Five takeaways from a thrilling weekend

Maybe other dog owners out there relate to this — but some days, my pup can't decide what toy he wants to play with. Between his rope, his ball, his bone and whatever else my wife finds on Chewy, he often faces option paralysis. On the rare occasion, though, he'll multi-task, grabbing his rope in his mouth and swinging at the ball, or cradling his bone while chewing on a Kong (he's pretty coordinated, not gonna lie).

As odd as it may sound, you probably understood his struggle this past Saturday. With so many action-packed games, you might've felt conflicted about which games to watch, which games to monitor and which games to ignore altogether.

Well, that's why you read this newsletter: To catch up on what you missed and read about college basketball's biggest storylines. Let's hit on some major takeaways from the best weekend of the season.

1. It's a beaut, Clark

UCLA entered the season in desperate need of someone to step up alongside Tyger Campbell and Jaime Jaquez. Those two — while excellent players — can't do it all on their own, and the departures of Johnny Juzang and Jules Bernard left a void on the perimeter.

Well, junior wing Jaylen Clark has silenced those concerns. His breakout has forged UCLA looking into a national title contender.

Throughout his first two seasons in Los Angeles, Clark flashed as a multi-positional defender. But in Year 3, he has harnessed that potential to achieve lockdown status. He is steely in both physique and demeanor — immovable on the court, with a toughness that gives even the sport's best players fits.

In addition, he ruins opponents with his active hands, exploiting ballhandlers who show even a sliver of unawareness. Clark's 5.5 steal percentage ranks 12th nationally, per KenPom, and leads to easy run-outs for the Bruins.

On offense, he has bought into his role as the third option, providing a huge boost to the team. Clark picks his spots efficiently, but he can score in a variety of ways — like posting up smaller wings, attacking close-outs, knocking down 3s and crashing the offensive glass. Believe it or not, UCLA's offense has been better than last year's unit, despite losing Juzang's shot-making and Bernard's 3-point accuracy. The Bruins' performance wasn't perfect in Saturday's 63-53 win over Kentucky, but they made enough baskets down the stretch (including Clark's breakaway slam) to seal the deal.

Mick Cronin certainly seems happy about the offense's improvement.

"We’re third in the nation in offense [per KenPom]," he said after Saturday's 63-53 win over Kentucky. "When I was at Cincinnati, they called me to clinics to talk on defense, now I’m going to get called for offense."

2. Rock chalk repeat?

Repeating in any sport is difficult, especially college basketball. Consider this note: of the past five national champions, none have made the second weekend the following year. Moreover, only two reigning champs have reached the Sweet 16 since 2010 — and neither advanced to the Elite Eight.

And yet, despite a shaky Thanksgiving week, Kansas has the horses to buck that trend. Since near-misses to NC State and Wisconsin and a blowout loss to Tennessee in Atlantis, the Jayhawks are 4-0 with an average win margin of 27.

Two of those wins were against solid squads in Seton Hall and rival Missouri, but neither made a statement like Saturday's obliteration of Indiana. Kansas led wire to wire and finished with an 84-62 victory. Perhaps most notably, it did so with Jalen Wilson shooting just 4-of-18 from the field.

So what makes this Jayhawks squad tick?

It starts with their fortress-like defense. Coach Bill Self deploys one of the country's best defensive backcourts in on-ball demon DaJuan Harris and ultra-versatile Kevin McCullar. Harris' swift hips and lateral quickness allow him to match opposing lead guards step for step, while McCullar pairs elite length with a relentless motor to make splash plays like this:

Additionally, both players rank top-4 in the Big 12 in steal rate, elevating Kansas' defensive turnover percentage to 49th nationally. (Indiana learned about that the hard way, turning the ball over 23 times on Saturday.) Factor in a breakout from KJ Adams along the interior, and it's no surprise that Self has his best defense since 2020.

The other end of the court matters too, and the Jayhawks have enough on the wing to provide consistent scoring. Wilson has largely succeeded as the alpha, while freshman Gradey Dick exudes confidence as both a shooter and slasher. Finally, Harris functions as a willing and skillful table setter that keeps the offense from sputtering.

