Your college hoops weekend recap 🏀

Friday blitzed the college basketball world with a slate of college hoops that spanned approximately 12 hours. Intriguing matchups dotted the schedule before a slow Saturday brought a brief reprieve. The action ramped back up on Sunday, so there's much to cover.

Let's get to the news.

1. Keeping the main thing the main thing

You know the Feast Week headliners — the Maui Invitational, the Battle 4 Atlantis, the Phil Knight Invitational and Legacy (more on those later). But the Continental Tire Main Event staked its claim for this year's most entertaining MTE.

Virginia and Baylor kicked it off Friday night, going back-and-forth for the first 20 minutes. However, Virginia used a stellar second half to win 86-79 win — not bad for a squad that entered the contest as a five-point underdog. On offense, the Hoos went nuclear from deep, canning 8 of their 12 3-point attempts after the intermission. They did their part on defense as well, forcing Baylor into 13 second-half turnovers with aggressive hard hedges on ball screens. 

Friday's second game looked to be a blowout as UCLA built a 15-point lead early in the second half. But in the final 17 minutes, the Illini flipped the script. Behind Terrence Shannon's 29 points, Sincire Harris' energy and defense, and Dain Dainja's interior scoring, Illinois took the lead with nine minutes left and snagged a 79-70 victory. UCLA (3-2) ended the weekend with two losses as Baylor (4-1) got huge nights from  LJ Cryer and Adam Flagler in an 80-75 win.

Sunday's finale set the stage to ensure that Virginia or Illinois would vault into the Top 10 with a win. Much like Friday, the Hoos' defense and clutch shot-making swung the game. Armaan Franklin and Reece Beekman held Shannon in check while Kadin Shedrick made scoring at the basket a chore for the Illini. But the biggest highlight arrived by way of a Beekman finish with two minutes left in the game.

The basket came in the middle of a 14-3 run that Virginia used to bury Illinois, winning 70-61. Beekman captured the tournament's MVP honors for pouring in 17 points, 3 assists and 3 steals in the championship game.

After an unimaginably horrific week for the university and the city of Charlottesville, the wins can hopefully lift the community. Jeff Goodman caught up with Beekman after the game, and the junior point guard shared about the emotional impact:

2. Gonzaga went all out, while the Terps came out of their shells

After getting BBQ'd like a tender brisket earlier in the week, Gonzaga (3-1) responded admirably and handled its business against Kentucky with an 88-72 win in a Top 5 showdown.

The 'Cats looked out of sync defensively, and the Zags gleefully took advantage. Drew Timme, Julian Strawther and Rasir Bolton all chipped in 20 or more points in front of a raucous semi-home crowd in Spokane. Considering it was coming off a near-20-point loss to Texas, Gonzaga celebrated (maybe exhaled?) a little bit on Sunday night.

“You were hoping that's how your team responds after a disappointing loss,” coach Mark Few said. “It was really, really big.”

Meanwhile, Kentucky is 3-2 and also looking for answers on offense. Despite 20 points and 15 rebounds from Oscar Tshiebwe, it made a season-low 39 percent of its field goals (just 6-of-25 from beyond the arc). What's ailing the 'Cats, and what to make of Gonzaga now? The Field of 68 AFTER DARK team broke it down.

Turning to the Big Ten, Illinois wasn't the conference's only squad that validated itself over the weekend.

The Maryland Terrapins stormed into the Mohegan Sun and incinerated the nylon, blowing out Saint Louis and Miami in the process. They went a combined 22-53 (41.5 percent) from 3 in the two contests, including 13 made triples against Saint Louis — a number they eclipsed in just one game last season.

Aside from the 3-point barrage, Donta Scott was the story for the Terps. Neither SLU nor Miami had an answer for the senior forward — he tied his career high on Saturday with 25 points, then followed it up with 24 yesterday. Scott knocked down 3s off the catch, cooked defenders in the mid-post, and made smart passes out of dribble-hand-offs and ball screens: 

Beyond Scott, coach Kevin Willard has engineered a balanced attack for Maryland. Transfers Don Carey and Jahmir Young have been exceptional ancillary pieces, and sophomore big man Julian Reese has shown why he was a top-60 recruit coming out of high school (12.3 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 76.9 FG% through five games).

The early returns have been fantastic for Willard, with the Terps looking poised to contend in the Big Ten. Speaking of the league, it turns out it isn't dying after all.

Other notable game results (and there were plenty):

Indiana 81, Xavier 79: In the Gavitt Games' penultimate showdown, IU (4-0) edged out Xavier (3-1) in an electrifying contest. Both teams led for the same amount of time (17:40) and the score was tied on seven separate occasions. But the Hoosiers shot 60 percent from the field after halftime, and that was too much for the Musketeers. Trayce Jackson-Davis unsurprisingly did his thing, scoring 30 points. But perhaps more notable? Freshman big Malik Reneau looked awesome, despite foul trouble.

