A tale of two blue bloods

It's officially Super Bowl week, but we know where the sports allegiances of our readers lie. (And, well, it looks like players on the Eagles and Chiefs love college hoops, too.)

Monday provided a lighter slate, but it still featured a marquee matchup between two national title contenders in the Big 12. 

Let's get to the news.

1. DaJuan in a million

Go ahead and exhale, Jayhawks fans. You made it through the most grueling part of your schedule. Sure, the home blowout to TCU and the clunker in Ames stung. But your team handled business in Rupp, won convincingly over K-State in Allen Fieldhouse, and defeated a beastly Texas squad that sat atop the Big 12 standings.

Monday's game started smoothly for the Jayhawks, who led by as many as 14 in the first half, but the Longhorns made multiple pushes before and after intermission. Luckily for Kansas, Dajuan Harris put his stamp on the contest, scoring nine of his 17 points in the second half and answering every Texas run. He played an instrumental role in the 88-80 win.

When the Longhorns cut the deficit to four with 13 minutes left, Harris scored back-to-back baskets on crafty finishes at the rim. With seven minutes to go, the senior extended the lead to eight with a tough floater. Then, his most impressive play came by way of setting up his teammate. 

The beneficiary of Harris' jaw-dropping dime? Joseph Yesufu, who matched his season-high in points with 14. The Jayhawks (19-5, 7-4 in Big 12) also received a solid 15 minutes from MJ Rice and six points from Ernest Udeh in eight minutes. That's the second time in three games that Bill Self's bench has started to produce.

Beyond the reserves, it also helped that Gradey Dick shot his highest percentage (7-of-11 from the floor) since Dec. 17. 

Texas, meanwhile, got another dose of ridiculous buckets from Marcus Carr (29 points), but his performance wasn't enough to overcome the rest of his team's cold shooting (6-of-19 from 3) and turnovers (15.) But the Longhorns' defense might have been their ultimate undoing. Kansas averaged 1.16 points per possession, despite only hitting two 3-pointers. Hear the AFTER DARK crew break it down in more detail:

Nevertheless, the good news for Texas (19-5, 8-3) is there's no shortage of opportunities for quality wins in the Big 12. And the Longhorns have three relatively light games (home for West Virginia and Oklahoma, on the road at Texas Tech) to iron out any issues before Iowa State comes to Austin on Feb. 21. 

2. Blue Devil blues

There are emotional letdowns; then, there is whatever Duke did in Coral Gables last night.

The Blue Devils appeared lost from the opening tip, as Miami opened on a 13-1 run and never looked back. With a focus on creating turnovers, controlling the glass and dominating in transition, the 'Canes dismantled Duke, holding it to .82 points per possession and just nine second-chance points. The result was a resounding 81-59 victory.

Wooga Poplar, who has quietly developed into one of the ACC's best perimeter defenders, supplied the play of the night. With six minutes left in the first half, the sophomore wing turned a block on Tyrese Proctor into a fast-break dunk.

The loss dropped Duke to 17-7 overall and 8-5 in the ACC, a half-game ahead of North Carolina for sixth place — a frustrating setback for a team that had won three in a row and seemingly turned a corner.

After a brilliant effort against the Tar Heels, Jeremy Roach shot 3-of-8 from the field and coughed up five turnovers (Duke had 21 as a team.) Saturday's breakout star Dereck Lively logged five blocks, but his overall effect along the interior was nowhere near as noticeable. Miami grabbed 16 offensive rebounds (compared to Duke's 12) and scored 42 points in the paint. 

Inconsistent play has plagued Duke for much of the season — it has been especially amplified on the road, where the Devils have lost three games by double digits. 

"End of the day, you’re playing ball no matter where you are. If it’s neutral, road, home," said Jon Scheyer after the game. "And so for us, you [win on the road] by competing, you do it by being really together. The start that we got off to, we were trying to get it all back at once. And it’s not going to go against a team like them. You can’t get it back at once. You have to really work hard."