Sequels rarely live up to the hype. But perhaps 2023 Kansas is more The Godfather II than Grease 2.

See why people love Faye.

3. Hoos the go-to guy?

We'll start with the good news for Virginia: The program is nationally relevant for the first time since 2019, it has already notched two résumé-building wins (Baylor and Illinois), and its coach has his swagger back. These factors have simultaneously launched Virginia into the spotlight and elevated expectations in Charlottesville.

But life as a Top 5 team is anything but easy.

Consecutive close calls to Michigan, Florida State and James Madison — three sub-50 teams on KenPom — raised some concerns, but Virginia sustained its high spot in the polls, regardless. However, that made Saturday's matchup against No. 5 Houston that much more meaningful.

Because in the comforts of John Paul Jones Arena, the Hoos had a chance to answer a couple of questions. First, could they regain the offensive mojo they flashed in November? Secondly, could they validate their No. 2 ranking with a home win over a bona fide national title contender?

The response to both was no.

Despite a strong start, Virginia's offense hit a tailspin, struggling against the Coogs' length and physicality. At the 6:20 mark in the first half, Houston took its first lead and never surrendered, winning 69-61. Throughout the contest, it became clear that Virginia's lack of high-end talent could be its Achilles' heel.  

Simply put, the Hoos lack some of the attributes that Tony Bennett's best teams have boasted. There's no dynamic shot creator in the mold of Ty Jerome or Malcolm Brogdon. The wing is missing a two-way stud like Justin Anderson or DeAndre Hunter. And while Kadin Shedrick is a rock-solid rim protector, he is not the terrifying presence that guys like Mamadi Diakite, Anthony Gill and Isaiah Wilkins were.

On the bright side, Virginia is still a really good team. The Cavaliers operate in concentric communication with one another and work well in a "whole is greater than the sum of its part" archetype. Additionally, they have more than enough to contend in the ACC and should probably be considered the favorite.

For instance, Kihei Clark — who looked like he had smacked his head on his ceiling two years ago — has improved as both a shooter and a passer. Reece Beekman, already a maniacal defender, has progressed offensively. Armaan Franklin is experiencing a bounce-back season from beyond the arc. And freshman Isaac McKneely has bolstered the Hoos off the bench.

It's just that...none of those dudes are guaranteed pros. As of now, Virginia aligns more closely to its 12th spot in KenPom than it does the number next to it in the AP poll.

4. Two-for-one

Gonzaga's showdown with Alabama in Birmingham provided significant takeaways for both teams.

First, the Zags: Don't look now, but the backcourt is coming into its own. Saturday's game marked the first time this year that Nolan Hickman had zero turnovers against a KenPom Tier A opponent. The sophomore guard didn't force the issue, made smart passes, and showcased the off-the-dribble shooting that earned him 5-star status in high school.

Meanwhile, Malachi Smith has recreated himself into a low-usage, high-efficiency veteran who can fit into any lineup. Props to him for this adjustment — it's quite the change from his role at Chattanooga, where he had the ball in his hands on every possession. Smith can still run the offense when Mark Few calls his number, but his off-ball shooting gravity is just as important. He is the type of player a coach needs to pull off a win on a not-so-neutral court.

Turning to Alabama, its takeaway is simple: It must clean up the turnovers if it wants to reach its postseason goals.

Talent certainly won't keep 'Bama from a Final Four: Brandon Miller is the best freshman in the country, Noah Clowney and Jaden Bradley round out a stellar rookie class, Mark Sears has fit seamlessly and Charles Bediako stars as a defensive menace. But Nate Oats must find a way to limit the mental mistakes.

Of course, in his up-tempo attack, turnover potential increases significantly. (And youth further exacerbates the issues; for all of Brandon Miller's brilliance, he still logged six turnovers Saturday.) But for veterans like Jahvon Quinerly (10 turnovers in his past three games), it's hard to find an excuse.

