Desert golf heats up
Mickelson shoots 2 under in American Express
Remember last March, when some college hoops pundits were lamenting the lack of upsets in the early rounds of the Big Dance?
Well fear not, fans of chaos. There are plenty of indications that the Madness will return in force in a couple of months.
With conference play in full swing, teams are looking for consistency.
Yet this week has already featured losses by three top-5 squads.
With lots of pretty good but few – perhaps no – elite teams across the sport’s landscape, this trend figures to continue.
On the plus side, that should make for lots of quality viewing options in the 2020 part of the calendar.
Here are a few worthy of attention in this weekend’s Starting Five.
No. 10 Louisville at No. 3 Duke
Saturday, 6 p.m. ET, ESPN
The Blue Devils were among the upset victims mentioned above, dropping a road game at Clemson just as it appeared they were rounding into postseason form. They’ll likely be a bit salty for this visit from the Cardinals, who have won three in a row but could use another top-tier victory. Duke is hard to beat when Tre Jones is putting up points in addition to facilitating the offense. If Louisville is to keep up, a reliable secondary scoring option will need to emerge to take the pressure off Jordan Nwora.
No. 4 Auburn at Florida
Saturday, 1:30 p.m. ET, CBS
The Tigers are also coming off a loss, their first of the season, and it was particularly painful since it came at the hands of Alabama. But unlike the Blue Devils, Auburn doesn’t have the luxury of a home opportunity to bounce back. Instead, the Tigers face a Florida squad that is just as much in need of a win. Things haven’t gone well for the Gators since opening the season in the top 10, so they must take advantage of this home-court chance to start climbing back toward the postseason. Florida has struggled in halfcourt sets much of the
season, ranking near the bottom of Division I in assists with just 11.6 per game as a group. Auburn wasn’t exactly sharp in that department, either, Wednesday night with 21 turnovers in Tuscaloosa as the Crimson Tide led wire-to-wire.
No. 12 Kentucky at Arkansas
Saturday, 4 p.m. ET, ESPN
Elsewhere in the tightly bunched Southeastern Conference, the Wildcats will again be in hostile environs as the Razorbacks and first-year coach Eric Musselman seek a signature win. Kentucky has as much talent as any team in the country but again couldn’t put away an opponent Wednesday. South Carolina took advantage with a buzzer beater, and the Wildcats’ vocal fans are wondering aloud if this group has what it takes to make a deep March run. Arkansas’s schedule hasn’t made an impression, but the backcourt duo of Mason Jones and Isaiah Joe will now look to help the team garner more attention.
No. 8 Oregon at Washington
Saturday, 3:45 p.m. ET, CBS
The Ducks conclude their swing through the Evergreen State in Seattle, where the up-and-down Huskies could nevertheless be a tough out on their home floor. Washington’s trip to the Bay Area last week didn’t go well despite a respectable showing on the defensive end. The Huskies need to develop more chemistry on offense, however. Oregon’s veteran point man Payton Pritchard has plenty of experience working against Washington’s matchup zone.
No. 20 Michigan at No. 24 Iowa
Friday, 9 p.m. ET, FS1
Road victories are difficult to come by in any league, but that appears to be especially true of the Big Ten this season. The Hawkeyes, who have found a good rhythm with an attack built around big man Luka Garza, will try to avenge a Dec. 6 loss to the Wolverines, who were in the top five a month ago but have come back to earth. It hasn’t helped Michigan’s cause that key forward Isaiah Livers has been sidelined with a groin injury. His availability in Iowa City remains in doubt.