A quick look at what went on last night and what to look out for Friday.
Last Night’s Action
Connecticut 84, No. 8 Kentucky 67
The underdog Huskies relished their role for a second straight night and dumped another top 10 team to take the Maui Invitational title. And just like in its win over Michigan State Tuesday, Kemba Walker led the way for UConn, scoring 29 and taking tournament MVP honors. But Walker had plenty of help as the Huskies thoroughly out-classed Kentucky, playing tough-nosed defense in the first half, pounding the boards, hitting shots from the outside and looking a lot more polished than their relative inexperience suggested coming into this week. While Walker just missed a fourth-straight game of scoring 30 points or more, Jay Bilas was 100 percent right in his assessment on the ESPN telecast: no one has been better this season than Walker. With wins over Michigan State and Kentucky, the Huskies picked up two gigantic wins for their NCAA Tournament resume and will find themselves in the Top 25 come Monday.
No. 2 Michigan State 76, No. 13 Washington 71
The Spartans rallied for a win after a turnover filled first half, salvaging their trip to Maui. Kalin Lucas, surprise, was the catalyst for State, scoring 29 points, as the Spartans claimed third place in the Invitational. But it was Durrell Summers who hit the game’s most important shot, despite struggling all game long to find his stroke. There’s just something about these early season tournaments that makes the Spartans struggle. The AP had a great stat, relating that Michigan State hasn’t won a preseason tournament – like the Maui Invitational – in 13 years. But more importantly, they don’t seem to struggle when the calendar turns to March.
No. 7 Villanova 82, UCLA 70
The Bruins are just too young and the Wildcats are too explosive to be slowed down by a team that features six freshmen and no seniors. And despite struggling once the second half started and seeing a 15-point lead evaporate, Villanova took care of business Wednesday. Corey Fisher, Corey Stokes and Malik Wayns were the Wildcats big-three, combining for 61 points, while big man Mouphtaou Yarou had a big game on the boards. The Wildcats will now face Tennessee Friday at Madison Square Garden in the NIT Tip-off championship game after the Vols escaped with a win against Virginia Commonwealth in the game before.
Links
Yeah, Oklahoma did lose to Division II Chaminade. [AP]
You need refs to play a college basketball game and apparently that was a bit of an issue for Tennessee Tech [The Dagger]
Gary Parrish writes about why you shouldn’t sleep on the Old Spice Classic that gets underway today. So, yes, there’s college basketball on Thanksgiving. [CBSSports.com]
A seven overtime game in Division III. Some of the stats from this game are hilarious. [ESPN.com]
A poor start by the Missouri Valley Conference’s two top teams to start the season does not bode well for the league’s tournament hopes. [Bracketville]
Seth Davis says Duke’s Kyrie Irving is better than advertised. [SI.com]
And finally, Happy Thanksgiving.
