Kentucky picks up a signature road win and Jared McCain dazzles for Duke to highlight the college basketball weekend.
The NFL season has officially ended, meaning that basketball has taken center stage — and we at Heat Check CBB aim to be your go-to source for all things college hoops until a champion cuts the nets on the first Monday of April. Thus, we’re launching a new weekly column: the Saturday Recap with Heat Check CBB. Every Sunday, we’ll provide breakdowns of the biggest games and storylines from the weekend.
On the first post-NFL Saturday, fans were treated to prime-time matchups between top teams in the Big East and SEC, along with a few other significant showdowns.
Heat Check CBB:
- NCAA Tournament Bubble Watch 2024: What will it take to reach March Madness?
- Bracketology: Heat Check CBB March Madness projections
- Tournament Index: Latest 2024 NCAA Tournament projections
Kentucky deals Auburn rare loss in Neville Arena
Days after a 40-point blowout victory over 11th-ranked South Carolina, Auburn couldn’t summon the same hometown magic against Kentucky. The Wildcats marched out to a 19-9 lead and never relented, dealing the Tigers a 70-59 loss — Auburn’s first at Neville Arena this year.
Perhaps most surprisingly, Kentucky won with its defense. The Cats held Auburn to .88 points per possession, the Tigers’ second-lowest output of the season. Additionally, Auburn coughed up the ball 11 times, while its menacing frontcourt duo of Johni Broome and Jaylin Williams combined for just 17 points.
For Williams, though, the more pressing development was a scary knee injury he suffered midway through the second half. Per Jeff Goodman, the injury isn’t season-ending, but it’s still a tough blow for Auburn’s unsung hero, who was enjoying the best season of his career.
The 6-7 Williams can guard both perimeter and frontcourt players and creates havoc with his length, making him an integral part of the Tigers’ fourth-ranked defense. On the other side of the ball, he’s a connective passer and a lethal pick-and-pop threat. (Per Synergy Sports, Williams was averaging 1.25 points per possession on catch-and-shoot 3s, ranking in the 87th percentile, heading into Saturday.)
In his absence, Auburn could use a revival from freshman guard Aden Holloway. Since Jan. 1, the former five-star recruit has shot just 25 percent from the field. So far, his dip hasn’t hurt the Tigers too much, as Chad Baker-Mazara, Tre Donaldson and Denver Jones have been reliable in the backcourt and on the wing. But without Williams, the margin for error becomes significantly slimmer.
Turning to Kentucky, the Cats experienced about as good of a week as they could’ve hoped for. A win over Ole Miss on Tuesday ended the home slide, and yesterday’s performance has — at least for now — downplayed the defensive concerns.
UConn’s depth propels Huskies past Marquette as Kolek goes quiet
After a month of red-hot play, Marquette plummeted back to earth on Saturday. The Golden Eagles saw their eight-game win streak jettisoned, falling to UConn, 81-53. Meanwhile, the Huskies extended their own streak to 14 consecutive wins.
The matchup wasn’t competitive beyond the first 10 minutes. UConn controlled the game from the interior, winning the rebound battle 45-27 and holding Marquette to 5-of-15 on layups. On offense, the Huskies sliced up the Golden Eagles with their poetic motion offense, as has become custom this season. Collectively, the balanced attack showcased UConn’s depth. Four players scored 14 or more points, while bench guard Hassan Diarra tied season highs in points (14) and assists (six).
Indeed, in an era characterized by roster turnover, Connecticut stands alone as the gold standard. One can’t help but watch UConn and marvel at Dan Hurley’s masterful job in constructing this team.
Consider: The Huskies deploy a sophomore, who’s also a future first-round pick (Donovan Clingan); a five-star freshman, who’s also a lottery talent (Stephon Castle); a pair of fifth-year guards with specialized skill sets (Tristen Newton and Cam Spencer); and a stretch-4 with professional aspirations (Alex Karaban). That’s to say nothing of the high-upside freshmen (Solo Ball and Jaylin Stewart) and the hyper-charged backup big (Samson Johnson).
Is it any wonder they’re running rampant through the Big East?
Marquette, on the other hand, must figure out how to compete in these upper-echelon games. UConn completely neutralized Tyler Kolek with its length and activity in the passing lanes, the latest instance in a disturbing trend for the 2023 Big East Player of the Year. Despite Kolek’s brilliance for most of the season, his off-nights almost always lead to a Golden Eagles loss. In their last three defeats, he’s averaging 4.7 points and 3.3 turnovers, while shooting a combined 3-for-30 from the field (10 percent) and 2-for-14 from 3 (14.2 percent).
Jared McCain’s career day gives Duke key road win at FSU
Ah, top-10 teams and road struggles. A pairing that goes together like an oaky chardonnay and a wheel of French camembert. You’ve probably seen the numbers — they’ve been repeated ad nauseam this season — but it’s a noteworthy trend nevertheless.
Duke seemed as though it might be the latest victim early in Saturday’s bout with Florida State. The Blue Devils fell into an early six-point hole before Jared McCain ignited the Donald L. Tucker Center and left scorched earth behind him. On the back of seven triples, McCain scored 25 first-half points, a freshman record for Duke. Think about how many dynamic rookies have suited up in Durham. None of them — not Zion Williamson, not Jayson Tatum, not Paolo Banchero — ever dropped 25 before the halftime whistle.
McCain eventually finished the day with a season-high 35 points — and Duke needed all of them to pull out its 76-67 road win.
Watch the clip above and note McCain’s picture-perfect shot mechanics. He keeps a strong, consistent base and shoots everything in one fluid motion. Moreover, he’s far from just a spot-up threat. With shot fakes and nimble footwork, McCain keeps his defenders off balance. Over the past month, he has played like Duke’s best guard, averaging 17.4 points (.479/.400/.840 splits) and 6.4 boards.
North Carolina dominates the paint in rout of Virginia Tech
North Carolina’s week started tumultuously, but it ended with a get-right game as the Tar Heels trounced Virginia Tech 96-81 at home. Back in the Dean Dome for the first time since a confounding loss to Clemson on Feb. 6, UNC controlled the game from the jump. The Heels dictated the tempo as the pace rose to 74 possessions — VT’s first game over 70 possessions since Jan. 20 — and got easy offense in transition and in their secondary break.
Armando Bacot was the leading force behind the offensive surge. The fifth-year big man poured in 19 of his 25 points in the second half, routinely beating the Hokies’ big men for positioning.
“We brought out a few plays that we haven’t run since early in the season,” Bacot told Heat Check CBB after the game. “A lot of it was, we were getting stops and getting into secondary. For me, when we’re getting stops and I’m able to run and things like that … that’s our best offense.”
After Saturday’s big game, Bacot has now eclipsed 24 points in three of the past five games. Although Carolina has had its struggles of late, the Tar Heels can be encouraged by the re-emergence of their preseason All-American.
On Saturday, it wasn’t just Bacot scoring around the basket. The Heels scored 54 points in the paint, their second-highest total of the season. Additionally, backup big Jalen Washington contributed seven points off the bench — including a season-high three dunks — and the perimeter players regularly got into the lane.
“If you have a guy you can take, take him,” RJ Davis said of the guards’ penchant for getting downhill. “That’s one thing that Coach Davis loves about basketball. There doesn’t always have to be a set play. He just wants you to go out there and play freely.”