Rock Chalk revenge

Kansas shows out vs K-State, Maryland dives into bubble talk, and more results to know. Plus, how does Xavier adjust to losing Zach Freemantle?

Author

Mike Miller
February 01, 2023

Ah, February. That time of year when you get weeks of Super Bowl buildup, and then sports fans realize they need to brush up on their college hoops. But you're already here, reading the Daily. Thanks for that. We'll dive into a lively Tuesday night.

1. Kansas earns its revenge

It's been 40 years since Kansas State swept the season series against Kansas. What's another year?

Jalen Wilson scored 20 points, and Kevin McCullar added 16 points and 13 rebounds as the Jayhawks (18-4, 6-3 in Big 12) swarmed their in-state rivals for a bit of revenge on Tuesday night, two weeks after K-State won an OT thriller. The resounding 90-78 win at Allen Fieldhouse not only gave Kansas its second straight win but created a log jam in the Big 12 standings. This thing's a mess.

Tuesday wasn't always pretty — both teams combined for 47 fouls and 71 free throws — but it was entertaining. Neither team was shy about shots in the first half, but a three-minute scoreless streak by K-State provided the cushion that Kansas would never relinquish. They led 49-37 at the break, and unlike the last time these two played, it wasn't just Wilson doing the scoring.

The bench scored 19 points via four different players. That's a crucial plot point for Bill Self's team, which had been getting roughly 98.7 percent of its scoring from its starters. Also a rare sight? Dajuan Harris scoring 18 points on 12 shots. Combine those with the defense holding K-State to below .98 points per possession for just the ninth time this season, and it makes for an impressive win.

“Hey, their guys are hard to guard. They've got a good team,” Kansas coach Bill Self said. “I actually thought we did a good job, for the most part, and our bench was terrific. That was the best our bench has played so far.”

It's almost like it would've been a good game to have on ESPN or ESPN2. 

(Also, with Travis Kelce in attendance, that's back-to-back nights with a Super Bowl LVII player at a college hoops contest. Who's hitting what game tomorrow?)

Kansas State (18-4, 6-3) just never got comfortable. Markquis Nowell had 23 points on 18 field goal attempts, while Keyontae Johnson added 22 on 19 shots. They'll be in friendlier confines for their next two games (Saturday vs. Texas and Feb. 7 against TCU), which will be a welcome sign for a team that's lost two of three.

“I thought we got sped up and we did some things uncharacteristic to us (on offense)," coach Jerome Tang said. "But that was because of what they were doing on defense. We left our feet to throw passes. We had 10 turnovers in the first half. I thought we had a bunch of self-inflicted wounds (in the first half). Part of it was the environment, and part of it was the scheme and how we tried to attack them. We will go back and look at it.”

2. Now's the time to start talking 'bout the bubble

As January draws to a close, it's time for coaches to start making their NCAA Tournament cases.

Maryland coach Kevin Willard did just that after the Terps' 66-55 win against Indiana on Tuesday.

“I feel we're getting punished because we played two bad games. When I watch everyone else play bad games, they don't seem to get punished,” Willard said. “So I think it's my job to start letting everybody realize we kicked a lot of people's (butt) at the beginning of the year, we had two big guys hurt, and now we're playing pretty good basketball."

Good news, coach! We projected Maryland (15-7, 6-5 in Big Ten) as a tournament team before you snapped the Hoosiers' five-game win streak. With at least four Quad 1 matchups left on Maryland's remaining nine games, and a NET in the Top 35, the Terps should be fine, which is a credit to what Willard's done in Year 1 at College Park, not to mention rebounding from those losses (vs. UCLA and at Michigan) he hinted at.

Besides, when you can win games like Tuesday's clank-fest, you deserve a little grace.

