A Feast Week recap (and more)

If your weekend was characterized by Bill Walton waxing poetic about the Mayans, complaining about Phil Knight's screen time, and listening to Bill Self's colloquialisms, you may feel some angst returning to the mundane work week. Back to the grind with no more daytime basketball until March, unfortunately.

But just in case you missed anything from a jam-packed weekend, we've got you covered. (Plus a deal for Cyber Monday shoppers.)

1. UConn wins the Invitational, Purdue takes the Legacy

Perhaps Dan Hurley's coach speak wasn't coach speak after all.

UConn won the Invitational bracket of the PK85, defeating Iowa State, 71-53. The normally defensive-minded Huskies flaunted their explosive offense throughout the tournament — they dropped 83 points on Oregon and 82 points on Alabama in the first two rounds.

But the most notable number was their gaudy 3-point percentage. UConn ranked among the top 100 in long-range shooting last year, but it ratcheted it up this season. With contributions from Tristen Newton, Alex Karaban, Joey Calcaterra, Jordan Hawkins and even Adama Sanogo, UConn is scorching the nets at a 37.1 percent rate (69th in the nation).

Impressively, the Huskies have maintained their defensive fierceness throughout the offensive evolution. Look no further than the way they caused Iowa State to sputter down the stretch; the Cyclones failed to score in the game's final four minutes. UConn freshman Donovan Clingan provided a massive presence in the middle, deterring Iowa State's Jaren Holmes and Caleb Grill from the rim. His defensive prowess — plus his 15 points and 10 boards — earned him MVP honors.

"The preseason Player of the Year (Sanogo) had not one of his best nights," coach Danny Hurley said afterward, "and to have Jordan basically play six minutes in the game and to beat a quality team by 18 in a championship game just speaks to a level that this group's playing at."

In the Legacy bracket, the championship game also netted a lopsided result, as Purdue routed Duke, 75-56. Going into the game, most expected a tight battle between the big men, since both teams boast colossi that starred in the earlier rounds of the PK85. Zach Edey led the Boilers over Gonzaga in the semis with a Herculean effort (23 points, 7 rebounds), while Kyle Filipowski singlehandedly willed Duke past Oregon State (19 points, 14 rebounds).

But on the court, Edey was Purdue's cheat code. The 7-4 junior poured in 21 points and 12 rebounds, but his role in Duke's foul trouble was just as important. Whether it was Filipowski, Dereck Lively or Ryan Young, no one could guard Edey cleanly. The former two fouled out, while Young picked up three.

Beyond Edey's brilliance, Purdue did a terrific job controlling the tempo. The Boilermakers put on a clinic with their vintage Matt Painter halfcourt offense. In particular, freshman Fletcher Loyer stepped up, draining 3s and getting free for open shots.

Lastly, Purdue's defensive excellence in this game cannot be overstated. First, it neutralized the Blue Devils' athletic advantage, limiting them to just six points in transition. Secondly, it locked in at the most crucial time. Nursing a seven-point lead with seven minutes to go, Purdue didn't surrender a single point the rest of the way.

After pulling off a feat not done since 1968, The Boilermakers should expect a top-10 ranking today. For Duke, it doesn't get any easier as Ohio State comes to town on Wednesday.

But the Blue Devils weren't the only ones with a sour weekend in Portland. North Carolina dropped two games in a row — a stunner to Iowa State, in which it lost a late lead, and a four-overtime slog to Alabama, where poor shot selection and turnovers doomed the Heels down the stretch.

At least they had a better weekend than Villanova, which lost all three of its PK85 contests and now sits at 2-5. The AFTER DARK crew broke down what it means for the program (and its fans) on Friday's show.

As far as the winners go, Xavier can at least feel encouraged after hanging tight with Gonzaga and Duke. Michigan State snagged two victories despite being without Mailk Hall and Jaden Akins.

But the most noteworthy story among the rest of the field was the hometown team. The Portland Pilots hung with UNC on Friday, demolished Villanova on Saturday, then came this close to closing the weekend with a win over Michigan State.

Shantay Legans might be at the helm of Gonzaga's biggest challenger in the WCC.

2. No rest at this resort

The PK85 wasn't the only enthralling tournament of the Thanksgiving weekend. Battle 4 Atlantis, a Feast Week staple, brought plenty of action as well.

