On a busy day of action, center stage belonged to a non-conference series – the SEC/Big 12 Challenge, which once again was set up with teams taking a break from conference play rather than doing it in the first couple of months like similar events (Gavitt Games, ACC/Big Ten Challenge, Mountain West/Missouri Valley Challenge). Many of the results are important, even as some matchups lost their luster while a couple gained.
And it didn’t hurt that the most hyped of the ten games delivered on its promise of a god one.
First, though, the bottom line: the Big 12 won by a 6-4 margin. Home teams won nine of ten, with Iowa State’s win at Ole Miss providing the margin.
One of the last games in the series to be played on the day, Kansas went into Rupp Arena and had a three-point lead at the half thanks largely to Dedric Lawson carrying them and being tougher than the Wildcats. But all of that changed in the second half, as Kentucky got the lead and then held on for a 71-63 win by making more plays and responding to where Kansas was a tougher team in the first half. The Wildcats were a better defensive team and had a big edge on the glass when the night was complete, and that made a big difference and went a long way towards slowing down Lawson in the second half.
A few that could be very significant as far as bubble implications go were Baylor beating Alabama 73-68, Georgia beating Texas 98-88, and Oklahoma State beating South Carolina 74-70. Baylor looks like a different team, and they along with Alabama should be right there in bubble discussions. Texas has now lost five of six and is moving to a real danger zone as far as their candidacy is concerned, especially since the Bulldogs are not exactly SEC contenders. Finally, South Carolina has surged since SEC play began, but this is another hit to a non-conference resume that was already lacking.
You could throw Texas A&M’s 65-53 win over Kansas State in there, but the Wildcats’ play suggests they will be in the NCAA Tournament, with a loss like this hurting seeding more than anything else.
Iowa State won what might have been the best matchup not named Kansas-Kentucky, taking home an 87-73 win at Ole Miss. The Cyclones are getting better, even through a couple of recent losses, and this only helps their NCAA Tournament resume as well.
TCU’s 55-50 win over Florida helps the Horned Frogs out, but it is perhaps a bigger blow to Florida as this was one more chance for a non-conference resume win. The Gators have been a tough team to figure out, but winning a game like this on the road that was there for the taking might have been a spark they need to play more consistently.
Texas Tech held off Arkansas 67-64 in what might have been the close call of the day. The Red Raiders needed a win to get back on track, and they got it, though they had opened up a double-digit lead that they allowed Arkansas to trim down to two before hanging on.
Two games were not competitive for large stretches. Tennessee rolled over West Virginia 83-66 after a slow start, and Oklahoma ran away from Vanderbilt 86-55 in Norman.
Conference play takes over once again after this, but the series has accomplished what it set out to in a couple of ways. It got TV exposure as a niche, a series of non-conference games dropped right in the middle of conference play, and it got a good deal of attention as well.
Side Dishes
For more on many of Saturday’s key contests, check out the Saturday Notes.
We’re going to get at least six more years of the SEC/Big 12 Challenge, as the conferences and ESPN agreed to extend it that long. The news was announced before any of the ten games tipped off on Saturday.
Tonight’s Menu
A much lighter slate is highlighted by Big East and Big Ten action along with a full slate in the Atlantic Sun.
- Big East play gets going with Georgetown traveling to St. John’s and DePaul going to Providence (noon), then Villanova puts its perfect conference mark on the line as they host Seton Hall (2:30 p.m.)
- A key game in the American Athletic Conference is on tap early with Temple hosting Cincinnati (noon), and another one comes up later as Memphis hosts UCF (4 p.m.)
- A good matchup in the Big Ten has two hot teams taking the floor as Purdue hosts Michigan State (1 p.m.), with Iowa traveling to Minnesota (5 p.m.) in another key game.
- In-state ACC rivals clash as Florida State heads south to Miami (6 p.m.)
- The last game of the night is out west as Washington State heads south to Oregon (8 p.m.)