Indiana (15-7, 6-5) entered playing like a top-10 team, but its shooting was bad (37.5 percent from the field, just 27 percent from deep), and it got beat on the boards (40-33) and had more turnovers. Trayce Jackson-Davis was his usual productive self (18 points on 13 shots, an Xfinity Center record 20 rebounds), but rookie Jalen-Hood Schifino looked like a freshman, missing 13 of 14 shots. Maryland's zone defense did its job.

"It's the same 2-3 zone that we played against Iowa and scored almost 90 points against," TJD said. "I think they were more physical than us, and it threw us a little off our rhythm."

They'll have to find it in the next few days. No. 1 Purdue comes to Bloomington on Saturday.

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3. Nevada outlasts SDSU, plus other notable results

The Mountain West is rewarding those college hoops night owls.

Jerod Lucas scored 26 points as Nevada upended No. 22 San Diego State late Tuesday night. The Wolf Pack (17-6, 7-3 in MWC) remained unbeaten at home and are right on the heels of conference leaders SDSU and Boise State as a result.

“Our guys are jacked. They’re excited,” Nevada coach Steve Alford said. “If you’ve followed this team you know they’re fun to watch.”

The Aztecs (17-5, 8-2) and Nevada played close throughout, with 12 lead changes until Lucas' jumper with 4:10 remaining gave the home team the lead for good.

Matt Bradley led SDSU with 16 points and will now get Boise State on Friday. At stake? First place in the MWC. For now, at least.

Alabama 101, Vanderbilt 44Ah, the old get-right game. The No. 4 Crimson Tide (19-3, 9-0 in SEC), just days removed from their worst loss of the season, ran away and all over Vandy for their largest margin of victory this season, and the largest margin of victory between power conference teams since 2014. Hell, Bama's second half alone (59 points) would've been enough for a double-digit win. Brandon Miller led all scorers with 22.

Boston College 62, Clemson 54This is a problem. Not just because the No. 20 Tigers (18-5, 10-2 in ACC) saw their ACC lead shrink or because they couldn't muster any offense in the final 13 minutes. It's because they entered the game 60th in the NET with a couple of Quad 4 losses. This'll be a Quad 3 loss, placing the team atop the ACC squarely on the NCAA Tournament bubble.

TCU 76, West Virginia 72No Mike Miles, but the Horned Frogs (17-5, 6-3 in Big 12) held off the Mountaineers (13-9, 2-7) behind 16 points each from Shahada Well and Damion Baugh. TCU had yet another game where it couldn't connect beyond the arc (2-of-10) but was so good inside the arc (58 percent) it didn't matter.

Miami 92, Virginia Tech 83This is why Nijel Pack came to Miami. He scored all 17 of his points in a five-minute, six-shot flurry, pushing the No. 23 Canes (17-5, 8-4 in ACC) past Virginia Tech (13-9, 3-8), which had been in control for most of the game, and led by five until Pack did his thing. No, seriously, the Hokies were doing just fine.

UConn 90, DePaul 76Get-right game, redux. Jordan Hawkins scored 26 points, Adama Sanogo added 25, and Tristen Newton posted his second consecutive 20-plus point game as the Huskies (17-6, 6-6 in Big East) won their first road game since Dec. 17. Odds are it'll be two in a row when they play the Hoyas on Saturday.

Duke 75, Wake Forest 73The Blue Devils (16-6, 7-4) controlled most of the game thanks to an inspired night from Jeremy Roach, who scored 17 of his 21 points in the first half. So how did Wake (14-9, 6-6) make it close? Two things: Roach hurt his wrist in the second half, limiting his effectiveness, and Duke's offense vanished in the final four minutes. But Kyle Filipowski's 3-pointer with 47 seconds left was enough (and made this defensive play a distant memory.)

Illinois 72, Nebraska 56The Illini (16-6, 7-4) have won seven of their last eight and are all alone in third in the Big Ten standings. Four starters hit double figures, led by Matthew Mayer's 16 points. Maybe their newest fans are a good luck charm?