The championship game was set up to be a clash of the titans — favorites Tennessee and Kansas both struggled in the semifinals but still advanced. Then, the Vols channeled their inner Ashton Kutcher and punked the Jayhawks like it was 2003. On the back of its physical defense, Tennessee triumphed over Kansas, holding it to just 32.1 percent from the field, .78 points per possession, and 5-for-17 on layups. The 64-50 loss exposed the Jayhawks' need for a reliable shot-creator, as Joseph Yesufu was the only perimeter player to score in double digits.

The Vols, on the other hand, got nice contributions from Tyreke Key, Zakai Zeigler and tournament MVP Santiago Vescovi (20 points, 5 made 3s, and 6 boards in the championship game).

Other notable results:

Oklahoma 59, Ole Miss 55 (ESPN Events Invitational): Don't look now but the Sooners are 6-1 and a top-35 team on KenPom, despite being picked seventh in the Big 12 in the preseason. Grant Sherfield took home MVP honors of the MTE, but sophomore guard Bijan Cortes was impressive with 10 points (4-for-4 from the field) off the bench.

Siena 60, Seton Hall 55 (ESPN Events Invitational): Shaheen Holloway fell to an old MAAC foe in a defensive showdown in one of Sunday night's consolation games. The Saints (4-3) did an excellent job of limiting easy looks for the Pirates (16-for-43 on 2-pointers).

Miami 66, UCF 64: The Hurricanes traveled into Orlando and left with a solid road win. Nijel Pack scored an efficient 16 points, converting six of his 10 shots, but just as important was Wooga Poplar, who chipped in 12 points. Miami (6-1) needs another perimeter player to step up alongside Pack and Isaiah Wong, and thus, Poplar's progression after a rough freshman year is an encouraging sign.

Auburn 65, Saint Louis 60: SLU (5-2) held a five-point lead with just over three minutes to go at Auburn, but it couldn't hold on. The Tigers got key buckets from KD Johnson and Allen Flanigan down the stretch, moving to 7-0 on the season.

UNC Wilmington 55, North Texas 51 (Nassau Championship): A big shout out to Takayo Siddle and UNC Wilmington. Despite losing last season's top-2 scorers, the Seahawks (5-3) have continued their momentum, this time toppling a strong North Texas (5-2) squad. As the final score indicates, the game was a rock fight, but Wilmington made enough shots and free throws down the stretch.

TCU 79, Iowa 66: Iowa's Kris Murray suffered his worst game of the season (11 points, 4-for-14 from the field, 3 turnovers) as TCU righted the ship with a big win. For the 5-1 Horned Frogs, Mike Miles scored efficiently, and big Eddie Lampkin controlled the glass.

Bryant 73, Syracuse 72: The game's best moment was the slap-retaliation slap-flee the scene sequence. Also, Syracuse (5-3) lost another buy game.

St. Bonaventure 63, Notre Dame 51: The Irish are 5-1, but have yet to impress thus far, not building off of last year's mini-run in March. A St. Bonaventure team comprised entirely of new players led from wire to wire, stymying Notre Dame's once-vaunted offense.

3. A new No. 1 already

With UNC's back-to-back losses, it'll tumble from the top spot in the AP Poll. Who will sit at No. 1 in this week's rankings?

Houston is the obvious guess; the Coogs checked in at No. 2 in last week's poll and rank second on KenPom, and first on Bart Torvik. With a deep and versatile perimeter corps, Houston has the horsepower to put up 80-plus on the scoreboard. However, its impenetrable defense acts as a fail-safe when the shots don't fall — like in Saturday's 49-44 win over Kent State.

If that narrow win over the Golden Flashes scared off any voters, the Texas Longhorns could take advantage. KenPom's top team has stampeded its foes, winning every contest by at least 15 points (not to mention its statement blowout of Gonzaga). Most importantly, its backcourt has provided steady 3-point shooting. Both Tyrese Hunter and Marcus Carr are canning better than 36 percent of their long-range attempts at a high volume.