For Miami (19-5, 10-4), it cemented itself as a legitimate ACC contender, in case there were any doubts. After a trio of one-possession road losses, the 'Canes got off the schneid with Saturday's win at Clemson and followed it up with last night's eye-opening performance. 

But maybe it shouldn't have been all that surprising given their résumé. They're now just one of 10 teams with more than 6 Quad 1 wins.

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3. Other notable games

Over in the Cheese Curd State, Davin Zeigler pulled off the biggest miracle for a Green Bay-based team since Aaron Rodgers' 2016 divisional round Hail Mary (per my unofficial research.)

The 3-pointer pushed Green Bay into overtime against Milwaukee, where it ultimately triumphed, 80-79 (Ziegler's follow-up act was pretty special as well.)

The significance of this game? The Phoenix (3-22, 2-12 in Horizon) entered the contest as losers of 14 straight, which culminated in the firing of their coach, Will Ryan, two weeks ago. Milwaukee, on the other hand, was a half-game back of Youngstown State for tops in the Horizon League — and was also a 16-point home favorite. Brutal night for the Panthers (16-8, 10-4). 

Grambling State 66, Alabama A&M 60How about Grambling State? The Tigers (15-8) built off the momentum from big-time wins over Colorado and Vanderbilt in the noncon and are now tied for second in the SWAC at 8-3. Big man (and one-time highly-touted recruit) Carte'Are Gordon led the way with 16 points and three assists. Alabama A&M (9-15) dropped to 5-6 in league play.

Jackson State 88, Arkansas-Pine Bluff 84 (2OT)Staying in the SWAC, Jackson State (7-17, 6-5) and UAPB (10-14, 6-5) brought the fireworks both on and off the court:

Good luck to anyone searching for the footage. Regarding the on-court product, the Tigers used a balanced effort (five players in double figures) to prevail over the Golden Lions. Nevertheless, Pine Bluff's Shaun Doss continued his stellar season with 32 points on 10-of-13 from the field.

Tarleton State 69, UT Arlington 64This was not a pretty game. Neither team cracked a point per possession and combined for 37 turnovers. However, Tarleton State (13-11, 6-5 in WAC) used 45 second-half points to secure its first road win of the season, thwarting UT Arlington (8-16, 3-8.)

4. Get to the point

Who's the best floor general in the country? 

The Bob Cousy Award aims to make that distinction, and the list of the Top 10 finalists dropped yesterday afternoon.

Some of the candidates come as no surprise — Tyger Campbell, Kendric Davis, Yuri Collins, Max Abmas and Mike Miles have all generated hype since the preseason. However, the two favorites emerged out of nowhere.

Tyler Kolek and Markquis Nowell captain top-12 teams and catalyze their respective high-powered attacks. Kolek's command of the Golden Eagles' fourth-ranked offense is a marvel. The junior guard expertly manufactures paint touches, manipulates defenses with his eyes and makes live-dribble passes look effortless. Seriously, his passing is sublime. It's no wonder he ranks fourth in the country in assist rate with dimes like this.

Nowell, meanwhile, actually ranks third in the country in assist rate (with none more memorable than this one). The super senior has exploded under Jerome Tang's tutelage.

But where Nowell separates himself is with his shot creation. He regularly drains 3s from beyond NBA range, and he doesn't shy away from shooting them off the bounce (20 of his 52 made 3s have been unassisted, per Hoop-Math.) While his efficiency has slipped some recently (34.5 percent from the field, 5.0 turnovers per game over his past four contests), Nowell's stats, flashy plays and team's success will make him tough to beat.

Though, keep an eye on Miles. If he can return soon from a hyperextended knee and picks up where he left off (18.1 ppg, 3.0 apg, 1.4 spg), the Horned Frogs' leader may earn the hardware.

5. The Pack vs. the pack line

We covered Miami's prospects in the ACC, but to win its first regular season title since 2013, it will have to dethrone Virginia. 

The Hoos have once again parlayed their slow and methodical brand into a spot at the top of the conference (they're a half-game behind Clemson for first place.) But in an unpredictable year for the ACC, nothing is a given. 