Michigan State 73, Villanova 71: Sparty staved off 'Nova's comeback attempt to secure the sixth and final win for the Big Ten in the Gavitt Games. Tyson Walker lit up the scoreboard for 22 points and AJ Hoggard notched a near triple-double (13 points, 10 rebounds, 8 assists). Michigan State moved to 3-1 and dropped Villanova to 2-2.

Southern 74, Cal 66: The Jaguars (1-3) got their first victory of the season, canning 12 of their 23 3-point attempts to send Cal (0-4) packing. The win marked just the fifth time in program history that Southern Conference team beat a Power 5 opponent. For Cal, it officially dropped below 200 on KenPom, further tarnishing the Pac-12's reputation.

Syracuse 76, Northeastern 48: The grizzled Jim Boeheim reached the 1,000-win milestone on Saturday, as Syracuse routed Northeastern. Of course, his unofficial tally stands at 1,101, but I'm sure he appreciates the accomplishment nonetheless. Also of note: The Orange benefited from another top-notch Judah Mintz game (18 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists).

Saint Mary's 76, Hofstra 48: Another day, another dominant defensive performance from Saint Mary's. The Gaels (5-0) boast the sixth-ranked defense in the country, per KenPom, and have held their past five opponents under .9 points per possession.

Charleston 77, Virginia Tech 75: The Cougars (5-1) made the most of hosting the Charleston Classic, triumphing over Virginia Tech (5-1) in Sunday's championship game. Per KenPom, CofC ranks 33rd nationally in bench minutes, so it's not surprising that it showcased a variety of players in the three-game campaign. Guards Reyne Smith and Ryan Larson both shined, as did wing Dalton Bolon.

UMass 60, Charlotte 54: Could UMass emerge as the best team in the A-10? A proposition that seemed ludicrous a month ago now seems a little more feasible. The Minutemen downed Colorado, Murray State and Charlotte en route to a Myrtle Beach Invitational championship. (And a much-deserved shoutout to the MVP Noah Fernandes).

Houston 66, Oregon 56: Freshman wing Terrance Arceneaux came off the bench to score 15 points and Jamal Shead found his shooting touch, as Houston (5-0) defeated Oregon (2-2) on the road. The Ducks kept the game interesting for the first ten minutes or so, but the result was never really in doubt after that. 

Michigan 70, Ohio 66 (OT): Ohio (1-3) controlled much of the game before Michigan (4-1) took the lead on free throws with 2 seconds left. Then came the most insane inbounds play you'll see all season (sorry, Tom Izzo). However, the Wolverines held serve in OT, escaping with a narrow win.

3. Feast Week Primer

As earlier teased, Feast Week is officially upon us. There's a lot of basketball to consume this week, so here's a guide in case you have to wrestle the remote from a relative who wants to get an early start on Christmas movies.

Maui Invitational, Nov. 21-23:(Bracket here)

The field: Arizona, Arkansas, Cincinnati, Creighton, Louisville, Ohio State, San Diego State, Texas Tech

The lowdown: Feast Week's flagship tournament doesn't need an introduction. The field always consists of teams with national title hopes, and this year is no different. Arizona, Arkansas, Creighton and San Diego State all have a chance to win the MTE.

The pick: Arizona over Creighton

Battle 4 Atlantis, Nov. 23-25, Paradise Island, Bahamas:(Bracket here)

The field: Butler, BYU, Dayton, Kansas, NC State, Tennessee, USC, Wisconsin

The lowdown: Kansas and Tennessee are the clear-cut favorites, but the unique location of the Battle 4 Atlantis (read: a dimly lit hotel ballroom) tends to yield some wonky results. Could Wisconsin be the party crasher? It rose from the depths of irrelevance and won Maui last year. Perhaps an encore is in its near future.

The pick: Tennessee over Kansas

Phil Knight Invitational, Nov. 24-27, Portland, Oregon:(Bracket here)

The field: Alabama, Iowa State, Michigan State, North Carolina, Oregon, Portland, UConn, Villanova

The lowdown: North Carolina looked like the obvious pick when the field was announced. However, that was before a couple of sleepy performances from the Heels and a couple of inspired efforts from the Spartans. Michigan State has a tough road to the championship game but could engage in a PK80 rematch with UNC if both squads take care of business.

The pick: Michigan State over North Carolina

Phil Knight Legacy, Nov. 24-27, Portland, Oregon:(Bracket here)

The field: Duke, Florida, Gonzaga, Iowa, Oregon State, Portland State, Purdue

The lowdown: This bracket looks like it's crafted to give the fans what they want: Duke vs. Gonzaga in the championship game. However, if you're looking for a dark horse, Xavier or Purdue could blow up the well-designed plans.

The pick: Gonzaga over Duke

Cayman Classic, Nov. 21-23, George Town, Cayman Islands(Bracket here)

The field: Akron, Illinois State, Kansas State, LSU, Nevada, Rhode Island, Tulane, Western Kentucky

The lowdown: Let's get a little weird, on the off chance that you subscribe to FloSports. The Cayman Classic features a star-studded mid-major (Western Kentucky), an AAC team hoping to make a leap (Tulane) and two Power 5 schools with new coaches looking for momentum (LSU and Kansas State).

