Inside College Basketball: Roz’s Weekly Roundup

It’s only January and conference play is starting to heat up.  Yet it already feels like March Madness has come a little early.  This past week featured eleven ranked teams losing, the most in a week all season.  While we’re sifting through who’s a contender and who’s a pretender to cut down the nets in New Orleans, I’ve decided to take the liberty and tell you myself. Every week from now through March Madness I will take a break from my NFL duties on The [Five] to breakdown the week that was in college hoops and prepare you for the week ahead. But first let’s have a look back shall we…

Team of the Week: Florida State (11-6)

This is a team that many had written off after a 20-point loss at Clemson in the midst of dropping three of their last four games.  The Seminoles responded in a big way this week.  First they defeated a pesky Virginia Tech team in Blacksburg.  But the Noles stole the spotlight this week after  beating North Carolina.  We knew the last several meetings between the two either went to overtime or were decided by one possession.  We know that playing in Tallahassee is kryptonite for ACC road teams. But no one could foresee the Tar Heels get blown out by 32.  Big props to Leonard Hamilton’s team for an outstanding week.

Other Teams that Impressed:

San Diego State (15-2): Who said anything about a down year?  The Aztecs won their only game this week beating conference rival UNLV 69-67 on a buzzer beater.  It’s their third win against a ranked team. For a team that lost four starters from last year, they haven’t missed a beat.

Baylor (17-0): The Bears have quietly put together one of the best tourney resumes in the nation. All five of their big wins have come away from Waco, including Tuesday’s 75-73 win at Kansas State.  Just for good measure, they blew out over-matched Oklahoma State 106-65.

Connecticut (14-3): Isn’t it amazing what a difference a week makes.  With Jim Calhoun back from suspension, they beat West Virginia Monday, and ended Notre Dame’s 29 game home win streak on Saturday.  Andre Drummond is only getting better, and now Alex Oriakhi is busting out of a slump. Suddenly America’s sleeping giant is finally starting to awaken.

Player of the Week: Deividas Dulkys (David-Us Duel-Keyss), Florida State

Most of the season, this guy was in the slump of all slumps. Dulkys came into Saturday scoring 32 points in last 9 games. Against North Carolina, Dulkys scored a career high 32 points (8-10 3FG) at a time when his team was desperate for a signature win.

Honorable Mention:

Doug McDermott, Creighton:  Another solid week for the big fella: 25 points and 11 boards against Southern Illinois, 20 and 9 against Illinois State. McDermott is second in the nation in scoring at 24.2 PPG, and is becoming a serious candidate for the Naismith Award.

Brandon Paul, Illinois: Paul had himself a night on Tuesday.  He dropped a career high 43 points in an upset win over Ohio State.  Thanks to him, the Illini are tied with Michigan State for first in the Big Ten.

Jamaal Franklin, San Diego State: Scored 24 points, including the aforementioned game winning layup against UNLV.  The Sophomore guard is averaging 15.7 PPG, up from last’s years 2.9 PPG.

Top 25

Next up:  St. Mary’s, Wisconsin, Gonzaga, Vanderbilt, Cincinnati, Alabama, Xavier, New Mexico

What to Watch For this Week:

Monday

22 Louisville vs. 23 Marquette- 3:30 PM EST on ESPN

Pitt vs. 1 Syracuse- 7:30 PM EST on ESPN

3 Baylor vs. 9 Kansas- 9:30 PM EST on ESPN

Tuesday

10 Michigan St vs. 16 Michigan- 7:00 PM EST on ESPN

Wednesday

Cincinnati vs. 8 UConn- 7:00 PM EST on ESPN2

20 San Diego State vs. New Mexico- 10:00 PM EST

Thursday

5 North Carolina vs. Virginia Tech-  9:00 PM EST on ESPN

Saturday

Alabama vs. 2 Kentucky- 12:00 PM EST on CBS

7 Missouri vs. 3 Baylor- 2:00 PM EST on ESPN

*9 Kansas vs. Texas OR 8 UConn vs. Tennessee- 4:00 PM EST on CBS

1 Syracuse vs. Notre Dame- 6:00 PM EST on ESPN

*Check local listings