Iowa 86, Northwestern 70So much for that Wildcat defense. The Hawkeyes (13-8, 5-5 in Big Ten) dropped 47 in the second half and snapped a three-game win streak for Northwestern (15-6, 6-4).

Kentucky 75, Ole Miss 66Antonio Reeves scored 27 points as the Wildcats (15-7, 6-3 in SEC) puled away in the second half for a much-needed road win. They'll be at home for the next two (Florida and Arkansas), which could help solidify their NCAA Tournament profile.

Arkansas 81, Texas A&M 70Nick Smith still isn't playing, but when Ricky Council IV does things like this, it might not matter.

He and Davonte Davis led all scorers with 19 points as the Hogs (15-7, 4-5 in SEC) won their third straight game in the SEC. All of them have come at home, so we'll see what happens this weekend. A&M (15-7, 7-2) is still in the top three of the league.

Boise State 59, Air Force 52The Broncos (18-5, 8-2 in MWC) weren't great. They trailed more than 14 minutes into the game, and opened up a 13-point lead, only to have Air Force (12-11, 3-7) cut the lead to one point with four minutes left. But behind Max Rice's 22 points, they got the win and are now tied with SDSU atop the standings.

VCU 61, Davidson 59Ace Baldwin spurred a second-half rally and hit the game-winning jumper with 15 seconds left as the Rams (17-6, 8-2 in A-10) got back atop the league standings with an impressive win. They didn't hit a 3, but only had six turnovers and grabbed 16 offensive rebounds. The hustle carried the day.

Fordham 75, Saint Louis 65That's now five consecutive wins for the Rams (18-4, 6-3), who got 27 points from Darius Quisenberry and propelled them with a 44-point second half. That's their most wins in a season since 2007. SLU (15-7, 7-2) lost for the first time since Jan. 4.

Dayton 85, Loyola Chicago 81, OTThe Flyers (15-8, 7-3 in A-10) staged a second-half rally and led by six with 49 seconds remaining, but the Ramblers (7-14, 1-8) forced OT thanks to a pair of 3-pointers. But Toumani Camara's 31 points proved to be the difference. Point guard Malachi Smith also had his most productive game since returning from a foot injury, scoring 21 points and dishing 8 assists.

Kent State 81, Central Michigan 69All five starters scored in double figures for the Golden Flashes (18-4, 8-1 in MAC), who remain tied with league rival Akron atop the MAC. Oh, look! Guess what's coming up this Friday ... a little rivalry game called The Wagon Wheel.

4. How does Xavier adjust without Freemantle?

Here's an incredible way to dampen Xavier's impressive season: Zach Freemantle is out at least four weeks due to a left foot injury, per Matt Norlander.

The 6-9 senior forward averages 15.2 points, 8.1 rebounds and shoots 58.5 percent from the field. He's the Musketeers' second-leading scorer and leading rebounder and gives them a key differentiator up front. Xavier's one of the few teams in college hoops that uses two bigs, and Freemantle's offensive versatility buoys that approach

"We're optimistic he'd return the last week of the season or be available for the Big East Tournament," coach Sean Miller told CBS Sports. "Sooner than that is not an option. Coming back sooner would put him further at risk."

Miller later emphasized, "Unless he has some type of setback with his healing, he clearly would be back for the Big East Tournament."

Xavier (17-5, 9-2 in Big East) has a massive home game tonight against Providence. Both are in a three-way tie atop the league standings with Marquette. Jerome Hunter will move into the starting lineup, while freshman Desmond Claude will see more minutes as well, all of which begs the question: Does this sink Xavier?

Maybe not. 

Per EvanMiya.com's lineup ratings, Xavier's regular starting lineup — Freemantle, Souley Boum, Colby Jones, Adam Kunkel and Jack Nunge — is its most efficient lineup. A lineup with Hunter in place of Freemantle wouldn't see an offensive drop and would only surrender 10 more points per 100 possessions. Claude in the lineup also doesn't have a significant dropoff.