Arizona is a dark horse contender for the No. 1 spot. The Maui champions always seem to gain extra respect in the polls — and the Wildcats should be no different. Early last week, they ran through a gauntlet of Cincinnati, San Diego State and Creighton, scoring 80-plus points in all three contests. Arizona could also win voters over because its style is simply so fun to watch — its hyper-efficient, ball-movement-oriented, up-tempo offense enthralls casuals and diehards alike. Finally, Azuolas Tubelis has emerged as a national player of the year contender, thanks to his rim-running, playmaking off the short roll, and scoring versatility.

Lastly, it wouldn't be completely unexpected if Purdue jumped 23 spots, for all the reasons listed in the first headline.

4. ACC-Big Ten Challenge Watch Guide

The season has not started well for the ACC. Since we last checked in on the state of the conference, more teams have suffered embarrassing losses. Virginia Tech lost at Charleston and struggled at home with Charleston Southern. Syracuse fell to Colgate for a second straight year, then, as noted earlier, dropped a home contest to Bryant. Lowly Loyola Marymount beat Wake Forest. Lipscomb pushed Notre Dame to the brink before the down St. Bonaventure squad handed it the L. You don't want to know about Pitt, Boston College, or Florida State. And you really don't want to know about Louisville.

Thus, this week's ACC-Big Ten challenge looms large for a league that's trying to stop the bleeding. (The Big Ten, meanwhile, has largely exceeded expectations). Here are the matchups to watch, ranked from most entertaining to least.

Must-watch matchups

Ohio State at Duke (Wednesday, 7 pm ET): Can Duke get revenge after losing in Columbus last year? It won't be easy. Justice Sueing and Brice Sensabaugh will put the Blue Devils' perimeter defense to the test.

North Carolina at Indiana (Wednesday, 9:15 pm ET): UNC is reeling after a lackluster performance in Portland. And now, it must go to Bloomington, potentially without Armando Bacot. The Heels will need to dig deep in this one.

Virginia at Michigan (Tuesday, 9:30 pm ET): Michigan has waffled against mid-major competition, while Virginia has beaten some of the best teams in the country. For the Wolverines to hold serve at home, they'll need a couple of wings to help Hunter Dickinson

Michigan State at Notre Dame (Wednesday, 9:15 ET): The Spartans survived without Jaden Akins and Malik Hall in the PK85. Assuming neither are back for this contest, can they go into South Bend and knock of a Notre Dame team desperate for a quality win?

Bubblelicious battles

Wake Forest at Wisconsin (Nov. 29, 9 pm ET): At the Battle 4 Atlantis, Wisconsin showed it can still give teams fits, even without Johnny Davis. Wake Forest still hasn't found consistency and could falter again in Madison.

Rutgers at Miami (Wednesday, 7:15 pm ET): Rutgers is off to a somewhat surprising 5-1 start; however, it has yet to beat a Power 5 opponent. It has a great opportunity to make some noise in Coral Gables.

Penn State at Clemson (Tuesday, 7 pm ET): Jalen Pickett will look to continue his torrid start to the season in Littlejohn Coliseum, where the Nittany Lions will take on a Clemson team devoid of experienced guard play.

Likely one-sided affairs

Maryland at Louisville (Tuesday, 7 pm ET): There isn't a soul on Louisville who can guard Jahmir Young, Don Carey and Hakim Hart. Its frontcourt likely struggles with Donta Scott as well.

Syracuse at Illinois (Tuesday, 7:30 pm ET): Terrence Shannon might hit another eight 3-pointers against Syracuse's unintimidating zone.

Minnesota at Virginia Tech (Monday, 7 pm ET): Even with Jamison Battle back, the Golden Gophers likely can't keep up with Virginia Tech's high-powered offense at home.

Georgia Tech at Iowa (Wednesday, 9 pm ET): Even one of Josh Pastner's good defenses would have trouble slowing Iowa's offense. The Hawkeyes should waste no time in dismantling the Jackets' 1-3-1.

Purdue at Florida State (Wednesday, 7:15 pm ET): This one will get ugly quickly. Zach Edey might drop 40.

MY EYES, THEY BURN!

Boston College at Nebraska (Wednesday, 9:15 ET) and Pitt at Northwestern (Monday, 7 pm ET)

You're probably not going to want to watch either one of these unless you're a fan of the schools involved.

5. Big Ten freshmen

Fletcher Loyer isn't the only unheralded freshman making waves in the Big Ten. There's a host of rookies in the league — none of whom were 5-stars — who have kept teams humming at a high level.