The Tide gave Gonzaga the ball 21 times over the weekend. That played a critical role in their 100-90 loss. Oats has the coaching chops to amend the issue, but Alabama fans would rest easier if the product looked cleaner in the next week or two.

5. Other notable game results

Arizona 75, Tennessee 71The Vols (9-2) held Arizona (10-1) to its second-lowest point-per-possession number on the season, but the 'Cats found a way to prevail. Pelle Larsson had a couple of tough finishes at the rim en route to 17 points, while Ažuolas Tubelis continued his steady production (19 points, nine boards). Zakai Zeigler scored a career-high 21 in the loss.

North Carolina 89, Ohio State 84 (OT)The Heels (8-4) finally resembled the team from March — for a little bit at least — on Saturday. They flustered Ohio State (7-3) in the second half with run-and-jumps and a full-court press, forcing 16 turnovers. On offense, Pete Nance hit a gorgeous turnaround jumper to send the game to overtime, where North Carolina pulled away.

Texas 72, Stanford 62Texas' second game without Chris Beard went a little more smoothly than the first. The Longhorns (10-1) assisted on 78.6 percent of their field goals, while Marcus Carr and Timmy Allen led the way with 17 and 15 points, respectively.

Purdue 69, Davidson 61Zach Edey was his usual self (29 points, 16 rebounds), and the Boilermakers (11-0) needed all of it against a Davidson (7-4) team that only trailed by three with just over four minutes left. Their freshmen backcourt of Fletcher Loyer and Braden Smith combined to go just 4-of-19.

Connecticut 68, Butler 46Don't let the final score fool you. This wasn't the typically dominant UConn performance. The Huskies (12-0, 1-0 in Big East) only led by four midway through the second half, but an Adama Sanogo 3-pointer ignited a 25-7 run to close the game. Sanogo finished with 27 points and 14 rebounds.

Mississippi State 68, Nicholls 66Was it pretty? No. But it rarely is with the Bulldogs. Chris Jans' team stayed unbeaten (11-0) despite letting a 12-point lead in the second half dwindle to 1 point with a minute left, then a turnover in the final three seconds gave the Colonels (5-6) a chance to win. But Pierce Spencer's 3-pointer missed.

New Mexico 82, Iona 74The Lobos (11-0) remained one of five unbeaten D-I teams by holding off Iona (7-3) in front a packed house at the Pit. It's their best start since 2012-13. Jaelen House went for 22 and KJ Jenkins added 17 off the bench as Richard Pitino beat his dad, Rick, for the first time in three tries.

San Francisco 75, UNLV 73First-year coach Chris Gerlufsen got a signature win, knocking the Runnin' Rebels (10-1) from the unbeaten ranks. The Dons (9-3) triumphed thanks to its size advantage, as sophomore big man Zane Meeks led the way with 17 points and 17 rebounds.

Marquette 69, Creighton 58The free fall continues for Creighton (6-6), as it dropped its sixth straight game on Friday to the Golden Eagles (9-3). Less than a month ago, the Bluejays narrowly missed out on a Maui championship. Now, they look listless, even with freshman Fredrick King filling in admirably for Ryan Kalkbrenner

Missouri 68, UCF 66Apologies to Pete Nance, but Mizzou's DeAndre Gholston nailed the wildest buzzer-beater of the season. D'Moi Hodge's desperation pass almost didn't land. But Gholston's alertness kept the possession alive and his shot found the bottom of the net. Missouri moved to 10-1, its best start since the 2013-14 season.

North Texas 62, UMass 44The Mean Green (9-2) saw that Sean Paul ranked C-USA foe Florida Atlantic first in his mid-major rankings and took it personally. Grant McCasland's squad played its usual constricting defense, browbeating the Minutemen (8-3) into 19 turnovers and limiting them to .67 points per possession.

Saint Louis 83, Drake 75The Billikens (8-4) snapped a two-game skid behind Yuri Collins' 17 points and 9 assists. It came on the heels of coach Travis Ford level-setting with Javonte Perkins and Francis Okoro in an effort to resolve recent tensions between the players and coach.

