College Hoops' Week of Surprises

By Joshua Walls

What a great week it has been in college hoops.  One word to sum this week up: surprise.  We have seen some very special moments as well as some devastating disappointments.

The week started off with what many experts considered to be one of the better matches of the year.  It was the number 14 ranked North Carolina Tar Heels taking on Cody Zeller’s number one ranked Indiana Hoosiers. 

AP Photo/ Darron Cummings

UNC standout forward James Michael McAdoo put on a terrible performance, shooting 4-15 from the floor and only 33% from the foul line. Dexter Strickland and McAdoo’s other teammates played poorly, as well.

This game was the opposite of what experts and fans thought it would be.  It did not take long for Mr. Indiana, Cody Zeller to find the weak spots in this UNC defense and dominate.  Cody Zeller finished the game with an astonishing 20 points and 8 rebounds, while carrying the load on defense with 4 blocks.  Cody Zeller certainly made his case for Player of the Year honors with his outstanding play.

Duke has been playing solid all season, continually beating teams and extending their undefeated winning streak.  Duke has also made coaches, analysts, and fans alike guess why they were ranked number 8 at the beginning of the season in the AP poll and why they are not ahead of Indiana for number 1 instead of 2.  Duke certainly showed college hoops nation exactly why they deserve a spot on the top this past Wednesday when they took on the number 4 ranked Ohio State Buckeyes and carefully executed to win the game.  Duke’s F/C Mason Plumlee is carving out a compelling campaign this season, while receiving much attention from NBA scouts everywhere.  He led the way for the Blue Devils this past Wednesday posting an incredible double that included 21 points and seventeen rebounds.

The biggest surprise this week is perhaps the Notre Dame fighting Irish knocking off John Calapari’s highly recruited Kentucky Wildcats.  John Calapari was in dismay over the game.  When reporters questioned him during the press conference, he described his players as “out of control.”  Kentucky’s Nerlens Noel just has not been able to carry the team like many believed he would.  I expect the Wildcats to be consistent and average throughout the season.

Shabazz Muhammad is certainly looking every bit like the number one overall consensus pick for the 2013 spring NBA draft. Muhammad is playing great defense, shooting the ball well from behind the arc, getting teammates involved and last but not least, running the floor exceptionally well in transition.  However, UCLA took a great loss when big man Joshua Smith declared his transfer.  This will certainly be a large hit for Ben Howland and the UCLA program.

One of the most intriguing subjects in college basketball is Grinnell’s 5’10 guard Jack Taylor, who scored a ridiculous 138 points.  Taylor gained so much attention that NBA star Lebron James called Taylor as “Sir Jack,” referring to his royalty-like performance.  LeBron and Kobe both called the performance epic and legendary.

College hoops have certainly entertained this week and the play has left many at the edge of their seats anticipating the next week.