(Side note: If Miller plays Boum with Claude, Hunter, Nunge and Kunkel, it's by far Xavier's best defensive lineup. If you add senior KyKy Tandy with Boum, Claude, Jones and Nunge, it's his best offensive lineup. That's only over 25 possessions, so the sample size ain't great.)

We'll see how it goes tonight. If Miller has to tinker, he's got games against St. John's (Saturday) and Butler (Feb. 10) that should be winnable even without Freemantle. 

5. That NIL crackdown is coming

The NIL's freewheeling, wide-open days might be coming to an end. Mentioned this yesterday, but wanted to give this story by SI.com's Ross Dellinger a bit more room today — because it's a doozy when it comes to what's in store for schools that played fast and loose with NIL rules.

NCAA vice president of enforcement Jon Duncan says officials have opened many investigations into programs suspected of NIL violations, but those probes often stalled due to a lack of cooperation. Witnesses don't go on the record and sometimes lie. Well, the NCAA isn't taking no for an answer.

Investigators can now use circumstantial evidence (like a tip or news story) instead of on-record sourcing to presume a school violated NCAA rules. Schools can disprove the allegation or else be potentially charged. The move strengthens the enforcement staff’s ability to charge schools and allows more leeway for investigators.

“If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it’s a duck,” Duncan said. “Instead of putting the burden on the enforcement staff to always come up with a smoking gun, which we don’t always have, there is a presumption. It puts the burden on the school. It’s a really powerful tool.”

Seems like we have a few probable outcomes:

  • The NCAA aggressively pursues everything, pressures people into talking and we're back to the days of when they could enforce rules and punish program according to how they're feeling on a particular day.

  • Schools quickly adjust and distance themselves from any boosters or NIL collectives that might cause an issue.

  • Everyone tells the NCAA to go away.

It's easy to understand why the NCAA and many conference and school officials want this. They're sick of "pay-to-play" and all the money being thrown at athletes. But that's a reactionary POV, especially now that athletes are just starting to cash in on the college sports revenue. And who would decide the penalties? The NCAA? They're in the process of asking Congress to help enact laws so their NIL guidelines can become rules. 

The whole thing feels like they're chasing their tails, but we'll see how the early attempts at enforcement go. The marketplace will probably resolve as many NIL issues as the NCAA. Money has a way of doing that.

The transitive property wins again

Haven't been able to stop staring at this graphic the last few days, so figured it was perfect for an OT slot. The gist is every team has at least one D-I win and loss. Elon was the last team to grab a win by beating Drexel on Saturday.

(Calling it "Circle of Suck" seems a bit harsh, though.)

Ready for some Bedlam?

How does Oklahoma (12-9, 2-6 in Big 12) respond to its biggest win of the year, a 24-point thrashing of 'Bama, now that in-state rival Oklahoma State (12-9, 2-6) is rolling into town? The Sooners are a 3-point favorite, all due to being at home. I'll tune in, especially since we're getting to the final games of the annual series with OU moving to the SEC. (9 pm ET, ESPN2)

Other games to watch (All time ET)

  • Penn State (14-7, 5-5 in Big Ten) at Purdue (21-1, 10-1), 6:30 pm (Big Ten Network)

  • Providence (17-5, 9-2 in Big East) at Xavier (17-5, 9-2), 6:30 pm (FS1)

  • Pitt (15-7, 8-3 in ACC) at North Carolina (15-6, 7-3), 7 pm (ACC Network)

  • Belmont (16-7, 9-3 MVC) at Murray State (12-10, 7-5), 8 pm

  • New Mexico (19-3, 6-3 in MWC) at Utah State (17-5, 6-3), 10:30 pm (FS1)

Hoo-ray for Virginia

There's less than six weeks until Selection Sunday. So maybe it's time to finally accept that Virginia is the ACC's best team and probably the conference's best chance at a Final Four, argues John Fanta. Have a listen.

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Links as the South cranks up the heat.

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