Michigan 83, Lipscomb 75Yet another close one against a mid-major for Michigan (7-3). The Bisons (7-5) held a 4-point lead with under five minutes to go, but the Wolverines locked in and closed the game on a 14-2 run. Kobe Bufkin scored a career-high 22.

Providence 71, Seton Hall 67Considering all of its losses from last season, Providence (9-3) doesn't look too bad! Kentucky transfer Bryce Hopkins dominated for the Friars, logging 24 points, 10 rebounds and three assists.

Colorado State 62, Saint Mary's 60The Gaels (9-4) have now lost twice at home this season. They didn't lose a single home game last season. For the Rams (8-4), this was their best result since getting point guard Isaiah Stevens back in the lineup. He scored 23 points, had five assists and had their final five points.

USC 74, Auburn 71Boogie Ellis scored 28 as the Trojans (9-3) beat a ranked team for the first time since last February. The Tigers (9-2) have lost two of their last three and travel to Seattle for a Wednesday matchup with Washington.

Syracuse great and college coach Louis Orr dies at 64

Louis Orr, who played at Syracuse from 1976-80 and spent 13 seasons as a D-I head coach, died Thursday from pancreatic cancer, his family announced. They released a statement Friday morning, and the tributes soon followed.

Bowling Green, Syracuse, Patrick Ewing, G League IGNITE coach Jason Hart and others eloquently wrote about Orr's extensive impact. But maybe the most striking were the words of Jim Boeheim. Have a listen:

Team of the week: UCLA Bruins

The week began with the Bruins trampling the Terrapins in College Park and ended with them holding Kentucky 24 points below its season average. Consequently, UCLA is one of just two teams that ranks in the top 12 of both offensive and defensive efficiency, per KenPom. It has one more buy game this week before getting into the thick of Pac-12 play.

Player of the week: Mike Bothwell, Furman

Bothwell and the Paladins suffered a tough road loss at NC State on Tuesday but rebounded in a thriller against Stephen F. Austin over the weekend. The 6-3 guard scored 36 points to lead Furman to a 72-70 overtime victory, hitting the game-winning bucket with John Fanta (and The Field of 68 crew) on the call.

Weekend warrior: Jake Stephens, Chattanooga

Chattanooga fell to Belmont on Sunday, 83-79 (OT). But ignore the Mocs' loss for a second and observe Jake Stephens' stat line: 32 points (11-of-18 from the field, 5-of-8 from 3), 20 rebounds, five assists, five blocks and three steals. Now read those numbers again. Your favorite 2K YouTuber struggles to match that production!

A tale of two beaches

Take advantage of tonight's light slate by tuning into one of the country's top mid-majors. The 10-1 Charleston Cougars travel 100 miles north to Conway, SC, to take on Coastal Carolina. The matchup will feature a contrast of styles, as Charleston wants to run, run, run, while Coastal's M.O. involves crashing the offensive glass and getting to the foul line. Charleston is off to its best start in the KenPom era, and it should build on that, even though it must win this one on the road. (7:30 PM ET, ESPN+)

Feeling blue

Kentucky's 63-53 loss marked its fewest points in a game since March 2, 2019. It's now lost four straight games to ranked teams and is 3-8 against them, including last season.

So what is happening in Lexington? Matt McCall, Jeff Goodman, Tyler Hansbrough and Greg Waddell try to find answers on AFTER DARK.

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

Links to click as you remember the good ol' days of MySpace

• Georgetown transfer Dante Harris committed to Virginia.

• In the spirit of Festivus, Illinois Matthew Mayer aired his grievances with Brad Underwood in a press conference, though he later squashed the beef on Twitter.

• Arizona landed 4-star guard Jamari Phillips.

• Manhattan essentially told WVU "y'all got it" in regards to Jose Perez's transfer.

• "Just when Ai thought Ai was out, they pull Aimaq in." (Fardaws Aimaq isn't leaving Lubbock after all).

No matter who's No. 1 in the polls, we can help you show your support for UConn or Purdue by visiting The Field of 68's merch shop. And don't forget, you can save 20% through the end of the year with promo code "DAILY."

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