The Morning Dish

The Morning Dish – Monday, January 1, 2018

Happy New Year to all of our readers, and here’s to 2018 being better than last year.

If the end of 2017 has told us anything, it’s that conference play should have plenty of unexpected results as well as games worth watching right to the end. We don’t have to look far to see great finishes and some surprises thus far, as well as a reminder that homecourt advantage counts for a lot.

After road teams won the first few Big East games, home teams took over again in round two. We saw Butler and Marquette take care of business on Saturday, with the Bulldogs knocking off Villanova on the strength of terrific long range shooting. Both home teams did likewise on Sunday, with Seton Hall going to 2-0 after beating St. John’s and Providence and Creighton coming out of the weekend at 1-1 after the Bluejays handled the Friars at home in more convincing fashion 83-64.

Home teams won both SEC games on Sunday, though Kentucky’s 66-61 win over Georgia came about as easily as last year’s contest between the two in Rupp Arena did. The Wildcats had to rally to take this one, and it’s one of those games you can look at one of two ways: it wasn’t a good sign that they trailed like they did, but that they rallied to win shows some growth.

In the Pac-12, only one road team won on Sunday, and that’s one of the surprises – 2-0 Utah, who went to Corvallis and held on to beat Oregon State 66-64.

For other surprises, let’s look at the Missouri Valley. How about Northern Iowa starting off 0-2 after losing at Bradley on Sunday? The Panthers have lost four in a row now after a great start that included wins over SMU and NC State to reach the championship of the Battle 4 Atlantis and wins over UNLV and UT-Arlington. Granted, the schedule got a bit tougher, but the 0-2 start is a bit surprising.

Speaking of UT-Arlington, how many had them starting Sun Belt play at 0-2? That’s where the Mavericks stand after losing at Appalachian State on Sunday 80-76. The Mavericks were down 41-21 at the half, and that ultimately doomed them.

And staying in the Sun Belt, we had one of a few close calls yesterday as Georgia Southern nearly knocked off South Alabama on the road. A three-pointer at the buzzer just missed, but the Eagles will be happy to be home again after playing nothing but road games for over three weeks.

Some of these surprises may end up being something that doesn’t last. Northern Iowa and UT Arlington, for example, seem a little too good to let this set a real tone and lead to finishes near the cellar of their respective conferences. But as the calendar turns over, we have a few surprises, along with reminders of how much it helps to be at home.

 

Side Dishes

Maryland sustained another blow to their hopes for the season on Sunday, as forward Ivan Bender will miss the remainder of the season due to a torn meniscus in his right knee. While not a star, losing Bender is a blow to the Terrapins’ depth, and they had just learned that Justin Jackson will be lost for the season a couple of days earlier.

While the Terrapins have had a bad run on the injury front, fellow Big Ten program Northwestern at least got some hopeful news. Bryant McIntosh, who was injured in Saturday’s win over Brown, sustained no major ligament damage to his left knee, which means he may not miss much time. The Wildcats have had to deal with some injuries, but this is a break as McIntosh makes this team go. The senior point guard has steadily grown over his career and is working to finish it off on a great note.

 

Tonight’s Menu

A light slate to start the new year. Here are the highlights:

  • The best games of the day are in the Big 12, with West Virginia at Kansas State (5 p.m.) and Texas at Iowa State (7 p.m.)
  • The SWAC has a full slate of action that is highlighted by two that have carried the flag of late, Southern at Texas Southern (9 p.m.)

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