Feast Week Was Incredible: 5 Craziest Moments
While the season starts slowly, College Basketball always ramps up when multi-team events begin. This year was no different. The best games have been played in MTEs, and while the fanbase was blessed with the Main Event last week, Feast Week is truly where the biggest tournaments began. Whether it was the Maui Jim Maui Invitational, the Phil Knight Invitiational, the Phil Knight Legacy, or something else, college basketball was fraught with excitement on Thanksgiving weekend. From Downtown has cultivated the 5 best results from the past week!
5) Seton Hall Makes Improbable Buzzer Beater to Win
With just 6 seconds left in the game, Memphis had the ball at the free throw line with the lead. By the end of the game, Seton Hall had won. In an incredibly improbable series of events, Memphis got an offensive rebound after a missed free throw, which would normally seal the deal. However, the rebounder attempted to make a pass, which allowed Seton Hall to get the ball back. 1 banked 3-pointer later, and the Pirates won the game. Shaheen Holloway has seemingly brought the winning tradition from St. Peter’s with him to Seton Hall, but this result speaks more about Memphis than it does about Seton Hall. Kendric Davis had an incredible night, scoring 22 points on a great night from the floor and spectacular night from the free throw line. However, the rest of the team failed to support him, as the Tigers shot an abysmal 4/14 from 3. Also, the lack of discipline cost them the game at the end. As for the Pirates, Tyrese Samuel recorded a double double, including the game winning shot. The Pirates proceeded to lose to Oklahoma, which is notable because Seton Hall was favored in that game, but Memphis was actually favored in this game. The ESPN Events Invitational has been quite chaotic, and this was the hallmark result from a crazy MTE.
4) UConn Goes Nuclear
Two words: Adama Sanogo. The star player of From Downtown’s preseason Big East contender has been electric in the Phil Knight Invitational thus far. Alabama, after defeated a red-hot Michigan State team, was thoroughly dismantled by head coach Dan Hurley’s squad in their subsequent game. Sanogo was the standout, with 25 points, strong rebounding, and 2 major blocks. He seems to be a “do it all” type of player that the Huskies are fully taking advantage of in their games. Hurley also employed strong use of a good rotation in their game against the Crimson Tide. Donovan Clingan entered the game off the bench, and while he was not a major scorer, he recorded 5 rebounds in just 11 minutes. Joey Calcaterra also played off the bench, but went scored double digit points while shooting 100% from 3. Credit goes out to Hurley, as his 2nd half adjustment allowed UConn to pull away from a competitive Alabama roster. Fans of the Crimson Tide should hold their heads high: Brandon Miller was an assist away from a double double, and the team shot well as a whole. They should stay contentious in the SEC, but this speaks to how strong UConn looks. UConn is fresh off another big win, where Oregon yet again faced off against an unfortunately strong opponent. UConn is an exciting team to watch, and they should absolutely be considered a powerhouse in the Big East.
3) Arkansas Rallies to Overcome a Double Digit Deficit
With almost no time left on the clock in the Maui Invitational’s 3rd place game, Kamani Johnson tipped the ball into the basket to force Arkansas into overtime against San Diego State. SDSU led by as many as 10 points during this game, and Arkansas was without their premier freshman in Nick Smith. Inefficient performances from Anthony Black (3/11) and Ricky Council IV (6/19) definitely did a number on the Razorbacks, but Eric Musselman managed to coach his team out of the defection on the back of an unsung Arkansas hero: the aforementioned Johnson. Johnson recorded just 19 minutes while coming off the bench, but in those minutes, he made all of his shots - including the overtime-clinching shot - and got 7 rebounds. In an important game, Johnson stepped up big time, and his team is certainly thankful for that. San Diego State unfortunately left the Maui Invitational with a 1-2 record, but losses to eventual champion Arizona and 3rd place Arkansas are not terrible losses by any means. Matt Bradley played with excellent poise, and the Aztecs’ defense was as stalwart as ever. If they can improve their shooting (the Aztecs shot just 2/18 from the 3-point line), the Aztecs will remain an NCAA tournament dark horse come March.
2) Purdue Breezes Past Gonzaga
While an upset over Gonzaga is impressive in its own right, the truly shocking fact about this result is that Purdue won by an 18 point margin. In fact, the Boilermakers seemed to dominate the Bulldogs in almost every aspect. Both Zach Edey and Drew Timme shot 10/16, and fulfilled their “star player” roles quite nicely. Neither player could be contained, but where Purdue differentiated themselves from Gonzaga was the performance of their supporting cast. Fletcher Loyer was great from the 3-point line, and Purdue as a whole had a great shooting night (perhaps a testament to Gonzaga having questions on defense). Meanwhile, Jeremy Strawther had a really tough time, going just on 2/8 shooting despite getting 10 defensive rebounds. Strangely, Gonzaga’s bench player Ben Gregg gave Purdue a lot of trouble. The formerly invisible player made a big splash, netting 9 points and 2 blocks in just 9 minutes. Perhaps the key for Mark Few in the future is to give Gregg more minutes. In the interim, Matt Painter’s squad will take on a Duke team that has some question marks surrounding it, and Purdue has a big opportunity to rise to the occasion and clinch the MTE. While Purdue was lauded as an overrated team to start the season, the currently undefeated Boilermakers have a chance to prove all of the haters wrong and start the season off with an incredible performance.
Iowa State nabs a Massive Upset against UNC
UNC, the preseason #1 ranked team, was winning games in strange ways throughout the season. Teams that they should be pounding by double digits were giving them trouble, and they even struggled against a Portland team in round 1 of the Phil Knight Invitational. They were unable to get their woes under wraps, and UNC lost to Iowa State in a 2nd half effort. Much of the blame for the loss can be placed on Caleb Love. Not only did Love play poorly - missing 10 shots on the night - but he antagonized a fellow Caleb on Iowa State in Caleb Grill. This proved to be a fatal mistake, as Love went on to have a career high 31 point performance. Grill nailed 7 3-pointers, was ice cold on defense, and even recorded a guard block. Grill’s emphatic performance seemed to energize the rest of the Cyclones, which allowed them to rally from a deficit in the 2nd half and win the game. After the game, TJ Otzelberger emotionally declared his love for the sport and the program. He has given Iowa State fans their most exciting situation of hte 21st century, and brought a 2 win team in 2021 to the tournament in 2022. After a win over the previously ranked #1 team, Otzelberger seems to be setting out to accomplish even more in year 2 as a Cyclone, and Iowa State fans should be massively excited for the future as they take on UConn in the Phil Knight Invitational finals.
Wondering where Arizona’s win in the Maui Invitational was this article? Stay tuned for a deep dive on how Tommy Lloyd’s offense is truly special when From Downtown writes a spotlight on them this Wednesday!
