The Illini duo of Frazier and Miller made 36.7 percent of their three-point attempts in the season’s opening 22 games. Down the stretch over the final seven games, Frazier and Miller were a combined 16-of-55 (29.1%) from beyond the arc.#1 Baylor vs. #16 Hartford: Will Baylor be back to its pre-COVID pause self or will the [...]

2020-21 RTC16: Week 15

Matthew Eisenberg — Tue, 09 Mar 2021 02:48:23 +0000

With now less than a week to go until Selection Sunday, the top eight in the RTC16 has become a bit more stable. As leagues embark on their conference tournaments, strong play to protect and possibly improve seeding will be key. With Gonzaga and Baylor having secured two of the four #1 seeds, will the Big Ten grab the others or will a team like Alabama pry a top seed away?

CONFERENCE BREAKDOWN: Big Ten (5), Big 12 (3), ACC (2), SEC (2), AAC (1), Big East (1), MVC (1), WCC (1),

RISING:

Illinois: Brad Underwood’s Illini picked up a pair of [...]

Ten Questions to Consider: Making Statements to Close the Regular Season

Matthew Eisenberg — Fri, 05 Mar 2021 11:01:00 +0000

The first weekend of March brings the final weekend of the 2020-21 regular season. Seeding, both in terms of conference and NCAA Tournament positioning, is on the line as conference foes look to make a final statement before heading into sudden death territory. With pressure mounting, here are 10 questions I have for the weekend ahead:

With or without Ayo Dosunmu, can Illinois carry over its performance against Michigan to this game? (Illinois @ Ohio State, Saturday, 4 PM EST, ESPN) The Illini put together one of the most impressive performances of the season on Tuesday night with their lopsided victory [...]

2020-21 RTC16: Week 14

Matthew Eisenberg — Tue, 02 Mar 2021 02:11:45 +0000

The lengthy run of Baylor and Gonzaga holding down the top two spots in the RTC16 has finally come to an end with Michigan jumping the Bears this week for the #2 spot. The Wolverines moved up after overpowering victories against Iowa and Indiana last week. Sophomore Franz Wagner has upped his production since Michigan returned from its COVID pause, having now scored 20 or more points in three of Michigan’s five games. While Illinois remains in the top five, the Big Ten was not without a shakeup in the RTC top 10, as Iowa climbed and Ohio State fell [...]

2020-21 RTC16: Week 13

Matthew Eisenberg — Mon, 22 Feb 2021 17:27:00 +0000

Michigan picked up its most impressive victory of the season with its five-point win over the weekend at Ohio State. The two teams combined to shoot 53.4 percent from the field and used tremendous ball movement to each find open shots all game long. Elsewhere, Ayo Dosunmu picked up his second triple-double of the season; West Virginia came roaring back from another double-figure deficit to pick up a win at Texas; and Florida State put up 80+ points on Virginia. With just one week left in February, the RTC16 continues to fluctuate outside of the top three.

CONFERENCE BREAKDOWN: Big 12 [...]

Ten Questions to Consider: Premier Match-ups Across the Country

Matthew Eisenberg — Fri, 19 Feb 2021 13:01:00 +0000

After starting the week with a Monday slate that left much to be desired, this week ends with several great games across the land. A match-up of #3 Michigan vs. #4 Ohio State in the Big Ten leads the way, but plenty of other leagues are also scheduled to have their top teams battling it out. With the end of February fast approaching, here are 10 questions I have for the action taking place over the next few days.

Can Ohio State continue to dominate Michigan in Columbus? (Michigan @ Ohio State, Sunday, 1 PM EST, CBS) Going back to 1950, [...]

2020-21 RTC16: Week 12

Matthew Eisenberg — Mon, 15 Feb 2021 20:09:09 +0000

Gonzaga returns to a unanimous #1 in the RTC16 following another 2-0 week on the road. While Baylor enters a pause, Michigan returned to action and showed it belongs among the top four teams that have separated from the rest of the pack. While neither team remains in the RTC16, perhaps the biggest outcome of the past week came in the Missouri Valley Conference where Drake and Loyola (Chicago) split their matchups, leaving the possibility of a two-bid MVC.

CONFERENCE BREAKDOWN: Big 12 (5), Big Ten (4), Big East (2), AAC (1), ACC (1), Pac-12 (1), SEC (1), WCC (1)

RISING

Creighton: [...]

Ten Questions to Consider: A Resume Building and Protecting Weekend

Matthew Eisenberg — Fri, 12 Feb 2021 11:01:04 +0000

With the Super Bowl behind us, the focus of the sports world shifts fully to college basketball for the next month. For those just tuning in, this weekend presents several key match-ups across numerous conferences. For those who have been following the sport all season long, this weekend’s slate of action provides another glimpse into action of teams that have brought intrigue throughout the season. Here are 10 questions I have, questions that could go a long a way to helping answer a teams plans for March:

Can West Virginia continue to torch the nets from beyond the arc? (Oklahoma [...]

Ten Questions to Consider: Rivalries, Rematches & Opportunities

Matthew Eisenberg — Fri, 05 Feb 2021 20:23:48 +0000

From Monday through Wednesday, AP Top 25 teams had won just 10 of 19 games played during the week. Heading into the weekend, will chaos continue to rule the college basketball landscape? Rivalries, rematches and teams streaking in both directions lead the way of the 10 questions I have for games taking place over the next few days.

Can Illinois get transition opportunities against Wisconsin? (Wisconsin @ Illinois, Saturday, 2:30 PM EST, Fox) Hoop-Math data shows that Illinois ranks among the top 20 in both percentage of shots that come in transition and transition field goal percentage. In Wisconsin’s five [...]