The pick: Tulane over LSU

4. Top teams getting closer to full health

The weekend brought the season debuts of several notable players: Duke's Dariq Whitehead, Dayton's Malachi Smith and UConn's Andre Jackson.

Whitehead logged just 15 minutes in his first collegiate game against Delaware. He showed flashes defensively but didn't do much on the other end (3-11 from the field). Of course, Duke didn't exactly need him to, as it squashed the Blue Hens, 92-58.

Smith's return also went quietly. Dayton got a closer game than it anticipated from Robert Morris, but it leaned more on the brilliance of Da'Ron Holmes than its sophomore point guard. Smith tallied 5 points in 21 minutes for the Flyers.

Lastly, Jackson came off the bench for the Huskies against UNC Wilmington on Friday, but don't expect that to continue. He wasted no time demonstrating all of the traits that make him special: his court vision, his versatile defense and his proclivity for making splash plays.

5. Big scorers in smaller leagues

We'll finish today's headlines with some love for the mid-majors, as several players turned in high-scoring outputs over the past couple of days.

On Saturday, Rice won a shootout with Western Michigan, 96-88. The contest featured two guards who couldn't miss — Travis Evee for the Owls and Lamar Norman for the Broncos. Norman knocked down seven triples as part of a 30-point day. Evee, meanwhile, supplied 31 points, including the dagger trifecta.

First-year Division I program Stonehill got its second win of the season thanks to senior guard Isaiah Burnett. The Navy transfer scored a career-high 30 points as the Skyhawks beat Holy Cross, 81-79. Burnett shot a whopping 17 free throws and made 15 of them. 

Finally, St. Bonaventure's Daryl Banks III led the Bonnies to victory, notching 34 points in an 81-68 win over Bowling Green. The sweet-shooting guard is no stranger to massive performances — he dropped 27 on Kentucky as a member of last year's Saint Peter's squad. In particular, Banks looked unstoppable bombing 3s in transition and off of screens.

Team of the week: Virginia Cavaliers

What else can be said about the Hoos that we haven't already touched on? What about they did it on both sides of the ball in Vegas? The offense caught fire vs. Baylor (1.29 points per possession, including 9 of 14 from deep), while the defense carried the day against Illinois (the Illini managed just .9 points per possession, by far their season low). Bennett-ball is back.

Player of the week: Tyrese Hunter, Texas

Given all the hoops the last three days, you're forgiven if you forgot about the 'Horns trouncing Gonzaga. But don't forget about Hunter, Texas' new sophomore guard, who scored 26 points (5-of-8 from beyond the arc) and terrorized the Gonzaga guards on defense.

Weekend warrior: Trayce Jackson-Davis, Indiana

The Hoosiers' All-American big man followed up his magnificent game against Xavier with an efficient stat stuffer vs. Miami (Ohio). He dropped 17 points (on just eight shot attempts) and grabbed 16 rebounds. That's an average of 23.5 points and 11 rebounds, with five shots total, in two days.

Others in consideration: Jalen Wilson, Kansas (33 points, 6 rebounds in win vs Southern Utah), Donta Scott, Maryland (see above), Yuri Collins, St. Louis (33 points, 13 assists in two games), Tucker DeVries, Drake (29 points in Paradise Jam vs. Wyoming).

Defensive showdown in Maui?

Most college hoops fans know the Lāhainā Civic Center for its soft rims and high-scoring games. But the offenses will take a backseat in the Maui Invitational's opener between Creighton and Texas Tech. The Jays come into the game with the 27th-ranked defense, per KenPom, while Texas Tech places seventh on that end. Of course, someone will have to hit shots — Creighton's Arthur Kaluma and Baylor Scheierman will face their biggest test so far against the Red Raiders' length.

Other games to watch (all times ET):

• Ohio State (3-0) vs. San Diego State (3-0) at Lāhainā Civic Center, 9 pm (ESPN2)

• Cincinnati (3-1) vs. Arizona (3-0) at Lāhainā Civic Center, 11:30 pm (ESPN2)

• Mississippi State (4-0) vs. Marquette (3-1) at Suncoast Credit Union Arena (FL), 8:30 pm (FS1)

Orange crush

Illinois came up short late against Virginia, but it's clear the Illini are a contender to win the Big Ten and make the Final Four because of its athleticism and versatility.

So what's missing? Randolph Childress, Greg Waddell and Matt McCall weigh in on if Illinois needs a go-to guy to create offense down the stretch, and how they'll have to figure it out quickly with a couple of big tests next week.

Subscribe to The Field of 68 AFTER DARK on YouTube here and click here subscribe to the AFTER DARK podcast.

Links to click as you kick back with a nice cold bowl of turkey ice cream:

• New Mexico and New Mexico State's Saturday game was postponed due to the involvement of a New Mexico State player in a homicide on New Mexico's campus.

• The National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame announced its 2022 class.

• Southeastern Louisiana completed the comeback of the century over Campbell.

• 2023 5-star AJ Johnson will announce his college decision today.

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