In fact, for all of its steadiness, Virginia could drop its second game in a row when NC State comes to Charlottesville tonight. The Wolfpack entered this week's poll at No. 22, marking the first time in four years that they have been ranked. Behind Terquavion Smith's shot-making and DJ Burns' savvy in the post, NC State has revitalized hope in its fan base, winning eight of its past nine games. 

So how can it pull off the upset tonight? First, Smith has to take smart shots. Of course, his deep range and gunslinger mentality lead to makes like this. But with Virginia's ability to limit possessions, the Pack can ill-afford a 2-for-11-type stat line from him.

NC State has done a phenomenal job taking care of the ball (second nationally in offensive turnover rate), so Smith and Jarkel Joiner should be able to handle the pressure from Kihei Clark and Reece Beekman. But they need to pick their spots to maximize the offense's potential in this particular matchup. 

The most intriguing showdown will occur between Burns and the Virginia frontcourt. Forward Ben Vander Plas has started the past six games for Virginia, but that matchup would heavily (no pun intended) favor the NC State big man.

Conversely, the Hoos' top shot-blocker, Kadin Shedrick, has seen his minutes plummet since Vander Plas entered the starting lineup (6.3 minutes per contest during that stretch, including a DNP at Virginia Tech Saturday). However, coach Tony Bennett will almost certainly need him in this one. Shedrick may even draw him one-on-one. Because if Virginia doubles big-to-big, as it tends to do, Burns can make them pay. Though he has the size of Goliath, he has the passing accuracy of David with the slingshot. Burns' 14.8 assist rate leads all 6-9 and taller players in the ACC. Few bigs are better at turning double teams into open shots for teammates. 

NC State has beaten Virginia in each of the past three seasons. Can it make it four tonight?

Put up or shut up for UConn

Relative to expectations, it has been a rough couple of weeks for UConn. The Huskies have posted a 4-6 record since Dec. 31, and of their four wins, three have come against Big East bottom-feeders Butler, DePaul and Georgetown. (They trailed the lowly Hoyas by one with under five minutes to go — a little bit concerning.) Well, tonight, they have a chance to make a statement against the Big East's top team. Marquette travels to Storrs tonight, and UConn will need its defense in December form to contain the Golden Eagles' masterful offense. (6:30 pm ET, FS1)

Other games to watch (all times ET):

• TCU (17-6, 6-4 in Big 12), at Kansas State (18-5, 6-4), 9 pm (ESPNU)

• Rutgers (16-7, 8-4 in Big Ten), at Indiana (16-7, 7-5), 6:30 pm (Big Ten Network)

• Auburn (17-6, 7-3 in SEC), at Texas A&M (16-7, 8-2), 7 pm (ESPN2)

• Kentucky (16-7, 7-3 in SEC), at Arkansas (16-7, 5-5), 9 pm (ESPN)

• North Carolina (15-8, 7-5 in ACC), at Wake Forest (15-9, 7-6), 7 pm (ESPN)

• Dayton (15-9, 7-4 in A10), at VCU (18-6, 9-2), 7 pm (CBS Sports Network)

The Last of Busts

North Carolina entered the season as the No. 1 team in the AP poll. Kentucky was No. 4. But neither have lived up to expectations. They've fallen so far that they're both among the Last Four in in our most recent bracket projection.

So what to make of the Heels and Wildcats? Rob Dauster, Greg Waddell and Terrence Oglesby weigh in.

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

Links to click as you peruse a spot for Valentine's Day reservations (you're welcome for the reminder.)

• Jim Boeheim released multiple statements regarding his comments from Saturday's post-game press conference.

• Jeff Goodman polled 30 college basketball media members for their National Player of the Year ballots.

• Tonight's Minnesota-Illinois game has been postponed due to COVID issues within the Gophers' program.

• John Fanta had quite the interaction on a Big East Twitter space.

• Howard teased some of the coolest jerseys you'll see this year in honor of Black History Month.

Thanks for reading The Field of 68 Daily! If you have a news tip or feedback, email us at [email protected]

And don't forget to listen to The Field of 68 AFTER DARK every night at 11 pm ET on Sirius XM radio, or watch it on YouTube and Twitter.

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