For instance, Loyer's backcourt mate Braden Smith has started every game and provided quality play, despite barely ranking in the top 200 coming out of high school. The 6-0 point guard has posted one of the best true shooting percentages (91st) and steal rates (93rd) in the country.

Then, there's Ohio State, which has relied heavily on a pair of freshmen who finished outside the top 40 in their class. Bruce Thornton, a 6-0, 180-pound floor general, has engineered the Buckeyes' offense admirably, showing soft shooting touch and protecting the ball. Brice Sensabaugh, meanwhile, bears a build that's strikingly similar to EJ Liddell's. But his handle and shooting belie his mammoth frame. He's gotten it done both as a scorer and a rebounder.

For the second straight season, Wisconsin has featured a 3-star freshman. Last year it was Chucky Hepburn, this year it's Connor Essegian. The 6-4 wing has supplied lights-out shooting for the Badgers so far, screaming off of screens to knock down 3s. He leads the team with 13 trifectas at a 54.2 percent clip.

Finally, Jayden Epps and Sencire Harris have carved out meaningful roles for Illinois, even though they were the two lowest-ranked players in the Illini's freshman class. Harris is mostly an Energizer bunny, coming off the pine for defense and hustle plays. Epps, on the other hand, is a bona fide bucket. In the Continental Tire Main Event, it seemed like he hit every big shot that he took.

The play of these freshmen gives a good reminder for all of us covering the sport: fit matters just as much, if not more, than the stars besides someone's name.

An(thon)y given Monday

It's a light slate tonight, so Arkansas-Troy gets the nod solely because the Hogs are must-watch television. They have two of the country's best dunkers in Ricky Council IV and Trevon Brazile, an elite defender and glue guy in Jordan Walsh, not to mention Anthony Black, who cemented himself in the upper tier of the nation's guards in Maui. Even if the result will never be in doubt, tune in for the highlight-reel moments.

Other games to note

• Minnesota (4-2), at Virginia Tech (6-1), 7 pm ET (ESPN2)

Team of the week: Purdue Boilermakers

We've already given plenty of love to the Boilermakers, and it's well-deserved. That's what happens when you hammer Gonzaga and Duke. Painter's investment in this group has already paid dividends. His freshman guards have looked ready since Day 1, he's coaxed the best out of Ethan Morton, and he has a potential breakout star in Caleb Furst.

Player of the week: Oumar Ballo, Arizona

Has there been a more improved player in the country than Ballo? Two years ago, he couldn't get on the court at Gonzaga. Now, he's dunking everything, showing off post moves, and running the floor with reckless abandon.

Weekend warrior: Tylor Perry, North Texas

One of mid-majordom's most electrifying players turned in a big scoring weekend at the Nassau Championship. He filled it up on Friday against San Jose State, pouring in 35 points on 7-for-7 shooting behind the arc (also 10-for-11 from the charity stripe). Two days later in the championship game, he hit another four triples in a 17-point outing, as the Mean Green narrowly fell to UNC Wilmington.

Others considered: Brandin Podziemski, Santa Clara (27 points, 8 rebounds against Iona), Caleb Grill, Iowa State (31 points, 7-for-11 from 3 against North Carolina), Tyrece Radford, Texas A&M (31 points at DePaul), Marques Warrick, Northern Kentucky (45 points on 18-for-31 shooting versus Tennessee Tech)

Recalibrating expectations for the Zags

For the first time in forever, Gonzaga isn't a top-3 team. But that's not necessarily a knock — the team is still very good; it's just not the monstrous unit it has been in the past. Tune into Rob Dauster, Terrence Oglesby and Geo Baker below for their full breakdown.

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

Links to click as you clean out your fridge (sorry, those Thanksgiving leftovers aren't good anymore)

• Western Kentucky's Dontaie Allen was held out of the Cayman Islands Classic due to "an eligibility matter related to his previous school." Hear Rick Stansbury's full comment.

• Seton Hall landed 6-3 combo guard Isaiah Watts.

• Eric Musselman released a statement regarding the altercation with San Diego State after Wednesday's consolation game in Maui.

• Arizona State's Marcus Bagley did the same regarding his recent suspension versus Northern Arizona.

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