Michigan blew an eight-point lead with six minutes to go at home as Arizona pulled out a 72-70 win last Saturday. The big win in Ann Arbor kept the Wildcats #1 in both polls. Arizona’s inside play in the second half was the difference. The night before, another Big Ten team bit the dust as the undefeated Iowa State Cyclones got one over on their in-state rivals as they beat the Iowa Hawkeyes 85-82.
It is way too early to talk RPIs and all that stuff, but one team that clearly separated itself that not many had on the radar is UMass. Already, the Minutemen have wins over LSU, Nebraska, New Mexico, Clemson and BYU and have six wins away from home. Chaz Williams is a star (ask BYU; he torched them for 32 points and 15 assists), while Raphiael Putney and Sampson Carter are problems for any defense, and the Minutemen are 9-0 for the first time since the 1995-96 team started 26-0. Derek Kellogg has himself a great team, one that is looking to get UMass back to the tournament for the first time since 1998. Remember when Coach Cal’s squad beat UCF, Stanford, Arkansas and Georgetown en route to the 1996 Final Four? Get in the right bracket and they could be back in that hunt for the big prize.
We’ve mentioned many times parity and surprise teams. Let’s talk about the mid-majors in the state of Utah. BYU, which is 8-4, but with quality losses to good Iowa State, Wichita State and UMass teams. The Cougars are averaging almost 89 points, 44 rebounds and 18 assists per game – nice figures for a team that could surprise at tourney time. While Utah is in the Pac-12, I still consider them a mid-major until they do something in the league. The Utes are 9-1 at the moment, beat BYU and shoot 54% from the field. They could be dangerous for anyone. And finally, let’s not forget about Utah State. The Aggies have some talent to contend in the tough Mountain West, but must protect leads as they let BYU get away after leading at halftime.
– Bill Frieder
Former Michigan and Arizona State head coach Bill Frieder is an analyst for WestwoodOne’s coverage of NCAA Basketball. In his weekly blog Boxed Out, Bill scours the box scores to bring you interesting stories from the world of college basketball.
