Friday night was a light night of action in terms of the number of games, but among them were several of interest. There were early conference games, arch rivals in another one, plus a team that just pulled off a big win trying for another.
Then there was USC visiting TCU in the first game played in the newly-built Dickies Arena just a few miles from TCU’s campus in Fort Worth. It was a rematch of a game a year ago that was a blowout for the visiting team. For a while, it looked like history might repeat itself in terms of home and road teams, as USC built an 18-point lead in the second half after leading by 13 at the half and scoring the first five points of the second.
USC looked to be in control. The Trojans were playing solid basketball, had a clear talent advantage and TCU couldn’t get much going. They weren’t getting many good touches for star guard Desmond Bane, who the offense needs to revolve around.
TCU would cut into the lead, getting it down to 10 right after the first media timeout. USC had answers for a while, at least until Edric Dennis got going with a personal 5-0 run to get the lead down to 61-58. USC again had answers, though, eventually getting back up by nine with just under a minute and a half left. At that point, they appeared to still be in good shape.
Then Dennis got going again, as he went on a personal 7-0 run. As USC missed four free throws, two of them front ends of one-and-ones, and committed a turnover, TCU got a little closer. After the last of those missed free throws, R.J. Nembhard drove toward the basket, drew coverage and got the ball to Kevin Samuel (17 points, 11 rebounds), who laid it in and was fouled.
All of a sudden, it looked like TCU might steal this one. But Samuel is not a good free throw shooter and missed.
USC ran up the floor, got a shot off but missed, and Nick Rackocevic, a hidden gem out west who basically does nothing but put up double-doubles (including 12 points and 11 rebounds in this one), tipped home the miss with 0.2 seconds left. TCU turned the ball over trying to inbound, wrapping up an 80-78 win for USC that they almost didn’t have.
Give the Trojans credit for one thing, though: this is the kind of game they probably lose a year ago and even two years ago. It wasn’t so much that they couldn’t pull out a close game, although that was true to some degree, but especially against their best opponents. Two years ago, the Trojans were a semi-controversial NCAA Tournament snub after whiffing on their best chances for quality wins in non-conference and the Pac-12 having a bad year. Last season, they couldn’t beat their best opponents, either, though they tended to get handled in those games.
This time around, though, USC is now 8-2 with wins at Nevada (granted, not at all the same Nevada team as in recent years), against Harvard in the Orlando Invitational and now this one at TCU. Losses to Temple and Marquette, the latter a blowout, aren’t bad losses in terms of the opponent, though they are missed opportunities. The good thing is, with non-conference matchups remaining against Long Beach State (home), LSU (Staples Center) and Florida Gulf Coast (home), the Pac-12 has been much better this year, and thus will offer more quality win opportunities and fewer chances for bad losses.
Side Dishes
Michigan took care of Iowa 103-91 in an early Big Ten game, as they had six players who scored in double figures to fend off a big night from Hawkeye big man Luke Garza as he had 44 points. Michigan shot over 55 percent from the field.
Two ACC games were on tap, and they were a split for the home and road teams. Duke trailed by three at halftime in Blacksburg, but took over in the second half for a 77-62 win, while Louisville had a 14-point halftime lead over visiting Pittsburgh and held on comfortably 64-46.
In the big rivalry game of the night, Rhode Island made a nine-point halftime lead stand up in a 75-61 win over visiting Providence, dropping the struggling Friars to 5-5 after they gave the ball away 22 times. Providence has now lost four out of five as they break for final exams, while the Rams beat them for just the second time in the last ten meetings.
Other results of note on the evening: Alabama led by one at the half and pulled away from Stephen F. Austin for a 78-68 win, and South Florida pulled away from Dartmouth 63-44
Florida announced that they will name the court at Exactech Arena will be named for Billy Donovan, with the ceremony to come on February 15, 2020, which is during the NBA All-Star weekend. Donovan turned the “football” school into a basketball powerhouse as well during his 19 years there, going to the Final Four on four occasions with two national championships.
Michigan State will be down a man in Sunday’s Big Ten opener against Rutgers, as Rocket Watts will be out with what is being described as a stress reaction on a bone in one of his legs. The freshman guard has started the team’s first eight games, and they’re already down a man on the perimeter with Joshua Langford still out indefinitely while recovering from a foot injury.
Tonight’s Menu
It should be a good day of action as a busy slate is highlighted by a few more early conference games, as well as some very good non-conference matchups that include big rivalry games.
- More early Big Ten games are on tap as Penn State travels to Ohio State (noon), Indiana goes to Wisconsin (4:30 p.m.) and Illinois travels to Maryland (5 p.m.)
- Early ACC action also continues with Georgia Tech hosting Syracuse (noon), Boston College traveling to Notre Dame and NC State going to Wake Forest (2 p.m.)
- There’s a big matchup in Waco, but it unfortunately coincides with the football team being in an even bigger game as Baylor hosts Arizona (noon)
- Another good test for Butler is their trip to Florida, while old Big East rivals meet as West Virginia goes to St. John’s (noon)
- A couple of rivalry games come up a little later in the afternoon as Creighton hosts Nebraska (2:30 p.m.) and Villanova heads to Saint Joseph’s (3 p.m.)
- A good mid-major matchup is UC Santa Barbara traveling to UT Arlington, while old Mountain West rivals meet as BYU takes on UNLV at Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City (3 p.m.)
- Delaware tries to remain undefeated as they travel to George Washington (4 p.m.)
- Early Mountain West action continues as New Mexico makes the challenging trip to Wyoming (4 p.m.), Utah State hosts Fresno State (6 p.m.) and Colorado State heads to Boise State (9 p.m.)
- A couple of intriguing matchups that each tip at 4 p.m. are UNC Greensboro heading to Radford and Northeastern hosting Davidson.
- Arch rivals meet later as Xavier hosts Cincinnati (5 p.m.)
- Former Big 12 rivals meet in Lawrence as Kansas hosts Colorado (7 p.m.)
- Arkansas puts its 8-0 mark on the line as they travel to Western Kentucky, while Temple hosts Missouri (7:30 p.m.)
- Another big rivalry renewed is VCU hosting Old Dominion (8 p.m.)
- A good matchup later on is Marquette making the trip to Kansas State (9 p.m.)
- Another tough road test for Georgetown is a trip to undefeated SMU (9:30 p.m.)
