For the first time since late August Saturday afternoons were devoid of college football; for expedience I’ll allow that last week’s octet of meaningless bowl games were at least as collectively entertaining as was Week Zero. But with the turn of the calendar came a turn in what white noise was available for those hunkered at home or braving the elements, as YAHOO! SPORTS’ Andrew Fleck detailed:
It’s the first Saturday of the year, and since we’re past the majority of the college football playoffs/bowl games, there is A TON of college basketball on national television today! I’m counting 37 games in total, split 36 for the men and one for the women. The one women’s game on national TV? You better believe it’s UConn, as the top ranked Huskies are hosting Seton Hall.
13 of the men’s games have at least one ranked team involved. There’s just one game between two ranked opponents, and that’s #19 Tennessee visiting #18 Arkansas. I suppose that automatically makes that one your game of the day.
We chose to eschew that one; even the most ADD among us can’t quite keep pace with the fifteen different linear and streaming sources that were simultaneously airing live games. But we did take note the most successful, especially the current number one that harkens back to more glorious times when they were more ubiquitously available when there was a real Pac 12. ARIZONA WILDCATS ON SI’s Justin Backer reminded us why, pyaing particular credit to yet another incredible ex-pat from Longview-Kelso, Washington:
Since taking over as head coach of the Arizona Wildcats in 2021, Tommy Lloyd has quickly risen up the ranks of college basketball’s most elite coaches. An assistant at Gonzaga for 20 years from 2001-2021, Lloyd took the Arizona job at a strange time for the program. They had just come off a 17-win season in 2020-2021, and the team had gone three seasons without an NCAA Tournament appearance.
That would immediately change under Lloyd, as the Wildcats would go 33-4 in his first season, and Arizona would officially be on everyone’s radar as a National Championship contender. Lloyd’s 61 wins through his first two seasons were the most for any D-1 head coach in NCAA history. Additionally, Lloyd’s most recent win etched his name in Arizona record books as well. Since joining Arizona, Lloyd has a record of 125-33, and has led the Wildcats to four straight NCAA Tournament appearances, reaching the Sweet Sixteen in three of those four appearances.
And with a 97-60 thrashing of Utah in an old school Pac 12 throwback that opened their Big 12 conference slate yesterday, Lloyd now presides over one of the six remaining unbeatens. The FOX Sports website caught us up with the balance earlier this week:
No. 2 Michigan, Big Ten, 13-0
Michigan beat No. 24 USC, 96-66, to improve to 13-0. The Wolverines have had the fourth-most difficult schedule in all of Division I men’s college basketball, which is to say that it has passed many tests already. Next up is Penn State on Jan. 6, and conference play against the likes of Wisconsin, Indiana, Ohio State, Nebraska, Michigan State and Purdue means that many more tests to still be passed.
No. 3 Iowa State, Big 12, 14-0
Iowa State has No. 17 Kansas on the schedule in mid-January, but before then it faces Baylor and Oklahoma State, so the road to the Jayhawks isn’t easy, either.
No. 11 Vanderbilt, SEC, 14-0
Vanderbilt is yet to face a ranked opponent, but it did defeat UCF and SMU (28th in NET) during the non-conference portion of the schedule. No. 14 Alabama is their first ranked opponent, on Jan. 7, with Florida, Arkansas and Kentucky all in January as well.
No. 13 Nebraska, Big Ten, 14-0
Nebraska has played in just two Quad 1 matchups to this point, but it has wins against Kansas State, Wisconsin and ranked Illinois. A narrow 58-56 win over No. 9 Michigan State on Friday night made a statement for the Cornhuskers
Miami (OH), MAC, 15-0
Miami is in a curious spot. It hasn’t had a single Quad 1 matchup yet, but the RedHawks are also 6-0 on the road and have wins in both Quad 2 games they have played. Miami won’t face a single ranked opponent all season, though, Akron and Bowling Green are both well-regarded by NET – Akron even more so than 63rd-ranked Miami, as it’s 47th.
Meanwhile, on the distaff side the spotlight in the rain-soaked desert we call home shone even more prominently yesterday, and a surname with a recent history of success in this city returned to prominence, as the ASSOCIATED PRESS’ Beth Harris chronicled:
Lauren Betts had 18 points and 12 rebounds, and No. 4 UCLA routed Jazzy Davidson and 17th-ranked Southern California 80-46 on Saturday night for the Bruins’ eighth win in a row.
Gianna Kneepkens added 15 points, six rebounds and five assists for the Bruins (14-1, 4-0 Big Ten), who took over sole possession of first place in the conference.
Kara Dunn scored 11 points and touted freshman Davidson had 10 points on 4-of-15 shooting for the Trojans (10-4, 2-1), whose three-game winning streak ended at Pauley Pavilion. Davidson matched Betts with three blocks.