Saturday's college basketball slate didn't feature many marquee showdowns with finals starting next week for most schools, but there were some noteworthy performances. Here's a look at what we're buying and selling from the early action. (Check back for updates from tonight's games)
Buy: Duke as the nation's No. 1 team
Indiana may have a deeper, more talented roster. Florida may be winning games by more points. Syracuse may have more upside. But seriously, folks, how is any sane coach or member of the media voting anyone besides Duke No. 1 in the nation right now? The Blue Devils had already defeated Ohio State, Kentucky, Louisville, Minnesota and VCU entering Saturday's neutral-court matchup with unbeaten Temple. Add the Owls to that illustrious list because Duke parlayed torrid shooting into an easy 90-67 win. It remains to be seen if the Blue Devils are still the nation's best team in March, but with Mason Plumlee emerging as a player of the year candidate, Quinn Cook strengthening his grip on the point guard job and Rasheed Sulaimon out-performing expectations, Duke looks formidable right now.
Sell: John Calipari as fun to be around these days
It wasn't just Kentucky fans who were upset about the Wildcats losing two straight against Notre Dame and Baylor. John Calipari also apparently was a little grumpy about his team's sluggish start. During the first half of Kentucky's 74-46 victory over overmatched Portland, TV cameras caught Calipari smack away assistant coach Orlando Antigua's hand on the bench when it got into his field of vision. Thankfully for the Wildcats, Calipari had less to be upset about as the game went on. They got 15 points apiece from Alex Poythress and Archie Goodwin, a near triple-double from Nerlens Noel and most encouragingly, six assists and one turnover from point guard Ryan Harrow.
[More NCAA basketball: Christian Watford's stunning 3-pointer now an epic Christmas lights display]
Buy: Georgetown's defense
Even though Georgetown's offense hasn't exactly been a work of art the past few weeks, its defense is allowing it to win anyway. The Hoyas eked out a 46-40 win over an improved Towson team on Saturday despite scoring only 17 first-half points and shooting below 30 percent from the field. They did it by forcing 19 turnover, allowing just 32.6 percent shooting and limiting an opponent to 41 or fewer points for the third straight game, the first time in six decades they accomplished that feat. Georgetown beat Tennessee 38-37 eight days ago and Texas 64-41 earlier this week.
Sell: Colorado as road-ready.
It was too much to ask for Colorado to snap its 29-game losing streak at Allen Fieldhouse (especially when guard Spencer Dinwiddie rolled an ankle early in Saturday's game), but the Buffs weren't ever remotely competitive. They trailed 18-3 after five minutes, 43-22 at halftime and 72-32 with 11 minutes to play en route to a 90-54 thrashing at the hands of ninth-ranked Kansas. One of Colorado's weaknesses is its lack of proven depth, and it showed Saturday. With a hobbled Dinwiddie only able to chip in four points on 1 of 4 shooting in 21 minutes, nobody besides Askia Booker (15 points) and Josh Scott (19 points) were able to help shoulder the scoring burden. The Buffs were also done in by uncharacteristically poor defense and a flurry of early turnovers.
Buy: Illinois Chicago as a Horizon League contender
An Illinois-Chicago team eight months removed from a 22-loss season now has the two best wins any Horizon League team has achieved so far this season. The Flames won at Northwestern 50-44 last Saturday and toppled Mountain West contender Colorado State at home 64-55 this Saturday. Why did Illinois-Chicago handle the Rams? Solid perimeter defense might be the biggest reason. Colorado State guards Dorian Green and Wes Eikmeier combined for a mere 11 points on 2 of 15 shooting, not good enough to secure a road win.
Sell: Any talk of Virginia Tech as a fraud
Even though Virginia Tech suffered its first home loss in its first road test, the Hokies showed more in defeat than most teams do in victory. Virginia Tech battled back from a six-point halftime deficit and took a one-point lead in the final seconds on a banked-in 3-pointer by Robert Brown, but West Virginia won the game on a Juwan Staten layup on the ensuing possession. It wasn't the result the Hokies wanted, but it was a performance that suggests their home wins over Iowa and Oklahoma State weren't a fluke. They'll be a threat to finish in the upper half of the ACC and perhaps contend for an NCAA tournament bid.
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